CC Minutes - 06/23/03 Mtg - Laserfiche WebLink

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troops, and youth groups might help distribute newsletters by hand. She said she would not support the amendment. Councilor Taylor supported the amendment. She said citizen participation was vital to neighborhoods and representative government. In response to a question from Councilor Pap8 regarding how many newsletters the allotted funding would allow, Mr. Carlson said he understood that there would be enough funding for at least two newsletters. In response to a question from Councilor Pap8 regarding whether funding would allow postcards to announce neighborhood meetings, Mr. Carlson said it was up to the neighborhood organization as to whether it sent a newsletter or meeting notification cards. Councilor Pap8 raised concern over allotting Councilor Kelly's suggested amount of funding. Tom Coyle suggested that an option would be to give discretion to the department head with direction that the funding be spent in accordance with a twice-a-year publication schedule for neighborhood newsletters. He said the matter could then be handled administratively and any funding left over could be given back to the City Manager. He estimated that another $15,000, in addition to the recommended funding, would allow for two newsletters to be published. In response to a question from Councilor Meisner regarding whether it would be possible to use the supplemental budget process rather than the Reserve for Revenue Shortfall, Mr. Coyle said that would be a workable solution. Councilor Meisner said he would not support the amendment. He said the budget situation was not improving and the Reserve for Revenue Shortfall would be needed in future years. Councilor Taylor said she had experience with several neighborhoods. She said two newsletters per year was not enough to keep a neighborhood informed and noted that some neighborhoods could not deliver newsletters by hand. Councilor Bettman said she had defended the budget for neighborhood newsletters since she had been on the council. She said it was anti-neighborhood to not support the amendment. She said cutting the newsletter budget would hamstring the neighborhoods and lessen neighborhood participation. Councilor Bettman, seconded by Councilor Taylor, moved to amend the amendment by taking the funding from neighborhood matching grants. Councilor Bettman said hand delivering newsletters resulted in a lot of litter in the streets because it was illegal to leave the newsletters in people's mail boxes. She said the amendment was a modest proposal. Councilor Meisner said he would support the amendment to the amendment. He said it would help the grants committee to look at neighborhood projects rather than regional ones. MINUTES Eugene City Council June 23, 2003 Page 5 Regular Meeting