CC Minutes - 07/09/03 WS - Laserfiche WebLink

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Ms. Nathanson noted that she had received letters of support for the project from the University of Oregon and Judge Michael Hogan. Mr. Kelly understood the concerns expressed about the project as well as the reasons for going ahead. He thought Ms. Nathanson's points were well-taken, and he was pleased by the joint participation, which might not be available for other projects. He said he would feel more comfortable if he had a sense from the Planning and Development Department of what the future held for the district. Mr. Sullivan said that an update of the plan was in process. The existing plan was due to expire in 2005. At the last council meeting at which the issue was discussed, the council had indicated an interest in discussing specific projects for the district. That discussion had not yet occurred. Mr. Kelly said he favored undergrounding utilities whenever possible. He asked if there had been discussion of expanding the undergrounding to the area between Agate and Villard streets on the north side of Franklin Boulevard. Mr. Larson reviewed the scope of the project, noting that if the utilities were not undergrounded, they would be set back. Two poles east of Agate would be addressed and the balance of the street to Onyx Street would be undergrounded. The remainder of the poles would remain in place. Ms. Taylor favored the proposal because it was the right time and because it involved urban renewal money rather than other tax dollars. She said that if other money was involved, she would probably oppose the proposal. Mr. Meisner reiterated his concerns that the council was being asked to take action on a single project without any context about other possible projects, such as the daylighting of the Millrace, which would require a considerable sum. He asked again if this was the highest priority for the district's funds. He could not support the project at this time. Ms. Bettman said that the opportunity was a good one but, like a great sale, if one did not have the money or needed it for other purposes, one might have to pass on it. She did not discount the value of the aesthetic improvement that would result, but pointed out that the money in question was tax increment funding diverted from schools and City services. She did not find the project to be a high enough priority to justify the expenditure and hoped that staff could come back with other suggestions for funding the proposal. Ms. Taylor pointed out that the council could not use the money for schools or other services. It was restricted as to where and for what it could be used. For that reason, she supported the proposal and wanted to take advantage of the opportunity that existed. Ms. Nathanson acknowledged the comments of Mr. Meisner and Ms. Bettman that there may be other uses for the funds. She pointed out, however, that the council had not adopted any projects, although it had adopted policies identifying the types of projects to be funded. Undergrounding utilities was among those projects. Ms. Nathanson said that if the council did not fund the project now, the opportunity might not be available for a long time. She said that aesthetics were important, but safety and service reliability were also key factors in EWEB's decision to move toward undergrounding utilities as a general practice. She noted that the University of Oregon had undergrounded the utilities in this area across Franklin Boulevard. Ms. Nathanson, seconded by Ms. Taylor, moved to direct the City Manager to pursue other potential sources of funds and to bring back a proposal to fund, MINUTES - Eugene City Council July 9, 2003 Page 3 Work Session