CC Minutes - 07/14/03 Mtg - Laserfiche WebLink

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address this backlog. Speaking to Mr. Hauser's testimony, Mr. Kelly stated emphatically that the council had put very restrictive usage language in the adopting ordinance that specified a very narrow range of uses the funds could be used for. Councilor Bettman thanked those present for their testimony. She spoke to the concerns raised by "the lobbyist" from the real estate industry, stating that the stream corridors were the green infrastructure. She said that it was estimated that this green infrastructure would provide the community with a 20-to-30-percent reduction in stormwater costs over time. She opposed abandoning the project, as the installation and maintenance of "pipe and fill" water management facilities was a much more expensive approach. Regarding the transportation systems maintenance fee, Councilor Bettman reiterated her opposition to it. She said that the City received "tens of millions of dollars" from Lane County, the State, and the federal government and that this money was spent on operations and new projects. She felt that the way the money was allocated needed to be prioritized to provide more support for the maintenance of local street infrastructure. She expressed surprise that the representatives from the Eugene Area Chamber of Commerce had said that there was a better solution. She asked what the solution was. Councilor Bettman spoke to the concerns expressed by the supporters of the cattery, stating that the budget for animal regulation was $558,000 and came from the City's General Fund and that this amount was almost half of the amount allocated to human services in the recent budget process. Councilor Poling commented that he was willing to pay $3 per month to help support road maintenance. He felt that the problem businesses had about the fee was that it was based on the number of trips generated by a commercial entity and that this was difficult to ascertain in an equitable manner. He cited the examples of a small, fast food eatery with a drive-through window, which by virtue of its function generated much vehicle traffic, and a large company, which made a lot more money but generated fewer trips, stating that the fee would create an unfair burden on the smaller business. He also questioned whether the County would "step up to the plate" and help with road maintenance. He commented additionally that it could be prudent to provide the school systems an exemption to the fee as they were already burdened with budget woes. Councilor Meisner expressed support for a continued discussion on the transportation systems maintenance fee. He related that, prior to his departure on a trip, the Mayor had been adamant that he be present for such a discussion and had expressed concern that a premature repeal of the fee would leave the City without resources to address the backlog of street maintenance projects. He was skeptical that the County would help with the backlog, noting that though the City of Eugene accounted for more than a third of the population of the county, contained most of the assessed value of the county, collected the majority of the gas tax and, yet, received a "minuscule" amount of the County's road fund dollars. MINUTES--Eugene City Council July 14, 2003 Page 7 Regular Meeting