CC minutes - 09/24/03 WS - Laserfiche WebLink

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Mayor Torrey also urged action soon given that there were several upcoming meetings where the council would not have a full complement of members. Mr. Kelly recalled that the mayor had tested the council's support for the federal courthouse at the Monday meeting and there was unanimous support for the courthouse. The council was doing what it could to retain the courthouse. He asked the council to avoid hyperbolic statements. Speaking to the main motion, Mr. Kelly did not support the motion at this time because the council had yet to hear from the two providers. While he acknowledged Ms. Nathanson's remarks about the need for a code that was not provider-specific, he believed that the council needed to hear from the board of the McKenzie-Willamette Hospital about its needs. He said that did not mean he would not support the motion in the future. Ms. Bettman was unsure she was prepared to support the ordinance at this time. The changes being proposed were intended to simplify hospital siting, but she thought they complicated that task. She shared Mr. Kelly's interest in a discussion with the providers to determine their needs before the council took final action, or alternatively, adoption of a site-by-site response. She thought the latter approach a more streamlined approach. Ms. Bettman noted that it was likely the council would also have to adopt changes to refinement plans if a hospital located within the boundaries of such a plan. She suggested that in rush to get something done, the council might be missing opportunities or complicating issues for the hospitals. If she heard from the providers that the ordinance was acceptable, Ms. Bettman indicated she might change her mind. Mr. Meisner asked Mr. Carlson to confirm that the motion was direction to staff to bring back an ordinance for adoption by the council. Mr. Carlson said yes. Mr. Meisner said that he was comfortable giving staff direction given the council would take final action later. He did not know how he would vote on the final ordinance, and pointed out it could be amended further before adoption. Ms. Taylor did not support moving forward with the ordinance at this time. She was concerned about the need to be fair to all entities. She preferred to resolve the issues related to the resolution and endorsed Ms. Bettman's remarks regarding a site-by-site approach. Mayor Torrey indicated support for moving forward with the motion. He believed the best incentive that Eugene could give a potential provider was predictability about what was allowed. He pointed out that the ordinance in question could be changed. Mayor Torrey noted that the council had an extensive discussion of incentives on September 22. He said that the council would make a statement with what it did, and he hoped that it stated it was prepared to allow hospital providers to make choices within the realm of the ordinance drafted by staff and as amended by the council. Ms. Nathanson did not believe the process was being rushed. She pointed out that the council asked staff to return with an ordinance in April 2003 and had been talking about the issue longer than that. Ms. Nathanson spoke to Mr. Kelly's interest in waiting until the hospitals made their needs known, saying she assumed staff had been talking to those with knowledge about hospital siting. MINUTES--Eugene City Council September 24, 2003 Page 5 Work Session