CC Minutes - 10/08/03 WS - Laserfiche WebLink

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million of the funding coming from the gas tax and $700,000 from transportation systems development charges (SDC). Mr. Corey pointed out that the City would have had to spend $10 to $12 million more on these projects if it had waited two or three years. Mr. Corey reviewed the chronology of key funding actions beginning with the recommendation from the citizen members of the Budget Committee charged with looking at transportation funding that the City institute a $9 million a year street preservation program. He said since that time, budget activities and capital improvement plans had been adopted all contemplating a full implementation of the $9 million program. He said the council adopted ordinances establishing the three-cent local option gas tax and creating a Transportation Systems Maintenance Fee (TSMF). He said a local option gas tax had been implemented, but under pressure and criticism from the Lane County Board of Commissioners and a threat from the Chamber of Commerce to sponsor an initiative petition on the TSMF, the council repealed that ordinance. This left a big gap in the funding for the capital preservation program. Mr. Corey reminded the council of the following quote from the citizen members of the Eugene Budget Committee: Providing adequate funding for ongoing annual preservation activity is critical to prevent preservation backlogs from accumulating in the future. Mr. Corey said that with the current backlog at $96,226,395, and with spending at least $3.5 million a year, the backlog would grow by about $5 million per year absent additional resources to the program. He said that he looked forward to future conversations about the funding needs. Mr. Corey briefly reviewed 2004 projects and projects that had been delayed due to lack of funds. He concluded by saying that the program was better off than it was two years ago, but the backlog would continue to grow. He provided phone numbers and a website for further information. Mr. Kelly thanked Mr. Corey and Mark Schoening for Mr. Schoening's memorandum to the Metropolitan Policy Committee calling for accommodation of the Eugene City Council's direction of flexible allocation of the STPU funding for preservation projects. He said that he was glad the council gave clear direction and that staff was supporting that direction. Mr. Kelly asked if there was any update from the county as to when discussion of transportation funding would be discussed. He wondered if the meeting of mayors from around the county had taken place. Mr. Corey said that meeting had been scheduled for November 25. Mr. Pap6 asked if Public Works had done any life-cycle costing for asphalt versus other materials such as concrete, stone, bricks, etc. Mr. Corey said it all came down to an analysis of the street that was being repaired. He noted that a concrete intersection had been put in on the intersection of Bertlesen and Roosevelt streets. He said he would caution against general policy direction as to technical standards. He emphasized that the existing transportation network would determine some of what would be practical. He said the department always considered first costs, maintenance costs, life-cycle as design decisions were made about new construction. In response to a question from Mr. Pap6, Mr. Corey said that the department was more pro-active than prescriptive in working with utilities to mitigate the impact of cutting into streets. He said that department staff had regular utility coordinating meetings to make sure that the need to get into newly constructed or newly overlayed streets was at an absolute practical minimum. MINUTES--Eugene City Council October 8, 2003 Page 7 Work Session