CC Minutes - 11/24/03 WS - Laserfiche WebLink

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Ms. Bettman asked what purposes CDBG funds could be used for, other than accessibility. Mr. Schoening replied that funds could be used for most types of public improvements in eligible areas. Ms. Bettman remarked it was a positive step to improve alleys, but she had concerns with the financing mechanism and the underlying assumption that fixing the alleys in the West University neighborhood would improve crime statistics and stop riots. She said she had not seen any information that connected those issues. She said a larger deteriorating infrastructure issue that affected human lives was the lack of a housing code. Ms. Bettman said the development and infill on alleys in the West University neighborhood was intense and the alleys functioned as roads and should therefore be eligible for transportation funds. She said her concern was the diversion to building new road capacity of CDBG funds that could be used for wheelchair upgrades and access and other capital projects that did not qualify for other funding sources. She asked how gaps would be covered if the project cost more than anticipated and some assessments were not paid. Mr. Schoening replied that the City would bid the project before the LID was formed and if costs were higher, they were allocated to benefiting property owners using the same formula. He said that the assessment was a primary lien on the property and if not paid, the City would have the ability to foreclose on the property to satisfy the assessment. Ms. Bettman asked what other funding sources might be available for the alley improvement projects. Mr. Schoening responded that SDCs (system development charges) could not be used for alley improvements, but the General Fund and the Road Fund would be eligible sources, although there had been no Road Fund capital projects in several years. Mr. Poling said he shared some of the concerns expressed by Mr. Meisner and Mr. Pap6 earlier, but the proposal was a good place to start. He said the task force had identified the project as a high priority and it was a good example of how creative thinking could benefit a neighborhood. He asked for clarification on whether the LID ended when the assessments were levied or paid. Mr. Klein replied that the LID was formed for a single purpose, in this case to pave the alleys and pay for the improvements. He said the assessments would be levied by ordinance after the project was complete and property owners could chose to pay the assessment in full at that time, or use the City's ten-year payment plan, which would place a lien on the property. He said the practical effect of the LID for each property owner went away when the owner's assessment was paid in full. Mr. Poling said he was ready to support implementation of the proposal. Ms. Nathanson said her suggestion that an LID could be used for additional purposes referred to other things that could be done in conjunction with paving the alleys, if needs were identified by property owners. She suggested that pictures could be used to illustrate the difference between improved alleys and those in need of improvement. She said the council should be prepared to defend its action to residents living on unpaved gravel streets who had requested it be improved. She noted other projects, particularly the sidewalk completion program that had not moved forward, and hoped the council could find a way to fund that as well. Mr. Kelly emphasized the need for extensive public outreach and said that was necessary to gain his support. He said it was especially important to reach out to the owner-occupied dwellings, obtain their MINUTES--Eugene City Council November 24, 2003 Page 10 Work Session