CC Minutes - 12/01/03 Mtg - Laserfiche WebLink

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MINUTES Eugene City Council Regular Meeting Council Chamber--City Hall December 1, 2003 7:30 p.m. COUNCILORS PRESENT: Gary Pap6, Nancy Nathanson, Scott Meisner, David Kelly, Betty Taylor, Bonny Bettman, George Poling, Jennifer Solomon. Council President Gary Pap6 called the meeting to order, as Mayor James D. Torrey was still in transit from a meeting in the city of Portland. 1. PUBLIC FORUM Councilor Pap6 reviewed the rules of the Public Forum. Richard Quigley, 2260 Jefferson Street, stated that, as a 28-year resident of Jefferson Street, he had always anticipated an increase in traffic on this street, but had not been prepared for the speed of the traffic. He provided petitions signed by area residents requesting traffic calming measures. He stressed that the neighborhood was not asking that traffic be routed elsewhere, just that it be slowed down somehow. Alan Butler, 2261 Jefferson Street, said he helped Mr. Quigley gather the petitions. He echoed his sentiments, stating that he also had moved to the area knowing that there would be traffic, but had been taken aback by the speed at which people drive on the street. He expressed appreciation for the traffic enforcement officers who patrol the area, but felt there was not enough staff available to truly impact the problem. As such, he relayed the neighborhood's desire for other measures to impede the speed of traffic. Bruce Miller, PO Box 50968, Eugene, provided City Manager Dennis Taylor with a copy of a book that discussed some of the problems of small towns. He showed the council pictures of the "horrible condition" of downtown. He felt Eugene could take a lesson from the City of Corvallis. Mr. Miller criticized the recently unveiled statue memorializing the late Ken Kesey located in downtown. Paul Atkinson, 83601 Territorial Road, said that although he did not live within the city limits, he had lived in the area for all of his 51 years and considered Eugene to be his home town. He had been a farmer his whole adult life. He expressed concern regarding the proposed expansion of the urban growth boundary (UGB) north of Irvington Drive. He stated that the area was comprised of Class 1 soils. He appealed to the City to look at the soil maps prior to planning development. Class 1 soil was 2.5 to 3 percent of the land base in this county when settlers arrived. He asserted that 90 percent of this soil was now covered in asphalt. He emphasized that all kinds of soil can grow grass seed, but 200 food crops can grow in Class 1 soils. He advocated for ensuring that the residents still have a way to grow food by not paving over this MINUTES--Eugene City Council December 1, 2003 Page 1 Regular Meeting