5.20.2019 City Council Work Session Meeting Minutes

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MINUTES Eugene City Council Harris Hall, 125 East 8th Avenue Eugene, Oregon 97401 May 20, 2019 5:30 p.m. Councilors Present: Emily Semple, Jennifer Yeh, Alan Zelenka, Chris Pryor, Greg Evans, Betty Taylor, Claire Syrett Mayor Vinis opened the May 20, 2019, work session of the Eugene City Council. Councilor Yeh made a statement about the use of white nationalist language during a recent rally; she supported the right to free speech and called for the community to speak out against prejudice and discrimination. Mayor Vinis and Councilor Yeh extended their gratitude to the Eugene and Springfield Police Departments for their skillful handling of the situation. Councilor Zelenkajoined the meeting at 5:45 p.m. 1. WORK SESSION: Clear & Objective Housing: Approval Criteria Update Senior Planner Jenessa Dragovich and Principal Planner Alissa Hansen presented on the project's goals, timeline, outreach process and proposed code changes. Council Discussion: • Councilor Clark- asked questions regarding the net effect of the policies on buildable lands. • Councilor Taylor - expressed concern about changing the South Hills Study without neighborhood involvement, especially regarding setback, open space requirements, tree protection and building on slopes; did not support the proposed motion. • Councilor Pryor - noted the general agreement among the Planning Commission on most recommendations; supported protecting the ridgeline above 900 feet; supported motion, especially because so many people were a part of the development process. • Councilor Semple - voiced concern about tree preservation and would have liked to have seen an increase in mitigation; would like to promote tree species that would do well with climate change and would bring greater variety and diversity; expressed concern that an owner could cut down all the trees on their lot if those trees were not native; did not support the motion. • Councilor Z elenka - asked whether there might be more time for council to consider the motion; asked for clarification about cases in which the proposed rules would apply; was unsure whether he would support the motion and would like the Planning Commission to do more review; supported planting native trees. • Councilor Syrett - asked whether the production of meeting materials two weeks in advance of the meeting contributed to staff not having enough time to work with the Planning Commission on recommendations; would like to hear from the public about their reaction to the proposals; would like more real-world examples. • Mayor Vinis - questioned whether council should amend the motion to move forward on some of the recommendations and send the others back to the Planning Commission for more analysis. MINUTES - Eugene City Council May 20, 2019 Page 1 Work Session