CC Minutes - 07/22/02 Meeting - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

III.PUBLIC HEARING: An Ordinance Concerning Transportation System Maintenance Fees and Adding Sections 7.750 through 7.795 to the Eugene Code, 1971 Public Works Department Director Kurt Corey provided the staff report. He said the this public hearing represented the culmination of a process that had begun over two years ago when the council had requested that the citizen members of the Budget Committee review and bring back proposals for addressing Eugene's transportation system funding shortfall. He noted that the FY03 budget assumed establishment of a transportation utility fund with funding provided in part by a transportation system maintenance fee. He said fees would be collected on a monthly basis. Mr. Corey noted the changes to the revised draft ordinance as they were presented in the meeting packet: · Include "alleys" in the list of transportation system elements. · Factor in residential characteristics, such as number of drivers registered at an address, that have a high correlation with usage. · Request for further consideration of incentives for businesses and individuals who are reducing their usage of the transportation system. Transit program credit needs to be based on demonstrated effectiveness rather than just participation. · Provide that rates will be adjusted as other sources of revenue are realized. · Eliminate requirement that EWEB collect the transportation system maintenance fee and authorize the city manager to contract with EWEB or another entity for collection. In response to a question from Councilor Bettman regarding the purpose of the fee and how "improve" was defined, Mr. Corey noted that, in a previous meeting, activities had been described for which the funding would be appropriate. He referred Councilor Bettman to agenda page 154 where, under Section 7.76, use of revenues for capacity enhancing street improvements was specifically precluded. In response to a question from Councilor Bettman as to the effectiveness of participation in transit program credits could be demonstrated, Mr. Corey said that it would be part of the administrative rule-making process to address that issue subsequent to adoption of the ordinance. He commented that he did not know that it was appropriate to get to that level of detail on rate-setting and methodology as part of the legislative consideration of the issue. In response to a question from Councilor Bettman regarding how the level of the fee would change with or without a gas tax as a supplement, Mr. Corey said staff were operating on the assumption that the council was going to conduct a public hearing later in the year to consider the other component of the recommended transportation funding package, which was a proposed gas tax. He said staff were not contemplating anything different than what had previously been reported to the council. Mr. Corey said that without the gas tax, the ordinance being discussed would not completely address the funding shortfall. In response to a question from Councilor Bettman regarding the upgrading of alleys to City standards and whether that would be a capacity improvement, Mr. Corey said it was not intended that the ordinance would be enacted for the purpose of generating revenue to build new street improvements or alley improvements the first time. He said staff had always assumed a continuation of the assessment process to get those facilities brought up to standard. In response to a question from Councilor Pap8 regarding whether the ordinance could be perceived as akin to a property tax, Mr. Klein said the proposed fee would not constitute a MINUTES--Eugene City Council July 22, 2002 Page 6 Regular Meeting