CC Minutes - 05/29/02 JEO - Laserfiche WebLink

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complete byAugust 1 or the project could be dropped from the STIP. The money could then be reprogrammed to other projects in the state. He believed the need for the parkway was obvious. He emphasized the importance of partnership between ODOT and local government. He asked the adopting officials to approve the parkway. Bob Ackerman, 975 Willagillespie Road, #200, Eugene, State Representative for District 14, noted the November 2001 election during which the parkway was approved by the voters. He reviewed the ballot measures presented to voters at that time. He said that it was clear to him that the voters made a policy choice for the City of Eugene. The council made the decision to refer the issue to the voters. He believed the adopting officials had an ethical obligation to carry out the vote. He thought to do otherwise would be unfair and a triumph of technical objections over the will of the people. He noted the negative economic impact of not building the parkway on west Eugene. Mr. Ackerman said that the adopting officials should recognize the rights of working people who need family-wage jobs and move ahead with the parkway to sustain economic growth. Gary Dunbar, 2222 Willamette Street, Eugene, opposed the parkway and called for the promotion of local businesses and the creation of a more efficient transportation system. He called for new ideas to serve future generations. Mark Rabinowitz, 28549 Sutherlin Road, Eugene, stated the WEP would cost more than was available or projected to be available, and asked who was going to pay those costs. He noted the nondisposal policy for BLM stated the entire project must be funded, and that was not the case. He said ODOT's property in west Eugene would be a wonderful addition to the wetlands. Jeff Miller, 2425 Lariat Drive, recalled the actions taken by previous councils to make the parkway possible. He said that was done because of a recognition that the City needed to maintain ODOT's partnership. He recalled the vote taken in the 1980s to provide additional reassurance of local support to ODOT. He called for follow-through on the community's long-term planning so the community continued to receive ODOT funding. He said that the parkway was not just a Eugene issue. He urged the joint adopting officials to respect the will of the voters. Tom Bowerman, 33707 McKenzie View, Eugene, called for transportation alternatives that were sustainable in nature and asked the adopting officials to show leadership by rejecting the parkway. Paul Conte, 1461 West 10th Avenue, offered his "Top Ten Reasons" for opposing the Eugene parkway. Jan Wellman, City of Veneta, encouraged the adopting officials to approve the Eugene parkway. He said that Veneta residents used Highway 126 daily and it was very congested, and projected to be more congested in the future, resulting in significant delays. He noted growth that was occurring in Veneta, resulting in more people commuting to Eugene. He said the parkway was needed for safety. Beth Adelott, 3690 University Street, Eugene, opposed the parkway because she had not personally experienced a significant delay in using West 11th Avenue at peak hours. She was concerned about spending money on a problem that did not exist. She described a situation in Memphis that also involved a highway passing over a park purchased with LWCF dollars. She suggested that Eugene would not be able to build the parkway because of the BLM policy. MINUTES--Joint Adopting Officials May 29, 2002 Page 4