Item 3A: Approval of City Council Minutes

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change in the budget of ten percent or greater required notification of the citizen members of the committee as well as a meeting of the full Budget Committee. He wanted the citizen members of the committee to be involved in the budget more fully in order to better prepare them for the task of working on the budget. Mayor Piercy closed the public hearing. Councilor Bettman wished to ensure that citizen members of the Budget Committee would receive information on supplemental budgets. Ms. Murdoch responded that it was as simple as requesting it. She said she would send out the same packet of information that the council members received to the citizen members. Additionally, she clarified that any time there was a 10 percent change in the budget, a supplemental budget was brought into play, but the citizen members were not required to be part of the approval process. She said if 10 citizens wish to have a “full Budget Committee look” at the supplemental budget, there could be a petition to do so. She noted that this had not happened during her tenure with the Finance Division. In response to a question from Councilor Bettman, Ms. Murdoch affirmed that the $900,000 capital transfer listed on page 119 of the Agenda Item Summary was not in addition to the capital transfer, but rather was the amount of the complete capital transfer. Councilor Bettman asked if the placeholder of $1 million for Phase 3 of the City Hall Master Plan would come to the council for approval of the plan for initiation of Phase 3 before the expenditure of the money was triggered. Ms. Murdoch replied that the supplemental budget would appropriate the funds so the funds could be spent. Facilities Division Manager Glen Svendsen added that the plan was similar to the other phases, as staff intended to come before the council to get direction on the scope and the dollar amount before they proceeded with the project. Councilor Bettman said, given that there was still council discretion regarding the spending for Phase 3 of the City Hall, she would support the supplemental budget. She noted that most of it was just business that needed to be “taken care of.” She pointed out that she had opposed approving the Connect Oregon funds, though the council had voted to support the funds. She asserted that it would bond on future lottery revenue and she likened this to putting children in the position of having to pay off lottery bonds. She alleged that the City was building “basically a warehouse” at the airport with the funds. She called it a “travesty.” Councilor Papé asked if the money for the Crest Drive context-sensitive planning process was coming from the General Fund. He wondered if it would qualify for a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG). City Manager Taylor replied that the funding would come from the council contingency fund. He did not think such a project would qualify for CDBG funds. Councilor Papé asked for clarification on the budget change for the Echo Hollow Pool. He noted that it had been referred to as an oversight. Ms. Murdoch responded that it was because of an accounting mechanism that was budgeted in two funds. She explained that the Facilities Fund had done the work and then billed the General Fund for Library, Recreation, and Cultural Services (LRCS). She said it had been put into the Facilities Fund but it had not been appropriately placed into the LRCS budget to pay the bill. In response to a question from Councilor Papé, Ms. Murdoch affirmed that the $1 million for the jet bridges would come out of Airport revenues. City Engineer for the Public Works Department, Mark Schoening, added that the jet bridges were replacements. MINUTES—Eugene City Council December 11, 2006 Page 11 Regular Meeting