CC Minutes - 12/09/02 Meeting - Laserfiche WebLink

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Councilor Kelly agreed that the fee was not the ideal funding mechanism. He also agreed that the fee should be paired with a gas tax. He said it was in the interest of the City to minimize the level of taxes being levied but noted that it was also in the interest of the City to provide adequate roads to its citizens. He said he had not heard any fiscally conservative alternatives mentioned. Councilor Bettman said the decisions regarding funding/maintaining/preserving existing transportation infrastructure were being made further and further from the council. She raised concern over passively accepting the existing system and noted that new infrastructure added to the burden of maintaining and preserving on top of the rapidly growing backlog of maintenance. Councilor Bettman said maintaining and preserving existing transportation infrastructure should be the highest priority for any transportation funding allocated from the State or the County. Mayor Torrey said the only motion he would support was an ordinance that paid for operations and maintenance of the road bed and bike paths only. Mayor Torrey said there was no money from the federal government for maintaining transportation infrastructure. He noted that the State talked about allocating funding but never implemented any funding programs. He went on to say that if the State government ever did get around to allocating funding for maintenance and preservation, then the council could take action to reduce the amount of funds being asked for from the citizens. He said he was prepared to ask for a sunset date on the ordinance if it became unnecessary for funding in the future. Mayor Torrey said he was convinced that there was no alternative other than the proposed ordinance for fixing the roads in the City. He said he would support an alternative if one became available but would support the ordinance being discussed until an alternative presented itself on the condition that its funding be used for maintenance and preservation only. Councilor Rayor, seconded by Councilor Kelly, moved to amend the motion by modifying 7.750 and 7.760 of the Eugene code, 1971 as follows: 7.750 Transportation System Maintenance Fee Establishment; 1. Except as otherwise provided in sections 7.755 to 7.790 of this code, each person responsible, as defined in Section 7.755 of this code, shall pay a transportation system maintenance fee to the City in an amount to be determined by sections 7.765and 7.770 of this code. 2. The purpose of the Transportation System Maintenance Fee is to provide stable and adequate funding to: a. Operate, maintain, preserve, and improve elements of the City's transportation system; and b. Reduce the backlog of needed street repairs as measured by the City's annual pavement condition survey. Transportation System Maintenance Fee revenue shall be used, to the greatest practical extent, to preserve and maintain the existing street and bikeway system in the most cost-effective manner. MINUTES--Eugene City Council December 9, 2002 Page 10 Regular Meeting