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<br />This has taken much local leadership and local action. <br /> <br />Thank you, City Council, for working hard with rigor and devotion, week in and week out. I especially <br />thank our outgoing councilors, David Kelly and Gary Papé; the community appreciates your years of <br />service. <br /> <br />Thank you, City Manager, Dennis Taylor and City employees, for turning policy into reality, providing <br />services for our community, making Eugene, Eugene. <br /> <br />Thanks to you who volunteer in so many capacities, from parks, to library, to recreation, to public safety. <br />Thanks to you who work on committees or commissions, and for neighborhoods, social services, businesses, <br />environmental, or political groups and agencies. It is because of you all that we have such a wonderful <br />place to live. <br /> <br />Thank you, voters, for ensuring the future of our parks and libraries. <br /> <br />What we accomplish, we do not do alone. Thank you, Eugene Water and Electric Board, Lane Transit <br />District, Lane County, University of Oregon, Lane Community College, Bethel and 4J school districts, and <br />all of our neighboring cities, for your work that helps our community thrive. <br /> <br />You can turn to the booklet provided to you this evening for the highlights of 2006 in Eugene, our city goals <br />and accomplishments. While I hope you will take pride and ownership in these achievements, we offer them <br />with the caveat that they are but steps along a long path to a truly sustainable community. <br /> <br />There are four important things you have the right to expect every year from your mayor and elected <br />officials: leadership, vision, delivery on promises made, and goals set for the future. <br /> <br />My vision is that, here in Eugene, we will meet the enormous challenges of a changing world and carve out <br />new opportunities for our citizens while we preserve and enhance the livability of our community. <br />Three key things are necessary to ensure the livability of any city: a strong economy, a commitment to <br />social equity, and a healthy environment. These must not be seen as discrete, opposing goals, but rather as <br />equal pieces of a larger whole. This is the true meaning of sustainability – that our success in achieving one <br />is ultimately dependent on our success in achieving the other two. That’s why we worked hard on the <br /> <br />success of all three this last year. <br /> <br />Our city’s economic picture is healthier than it was just a few years ago, during the recession of 2001-2003. <br />We have seen significant new development activity and increased employment. I am heartened by a <br />relatively positive outlook and by some of the legislative initiatives proposed to address the basic needs of <br />Oregonians. It is time for Oregon to end the slide downhill toward mediocrity and to once again live up to <br />its reputation as one of the finest places in the world to live. A recent survey of Oregonians showed the <br />majority are optimistic this state is going to head in a new and better direction. That would be good news for <br />us because… <br /> <br />In both economic health and social equity, we face significant challenges. <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />MINUTES—Eugene City Council January 4, 2007 Page 3 <br /> State of the City <br /> <br />