CC Minutes - 05/14/01 Meeting - Laserfiche WebLink

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Mr. Synder introduced Chris Gerard of the NeighborWoods Program. Mr. Gerard noted increases in the program participants and said he was impressed with the grassroots commitment of neighbors to the program. He invited the council to view the trees planted by NeighborWoods volunteers at several locations throughout Eugene. Mr. Synder recognized the Pioneer Youth Corps, Westmoreland Teen Center, and Greg Geisey for their tree planting efforts in Ward 1; Jim Gent, Jonathan Brandt, and Bruce Creps for their tree planting efforts in Ward 2; Cub Scout Troop 177, St. Mary's Youth Group, and Eugene Community Softball League for their tree planting efforts in Ward 3; Cherri and Michael Bynum and the Cai Young 7th grade class for their tree planting efforts in Ward 5; St. Paul's Catholic Church for its tree planting efforts in Ward 4; Michael Waldorf and the Northwest Youth Corps for their tree planting efforts in Ward 6; Adam Wendt, Mary Leontonich, Milli White, and Jay Fox for their tree planting efforts in Ward 7; and Connie Robertson and Pam Sheridan for their tree planting efforts in Ward 8. The volunteers received a round of applause from those present. 2.PUBLIC FORUM Wayne Maynard, 1574 Coburg Road, urged the council to defer action on the ordinance it would consider later in the evening, in view of the communication it received from the attorney for Laurita Ruth. He noted that the City's legal counsel had advised the council it was legal to take action; he advised the council to seek other counsel, referring to the citations in the letter from Ms. Ruth's attorney. Mr. Maynard said if the City proceeded, Ms. Ruth would have no choice but to file a costly legal action. He thought that might not be necessary if action was delayed. He said Ms. Ruth was counting on the council to protect her rights, which may be circumvented by the action at hand. Bob Cassidy, 1401 East 27th Avenue, expressed disappointment with the council's vote to support the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system as he had many reservations about the project. He averred that important decisions were being made on the basis of deadlines for funding and the potential federal funding could be lost. Mr. Cassidy did not think it made sense for the federal government to threaten the project's funding if it supported the project and thought it a model for the future. He said that the district now proposed to use Reserve Funds to pay for the new buses rather than federal funds, and it was possible more funding would be needed, such as from fare increases. David Monk, 3720 Emerald Street, thought Ms. Bettman's observation at the earlier work session regarding the southernmost portion of the Beverly property and the need for a greater buffer was well taken. He said that the eastern portion of the property was quite significant. He agreed with Ms. Taylor's remarks that the headwaters area was a citywide asset. He acknowledged there may be other high priority sites but said this site was under pressure from possible development. He believed development on the property would impact Amazon Creek and affect the work done to improve stream quality downstream. Jonathan Brandt, 1821 Washington Street, speaking on behalf of the Eugene Tree Foundation, said he was disappointed with the decision to go forward with the BRT project. The foundation supported the project but thought more work was needed. He agreed with Mr. Cassidy's remarks on the pending deadlines. Mr. Brandt said that the project would have a long-lasting impact on the pilot corridor. The foundation could support some trees being taken out to improve transportation. Mr. Brandt criticized the amount of public input that had gone into BRT. He called MINUTES--Eugene City Council May 14, 2001 Page 2 Regular Meeting