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council to support expansion at the Hilyard campus. Not only did that not occur, on June 27, with <br />just 15 minutes of discussion, the council passed a motion to downzone the hospital property. He <br />thought that action had shattered the council's reputation. <br /> <br />Mayor Torrey asked why the anonymous telephone call regarding PeaceHealth's intent to relocate <br />in Springfield mentioned by Mr. Kelly to the media was not shared with the council. <br /> <br />Mayor Torrey said he did not intend to withdraw his statements; if working together meant he had <br />to capitulate to actions not in the best interest of the city, he would not work together. He thought <br />the decision to downzone the property was the straw that broke the camel's back. He called on <br />the council to work cooperatively with PeaceHealth to ensure there was emergency room <br />coverage in the south Eugene area. <br /> <br />Mayor Torrey stated he had nothing to do with the PeaceHealth land transaction or the Gang of 9, <br />as had been insinuated in a e-mail message he received from former councilor Paul Nicholson, <br />and he was prepared to bring a legal action if someone wanted to press the issue. <br /> <br />Mr. Kelly did not agree that the council voted in 15 minutes to downzone the PeaceHealth <br />property. He said that when the mayor spoke to the press he had referred to the need for a public <br />process if the council was going to change the allowed uses on the property; Mr. Kelly believed <br />that the council had merely voted to start that process. <br /> <br />Mr. Kelly emphasized that six councilors supported the motion to begin the rezoning process on <br />June 27. He thought it inappropriate for the mayor to single him out of those six councilors, and <br />added "I'm sure it has nothing to do with the fact that I'm running for reelection next year." <br /> <br />Mr. Kelly denied saying he had no responsibility for the situation; he had instead stated his belief <br />that PeaceHealth had intended for months to go to Springfield and was looking for an excuse to <br />leave Eugene. He now wished there had been communication with PeaceHealth around the <br />motion of June 27, saying it could have been better explained, and he took partial responsibility for <br />that. <br /> <br />Mr. Kelly pointed out that Mr. Fart had made the motion that took the six-block expansion option in <br />downtown off the table. He had been serious in his commitment to the board to argue for the <br />option. He had been taken by surprise by Mr. Fart's motion. <br /> <br />Mr. Kelly referred to an anonymous telephone call he received on April 24, saying he had not <br />shared the information with many people because he had no way at the time to assess the <br />credibility of the call. He had told the City Manager and certain staff in the Planning and <br />Development Department. He noted that the caller had correctly predicted the publication of the <br />Gang of 9 cartoons. <br />Speaking to the comments of the mayor, Ms. Taylor clarified that she had not implicated the mayor <br />as being a part of the Gang of 9. She said that she had been called at other times by constituents <br />telling her that the mayor was on the Lars Larson show "trashing the council." <br /> <br />Mr. Rayor thought the council made a fundamental mistake by not meeting as a full council with <br />the PeaceHealth board in a retreat setting. He thought it critical that the City go forward with an <br />exclusive hospital zone to facilitate redevelopment of the hospital's Hilyard campus. <br /> <br /> MINUTE--Eugene City Council September 10, 2001 Page 4 <br /> Work Session <br /> <br /> <br />