Laserfiche WebLink
force was charged with examining the square footage requirements of the facilities and the cost was related to <br />that; however, it was not in the task force's charge to come up with a funding strategy. <br /> <br />Mr. Rayor said that he believed another site was needed for both the Fire and Police departments. That site <br />should be downtown, and the voters should be given an opportunity to vote on the two facilities separately. <br />He clarified that the task force would report back to the council. Mr. Johnson said yes. <br /> <br />Mr. Fart supported the task force. He suggested that the City document current working spaces with video <br />and show the video to community groups. Mayor Torrey noted that such a video was being produced. <br /> <br />Mayor Torrey read a letter regarding the air conditions in the Police Department from a Records employee <br />that was accompanied by a sample of the debris put out by the HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, & Air <br />Conditioning) system. <br /> <br />Mr. Meisner supported the motion although he was not committed to support the task force's recom- <br />mendations. He said that the condition of the City's facilities, particularly City Hall, was a long-time concern <br />but it had been ignored by past councils and things had gotten worse. The space was inadequate and a <br />seismic retrofit would reduce the space available further. <br /> <br /> The motion passed, 7:1; Ms. Taylor voting no. <br /> <br /> Mr. Meisner moved, seconded by Ms. Nathanson, to approve the public involvement <br /> plan for the Police/Fire Stations Task Force. <br /> <br />Responding to a question from Mr. Rayor regarding the public involvement process, Mr. Johnson said that <br />staff sought legal advice as to whether its ballot measure tabloids represented advocacy of the ballot. He said <br />that staff would try to think of other ways of communicating. Mr. Rayor stressed the importance of keeping <br />City Hall separate as an issue. Mr. Kelly said that within the compressed time frame, it was important to <br />have a forum before a proposal was developed. He noted the upcoming forum scheduled at Campbell Senior <br />Center on January 29. Mr. Kelly suggested a question and answer forum prior to the election. Mr. Johnson <br />said that the council could run the forums as advocates of the measure. <br /> <br />Ms. Taylor wanted public involvement but did not want the City to advocate for a measure. Mr. Johnson said <br />that the City could not advocate for a measure by law. Ms. Taylor believed that the public information <br />campaign run for the public safety levy had advocated for the measure, and the materials produced had been <br />paid for by public funds. Mr. Johnson said that the County received advice to the contrary from its legal <br />counsel. <br /> <br />Mr. Pap~ said there was a need for extensive public education about the issue. He said that once people <br />understand the nature of the problem, they will see it as something to be solved. <br /> <br />Ms. Nathanson said that the City had done an excellent job in the past of producing informational materials <br />related to City-sponsored measures without advocating for them. She found them to be useful public <br />information, and did not want to leave staff with the impression the council was unhappy with them or the <br />purpose they served. <br /> <br />MINUTES--Eugene City Council January 24, 2000 Page 7 <br /> Work Session <br /> <br /> <br />