CC Minutes - 07/17/00 Work Session

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Mr. Carlson recommended Option 3. He indicated that Police Chief Jim Hill and Fire Chief Tom Tallon were present to answer questions. City Manager Jim Johnson indicated that staff continued to work on an approach that allowed for the construction of a larger building that could accommodate staff now housed in leased space. He said that it was much cheaper for the taxpayers for the City to build a single large building now, rather than a series of additions over time. He said that the voters would be asked to underwrite the cost of an 80,000 square foot facility and the rental payments would assist with the bond costs associated with the larger building. Although he regretted the lost opportunity for a downtown civic center near the new library, Mr. Pap~ supported Option 3 as a realistic and pragmatic approach. Mr. Meisner said that the staff proposal made sense. He particularly endorsed the possibility of bonding against lease payments and moving staff out of leased space. Regarding a downtown fire station, Mr. Meisner said that it made sense to acquire a site now and plan for a bond measure. He noted that the City would have three surplus fire stations in the future and suggested disposal of those assets was a way to reduce the size of a bond. Mr. Johnson concurred that was an appropriate approach. Ms. Taylor noted her support for building a downtown fire station first because of inadequate staff facilities and the fact that fire equipment was damaged by use in its current location. She thought it was urgent to protect the equipment and provide adequate dormitory space for fire fighters to maintain a quick response for calls for service. The cost was less than a police station, and she also thought the public would support the smaller amount if the need was explained to residents. Following that, the City Council could take more time to convince the public of the need for a new police station. Ms. Taylor said the City had other pressing needs such as a new homeless shelter and a youth shelter. She questioned whether a new police station was the City's most urgent priority. She thought the public needed to be involved in deciding the size of a new police station, which she believed should be located downtown. Ms. Nathanson concurred with Mr. Meisner's remarks about disposal of surplus City assets. She wanted to see the value of the assets earmarked for a fire station. Addressing the question of which was the higher priority, Ms. Nathanson agreed with Ms. Taylor that a fire station was a high City priority, but Mr. Carlson's remarks about the timing of construction of the two facilities indicated that the fire station could be built about the same time the police station was built. Mr. Johnson concurred. He said that the timing depended on a successful election. Regarding Ms. Nathanson's points about surplus assets, Mr. Johnson said that the City generally dedicated the sale of surplus assets to the General Fund but the council could allocate the funds by motion to the new fire station. Responding to a question from Ms. Nathanson about the relationship between the options and other City space needs, Mr. Johnson briefly discussed the City's comprehensive space planning effort and emphasized staff's intent to keep the council's options open. Mr. Fart commended Option 3 as being in keeping with the direction given by the council to staff. Mr. Rayor said that staff had done an excellent job in taking available data and developing an optimum solution in Option 3. He found the police station the most compelling expenditure given MINUTES--Eugene City Council July 17, 2000 Page 2 Work Session