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the working conditions of employees. He liked the option because it provided for planning for the <br />fire station. He also liked the idea of using City assets no longer needed to underwrite the costs. <br />Because of the lower costs involved, limitations he had previously wanted to impose on the <br />ballot measure language were no longer necessary. Mr. Rayor said that the proposal evoked <br />more trust and was driven by reality rather than staff. He complimented the staff team <br />responsible for the proposal. <br /> <br />Mr. Kelly liked the concept of using the revenue streams currently spent on leased space, saying <br />it would make the issue more palatable to him, but he was dismayed the council would not know <br />if that would work until after it made a decision to put a measure on the ballot. Mr. Johnson <br />clarified that staff would not be able to tell the council precisely the impact of increased rent to <br />the other special funds, such as the Stormwater and Road funds. The revenue streams could be <br />used without a General Fund impact. Mr. Kelly said that the scope of the impact was an issue <br />for him. <br /> <br />Mr. Kelly thought that a measure that included some provision for the fire station was more likely <br />to pass than a measure focused on a police station only. He pointed out that a new fire station <br />would relieve some police space issues, and did not see anything in the proposal that <br />distinguished itself from the rejected May measure. He thought Option 2 was more likely to pass <br />and solve some of the problem, if not all of it. <br /> <br />Mr. Meisner said the concept of a civic center was discussed by the Ad Hoc Committee on <br />Greater Downtown Visioning, which discussed recognizing 8th Avenue as a government <br />boulevard. There had been little interest expressed by committee members in creating other <br />civic uses, such as a city hall, near the new library. Mr. Meisner reiterated his earlier remark <br />about dedicating the revenues from the sale of assets to a fire station. He thought that the needs <br />of the police were more urgent than the needs of the Fire and EMS Department. He did not favor <br />Option 2 because he believed it was a waste of money to renovate City Hall. Mr. Meisner <br />supported Option 3. <br /> <br />Mr. Johnson noted that an initiative that might be on the November ballot would require that <br />Certificates of Participation be voted on by residents. <br /> <br />Ms. Taylor disagreed that the needs of the police were more urgent than the needs of the fire <br />department. She thought that the Fire Department was more vital in an emergency than the <br />Police Department because fire trucks would be urgently needed in downtown. She said that if <br />the City was concerned about the police cars parked under City Hall, they should be moved. Ms. <br />Taylor supported a seismic upgrade of City Hall in any case to protect the lives of employees. <br /> <br />Regarding the issue of a civic center, Ms. Taylor expressed the hope the new library could <br />become the center focus of a new cultural center. <br /> <br />Mr. Lee asked Ms. Taylor about the basis of her statement that fire services were more important <br />than police services in the case of an emergency. Ms. Taylor pointed out that police cars do not <br />fight fires, which were likely to happen in an earthquake. Mr. Lee believed that both services <br />were important. Mr. Johnson said that fire trucks were very important in such cases, but police <br />personnel were also essential to ensure that the way could be cleared for fire trucks, for traffic <br />control, and to prevent looting. Mr. Carlson pointed out that there were other fire stations outside <br />the core that could respond to a downtown emergency, including a seismic emergency, if <br />necessary. <br /> <br />MINUTES--Eugene City Council July 17, 2000 Page 3 <br /> Work Session <br /> <br /> <br />