Item A: Role of IGR Committee and Process to Establish Legislative Policy

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\, '.... The City is represented full-time inS~lem during each session by Intergovernmental Relations staff who serve as the City's representative for Council approved poH~ies. Other staff, and Council members, also travel to Salem frequently to present information to legislative committees or indi.vidual members. In addition, Eugene has analysis and lobbying resources available through its membership in,the League of Oregon Cities. The City lobbies Eugene's priority issues in accordance with their priority and as circumstances in.Salem and state wide may dictate. The activities may include: doing nothing (this. usually happens because a bill is dormant and will not move); working in a coalition with other entities; submitting written testimony on the City's behalf; testifying before a committee of'the Legislature; arranging for Eugene's elected or appointed officials to give testimony; or any combin~tion, as appropriate. All bills analyzed by the City are tracked on an automated legislative tracking system, which the City modeled after Portland's tracking system. It allows for online sharing of information among City departments and with the Salem office. The system also generates IGR Committee agendas and reports, including a complete list of bills lobbied by the City; which is.presented to the City Council following each session along with a narrative report on results. Federal: At the beginning of each calendar year, the Committee recommends to the full Council a set of Federal priorities for that year. This takes the form of a short five to ten item list of goals that are specific to Eugene 'or to this region, rather than national, and that are considered achievable. The Federal goals are shared with other local jurisdictions as part of the Unitied Front. The Federal priorities list becomes the basis for presentations made during the Council's annual visit to Washington DC, which normally occurs in February or March. The City is represented on this visit by the Mayor and/or one Qrmore Council members, with staff support. During the visit, local elected official~ and staff meet with elected and appointed Federal officials to discuss the City's Federal priorities. Occasional visits to Washington DC by Councilors and staff may take place between the scheduled annual visits. Eugene is represented in Washington .DC on a day-to-day basis by the flffil of Smith Dawson' & Andrews (SDA), an independent contractor. SDA principals visit Eugene at least once each year and report to the Mayor and Council on progress made towar<l achieving the City's Fe4eral goals. Funding applications: This area of responsibility was added to the Committee's purview in 1989. The Committee acts on staff recommendations to apply for funding (grants) from outside'agencies, either governmental or :private foundations. This process is intended to help avoid situations in which City departments may inadvertently be competing with each other for -funding, and to allow the Committee and City Council to decide whether staff has planned adequately, from both a program and budgetary standpoint, for the eventuality that the grant.may be.received. Staff prepares written information of proposed grant applications for the Committee's consideration. When the Committee is not scheduled to meet prior to the application, or when the amount being requested is less than $10,000, the Committee is informed of the p~oposed application via electronic mail. In all cases, the Committee and Council have authoritr to direct that the app lication not go forward, or, if it has already' been submitted for some reason, that it be withdrawn.