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M I N U T E S <br /> <br /> <br />Eugene City Council <br />Workshop <br />Council Chamber—Eugene City Hall <br />777 Pearl Street, Eugene, Oregon <br /> <br /> <br /> April 16, 2007 <br /> 5:30 p.m. <br /> <br />COUNCILORS PRESENT: Andrea Ortiz, Chris Pryor, Betty Taylor, Bonny Bettman, George Poling, <br />Jennifer Solomon, Mike Clark, Alan Zelenka. <br /> <br /> <br />Her Honor Mayor Kitty Piercy called the meeting of the Eugene City Council to order. <br /> <br /> <br />A. WORKSHOP: Downtown Development <br /> <br />City Manager Dennis Taylor introduced Alexis Garret, Chair of the Eugene Redevelopment Advisory <br />Committee (ERAC) and Gerry Gaydos, Chair of Downtown Eugene, Inc. (DEI), who would be facilitating <br />the panel discussion by development professionals. Panelists included Hugh Prichard, Tom Bowerman, <br />Steve Korth, Jean Tate, Greg McLaughlan, and Jerry Diethelm. <br /> <br />Mr. Gaydos said the panelists had been selected to provide a range of perspectives on development, how to <br />achieve a vibrant downtown, and the use of private/public partnerships. He said the workshop was an <br />opportunity to be curious, establish a framework for thinking about the future of downtown, and begin a <br />community dialogue on possibilities. <br /> <br />Ms. Garret said that each speaker would have ten minutes to make a presentation, followed by a five-minute <br />question and answer period with the council. She said all presentations would be followed by an opportunity <br />for additional questions and answers. <br /> <br />Mr. McLaughlan discussed three points: the purpose of downtown and what it meant to the community; the <br />role of the public sector in revitalization of downtown; and observations and ideas about current opportuni- <br />ties for downtown revitalization. He said that a more diverse, active, and economically dynamic downtown <br />would benefit Eugene as a whole because it was an important step in creating a sustainable, livable city. He <br />said the role of the public sector and public investment in downtown, including subsidies, should be based on <br />the public good derived from that investment. He said no city had achieved a successful, vital downtown <br />core without a significant public investment. He said ensuring the benefit of public investments was based <br />on accountability, transparency, diversity of people and uses and sustainability. He said fairness in dealing <br />with existing businesses and activities was also important. <br /> <br />Mr. Zelenka asked how features that made downtown Eugene unique could be preserved and a monoculture <br />approach that made downtown look like any other city avoided. Mr. McLaughlan replied that a major <br />redevelopment effort needed to look and feel as if it was of, by and for Eugene. He said that would only <br /> <br /> <br />MINUTES—Eugene City Council April 16, 2007 Page 1 <br /> Workshop <br /> <br />