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X.ACTION: JOINT RESOLUTION BETWEEN EUGENE WATER AND ELECTRIC BOARD AND <br /> CITY OF EUGENE <br /> <br /> Councilor Lee, seconded by Councilor Fart, moved to adopt the joint <br /> resolution between the City of Eugene and Eugene Water & Electric Board <br /> (EWEB). <br /> <br />Councilor Fart indicated he seconded the motion for the sake of discussion. <br /> <br />Councilor Pap~ stated that he was as anxious as anyone else to have universal access to high <br />speed telecommunications in the City at the least possible cost. He commented that the original <br />proposal was submitted in a rushed fashion and raised concern over the breadth of the resolution <br />with regard to the use of content. He was concerned that the issue was being rushed and <br />commented that it would do no harm to have the issue on the November ballot as opposed to the <br />May ballot. <br /> <br />Councilor Kelly said he was surprised by Councilor Papa's comments. He said that his concerns <br />had been alleviated by EVVEB's agreement to go back to council and the voters before any bonds <br />were issued. He called for getting the issue on the ballot and not waiting. <br /> <br />Councilor Fart was not in favor of the joint resolution. He said it was a deviation from business as <br />usual and that there were too many unanswered questions. He wanted to wait for the November <br />ballot. He said that the resolution was a charter amendment and he took charter amendments <br />very seriously. He stated a hope that the council would postpone a decision on the issue. <br /> <br />In response to a question from Councilor Lee regarding the EWEB board being fully confident in <br />the direction it was going, EVVEB's representative said that the board was fully confident. <br /> <br />Mayor Torrey pointed out that two of the councilors who were in Washington D.C. were in support <br />of the resolution. Mayor Torrey's position was that the City Council should not support the <br />resolution. <br /> <br />Mayor Torrey took offense to comments made at a recent EWEB board meeting. He said that <br />when board members indicated that the City Council was coming perilously close to interfering <br />with the responsibilities of the EVVEB commissioners as it related to this issue, he would point out <br />to the members of that board that until the citizens of Eugene took away the council's authority by <br />voting in support of the telecommunications measure, it was the responsibility of the City Council, <br />and he hoped that discussions would take place at a high level from that point forward. <br />In response to a question from Councilor Pap~ regarding guaranteed access throughout the city, <br />City Attorney Glenn Klein said that a franchise agreement was a contract and, if that provider <br />made such a guarantee as part of the contract, then it would be a binding agreement. <br /> <br />Councilor Rayor said that the council had fully investigated the issue and it had lots of safeguards <br />built in. He said that voter control was built in. <br /> <br />Councilor Fart reiterated his concerns but added that he did not want an adversarial relationship <br />with EWEB. He raised concern over the timing of providing universal access. <br /> <br /> MINUTES--Eugene City Council March 13, 2000 Page 7 <br /> Regular Meeting <br /> <br /> <br />