CC Minutes - 04/14/99 JEO - Laserfiche WebLink

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and Willamelane have instituted a parks system development charge that is designed to pay for neighborhood and community parks, but not regional parks. He said an issue that exists is acquiring regional open space to be preserved. He added there had been talk about the formulation of a larger park district that would be created with a permanent tax rate. Carlson reported that roads is the biggest subject because some roadway jurisdiction had changed. He said the history prior to urban transition, was as annexation occurred, the roads didn't necessary transfer. He added there were County jurisdictional roads inside the cities of Eugene and Springfield that were unimproved. He said the urban transition required for efficiency of service to transfer the jurisdiction of the roadways inside the cities' limit. He added the County would transfer road fund money to pay for maintenance and preservation activities. He said there had been an agreement that had been updated over time but the issue on the agreement is that Lane County timber receipts are declining and the outlook for the fund after 2003 is in question. He added assessment practices on unimproved streets, collectors and arterials that are on the edge in the urban transition area have become an issue. Carlson said with regard to storm drainage, the Endangered Species Act will have a major effect, but the urban transition process showed that no agency had taken responsibility for storm water management outside of the road right-of-way in the urban transition area. He noted the County uses road fund money to manage storm water related to the roads, but doesn't have resources to manage storm water outside of that. He said Eugene and Springfield have developed a comprehensive funding mechanism through monthly sewer fees and systems development charge for capacity increasing projects, for stormwater. He said the issues they had identified were continuation of stormwater management in the urban transition area, natural drainageways, and establishing an user fee. Carlson reported that with regard to sanitary sewers, the County Service District was created in 1978 and consisted of the incorporated cities of Eugene and Springfield, and as annexations occurred, there were automatic annexations to the County Service District. He added it was formed to allow for the bonding of the local share of the sewage treatment plant construction site. He said there is a Metropolitan Wastewater Management Commission that oversees the operation of the plant and the treatment facilities. He noted that in the 1980's as a result of the groundwater pollution issues, sanitary sewers were extended into the River Road/Santa Clara area. He said sanitary services are provided everywhere in the River Road/Santa Clara area. He added that sewers had not been extended in a similar matter to North and South Springfield or Glenwood. He said the original bonds will be paid off in September 2002 and the County Service District needs to exist until the bonds are paid off. Carlson stated that Eugene and Springfield have city tax supported libraries. He said the unincorporated areas had tax supported library service until 1988 until when a levy (that would have continued the program) failed. He noted that non-city residents have to pay an out of city fee to obtain certain services provided in the city libraries. He said the issue is a Page 4 -- Joint Elected Officials Meeting -- April 14, 1999 WP bc/m/99039/T