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developed, with so many stakeholders and momentum, that its choices became very circumscribed. That <br />minimized the council's input. <br /> <br />Ms. Bettman said another issue of concern to her was that of respect for the democratic process. She said <br />each councilor was elected and represented people in the community. The council's voices were important <br />for that reason. It was not about specific personalities, but rather about the specific values and principles <br />each councilor brought to the table. She thought there should be an attempt to incorporate all those values <br />and principles in the direction of the City to achieve the broadest base for policy support as opposed to <br />catering to a slim council majority. <br /> <br />Mayor Piercy said City Manager Taylor had been very helpful to her as she assumed the role of mayor. She <br />enjoyed working with him and had benefited from his years of experience. She acknowledged the tension that <br />existed between the council and manager functions and said that everyone was trying to ~get the most out" <br />of the position they were in. <br /> <br />Mayor Piercy observed that as she attended meetings around the country, she found that many people knew <br />the manager and respected his work and career. She thought Eugene was fortunate to have him. She <br />believed that, overall, the manager's evaluation scores were high, although there were some significant <br />things that needed to be worked on, such as creating better relationships between the council and staff. <br /> <br />Mayor Piercy was also pleased to see how well-respected the manager was by his employees. She expressed <br />appreciation for the manager's openness to criticism. She felt good about the council's goal-setting process <br />and the successful budget season, and hoped the City improved in its ability to engage the community in <br />decision-making. <br /> <br />Mayor Piercy said she had enjoyed her experience as mayor, and a great deal of that had to do with working <br />with the manager. <br /> <br />Mr. Poling noted the council would discuss the issue of manager compensation on July 25 and invited <br />councilors to provide input to him or Ms. Solomon. <br /> <br />Mr. Papd thought City Manager Taylor had one of the most difficult city manager jobs in the country. He <br />said Eugene was very diverse and a diverse council that was difficult to serve. He would not want the job. <br /> <br />City Manager Taylor said he did want his job and was hopeful he could keep it longer. He had come to <br />Eugene with very high expectations, and after two years and four months on the job, he found the commu- <br />nity and organization to exceed his expectations. He said the organization asked tougher questions and came <br />up with more elegant solutions than other communities. People across the country acknowledged the work <br />done by Eugene, which had a well-known tradition of excellence and commitment to improvement. He <br />acknowledged it was easier for him to serve the council when it spoke with one voice. He continued to be <br />excited about the council's goals, which he thought would energize both the organization and community. <br />City Manager Taylor thanked the council for its evaluation. <br /> <br />The meeting adjourned at 7:13 p.m. <br /> <br />Respectfully submitted, <br /> <br />MINUTES--Eugene City Council July 18, 2005 Page 8 <br /> Work Session <br /> <br /> <br />