CC Minutes - 10/13/99 WS - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

made it clear the City could not collect fees from the same group that the charter required to report; the question then becomes, how close can one stay to that intent? Mr. Johnson asked Mr. Lidz if the City could legally use General Fund dollars to support the program. Mr. Lidz said probably so, but the answer would depend in part on the rationale the council used if it made that choice. Mr. Johnson asked if the council wanted further research into other approaches to the fee basis. Mr. Kelly said further investigation into other options for the future was fine, but not at the cost of being able to fund the program in the coming year. Councilors Rayor, Lee, Taylor, and Meisner concurred. Mr. Meisner observed that he did not hear the council expressing interest in General Fund support for the program. Ms. Taylor agreed. Mr. Fart did not support a fee based on employees because of his concern that in extreme cases it could result in loss of jobs. He asked how many companies would be affected by Option 1. Mr. Potter estimated the number at approximately 125 more companies than were currently in the program, and noted that there were currently 50 in the program. He indicated he would provide a list of potentially affected companies to Mr. Fart. Mr. Lee asked if the board had discussed other ways to assess the fee. Mr. Potter said that discussion took place in the past. The board selected number of employees because it was relatively easy to verify and because it recognized a loose correlation between number of employees and ability to pay, if not hazardous substance use. No other option was discussed at length. Responding to a question from Mr. Lee about next steps, Mr. Lidz indicated that first the City would attempt to reach agreement with the interveners and plaintiffs on the judgment and then would resubmit a proposed judgment to the Circuit Court. In the case of a disagreement, the court would set the matter for a hearing. Mr. Johnson suggested that the council direct him and Mr. Lidz to have a discussion about other funding options with the Toxics Board. The council agreed that Mr. Johnson and Mr. Lidz should meet with the board. D. Work Session: Report from Council Committee on City Hall Alternatives Mr. Kelly provided an update on the work of the Council Committee on City Hall Alternatives. He noted the committee meeting schedule and said that the committee had invited two citizens, John Lawless and Carolyn McGuigan, to sit in on meetings. Mr. Kelly asked the council to review the committee's charge in light of the fact that the General Services Administration (GSA) was asking the City to give it a clear indication it was prepared to work out an agreement if GSA choose the City Hall site. That led the committee to discuss potential alternatives. The council, with the exception of Ms. Taylor, who noted her ongoing opposition to such council committees, concurred with Mr. Kelly's summation of the revised charge. MINUTES--Eugene City Council October 13, 1999 Page 6 5:30 p.m.