CC Minutes - 11/08/99 WS - Laserfiche WebLink

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Regarding Mr. Meisner's remarks regarding the siting of the police function downtown, Mr. Kelly said he had asked staff to summarize the plus and minus costs comparing a downtown location and the 2® Avenue and Chambers Street site. He suggested that even if the council decided to sell City Hall to the GSA, the siting of the police function could be done in a more leisurely fashion with more public input. Ms. Nathanson said that the committee had compared costs of construction inside and outside the core, and discussed what functions were appropriately located downtown or elsewhere. The committee had also discussed the concept of "doing no harm," and wanted to ensure whatever the City built did not damage a neighborhood by its presence and that it would even benefit a nd neighborhood. Regarding the 2 Avenue and Chambers Street site, Ms. Nathanson noted that the area was nearly the geographic center of the city and the site could be more efficient for operations. She hoped the council would feel comfortable as the committee attempted to balance fiscal and operational needs of the organization. She pointed out that the City could sell assets and take advantage of different revenue streams. Ms. Nathanson anticipated the committee would bring back a final recommendation to the council. Mr. Rayor said that a decision to sell before the public approved funding was problematic. He termed it putting "the cart before the horse." He pointed out that if the police and fire functions were moved to other facilities, that would free up to 15,000 square foot in City Hall, contributing to the potential of consolidation and avoiding a large financial outlay. Mr. Rayor advocated for going to the taxpayers with choices rather than with demands. Mr. Pap~ noted his concurrence with Ms. Nathanson's remarks. He said that even if the council decided not to sell to the GSA, he would still be concerned about the condition of the police and fire facilities and would push for quick action to resolve that issue. Regarding whether the police function should be downtown, Mr. Pap~ suggested that rather than place police on the lot south of City Hall as had been suggested by Mr. Meisner, the property could be sold. He did not favor placing a facility requiring considerable parking on that site. Mr. Lee pointed out to Mr. Rayor said that there was no specific plan on the table until the committee reached a recommendation and offered it to the council. He hoped the council would see a recommendation before making judgment calls. He agreed with Mr. Pap~ that something must be done about the police and fire functions. Ms. Taylor said that to lead does not mean being pushed, and leaders must let people follow them rather than pull them along. She believed that the process being employed was incorrect and it was moving too fast. She agreed that there was a need for more space for police and fire functions, although she did not think it significantly worse than the space that university professors and school teachers worked in. She asked if police could expand into the Fire Department space if fire was relocated. Mr. Johnson said yes, but pointed out that there was still a seismic issue related to the current City Hall structure. Ms. Taylor called for a thorough public process that involved a vote before any decision was made. Mr. Meisner indicated to Mr. Pap~ that his suggestion regarding the parking lot south of City Hall was hypothetical. He wanted to see an analysis of why downtown was not a valid location for the police function. He pointed out that while 2n°Avenue and Chambers Street was the geographic MINUTES--Eugene City Council November 8, 1999 Page 4 5:30 p.m.