CC Minutes - 11/17/99 WS - Laserfiche WebLink

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Mr. Meisner concurred with Ms. Taylor regarding the importance of keeping the police downtown. He said that the public made extensive use of both the police station and Municipal Court and it did not make sense to remove activity from downtown when the City is trying to stimulate activity in the area. Regarding financing, Mr. Meisner hoped the City could get imaginative and that the amount involved was less that $28 million. He suggested that as the City negotiated for payment for City Hall, it might be able get a site, and reduce that amount. Mr. Meisner hoped the City would contemplate the public/private partnership favored by Mr. Pap~, which could reduce construction costs significantly. He wanted reexamination of the square footage required for police, fire, and Municipal Court, because the figures he was seeing reflected significant increases over the space being used now. Regarding the use of the Sears building as discussed by Ms. Taylor, Mr. Meisner said that while he also liked the idea of keeping City Hall close to the County offices, he believed that it was more important to have a civic center where people could come for all their City activities. Mr. Meisner did not favor the concept of placing the public functions in the City Manager's Office on the 4th floor of the new library as proposed in the fallback alternative, suggesting those functions and the City Council-related functions instead be placed in more accessible leased space. Mr. Meisner hoped the City contemplated even more asset sales, and endorsed a previously made suggestion by Mr. Rayor that the council have a discussion of the City's parking program, what it recovered in revenues, and what parking facilities the City needed to own or sell. He questioned whether the City needed to be in the business of providing parking. Regarding the amount of public information that had been provided to residents about the issue, Mr. Torrey pointed out that the issue had considerable print and television media coverage. He said that the council underestimated itself if it felt it had to have an additional six-month process. He believed the council was prepared to make a decision by December 6. Mr. Torrey urged the council to spend the time it took to be ready to act. Mr. Torrey said that there would be a community discussion on the issue, particularly if the council proposed a bond measure. He said that the community was prepared to tell the council yes or no, and the council should be prepared to let the community vote on a combined package to fund police and fire facilities at the May election. He noted that a bond measure required a 50 percent turnout and the May election represented the council's best chance for such a turnout outside a general election. Mr. Torrey believed that there would be several other property tax measures on the November ballot. He did not think that the Municipal Court should be included in that measure. If the GSA purchased City Hall, which he believed was the best site for the courthouse, there would be vacated bankruptcy court facilities and he believed the City would be able to negotiate for their use at a reasonable cost. Mr. Torrey did not know the appropriate square footage for the police and fire facilities at this time but believed the council would be able to agree on a number before the election. Regarding a new fire station, Mr. Torrey suggested it could be located on the site currently used for parking east side of the existing federal courthouse. MINUTES--Eugene City Council November 17, 1999 Page 7 5:30 p.m.