CC Minutes - 01/26/98 Meeting - Laserfiche WebLink

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to approve Items A (as amended), B, and C of the City Council Consent Calendar. The motion was adopted unanimously, 7:0. Mayor Torrey recused himself from council consideration of Consent Calendar Item D, action on matters related to proposed improvements to Ayres Road. Council President Fart assumed the role of chair of the meeting. Mr. Farr moved, seconded by Mr. Tollenaar, to approve the Hearings Official's Minutes, Findings, and Recommendation of January 5, 1998; to authorize design, acquisition, and bidding of improvements to Ayres Road from Gilham Road; and to approve the recommended modification to the assessment procedures as recommended by the Council Committee on Finance on January 7, 1998. Ms. Taylor stated that she was concerned that improvements to Ayres Road would not adequately benefit residents and would inordinately increase the cost of housing in the area. Mr. Tollenaar said that he had invested much time in understanding the Ayres Road situation and believed the concerns of Ms. Taylor could be addressed in a satisfactory way. He asked that an explanation be given to assessment procedure policies referred to in the motion. City Engineer Les Lyle referred to information beginning on page 56 of the Agenda Item Summary distributed with the agenda of the meeting. He noted that the proposal was that all properties adjacent to an unimproved street would pay for an equivalent residential street width (20-feet if no parking, 28-feet with parking) at the time the street is improved to City standards and that both developed and undeveloped properties be treated the same for assessment purposes. He said the proposed approach was more equitable, and had been discussed and unanimously recommended by the Council Committee on Finance. Mr. Tollenaar said that he was pleased with the proposed policy change. He said he had previously been concerned that developed and undeveloped were treated differently. He pointed out that the extra cost of improving streets to arterial standards was born by System Development Charges, not property assessments. He said that the proposed change reduced assessments to residential property. Ms. Nathanson said she believed the proposed assessment methodology was a significant improvement over previous practices, but that she continued to be concerned about unfair treatment of property with double street frontage. She noted that the Agenda Item Summary addressed issues involved, but that she believed many property owners were not made adequately aware of potentially significant assessment charges when streets were improved. Mr. Fart stated that he believed the proposed policy changes were an example of attempts to make assessment charges equitable. Ms. Taylor said she was not satisfied that proposed assessment policy changes were adequate. She said she believed assessments were an imposition and were not needed. She said she also believed assessments of the Hyundai plant should be made to fully pay for the expenses of infrastructure development it required. Minutes--Eugene City Council January 26, 1998 Page 6 7:30 p.m.