Item 2A: Approval of City Council Minutes

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agreement and the Urban Renewal Agency ultimately decided whether the redevelopment projects should receive Urban Renewal money. In response to a follow-up question from Ms. Bettman, Mr. Braud stated that the next decision point was scheduled for September. Ms. Bettman indicated that she still supported the Beam Development project. She averred that when the motion “died of its own weight, cost, and uncertainty” she hoped the City would look at concrete proposals that it had the ability to move on instead of going through a “long convoluted decision-making with the developers in the driver’s seat and the public in the back seat.” She thought the City could already be breaking ground on projects. She believed that if the proposal was approved that the City would not be fulfilling its fiduciary obligation to the taxpayers. She likened it to buying “champagne and caviar with food stamps.” She asserted that it was not a cost-effective way to do business. She opposed the motion. Ms. Solomon expressed optimism about the proposal that Mr. Zelenka and Mayor Piercy had put together. She wanted to ensure that motion indicated that the developer and the community maintained a dialogue. She believed it would make a great “end product.” Mr. Zelenka affirmed that this was his intent. Mr. Clark said he had been very impressed with the KWG Development Partners proposal. He had also been impressed with the work that had been done by Mr. Zelenka, Mayor Piercy and staff over time to refine the proposal. He felt the motion looked like it had the support it needed and that it would “finally breathe some life into the downtown.” He related that the vast majority of emails he had received on this item had supported taking action. Mr. Clark offered a friendly amendment to have the Mayor appoint the committee members. Mr. Zelenka accepted the friendly amendment as did the second. Mr. Pryor stated that one of the key elements of the discussion had been the role of the public to help shape the project. He felt it was critical to conduct the public engagement in good faith and with sincerity. He related that he had just participated in a process to hire a consultant to help facilitate a discussion involving different groups and the process had been undertaken efficiently and amiably. MINUTES—Eugene City Council May 14, 2007 Page 9 Work Session