CC Minutes - 11/09/98 Work Session

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Ms. Taylor said the library would have been approved long ago except that it was always presented as a part of another measure, noting that the same thing may have happened to the public safety measure. Mr. Laue noted that the library was not included in the current council goals but was made a priority when the opportunity arose. He said the public safety measure was so well-crafted that it should not be separated into different portions, agreeing with Mr. Tollenaar that another way must be found to fund it. He suggested an income or gross receipt tax on a countywide basis or, alternatively, placing the issue on the ballot again soon. Mr. Laue agreed with Mr. Tollenaar completely with regard to the police review board and suggested that it was time to review and revise the long-range public safety plan, perhaps to focus it more intergovernmentally. He reflected on his tenure on the council and said there was much to be pleased about. Ms. Swanson Gribskov reminded the council that it had toned down the parks and library measures to get to a public "yes" and asked Mr. Johnson to discuss the next steps in those processes. She added her disappointment at the outcome of the public safety vote and said she was hopeful that the Public Safety Coordinating Council (PSCC) would conduct an analysis of the public safety levy. Ms. Swanson Gribskov urged a March or May vote on the same measure, saying its failure may have been a matter of not having enough time to educate the public about all it involved. She expressed support for the Council Committee on Public Safety's proposed police commission/advisory board as an alternative to the failed citizen review board. Mr. Johnson said there are many reasons why voters approve money measures, one of which is confidence in leadership. He congratulated the council on instilling that public confidence. He discussed the next steps for implementing the processes for the library and parks, reminding the council that the dollars "would not flow until the next fiscal year." However, he said, the library proposal had an interfund loan built in so implementation could begin as early as February-- Sunday operating hours for the library, followed by the planning phase for the first library branch in the Bethel-Danebo neighborhood. Mr. Johnson said the parks issue was very complicated and staff, in thinking about minimizing operational expenses for the new parks, would likely do the upgrades first to save on maintenance. He said there would be efficiencies to be gained from coordinating with the two school districts and those relationships would be pursued. With regard to external review of police operations, Mr. Johnson said both he and Acting Police Chief Jim Hill believed it was necessary and they would review the research done on the various systems of review and recommend alternatives. He added that the City would continue to work on the public safety issue with its interjurisdictional partners through the PSCC. Mr. Johnson discussed the impacts the measure's failure will have on the City, including the forest work camp and the AIRS system. Mayor Torrey compared the success of the library and parks measures with the fire redeployment measure passed a few years ago. He acknowledged City staff Terry Smith and Carol Hildebrand for their work on the measures and asked the City Manager to write commendation letters for the two. He also acknowledged individual councilors for their committee work on the measures. Mayor Torrey said he hoped the upcoming council will continue to work on passing the public safety levy and he was looking forward to analyzing the election. Mr. Johnson noted that the voter turnout was 61.4 percent. IV. WORK SESSION: SPECIAL ASSESSMENTS MINUTES--Eugene City Council November 9, 1998 Page 4 5:30 p.m.