CC Minutes - 11/25/98 Work Session

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were different things. He said that his earlier point, reflected in the second sentence of the staff statement, was that neighborhood associations were only one way to accomplish the first statement which, like the NLC subcommittee's statement, read Our mission is to build community at the neighborhood level and improve the fivability of the City's neighborhoods, He said he would like to have some way to combine the two by stating that this is the mission and there are variety of means by which neighbors or residents may combine to accomplish it, with specificity about the activities of neighborhood organizations. Mr. Meisner said he shared Ms. Nathanson's opinion of the fifth bulleted statement. Mr. Lee said it was appropriate to discuss schools as focus for neighborhood organizations while ensuring there are exceptions, such as for the West University Neighborhood Association. Mr. Lee also suggested that ward boundaries could play a role as a criteria for drawing the boundaries. Mr. Johnson said the council had given staff direction both on the neighborhood organizations as well as on the Neighborhood Program. He noted that staff was guided by both the service profile and the Neighborhood Recognition Policy, and the input from the council was relevant to both documents. He indicated staff would refine the work done to this point and modify the mission statement in response to the council's remarks. In addition, staff would do further work on the boundary issue. Mr. Johnson said that he had raised the issue of minimum requirements with the NLC subcommittee members and heard no objections to the concept. 4.WORK SESSION: DISCUSSION OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS ACTION ON WEST EUGENE WETLANDS PLAN AMENDMENT Ms. Taylor moved, seconded by Mr. Lee, to postpone consideration of the item until February 1999. Ms. Taylor said that the issue was far too important and had too many long-term consequences for hasty action. She said that the council needed to provide some time for the public to get involved after the holidays. Ms. Taylor noted that there would be three new County Commissioners and three new City Councilors taking their seats after January 1, 1999, and she believed they should be involved in the final decision. She added that if the City and County could not reach agreement, the City should act alone as the issue was largely a municipal matter. Ms. Swanson Gribskov indicated she wanted to know more about the impact of the motion before voting to support it. Mr. Tollenaar concurred. He had no objection to postponing final action but it had been a long process and he believed the public, staff, and the County Commissioners had the right to the council's initial reaction to what had been proposed. He agreed with Ms. Taylor that public comment on the proposal would be appropriate. Mr. Meisner agreed. He suggested Ms. Taylor amend her motion to postpone action but allow for the staff presentation and council discussion. As currently phrased, he intended to vote against the motion, but hoped Ms. Taylor would offer a motion to postpone action after the presentation and discussion. MINUTES--Eugene City Council November 25, 1998 Page 10 11:30 a.m.