CC Minutes - 12/09/98 Work Session

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work he would leave behind for other councilors included restructuring of City legal services, and completing the Land Use Code Update, Residential Lands Survey, and TransPlan. He said he had been most amused by The Register-Guard describing him as a conservative and that one of its columnists had referred to him as a "curmudgeon." He said he was beginning to have second thoughts regarding decisions made at the December 7, 1998, meeting of the council about street improvement assessments. He suggested that a council committee be formed to prepare assessment policy recommendations and that participation in the work of the committee be solicited from Lane County and the City of Springfield. Mr. Laue expressed appreciation for the kind words members had shared regarding his tenure on the council. He also thanked the citizens of his ward and the City for the opportunity to have served. He said he believed the council had accomplished goals he had set when he ran for council--a new library, funding for expansion of parks and open space, fire re-deployment, and opening of Willamette Street. He said implementation of community policing and other issues related to criminal justice continued to be a need which would best be accomplished through intergovernmental cooperation. He expressed appreciation for the experience of working with the variety of councilors during his term of service. He said it was not the efforts of a single individual, but the ability of councilors to work together that makes it successful. He expressed appreciation for the "good and talented" members of the City staff and Mayor Torrey, whom he characterized as a "closet liberal." He suggested that the mayor be given increased opportunities to lead the council and City. Ms. Swanson Gribskov stated that she had mixed feelings about her choice to leave the council. She said that the most important dream she had when she was elected was that the council, City Manager, and staff would work more effectively together. She said she hoped that the positive and cooperative commitment of councilors to meet the needs of citizens using changes which had occurred during the last two years would continue. She expressed appreciation for the opportunity to have served and said she would continue her efforts to seek intergovernmental cooperation and funding for justice concerns. Mr. Johnson reported that City employees had participated in the annual charitable contributions campaign and increased the level of giving by 41 percent, to $73,000. Mr. Johnson distributed a memorandum from the City Attorney dated December 9, 1998, which provided an update on the status of the application for a tree cutting permit for Rest-Haven cemetery. City Attorney Glen Klein reviewed the contents of his memorandum and criteria for issuing tree cutting permits contained in Section 6.320 of the City Code which was attached. He pointed out that there was only a limited legal role for the council in the permitting process since it was a staff decision approved by a Hearings Official. He said the council could change the criteria or application process contained in the code, but that such changes would likely not become effective prior to the processing of the current application. Mayor Torrey complimented the City Manager and City Attorney on the timeliness of their response to the request of council for a full explanation. Ms. Taylor asked what was meant by the comment of Mr. Klein that the tree cutting permit process was a "staff decision." Mr. Johnson replied that the Director of Public Works and City Manager were fully involved in issues related to the application. MINUTES--Eugene City Council December 9, 1998 Page 3 11:30 a.m. Lunch Work Session