Item 2A: Approval of City Council Minutes

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renev;al district that \Nodd l.everage at k~st $85 rnilliou in property tax improvem,;:nts. He i;aid the fHlckagc in ({1,H:'i;tion wa:;; ::>pecifk to the hospital. at that sitc. Ms. 50lmnon :;;aid the conndl had been \vorking 011 the iswe fbr ::;onw time and it did n.ot secm rnu;;-h progw,>s vIas hdng made. She believed the City had done what it <;:l>uld, and it \vas up to the hospital and 'E\VEH to resol.ve the site acquisition question. Ms. Solomon aiked what the hospital's "drop dead" date \vas, if the lKlspital had a "Flan B," and if staff had discus~;ed other potential site::; identified by the City \vith thc hospitHI. City Manager Taylor said that 'M.cKenzie-\Villmnette Hospital indicated its first choke ~He wa.s the EWE.R lo;:;:atioR Tb;: hospital had not indicated to him or other City staff that it had any b.a<.::k~ up ~.;ites. He ~knowledged there was ~lpceu!ation about th,;: tbirgwunds as a pos~.;ib1e site fbr the hospital, but he emphasizcd that W<tS spt:cuh.ttive. Another option wa:" f()r the hospital to rehuild in its <:;un:ent bcation. OtlH~r than thc EWEB site. rqn'Csentatin:s ofth.t:: hospitallwd not been specific about other ~ites, and :n..~maiHcd committed to muking the EWEB ::;ire work. Ms. Solomon aiked how l.ong dw hospital. \vas prepa.red to wait for a decision. Cltyl\:hmager 'l'aylor did not .kn;.)w. Me Keily applauded the stafftc<'in1 fbr the thorouk{hnes~ of its work Ivlr. K.dly hoped that the EWER l;;ommi::;sioners becarne com.t"()rt.abie with the propo~al. as he eon.sidcf<;:d that site th<.~ hest av-ai1abk site., fk said the "rumor mill" seemed to have quieted somewh,it, but he \vimted to be dear that McKemie-\VilbmetteMed:icai C(~n.kr in.dk:ated that if EWES t\;Hy or pmti.<tHY1ni.wed, it would make use of the EWEB headquarters building i{rr medical offices and other ho:;;pital fund.ions. M.. Kelly spoke to concerns abc>ut the rip.<.irian edge, saying part of the plan was for the (;hy to az~quire a strip of property along th<:: rivcr to improve thc native. e.nviromnent and bicyck ac;;:ess. in the Hn::H. He appredated the manager m.eutioning those points, \'fr. Kelty rett:;rroo to the. Patterson underpass, and said that the previous fall the wuncillooked at several. options for required emerg(~n.cy acce~s. One option involved ex.ten.ding ,.'\gate Stn::ct through th;;::: Riverfront Rei;e~tn::.h Park. Seveml councilors,ret1ec:ting what he Hverred was communlty ::>entiment, suggeskd that the extension w'O'tl.ld (~ompH;::~ate the is~n~~ by creating additional public controversy. Roy Ocr of MeKt::nzie--\Vil.!-<tuK;ik indieatt,xl ihen that if the Patterson extension w-<ts in place, tl:mt option i...~ould be dropped 'frnm consideration. Me Kelly Hc.kno\'ik.dged the lack of a council vole on the tc>pk but said it stlemed to b{~ dropped from G.H1:"ideration. Howevcr, the packet included a. map that ~howed a connection from A.venue l\ e~t~>t to Agate Street Mr. Kelly requested an explanation ofthe note, City Manager Taylor recalled thilt the wuncil had previOUSlY seen the lJmp in que::>tion, which was an ,:.x.<mlpk of a solution, thol.tgh not nt::cei;sarily the prd'<;Trc;;l solution. If(: aske.d Mr. Corey tl) speak to tl:w issue.Mr. Corey ,':laid the extension was not '\m the table" M pa:i of thc discussion. staff Vla~ having with the hospita1. He ::>ai<.l the pnx:e:>shad 11(~t progn:::i;Sed to the degree where the City had hired .<t cn~ultant t<.l examine opti.ons kg" el'Of-,sing the tracks. 'I'h<:: plans before t.hc cound.1 were conceptual in n.ature. .Mr. Kelty determined from Me Corey that it was nnt the City's intent to o.)n11ed Agate Stred thmugh the process. Respondi;n.g to a qucstion frmu .Mr. Polin.g, City Manager 'faylo;, recalled t.hat the council set aside $5{)O,OOO as an initial incentive!}.}!" a hospital to locate within tb-;~ preferred area, rfthe real estat;;.-: tmn,-:;a(~ti;)n ht1\vc@. thc hospital and E\VER did n{)t come to fruition, he\vould ,em,n to the c.mmcil [(j verify the City \vnuld continue to {lUe, incentives within the preferred a,ea. MINUTES--.--.Eugene City Council August 8, 2005 I>age 4 Work S.;:8sl.0tl