CC Minutes - 07/23/08 Work Session

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Ms. Ortiz said she was going out on a limb somewhat with her motion, but hoped the UO heard the message about collaboration and was receptive to the City when it approached the UO with issues around parking control, the Department of Public Safety, and scholarships for underserved populations. The motion passed, 5:3; Ms. Taylor, Ms. Bettman, and Mr. Zelenka voting no. A. WORK SESSION: Joint Meeting with River Road Park and Recreation District Acting Library, Recreation, and Cultural Services Director Renee Grube introduced the item, welcoming the staff and board members of the River Road Park and Recreation District to the first joint meeting of the board and council since the district was formed in 1955. She said the City had a collaborative partnership with the district since its inception. The City and district had a formal Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) relationship for 20 years that provided City funding to the district. The IGA was intended to facilitate the use of district facilities by district residents who annexed into the City, and was intended to be a short-term means of ensuring consistent service delivery while the property inside the district annexed to the City. She acknowl- edged that such annexation was unlikely to occur in the near-term. Ms. Grube noted the services provided by the district to district residents, including city residents. She said that no other residents had access to both district and City recreational services. She said the district’s residents had been willing to pay a fairly high tax rate to maintain district services, but in spite of that the district was facing a long-term structural deficit due to rising expenses. The district was drawing down on its reserves and now was facing the potential of service reductions. City and district staff had met several times over the past year and it was clear that the City’s $100,000 contribution was not a long-term solution for either body. The City wished to work with the district to identify a sustainable solution to ensure that services were available at Emerald Park into the future. River Road Park and Recreation District Assistant Superintendent Dale Weigandt introduced district board members Betty Donaldson, Walt Haniuk, Wayne Helikson, Jim Wienecke, and District Superintendent Jim Lockard. Mr. Weigandt expressed pride in the district and its facilities and provided a brief overview of district facilities. He noted the many recreational activities and social services offered through the community center located at Emerald Park. Mr. Weigandt spoke of the balance the district had to maintain between the taxes it assessed to in-district residents and fees for services. Mr. Weigandt commended the district’s partnership with the City of Eugene and the funding from Eugene that helped make it possible. He could not see ending the partnership. He spoke of the impact of the recent economic downtown on district services and facilities, emphasizing the additional patron visits and demand on district services that were created as a result of more people staying at home. Mr. Weigandt invited council members to contact him for a tour of the district’s facilities. He expressed hope for a positive solution to continue district operations. Mr. Lockard observed that he joined the district in 1972 at a time of financial crisis, and would retire in 2010 leaving another crisis unless the district and City could reach an agreement. He reported that the district had finished the last fiscal year with a much reduced contingency fund and would face a similar situation next year. He contended the incremental annexation policies of the City of Eugene had caused many of the district’s MINUTES—Eugene City Council July 23, 2008 Page 3 Work Session