Item B: Preparation for JEO Meeting

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estimated housing needs for 20 years. Staff will provide council with updates and opportunities for input on HB 3337 over the next several months. Role of the Metro Plan The Eugene-Springfield Metropolitan Area Plan (Metro Plan) serves as the long-range comprehensive plan and establishes the policy framework upon which Eugene, Springfield and Lane County make coordinated land use decisions. The Metro Plan was originally jointly adopted by the three elected bodies in 1972, and has undergone numerous updates, most recently in 2004. As such, each jurisdiction operates under an identical policy framework. The Metro Plan sets forth general planning policies and serves as the basis for coordinated development of various programs concerning growth, development and conservation of resources within the metropolitan area. By jointly adopting the Metro Plan, the three metropolitan area partners recognize the interrelatedness of each others’ growth and transportation decisions. The Metro Plan boundaries include all land within the Eugene-Springfield urban growth boundary (UGB), as well as some additional land situated outside, but adjacent to the UGB (see attached Metro Plan Diagram). Topic 1: Provision of Urban Services The Metro Plan delineates through its policies how services are to be provided within the Metro Plan boundaries. These policies, which focus on land use and development issues, were adopted to ensure efficient delivery of basic services, avoid duplication of government services, and to discourage urbanization outside of the two cities’ UGBs. Briefly summarized, the Metro Plan’s policies create the following framework for managing growth: ? That compact urban growth occur inside the city limits; ? Cities are the logical providers of urban services needed to accommodate urban levels of development within the UGB; ? A city should not annex property if that city can not provide a minimum level of key urban services to that property; ? Existing special districts are an interim method of providing key urban services and will eventually be dissolved inside the UGB. The term “key urban facilities and services” as defined in the Metro Plan refers to the following “minimum level” services that support urban development: wastewater service, stormwater service, transportation, solid waste management, water service, fire and emergency medical services, police protection, citywide parks and recreation programs, electric service, land use controls, communication facilities, and public schools on a district-wide basis. The “full range” of key urban facilities and services also includes urban public transit, natural gas, street lighting, libraries, local parks, local recreation facilities and services, and health services. The Plan recognizes that “a variety of public services are provided by Lane County and special service districts to unincorporated portions of the Eugene- Springfield metropolitan area.” (Growth Management Finding No. 10) The staff memorandum from Lane County suggests that the Metro Plan’s lack of an explicit description of services provided by Lane County is potentially detrimental to future funding options such as the creation of a special taxing district to support the County’s provision of services. In the past, the City Council has broadly indicated support for creating new mechanisms to help pay for basic urban services and geographic-specific Metro Plan policy amendments to permit another jurisdiction to create a localized special district. Previous City Councils have not supported amendments that would Z:\CMO\2009 Council Agendas\M090112\S090112B.DOC