CC Minutes - 10/27/08 Meeting - Laserfiche WebLink

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Councilor Taylor thanked all those who spoke. She said the council did not make the decision to close the clinic and she hoped the manager could find a way to keep it open. She agreed it is difficult to restart a service once it has been eliminated. She concurred with those who spoke of the cost-savings realized by the clinic, as well as its ability to provide humane treatment and help create a safer environment for the community. Councilor Bettman also thanked all those who spoke. She expressed concern about the message being sent to the public about the closure and wanted to settle the issue as soon as possible to give the public certainty about the future of the clinic. She asked if the clinic was funded through the end of the current fiscal year, and if surgeries could be performed if the veterinarian was medically incapacitated. Finance Director Dee Ann Raile responded that the clinic was in the fiscal year (FY) 2008 budget and there was an appropriation that the City would exceed based on its financial experience to date. Currently, the City had only one veterinarian and this person was unable to perform surgeries because of a medical condition. The City had not been successful in recruiting a veterinarian and was performing surgeries about half the time with backfill staff, many of whom had offered testimony at this meeting. Responding to a question from Councilor Bettman, Ms. Raile clarified that the City would overspend the budget allocation within the fiscal year and could, if so directed, return to the council with a supplemental budget to increase the appropriation. Councilor Bettman compared the clinic to potholes, saying the City could pay a lower price now or a higher price later. She asked to be recognized later in the meeting in order to offer the council a motion to keep the clinic open and find a veterinarian pending resolution of the larger budget issue. Councilor Clark thanked all those who spoke. He suggested there were probably creative solutions to the clinic’s funding problems. He expressed appreciation to the manager for his effort to this point. He agreed that the decision was more of a policy issue than a management one but he continued to seek more information. Councilor Zelenka commended those who offered testimony for their thoughtful and concise testimony. He was also concerned about the closure of the clinic as he thought the short-term costs were outweighed by the long-term benefits. He said earlier that day, he had asked the manager for suggestions about how to keep the clinic open. He agreed that the decision seemed to be more of a policy than management decision. Speaking to Mr. Vishanoff’s comments, Councilor Zelenka said the Neighborhood-University Arena Liaison Committee was not a City-sponsored group. It was sponsored by the University, which had invited the City’s participation. The City does not provide notice for meetings in which it participates but does not sponsor. Additionally, the meetings were open to the public and minutes were taken. Councilor Zelenka advocated for those present and in the viewing audience to vote yes on the street repair ballot measure. Councilor Solomon thanked those present for their testimony. She also thanked Michelle Haus of her ward for all the times she called to tell Councilor Solomon what was going on with unwanted animals on her street. Ms. Haus, like many others, took unwanted animals to the clinic to have them altered. She made a difference in the community. Councilor Solomon appreciated the time Ms. Haus spent with her on the telephone and asked her to keep up the good work. MINUTES—Eugene City Council October 27, 2008 Page 6 Regular Meeting