Item 3A: Approval of City Council Minutes

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Eugene. She added that if the City was not able to build the ECC on that site, all of the transaction would be reverted and the City would retain ownership of the Quarry Lane site, the site proposed to be transferred. Councilor Poling, seconded by Councilor Solomon, moved to direct the City Manager to execute a land transfer of approximately 19 acres of the Quarry Lane site to the Bureau of Land Management, if needed, to satisfy the “no net loss” policy with the Association of Oregon and California Counties. Councilor Bettman felt there was not enough information in the AIS, though it sounded like a great plan. She said to receive the questions from Mr. Matthews and Ms. Segel had been troubling and this could have been circumvented had there been adequate information in the AIS. In response to a question from Councilor Bettman, Ms. Medary said the “Red House” site had buildings on it, adding that this was one of the reasons it was considered an ideal site. Councilor Bettman asked what percentage of the site had buildings on it. Ms. Medary responded that most of the site was developed. Councilor Bettman asked what the comparative costs of the sites were. Ms. Medary replied that the Quarry Lane site had cost the City $28,000 and cost the BLM approximately $121,000. She said the City would be giving its $28,000 investment and receiving in return 12 acres inside the UGB at the “Red House” site. Councilor Papé questioned the equity of trading a 19-acre parcel for a 12-acre parcel. Ms. Medary responded that the portion of the site on which the BLM had a conservation easement was 19 acres. She averred that it made sense to pick a piece on which the BLM had already done the work to transfer it into their ownership. She stressed that no additional cost would be brought about by trying to subdivide or do additional survey work on the property as it stood. Councilor Papé expressed concern that this would take 19 acres out of the City’s parks inventory and would only receive 12 acres. Ms. Medary responded that the land would still be in the partnership and would still be publicly owned and tagged together with all of the parcels in West Eugene. She recognized his point, but wished to underscore that people would walk from one parcel to the next and not readily understand which government agency owned which parcel. Councilor Papé asked what it would take to partition the property and only give the BLM 12 acres. City Manager Taylor replied that he did not know what it would take but it would raise the cost and increase the timeline. He had thought the land transfer was a way to satisfy the O & C concerns and still hold the land in good stewardship. Councilor Papé asked if it would be possible for the BLM to give the City more than 12 acres in exchange for the 19 acre property. City Manager Taylor responded that this would just take longer and part of the reason this item was before the City Council at this meeting was so that the City could move forward with some of the work that was hoped to get accomplished as part of the United Lobbying Front in this next legislative cycle. Councilor Pryor remarked that this transfer might not be absolutely the most perfect deal, but he thought it was a good deal and supported it wholeheartedly. He recalled that he had been supportive of the education center when he had served on the School Board for School District 4J. He supported this motion because it brought the City and schools one step closer to getting the center “to happen.” He did not think the City was MINUTES—Eugene City Council November 28, 2005 Page 10 Regular Session