CC Minutes - 11/28/05 WS - Laserfiche WebLink

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C. WORK SESSION: CITY COUNCIL PRIORITY ISSUE – HOSPITAL UPDATE City Manager Taylor reported that he, Mayor Piercy, and Planning and Development Director Susan Muir met with representatives of McKenzie-Willamette Medical Center and the President of Triad Corporation on November 15, at which time the representatives announced a proposed Eugene site they selected for construction of a hospital. Additionally, he explained that they presented a list of issues and concerns for the City’s response, which was delivered on November 21 and included in the council packet. Ms. Muir referred to Attachment C of the Agenda Item Summary: a map of the potential hospital site. She explained it was a 42-acre site on three tax lots and that the map illustrates the location of the UGB and the city limits. Ms. Muir noted there were many questions related to transportation issues that must be addressed. She then referred the council to the table affixed to Attachment B that pointed to the annexation issues with the proposed site, the Eugene-Springfield Metropolitan Area General Plan (Metro Plan) designation labels which stipulate that the area was low-density residential, and the updated Metro Plan – under appeal by homeowners—which showed those parcels designated as parks and open space. She said that legislative amendments would need to move forward to change these designations; additionally, development applications would be required, including a conditional-use permit application. Ms. Muir stressed that the information before the council was preliminary at this time. In conclusion, Ms. Muir said that staff recommended moving forward conceptually to ascertain if in fact such a proposal was viable. City Manager Taylor reminded the council that the proposed site was not in the zone identified by it as the preferred area; however, he pointed out that after searching for sites both inside and outside the preferred area over the past several years, the current proposed site under discussion was one of two final sites that the McKenzie-Willamette Medical Center would consider for a hospital and was therefore worthy of consideration. Mayor Piercy solicited council questions and comments. Ms. Taylor spoke to the quasi-judicial process, ex parte contacts and bias issues and asked Mr. Klein for an explanation of how they impact the City Council. Mr. Klein explained that a quasi-judicial process begins when an application was submitted and that the trigger date of application submittal was critical to determining when there was an ex parte communication. However, he added that the trigger date was not critical in terms of the issue of bias. For example, Mr. Klein went on, if a councilor stated he/she was opposed to any Metro Plan amendment, refinement amendment, or zone change for the property regardless what the criteria, application and testimony contained, the applicant could state that that individual could not act on those changes, as an opinion had been voiced prior to the application process. However, Mr. Klein pointed out that one could state that he/she did or did not favor a particular site, but would agree to await the criterion that governs the application and the evidence submitted prior to making a firm decision. Ms. Taylor opined that the site under discussion was not a preferable site for staff to consider. Mr. Pryor declared a direct conflict of interest around issues related to McKenzie-Willamette Medical Center and/or Triad Corporation, explaining that a family member was an employee of the medical center and that he, therefore, would not participate in the discussion or vote on the motion. Ms. Ortiz declared a potential conflict of interest around issues related to McKenzie Willamette Medical Center or Triad Corporation as she was an employee of Peace Health Medical Center. MINUTES—Eugene City Council November 28, 2005 Page 7 Work Session