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or where they significantly impacted any of the City’s operations. <br />Ms. Taylor asked why City staff was recommending a monitor position and not an opposition position. Mr. Wold <br />replied that he has spoken with the Deputy Director of OWEB who had indicated that OWEB’s budget was not <br />only secure but actually better than it had been in previous years. As such, Mr. Wold noted that there was no <br />reason for the committee to oppose the bill. The Committee let the staff recommendation of Monitor stand. <br />HB 2048 - Relating to commuter rail. <br />Ms. Wilson noted that HB 2048 would create a task force to examine the feasibility of extending the Washington <br />County Commuter Rail System to Salem. <br />Ms. Taylor felt that the City should adopt a support position regarding the bill even and asked if a task force <br />created by HB 2048 wasn’t better than nothing with respect to commuter rail projects. <br />Public Affairs Manager Eric Jones noted that staff had determined that there was no direct benefit to the City of <br />Eugene from HB 2048 and that as such they were recommending a neutral position. <br />Mr. Poling and Ms. Ortiz concurred with Mr. Jones assessment. <br />Ms. Taylor felt that the bill should be supported as a matter of principle. <br />Mr. Poling and Mr. Jones both noted that while it was currently indeterminate how HB 2048 might actually be <br />funded, such funds could presumably be taken from funding sources that might otherwise fund highway <br />transportation projects closer to the City of Eugene. <br />Mr. Poling felt that a neutral position regarding HB 2048 was the most prudent course of action to take. <br />Ms. Taylor, responding to a question from Ms. Wilson, noted that the committee’s direction was for staff to <br />maintain its neutral position regarding HB 2048. <br />SB 0292 - Relating to use of State Highway Fund moneys. <br />Ms. Wilson stated that SB 0292 would increase the allocation of state highway money for footpaths and bicycle <br />trails and that staff had recommended a neutral position on the matter. <br />Ms. Taylor noted that she wished to support SB 0292. <br />Mr. Jones commented that SB 0292 represented good public policy even though the City of Eugene’s funding <br />percentages regarding alternative transportation modes far exceeded those that were proposed in the bill. <br />Mr. Poling offered that it was not unreasonable to support the bill particularly since in essence it was requiring <br />governments to do something that the City of Eugene had already chosen to do. He noted that supporting the bill <br />would lend credence to the City’s approach to alternative transportation issues. <br />Mr. Poling, seconded by Ms. Ortiz, moved to adopt a position of Priority 3 support <br />regarding SB 0292. The motion passed unanimously, 3:0. <br />HB 2397 - Relating to fabrication of nonstandard items specifically for public works. <br /> <br /> <br />MINUTES—Council Committee on Intergovernmental Relations February 4, 2009 Page 6 <br />