CC Minutes - 01/21/09 Work Session

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Ms. Wilson, in response to a question from Mr. Pryor, noted that most of the other funding for the West Eugene Environmental Education Center (WEEEC) from sources besides the City of Eugene and the WREN had been withdrawn, including the funding that had been dedicated by the 4J School District. Ms. Piercy noted that the 4J School District had recently indicated that they might restore funding to a portion of the WEEEC should economic conditions prove favorable. Mr. Zelenka noted that the Beltline Corridor project and the funds requested for the project would most likely be affected by the results of any EIS conducted to determine the environmental impact of such a project. Ms. Wilson, responding to a question from Mr. Zelenka, noted that additional project priority lists from LTD and other UF regional partners would be made available to the council for review on January 23. Ms. Wilson, responding to a question from Mr. Zelenka, reiterated that the projects in the two lists being presented to the council had not been prioritized relative to one another and that any projects considered competitive with other regional partner project prioritiy lists had not been included. Mr. Inerfeld, responding to a question from Mr. Zelenka, described the differences between the projects being presented as part of the Federal Priorities Project List and those highway projects that had been prioritized as part of the Metropolitan Policy Committee’s efforts. Ms. Wilson briefly described the different processes involved in seeking funding at the state and federal levels, and noted that funding for the Beltline Road and Corridor Study was being sought at both levels. Ms. Wilson, responding to a request from Mr. Zelenka, noted descriptions of the current projects in the Federal Priorities Project List and the Federal Transportation Reauthorization Project List; descriptions for the newer projects had not yet been written. She added that full descriptions of those newer projects would be written up once the City’s congressional delegation process had been initiated. Ms. Taylor suggested that the City communicate with EWEB with regard to any local weatherization or energy efficiency initiatives that might take advantage of federal stimulus funding. Ms. Wilson, responding to a question from Ms. Taylor, reported that the City’s economic stimulus illustrative lists included several road preservation and maintenance projects that were ready to go and this had been communicated to ODOT to investigate how federal stimulus money might be distributed for such projects. Ms. Taylor hoped that the council would be given more opportunities in the future to make suggestions for projects to be included on the Federal Priorities Project List. Ms. Wilson, responding to a comment from Mr. Brown, reiterated that the federal funding appropriations process was under a continuing resolution that expired March 6, 2009, and that, as such, no City projects had received federal funding in 2008. Ms. Wilson, responding to a request for clarification from Mr. Brown, noted that the executive department staff to which the Federal Priorities Project List and the Federal Transportation Reauthorization Project List would eventually be presented, referred to those federal agencies that would best be able to make funding determinations regarding the City’s project priorities. She added that the City’s congressional delegation would also be presenting the lists to other potential federal funding sources such as the federal office of the U.S. Army Core of Engineers. MINUTES—Eugene City Council January 21, 2009 Page 3 Work Session