Item 2F: Ratification of IGR Committee Actions

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legislative policy opposing reductions of urban renewal revenue. Mr. Hill noted that all of the City’s taxing districts received tax revenue from the urban renewal areas and that they received those revenues on a frozen base from when the urban renewal district was created. Mr. Hill added that this aspect of urban renewal tax policy was created with the idea that the urban renewal investment was self funding, and allowing a district to opt out of the urban renewal plan would allow the district to reap the rewards of that investment without ever actually contributing to it. Mr. Hill noted that the City’s urban renewal districts ultimately paid off in higher tax revenues once the duration of a particular district had expired. Ms. Taylor maintained that the City’s urban renewals were habitually renewed and as such their benefits were never fully realized. Mr. Weinman noted that one urban renewal district had been extinguished a number of years ago. Ms. Piercy commented that that Eugene school districts had been very outspoken about not being in opposition to the City’s urban renewal district policies. Mr. Hill commented that if HB 2643 had been in effect several years ago the City would not have been able to build its downtown library facility because it would not have had the necessary revenue to do so. Ms. Taylor responded that the library being built was the one good thing that had come from the City’s urban renewal district policies. Ms. Wilson, responding to Ms. Taylor’s comment that the CCIGR should support HB 2643, recommended that the committee take the matter before the City Council before doing so. Ms. Ortiz, recognizing that State Representative Holvey had sponsored HB 2643, stated that she had not known that Mr. Holvey was opposed to urban renewal districts to the point that he would create legislation regarding it. Ms. Wilson averred that while Mr. Holvey understood that some of his proposed legislation would not be in line with the City of Eugene’s priorities he would also be willing to work with the City to find common ground on the matter. Ms. Piercy maintained that Mr. Holvey was attempting to balance the benefits of effective urban renewal district policies with the costs of such policies and that the debate on the matter was likely to continue. Mr. Poling, noting that the City had made no substantive change in its legislative policies on the matter, maintained that there was no need to change or reverse the committee’s position on urban renewal districts with respect to those established policies. Ms. Taylor stated that she would like to bring the matter before the City Council for further discussion. Ms. Taylor, seconded by Ms. Ortiz, moved to adopt a support position regarding HB 2643. The motion failed, 1:2 (Mr. Poling and Ms. Ortiz voting in opposition). HB 2577 - Relating to workers’ compensation claims for bloodborne diseases by public safety officers. Ms. Wilson stated that HB 2577 was designed to establish a presumption of certain bloodborne diseases as compensable occupational diseases for public safety officers. She noted that because of the significant cost the bill’s passage would represent to the City, staff was currently recommending a Priority 2 opposition position regarding the bill. Ms. Wilson noted that the bill had arisen in response to a local case involving a parole officer who had MINUTES—Council Committee on Intergovernmental Relations February 25, 2009 Page 4