Item 2F: Ratification of Intergovernmental Relations Committee Minutes

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SB 0719 – Relating to Urban Growth Boundary Expansion Area Revolving Loan Fund; appropriating money; declaring an emergency. Ms. Wilson provided a brief description of SB 0719 to the committee members and noted that staff was currently recommending a Priority 2 support position regarding the bill. Ms. Taylor felt the committee should oppose SB 0719 rather than support it and asked staff for further clarification regarding their recommendation. Principal Planner Steve Nystrom responded that staff‘s recommendation was based on their findings that in the long term SB 0719 would provide an additional funding source for badly needed infrastructure maintenance and improvements. He noted that similar legislation enacted in other Oregon communities and the Portland area had been notably successful in that regard. Ms. Piercy expressed that while the City would ideally like to stay within the current confines of the UGB further expansion of the boundary seemed inevitable and that as such the revolving loan fund described in SB 0719 seemed like a reasonable way to effectively fund and manage such expansions. Mr. Poling agreed with Ms. Piercy’s statement and further noted that other Oregon communities did not seem to have the reservations regarding the expansion of UGB’s that Eugene apparently had. Mr. Poling, seconded by Ms. Ortiz, moved to adopt a Priority 2 support position regarding SB 0719. The motion did not pass (Ms. Taylor voting in opposition). SB 0974 – Relating to smoking. Ms. Wilson provided a brief description of SB 0974 to the committee members and noted that staff was currently recommending a neutral position regarding the bill. Ms. Piercy believed that the safety implications of SB 0974 with its proposed exemption for hookah bars from the legal definition of “smoke shop” were considerable and advocated for the committee to oppose the bill. Land Use Supervisor Mike McKerrow noted that while the City had received several similar requests for hookah bar exemptions in recent years, City Clean Air ordinances would still prohibit such exemptions regardless of SB 0974. Mr. McKerrow, responding to a question from Mr. Poling, noted that if SB 0974 were to pass it would not affect the City of Eugene due to the grandfather clause in the City’s Clean Air ordinance. Ms. Piercy believed that it made no sense not to oppose the bill as such a position would reflect the City’s beliefs about what was in the best health care interests of the community. Ms. Wilson commented that no legislative hearing was currently scheduled on SB 0974 but that it was still in the rules committee and might move forward. Ms. Ortiz, seconded by Ms. Taylor, moved to adopt a Priority 3 oppose position regarding SB 0974. Ms. Ortiz stated that while she wished to support an opposition position regarding the bill, she did not want to see Ms. Wilson or the IGR staff spend an inordinate amount of time on such efforts. MINUTES—Council Committee on Intergovernmental Relations April 29, 2009 Page 3