Laserfiche WebLink
WORK SESSION: West Eugene Transportation Status <br /> <br />Assistant City Manager Jim Carlson reported that since the council’s October 2005 work session, staff had <br />been working on West Eugene transportation issues and there had been numerous discussions with the <br />Transportation Planning Committee (TPC), chief administrative officers of the Metropolitan Policy <br />Committee (MPC) member jurisdictions and agencies. He said at the January 12, 2006, MPC meeting, tacit <br />agreement was reached to proceed with a facilitated discussion within the current National Environmental <br />Policy Act (NEPA) process for the West Eugene Parkway (WEP). He said the City was proposing to split <br />the estimated $50,000 cost of the facilitated discussion with the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). <br />He said the United States Institute for Environmental Conflict Resolution would provide a facilitator for the <br />process and the next step was a collaborative effort with MPC partners to select a facilitator. <br /> <br />Continuing, Mr. Carlson said the facilitator would assess the situation by reviewing materials, interviewing <br />all stakeholders and determining how the process should go forward, including a formal facilitated dialogue <br />with stakeholders. He expected the facilitator would be selected in 45 days, the process would occur in the <br />spring, the technical reports would be done in February 2006, and a record of decision would be available <br />by the end of 2006. He said MPC members identified representatives for the selection committee: Anne <br />Ballew, City of Springfield; Faye Stewart, Lane County; Gerry Gaydos, Lane Transit District; Jane Lee, <br />Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT); Emily Lawton, FHWA; and Mayor Piercy, City of Eugene. <br /> <br />Mayor Piercy reviewed actions resulting from the October 2005 work session: <br /> <br />? <br /> A council motion directing its MPC representatives, Mayor Piercy and Mr. Kelly, to oppose the <br />inclusion of the WEP as a transportation priority project in the 2007 Metropolitan Transportation <br />Improvement Program (MTIP) <br />? <br /> A council motion directing the City Manager to consult with intergovernmental partners and com- <br />munity organizations to commence a scoping process to design and build transportation projects in <br />West Eugene to address congestion, safety and operation of all modes of transportation <br />? <br /> A vote by Eugene’s MPC representatives at the November 2005 MPC meeting to move forward all <br />transportation projects into the 2007 MTIP except for the WEP <br />? <br /> MPC members could not agree to remove the WEP from the list of transportation priorities and <br />there was no agreement on the 2007 MTIP, which did not move forward <br />? <br /> The current MTIP with the WEP included remains in place until August 2007 when it sunsets <br />? <br /> A collaborative process with all stakeholders to look seriously at WEP alternatives was suggested <br />by Mayor Piercy <br />? <br /> FHWA agreed to a collaborative process within the timeframe of the ongoing NEPA process after <br />technical work had been completed and before the community forum and record of decision <br />? <br /> Eugene’s MPC representatives voted to support one of the slated 2007 MTIP projects that was time <br />sensitive at the December 2005 MPC meeting and proposed the collaborative process <br />? <br /> Information and materials about the collaborative process were presented at the January 2006 MPC <br />meeting and members were invited to participate in the process and selection of a facilitator <br />? <br /> Eugene’s MPC representatives voted to support six more time sensitive transportation projects into <br />the current MTIP <br /> <br />Mayor Piercy said that the Institute for Environmental Conflict Resolution agreed to assist with the process <br />because it believed there was a possibility of successfully finding solutions to the long-term community <br />impasse, but was clear that the process proposed by the FHWA was not truly collaborative because of the <br />constraints of staying within the NEPA timeframe and purpose and need. She said the process could only be <br />termed an assessment report and possible series of stakeholder meetings, but the institute still felt it could be <br /> <br /> <br />MINUTES—Eugene City Council January 23, 2006 Page 8 <br /> Work Session <br /> <br />