CC Minutes - 01/09/06 Meeting - Laserfiche WebLink

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litigation. Staff asked that the council amend the 2004 ordinances to remove the statement that the ordinances would not take effect until they were acknowledged, as the LUBA remand was sufficiently narrow for staff to believe the substance of the planning work had been completed. If the ordinance was appealed, the City would not have to delay the implementation of the projects. Mayor Piercy opened the public hearing. Kevin Matthews , 1192 Lawrence Street, representing the Friends of Eugene, encouraged the council to adopt the ordinances before it. He spent the remainder of his time discussing what he perceived to be the politics behind the appeal. Mr. Matthews maintained that the Lane County Home Builders Association was operating a concerted campaign to “block, delay, wear down, and bully against” anything that cost its members money. The association actively worked against City policies calling for new development to pay the incremental cost of its impact. Mr. Matthews considered the appeal an example of that. He invited the association to engage more constructively with the City. He thought if the City and association could work on something “bigger than the fifth decimal place of the bottom line of the profit of the home building companies,” there could be bigger improvements in the “first and second decimal place of those profits.” Mr. Matthews asked the council to consider the issue when it considers the impacts of the proposed Parks, Recreation, and Open Space Comprehensive Plan on the parks systems development charge. Mayor Piercy closed the public hearing. She called for comments and questions from the council. Councilor Bettman referred to Project 300 and asked if any of the new descriptions broadened the projects that might fall under those categories. She asked for reassurance that the City was not creating a situation where a Coburg wastewater connection could occur through the amendment process before the council. Mr. Lidz said there was nothing in the additional specifications for Project 300 that broadened it to that degree. Peter Ruffier, Wastewater Manager, concurred with the remarks of Mr. Lidz. Councilor Poling asked if the Springfield City Council and Lane County Board of Commissioners had to take similar actions. Mr. Lidz said yes. Susie Smith, MWMC General Manager, said the Springfield council had a public hearing scheduled for January 17; the Board of County Commissioners placed it on its January 23 agenda. Barring any action that extended the public hearings, staff requested Springfield take action on January 17 with an immediate effective date. Staff also requested the same of Lane County. Councilor Poling asked if there was benefit to taking action tonight as opposed to waiting until January 23. Ms. Smith said staff attempted to schedule such issues as soon as possible and hoped to see action as soon as possible so that the needed projects could go forward. She said it not be a problem if Eugene and Springfield took action on the same date. Mr. Lidz said the council could take action with unanimous consent. Councilor Poling wanted to take action in the hopes that Springfield and Lane County would be spurred to take action soon. He said the projects that were needed were in some instances needed now to both comply with federal regulations and upgrade the plant. Those upgrades were needed as soon as possible. Mayor Piercy determined that the council did not object to taking action at that time. Councilor Solomon, seconded by Councilor Ortiz, moved to adopt Council Bill 4915. Roll call vote; the motion passed unanimously, 8:0. MINUTES—Eugene City Council January 9, 2006 Page 7 Regular Meeting