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Mr. Pryor said the City would have to adopt the program for property owners to take advantage of it. He <br />promised to return to the council with more information. <br /> <br />Ms. Taylor said she just returned from the National League of Cities conference in Augusta, Georgia, where <br />she learned Eugene was not the only United States city focusing on the arts and outdoors as an economic <br />tool, and she and Mr. Papé attended a workshop on the topic. She commended the keynote presentation by <br />former Secretary of Labor Robert Reich, which focused on the “high road and low road” to economic <br />development. The high road was investing in education, public transit, good streets, and people; the low <br />road was attempting to attract businesses with low taxes and tax breaks. <br /> <br />Ms. Ortiz said she also attended the Kelly Middle School “Hometown Heros” event with the mayor, and <br />learned a great deal from a fellow participant who had been interned during World War II. <br /> <br />Ms. Ortiz said the Police Commission met the previous week and agreed to forward the Eugene Police <br />Department’s Strategic Plan to the City Council. She characterized the plan as good work. <br /> <br />Ms. Ortiz said she was attending a conference in Miami regarding police review and it was a very good <br />conference. She would report in more detail when she returned. <br /> <br />Mr. Kelly said he understood a Request for Proposals (RFP) had been issued for private operation of the <br />Cuthbert Amphitheater. He asked why the council was not notified and asked to weigh in on the decision. <br />He said the council just authorized funding for the Cultural Services Strategic Plan, which was not to start <br />until the next year. He asked why the City was proposing such a change before the planning began. He <br />requested a memorandum on the topic. While he acknowledged the manager had the charter authority to <br />implement his management decision, he asked that the contract award be postponed. <br /> <br />Mr. Papé shared Mr. Kelly’s interest in the Cuthbert Amphitheater issue. He said that other local <br />businesses were interested in the contract. City Manager Taylor said he understood that there was an appeal <br />to the review committee. <br /> <br />Mr. Papé noted his recent participation in a Habitat for Humanity project, which was intended to benefit <br />residents of St. Charles, Louisiana. <br /> <br />Mr. Papé noted some upcoming agenda items related to River Road/Santa Clara and asked if parks could be <br />a part of those discussions. <br /> <br />Ms. Solomon said she read about the RFP for the Cuthbert Amphitheater in the City Council newsletter <br />several months ago and had been pleased to see it. She had a long-time concern about how to make the <br />facility more profitable as she though it was a “gem,” and did not think the City was currently realizing its <br />“bang for the buck.” She appreciated that staff was willing to look at the issue from another point of view. <br />She also expressed appreciation for the concerns expressed by Mr. Kelly and Mr. Papé. <br /> <br />Ms. Solomon noted she would soon take Ms. Taylor’s seat on the Public Safety Coordinating Council. <br /> <br />City Manager Taylor said that the City reached agreement in principle with the Federal Highway Admini- <br />stration (FHWA) on a collaborative process that allowed the community to review alternatives to the West <br />Eugene Parkway with the assistance of an experienced facilitator. It was envisioned that the process would <br /> <br /> <br />MINUTES—Eugene City Council December 12, 2005 Page 2 <br /> Work Session <br /> <br />