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Mr. Brown advocated for the dissolution of the urban renewal district as a means toward stimulating <br />downtown development and maintained that other members of the community and other communities <br />around the country shared his position. He urged the Council members to google Multnomah County Chair <br />Ted Wheeler to learn more regarding his views on urban renewal districts as they applied to the Portland- <br />Metro area. <br />Ms. Taylor reiterated her opposition to urban renewal strategies as well as any corresponding expansions <br />of the urban renewal district and maintained that they represented a "stealth slush fund" for private sector <br />interests. <br />Mr. Clark hoped that any sale of surplus property would move swiftly and unencumbered in order to <br />maximize the cost-effectiveness of any such sale. He maintained that he had never been a “big fan of urban <br />renewal” and agreed with earlier comments that any expansions in that regard should be attached to very <br />specific projects that were easily understandable by the public. <br />Ms. Cutsogeorge, responding to a question from Mr. Zelenka, noted that there remained approximately half <br />a million dollars remaining before the current urban renewal debt limit was reached. <br />Mr. Zelenka requested a list of all tools beyond urban renewal tax increment financing that were available <br />to the City for projects such as had been described in the earlier presentation as well as a more specific <br />accounting of the funds received through urban renewal strategies. Ms. Cutsogeorge responded that the <br />information Mr. Zelenka had requested would be included in the report on the urban renewal plan that was <br />required by state statute to be conducted as the plan progressed. Mr. Zelenka noted that detailed <br />accounting figures had not been included in the report on the previous urban renewal plan. <br />Mr. Zelenka suggested that the urban renewal district might be expanded in order to include the current <br />Eugene City Hall facility and adjacent properties since the City was expected to move into a new facility <br />sometime in the near future. <br />Ms. Ortiz agreed with Mr. Pryor’s earlier comment and maintained that the urban renewal district <br />represented an opportunity for members of the public and private sector business interests to invest in <br />downtown Eugene. She asked the Council members how they expected to fund City services and programs <br />without revenue generating strategies such as the urban renewal district, enterprise zones or the garbage <br />hauler surcharge fee. She reiterated that the City’s urban renewal process did not take money directly <br />away from School District 4J as the school district was funded through state channels. She believed that <br />the urban renewal district stimulated business growth that would directly result in the creation of downtown <br />jobs for the community. <br />Mr. Brown stated that an accounting of the tax divisions related to urban development had been provided to <br />Council by staff. <br />Mr. Brown was skeptical that the continued use of urban renewal districts would positively benefit <br />downtown development and quoted documentation from economists at Iowa State University to support his <br />opinion. He urged the staff and other Council members to offer documentation or statistics refuting his <br />position. He offered to compile a complete accounting of the costs and benefits of the urban renewal <br />district in Eugene throughout its 51 year history. <br /> <br /> <br />MINUTES—Eugene City Council May 27, 2009 Page 5 <br /> Work Session <br /> <br />