CC Minutes - 06/08/09 Meeting - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

Councilor Zelenka, seconded by Councilor Clark, moved to table the motion. Roll call vote; the motion passed unanimously, 8:0. 4. PUBLIC HEARING: An Ordinance Concerning Solid Waste Administrative Powers and Amending Section 3.250 of the Eugene Code, 1971 Mayor Piercy opened the public hearing and reviewed the guidelines for testimony. th Evie Rosenberg , 2065 West 15 Way, related that she worked for Westmoreland Village. She stated that the fee would impact 400 families that lived there. She understood that there was a bill that had other taxes that would cover this. It did not seem fair to her to place the five percent fee on one service. Sam Miller , 2399 Highway 99, owner of Lane Apex Disposal, indicated his opposition to the garbage hauler surcharge. He believed that it was inequitable as it would not spread the burden to all residents; it would only target those who subscribed to a garbage service. He said it would also not account for other companies that operated heavy vehicles on city streets on a regular basis. He averred that many non-profit agencies and the school districts could not afford to pay more than they were already paying. He related that a survey conducted by the Oregon Refuse Recycling Association indicated that the only other jurisdiction in the state that charged a fee was Deschutes County and it was a tipping fee at $5 per ton. He noted that this equated to about 25cents per can. He stated that his company would pay over $50,000 in license fees in 2009 for the privilege of operating in the City of Eugene. He averred that if the fees did not cover the wear on the roads then he wanted to know what specific benefit they derived from paying such a large sum. He pointed out that no other company in Eugene was required to pay that size license fee and was then taxed on the revenue generated on top of it. He believed that if the council did proceed with the surcharge, it must be a pass through expense in the ordinance and in the administrative rules. He suggested that the surcharge be made a part of the consolidated rate for services. He was concerned that customers who opposed the fee would refuse to pay it, leaving the garbage haulers to pay it for them. Nishan Vanatta , 3435 Potter Street, opposed the fee. She asked the City to reconsider the additional tax on gasoline. She believed that a gas tax was the only fair way to pay for streets. She said the City might have to continue to work to get the gas tax over a period of years. Jared Mason-Gere , 1401 Willamette Street, Eugene Chamber of Commerce, conveyed the Chamber’s opposition to the fee. He averred that it was not the right time to “ding” businesses, non-profits, and schools. He asked the council to at least hold off on the decision until some other options were able to be explored and until the City had a better sense of what would come from the State Jobs and Transportation package. Jim Welsh , 90050 Killian Lane, Elmira, spoke on behalf of the Eugene Association of Realtors. He conveyed the association’s opposition. He declared that there was a better way and asked the council to delay the decision. He said the association was working with stakeholders on a different mechanism that had been working in other cities. He wanted to be able to propose it and work with the City. He added that it was a “tough time” to impose more fees or taxes. th Joe Rizzi , 1125 West 8 Avenue, Ward 1, indicated his support for the garbage tax. He believed that it was important to look at this as a funding source to fix the roads. He said if the City was going to promote businesses and safety, good infrastructure was needed. He felt the fee was a fair way to assess the taxes for the roads. He averred that the majority of the people wanted their roads to be maintained and taxing the heaviest user was the best way to accomplish this. MINUTES—Eugene City Council June 8, 2009 Page 6 Regular Meeting