CC Minutes - 07/08/09 Work Session

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Ms. Nobel Flannery discussed the local business assistance, her other example for how urban renewal funding could be used. She said one way funding could be allocated would be through matching grants that could be made available immediately and then would operate on an ongoing basis until funds were depleted or until Fiscal Year (FY) 2024. She showed a slide of a local building that would potentially seek to make improvements that would result in a 50 percent reduction in annual energy costs, noting that currently it was difficult for business owners to go into the financial market and borrow money. Continuing, Ms. Nobel Flannery reviewed the timeline. She noted that the Eugene Redevelopment Advisory Committee (ERAC) planned to meet in the following week on July 16 to start the discussion on specific projects and to help staff formulate a recommendation. She outlined the draft public involvement plan, which would be submitted to the Planning Commission for final approval before final implementation. Ms. Taylor was "very disturbed" that the council was "rushing to do something" in the summertime. She averred that people had surprise summer guests, which diverted their attention, or were going on vacation. She felt that staff assumed the council would approve of this, noting that it would go before the ERAC in the next week. She remarked that ERAC was not a governmental body; she thought it had been intended to be a temporary committee appointed by the Mayor. Ms. Nobel Flannery clarified that the ERAC was a departmental advisory committee. Ms. Taylor opined that all of the information in the AIS assumed that the council would "do all these things" and would increase the debt limit and expand the boundaries. She felt the council should hold a work session to discuss whether the council even wanted to continue having an urban renewal district. She recalled the popular vote against the last proposed increase to the debt limit for an urban renewal project. She remarked that urban renewal money had been utilized to put in the pedestrian mall and then to remove it again. Ms. Taylor averred that the money "came from somewhere." She said whether it came from state or local school funds, it was still from school funds. She asked how much of the urban renewal money would go to the General Fund. Mr. Sullivan pointed out that the ERAC had been written into the plan, as directed by the City Council, as the initial step in this process. Sue Cutsogeorge, Financial Analysis Manager, stated that the information regarding urban renewal money was contained in Attachment B in the AIS. She said with delinquencies and discounts, the amount that would have gone into the General Fund in FY09 was approximately $800,000. Mr. Poling observed that in order to have a discussion on whether or not the council wanted to pursue this, they had to go through a certain process. He said what they were doing at the present meeting was the first step. He underscored that they did not know what the outcome would be at this point. He averred that the fact that it was summertime was no different than other times of the year; the government "goes on 365 days a year." He declared that they had taken on this job to get things accomplished. He was happy with the timeline from July to October as he felt it gave everyone who wanted to get involved the opportunity to do so. Nonetheless, he predicted that when the council arrived at its decision point, there would be a "flurry" of people saying, "Oh, my gosh. When did this happen ?" He wanted to get the word out at every opportunity that this was the time to participate in this discussion. He reiterated that the council could not make a decision until the process was completed. MINUTES— Eugene City Council July 8, 2009 Page 2 Work Session