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In response to a follow -up question from Mr. Zelenka, Mr. Inerfeld explained that the TE money had been <br />allocated three funding rounds ago. He stated that the City had worked hard to be certified by the Oregon <br />Department of Transportation (ODOT) as a Local Agency, which meant that it did not have to go through <br />as much bureaucratic "red tape." He said the City was now able to meet the federal regulations differently <br />which made it more efficient. He indicated that "in some ways" the City had held off on the project until it <br />had met that certification and now staff wanted to move more aggressively to get the project moving. He <br />noted that the year after receiving TE funds for the bike path, the City had again garnered $1 million in TE <br />funding for the Delta Ponds Bridge and in the last round the City had not received any funding. He <br />underscored the need for the City to ensure that it was well - positioned when the next round of TE funding <br />was allocated. <br />Mr. Inerfeld thought one option would be to commit to making the Coburg Road a top priority in the next <br />three years. He did not think the section of Coburg Road in question would degrade that badly. <br />Ms. Taylor supported the West Bank Bike Path extension. She felt it fit in with their "desire to save the <br />planet" and would help the City's relationship with the Santa Clara area, as well as providing health <br />benefits to residents who used it. <br />Mayor Piercy read a sentence from the AIS that indicated that if the West Bank Bike Path extension did not <br />move forward with construction in the next year, it could jeopardize future TE funding. She underscored <br />that the City had been telling its congressional delegation that this was an important project for some time <br />now. <br />Mr. Clark agreed that the extension was an important project. He opined that when the City had "so few <br />dollars" to work with, the roads should be fixed first. He reiterated that it boiled down to a question of <br />priorities with the limited funds the City had. He intended to place a motion to forward the Coburg Road <br />project. <br />Ms. Ortiz asked what would happen to the TE funds if the City did not spend them. Mr. Inerfeld was <br />uncertain how long the money would be held for the project. He reiterated staff's belief that the City would <br />be more competitive for future TE funds if the project went forward. Mr. Schoening added that, one way <br />or another, the City would "hang onto" the TE funds and build something. <br />Ms. Ortiz indicated that she would support forwarding the bike extension project for submission for STP -U <br />funding. <br />Mr. Pryor found the suggestion to make a commitment to fund the Coburg Road project in the next three <br />years to be intriguing. He asked what the likelihood would be, should the City submit the bike extension <br />for STP -U funding now, that the City would receive funding for Coburg Road. Mr. Inerfeld replied that <br />the City would definitely receive a significant share of the STP -U funds. He noted that, historically, <br />Eugene had received approximately 37 percent of the total funding allocation. He also pointed out that the <br />next round of funding would likely be for three years of STP -U funds instead of one. <br />MINUTES— Eugene City Council July 8, 2009 Page 9 <br />Work Session <br />