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Regarding destination resorts, Ms. Wilson explained that a bill had been proposed in the last session that <br />would allow the siting of a destination resort on the Metolius River, which was a protected waterway. She <br />said a last minute vote had been change that would not allow this. <br />Ms. Wilson stated that a task force had been set up to look at BM 50 issues. She said they had set up a <br />hearing on it. She observed that it was a complex issue and indicated that if anything arose from the task <br />force she would bring it back to the CCIGR for a larger discussion on how they would want to shape <br />Oregon’s property tax system. <br />Ms. Wilson reported that the last item had to do with regulating bisphenol A (BPA) in plastic water bottles. <br />She said if this went forward she felt the CCIGR would likely want to support it. <br />Ms. Taylor indicated her support for such a ban. <br />4. Federal Priority Projects – Current & Proposed <br />United Front 2010 Proposed Project List <br />Ms. Wilson highlighted the attachments containing the and the <br />United Front Project Status Chart – FY10 <br />. She noted that the Bio-Energy Facility had been included in <br />the latter because funding had been requested for an air monitoring station to be rolled into that particular <br />project. She explained that the Public Safety Tech Improvements was a request for equipment for a fire <br />simulator station. She noted that the Delta Ponds would be withdrawn, along with the Springfield <br />Millrace, the Pioneer Parkway, and the Health Center because those were funded with American Recovery <br />and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) money. She said the rest of the projects remained on the United Front list. <br />She also would recommend the removal of the Rail Crossing Quiet Zone as there were no federal <br />appropriations available for such a zone. She thought there could be other funds available for such a <br />project, but it would not be through the federal appropriation’s process. <br />Ms. Wilson related that the executive management had suggested that a list of possible projects be <br />determined from taking a look at the management plans and the Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) for <br />projects that had already been scoped out but for which no funding had been identified. She stated that <br />Congress was focused on war-related issues and health care issues and had not gotten to the final <br />appropriations yet. She said they were still waiting to see if some of the items on the list had been funded, <br />such as the Forest Legacy which was marked in a Senate appropriations bill at $1 million though the City <br />had yet to receive final appropriations for it. She recommended continuing to leave the item on the list in <br />case it did not receive funding, and to include the next phase of the project on the list as well. <br />Ms. Wilson stated that the Metro Waterways General Investigations study had been on the United Front <br />list “for years.” She reported that it had been authorized and appropriated, but there were some issues with <br />the Army Corps of Engineers (ACOE) not moving more expeditiously. She said they intended to ask <br />Representative Peter DeFazio for his help in pushing the item along, but for now it would be prudent to <br />leave it on the list because they were in the middle of the study and had already outspent the ACOE. <br />Ms. Wilson observed that the Eugene Mill Race project had been on the list a decade earlier. She said a <br />letter had been sent requesting that the City of Eugene receive an authorization in the Water Resources <br />Development Act (WRDA) bill for a study. <br />Mayor Piercy noted that the City had received a call from Rep. DeFazio asking that the City do this. <br />Ms. Wilson stated that in doing so, the City of Eugene would be the sponsor for the program. She said <br />WRDA required a 50 percent match. She underscored that it would not be good for the City to request an <br />MINUTES—Council Committee on Intergovernmental Relations October 21, 2009 Page 3 <br />