Item 3: Discussion and Action on Non-Unanimous IGR Actions/HB 3608

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ECC UGENE ITY OUNCIL AIS GENDA TEM UMMARY Action: Ratification of Unanimous Intergovernmental Relations (IGR) Committee Actions and Discussion and Action on Non-unanimous IGR Actions on Legislative Policy from January 27, 2010 Meeting Date: February 8, 2010 Agenda Item Number: 3 Department: City Manager’s Office Staff Contact: Brenda Wilson www.eugene-or.gov Contact Telephone Number: 682-8441 ISSUE STATEMENT This is an action item to ratify the unanimous actions of the Intergovernmental Relations (IGR) Committee from the January 27, 2010, IGR Committee meetings. BACKGROUND As a matter of procedure, during the legislative session, the City Council is routinely asked to ratify the actions taken by the Intergovernmental Relations (IGR) Committee on legislation. The IGR Committee reviews all bills and their associated staff recommendations and provides direction for each piece of legislation introduced during the legislative session. Any member of the IGR Committee may pull a bill off the IGR Bill Report for discussion. If a bill is not pulled for discussion, the staff recommendation stands. If a bill is pulled for discussion, the IGR Committee may keep or change the staff recommendation. Actions on which the IGR committee is not unanimous must be brought before the full City Council for consideration. These bills must be addressed by the full council in order to provide direction to staff in Salem. The IGR Committee met on January 27, 2010,to review staff recommendations on some of the bills that have been introduced in the state legislature for the 2010 Special Session taking place this month. Those bills are set out in Attachment A. The IGR Committee pulled nine bills/legislative concepts for discussion. Of the nine bills or concepts pulled for discussion, the IGR Committee’s vote was unanimous on eight. The votes on those bills are set out in Attachment B. The IGR Committee vote on House Bill 3608 (HB 3608) was not unanimous. Accordingly, the full council must provide direction before this bill can be lobbied in Salem. HB 3608 is set out below.Staff comments for the bill are provided in Attachment C. I have also included a copy of the bill as an attachment. HB 3608: This bill would establish several tax credits: for transportation of woody biomass from forest management operations to biofuel producer; for biomass electrical generation based on kilowatt hours of electricity produced; for the purchase of equipment to collect or process waste materials or to manufacture products from waste materials. The bill would also direct the Oregon State Department of Energy to conduct a study of biomass facilities in the state.