Item 2A: Approval of City Council Minutes

Home Browse Search

Mr. Ruiz, responding to a question from Mr. Brown, noted that there was approximately $62,000 remaining in the council's contingency fund. He further noted that approximately $28,000 of the fund had recently been spent on downtown public safety efforts. Mr. Brown asked how the council contingency fund was replenished each year. Mr. Ruiz answered that the fund had been reduced in the previous year due to budget constraints. Ms. Taylor expressed her support for the motion and hoped that the council would continue to consider how the contingency fund would be used to fund important local causes in the future. Ms. Ortiz noted that the Human Rights Community Summit corresponded well with the council's goals regarding racial issues in the community and felt that the motion reflected an appropriate use of the contingency fund. Mr. Clark noted that the Human Rights Community Summit had been planned in conjunction with the work of the City's Police Commission and had been highly supported by the community. Ms. Piercy called for a vote on Mr. Clark's previously stated motion. The motion passed unanimously, 7:0 Mr. Clark, seconded by Ms. Taylor, moved that the City send a letter to the Oregon Transportation Commission supporting the request to designate the Beltline Highway in honor of Randall C. Papé. Ms. Piercy recognized that the motion as stated had come at the request of Governor Ted Kulongoski. Ms. Piercy called for a vote on Mr. Clark's previously stated motion. The motion passed unanimously, 7:0. Ms. Piercy adjourned the work session meeting of the Eugene City Council and convened the meeting of the Eugene Urban Renewal Agency (EURA) at 12:27 p.m. B. WORK SESSION: Lane Community College Downtown Project Mr. Ruiz commented on the City's recent efforts to coordinate with LCC and President Mary Spilde on the downtown development for the 10th Avenue and Charnelton Street site. Urban Services Manager Denny Braud briefed the council on how the LCC downtown development process had gone forward since January. He stated that LCC had requested, and City staff had subsequently recommended, that the 10th and Charnelton property be transferred to LCC at no cost. He expressed that a no-cost property acquisition would make it much easier for LCC to break ground on the project although it would not eliminate the $8 million budget deficit that LCC needed to fill to proceed with development. Mr. Braud briefed the council on various additional barriers to the development project that had been identified and which was currently being addressed by LCC and City staff. He stated that one of the barriers to development concerned the ultimate fate of the current downtown LCC facility on Willamette Street. He noted that LCC would have no real use for the facility after the completion of the 10th and Charnelton project and that it was very important to capture the real value of LCC's Willamette Street building, now, so that proceeds from the sale could be incorporated into the funding for the downtown development project. MINUTES—Eugene City Council March 10, 2010 Page 4 Work Session