Item 2A: Approval of City Council Minutes

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Ms. Ortiz agreed with much of what was said by the other councilors. She expressed appreciation for the access the Manager provided to the staff. She said the council had an open door relationship with the Manager and she did not recall a time when Mr. Ruiz had not been responsive to her concerns. She appreciated having City Manager Ruiz in the community and liked hearing that community members enjoyed their interactions with the Manager as well. She said it was evident he cared about the whole community. Mr. Pryor believed that the Manager had responsibility for creating a work place environment and culture that supported the council. He suggested the evaluation was a credit to the culture the Manager had helped to create. He praised the Manager’s evaluation as one of the best he had seen in some time and commended it as thorough, thoughtful, and deliberate. He said the comments in the evaluation were well-directed and effective. Mr. Pryor also indicated acceptance of the Manager’s compensation recommendations and commended the Manager for the recommendations, which indicated to him a desire on the part of the Manager to be a part of the larger “City family,” which also included the council. Mr. Poling said that City Manager Ruiz had become one of the faces of the community in a short period of time. People look to the Manager for his leadership and guidance and appreciated his ability to move the organization forward in incremental steps. Mr. Poling expressed appreciation for the Manager’s sense of humor and his ability to laugh at himself. He found the Manager approachable and open about what he did. He thought that people could trust the Manager. He also appreciated the Manager’s hard work and hoped he continued to bring the same work ethic to his job. Mr. Poling commended the manger’s compensation proposal and said it demonstrated that the manger was realistic about the tough financial times the City was in. He liked the Manager’s suggestion for compensation in coming years because it meant the council knew what to expect. Mr. Poling wanted the Manager to remain with the organization as long as possible. Mr. Brown appreciated the way the Manager and staff had managed the fiscal year 2011 budget. He also appreciated the way the Manager went out in the community and connected to various community organizations. He appreciated and supported the Manager’s compensation recommendations. Ms. Solomon agreed with Mr. Pryor’s praise of City Manager Ruiz and said the Manager was the right person at the right time. She said the community members she heard from indicated the Manager was approachable and listened to them. She liked the Manager’s focus on best outcomes and believed it helped the council achieve its goals. Ms. Solomon suggested that Mr. Ruiz had captured what it took to run Eugene. She thanked Mr. Ruiz for his service. Ms. Taylor said she had little to add to her written comments. Speaking to the comments of other councilors about City Manager Ruiz being out in the community, Ms. Taylor said that she heard from people who wondered why the Manager was not at the City Club more often. She said the Manager had a thick skin and was able to deal with criticism calmly. Ms. Taylor appreciated the Manager’s support of the arts. However, she frequently felt that the council was not offered enough choices. Mayor Piercy felt the community was making progress, which was important to her and gave the council energy to do the work that needed to be done. She appreciated the staff sense of “can-do-ness” and thought it served Eugene well. MINUTES—Eugene City Council July 26, 2010 Page 6 Work Session