Item 3A: Approval of City Council Minutes

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3. PUBLIC HEARING: Eugene Water & Electric Board Water Rights City Manager Ruiz introduced the topic. He said the hearing was an opportunity for the council to hear from the public on the Eugene Water & Electric Board (EWEB) water rights issue and its proposal to provide water to the City of Veneta. He said that action was scheduled for June 28, 2010. Mayor Piercy opened the public hearing. Kevin Matthews , PO Box 1588, President of Friends of Eugene, objected to EWEB’s proposal to sell water to Veneta. He said Friends of Eugene was challenging the action as it had major growth implications. He said water rights were complicated and multi-layered but he did not think there was any “ticking clock deadline” other than the unstated goals of Veneta and EWEB. He called on the council to take its time and understand its options as well as take the growth implications of the action into account. Ashley Miller , 2675 Norkenzie Road, objected to EWEB’s proposal to sell water to Veneta. She said that EWEB was acting beyond its charter authority. She suggested that the sale would encourage unsustainable growth by creating bedroom communities that promoted travel and added to green house gas emissions. Ms. Miller also feared that the sale would set a precedent for sales to other communities. She said that the water rights in the McKenzie River were not fully appropriated and there was no “back of the line” to return to, as had been suggested. Kathy Ging , 2878 Harris Street, opposed EWEB’s proposal to sell water to Veneta. She noted the lowering water table in the rural areas and the fact of groundwater contamination and suggested the west was in a 500-year drought cycle. She said that people were aware of those facts when they moved to the area. She asked if the City should extend water to those with arsenic or high iron levels in other areas of the county as well. She discussed the danger of commuting back and forth from Veneta and said as a realtor she did not support additional property development in Veneta. She questioned why the subdivisions being created in such water-limited areas were not designed to exist appropriately in such a setting, particularly given the anticipation of continued drought. Ms. Ging did not think that EWEB should be selling water to Veneta when the community might need the water for its own agricultural use. Michael Mattick , Region 2 State Water Master, introduced himself to the council and volunteered to answer any questions councilors might have that were related to water rights. He provided copies of his business card to the council. th Howard Bonnett , 1835 East 28 Avenue, was concerned about the planning implications of the proposal and recalled that he had been on the Planning Commission in the 1960s and 1970s when the commission discussed the urban service boundary. It was called an urban service boundary because it was intended to restrict service outside the boundary and facilitate infill and restrict sprawl. He objected to giving water to Veneta so it could grow, particularly in light of projected water consumption. Veneta residents often drive to Eugene for their work, which is antithetical to the community’s attempts to combat climate change. He felt it was a big mistake to move forward. He averred that the McKenzie River kept the water quality of the Willamette River acceptable, and suggested that such use was more important than Veneta residents having drinking water. Mr. Bonnett recommended that the council study flow projections for both rivers to determine how much water was really available. Jan Wilson , Western Environmental Law Center, submitted her comments in opposition to EWEB’s MINUTES—City Council June 14, 2010 Page 6