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public transportation. Councilor Ortiz reported that she recently met the mayor of Bogota, Columbia, which <br />employed such a system very effectively. While she acknowledged that Eugene was not on the scale of <br />Cleveland, she had been impressed by the Cleveland system in the 48 hours she had spent in that communi- <br />ty. She said that many stakeholders had been involved and their issues were addressed. She perceived the <br />value of the system and believed it contributed to that community’s quality of life. She suggested that in the <br />context of the “whole picture,” a Eugene EmX system made sense. Councilor Ortiz pledged her personal <br />th <br />support to helping business to remain viable if West 11 Avenue was chosen as the route. <br /> <br />Mr. Poling addressed comments made in testimony. He emphasized his belief that EmX was not a zoning <br />issue. It was a build or no-build issue, and he wanted people to stop talking about rezoning. Councilor <br />th <br />Poling said he had never described West 11 Avenue as a strip mall or ugly and urged those who accused <br />the council of doing so to point to the person who made the comment and when it was made. He looked <br />forward to the analysis and was keeping an open mind. Councilor Poling pointed out he was on the advisory <br />group for the Coburg EmX route and had wanted that project to work, but had to vote against it in the end. <br /> <br />Councilor Taylor believed strongly in transit but did not think the issue was transit or no-transit. She <br />believed in buses and was not convinced bus rapid transit was the solution. She said the community needed <br />connecting bus routes and all should be able to reach a bus. She thought the extension should go down West <br />thth <br />6 and 7 avenues but had not decided how she would vote. She acknowledged the potential that LTD <br />could receive federal money for construction costs and wished that LTD could request federal money to <br />expand bus service. She suggested it was an economic development issues. Poor people needed buses to <br />reach work and services and if they did not have buses they were handicapped. Councilor Taylor empha- <br />sized her interest in ensuring that transit was available to everyone. <br /> <br />Mayor Piercy said the council had lobbied for operations dollars but the federal government does not <br />provide that money. <br /> <br />Councilor Clark thanked those who spoke. He wanted to support the West Eugene EmX route but was <br />troubled by its impact on businesses and an over-burdensome effect on individual businesses. He agreed <br />with Councilor Ortiz that the council needed to consider the big picture but it was also charged to protect the <br />rights of individuals. He suggested that individual property owners would be affected disproportionately for <br />a service that will benefit the entire community. He did not think that that LTD should make those business <br />owners pay for that shared benefit. He hoped to keep an open mind and be better educated on the subject. <br /> <br />Speaking to Councilor Polings’s remarks objecting to statements about zoning, Councilor Brown pointed out <br />th <br />that the subject of rezoning along West 11 Avenue had been discussed in the context of the Envision <br />Eugene process by the Community Resource Group. He offered to share the group’s comments with <br />Councilor Poling. <br /> <br /> <br />2. CONSENT CALENDAR <br />A. Approval of City Council Minutes <br />June 16, 2010, Work Session <br /> - <br /> - July 26, 2010, Council Meeting <br /> - August 9, 2010, Work Session <br /> - August 9, 2010, Council Meeting <br /> B. Approval of Tentative Working Agenda <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />MINUTES—City Council October 25, 2010 Page 7 <br /> Regular Meeting <br /> <br />