CC Minutes - 06/22/09 Meeting - Laserfiche WebLink

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Mayor Piercy noted that citizens were questioning why the City’s portion of the funding was discounted by a larger fraction than the residents’ assessment portion. Mr. Schoening reiterated that the funds that would have been used by the City were not fungible and could not be used for other purposes. He explained that the reductions in those particular areas could not be utilized to offset the assessments to the area residents. When the bids came in lower in a number of areas, the assessments to the residents and the costs to the City were reduced by different amounts. At Mr. Ruiz’ suggestion, Mr. Schoening reviewed the table delineating the funding sources for the City’s share of costs contained in the memorandum entitled Crest Drive/Storey Boulevard/Friendly Street Local Improvement District dated June 22, 2009, and the reductions to them that the lower bidding environment had brought about. Councilor Taylor indicated her preference to take the entire $500,000 and apply it to offset the Crest Drive area assessments. She understood that there was not enough council support to do so. She asked if there were not a greater number of people in the Crest Drive/Storey Boulevard area that could only access their residences via those streets but who did not have to pay the assessments. Mr. Schoening responded that this was correct. Councilor Taylor construed that this meant that those residents were paying more for the benefit of other people than residents in the other projects. Mr. Schoening said if one considered that the people who benefited were the people who traveled the road, one could construe that the Elmira Road/Maple Street area residents were providing this benefit to a greater number of people than the Crest Drive area residents. Councilor Taylor clarified that she was referring to the number of people who could only access their residences via area streets. She said this was why she thought the Crest Drive LID should receive all of the money to offset assessments. Councilor Zelenka, seconded by Councilor Clark, moved to approve the Hearings Official’s Minutes, Findings, and Recommendations of June 8, 2009. Roll call vote; the motion passed, 7:1; Councilor Clark voting in opposition. Councilor Zelenka, seconded by Councilor Clark, moved to adopt Resolution 4984 forming a Local Improvement District for paving, constructing curbs, sidewalks, medians, street lights, stormwater drainage and water quality facilities on Crest Drive from Blanton Road to Lincoln Street, Storey Boulevard from Crest Drive to Lorane Highway, and Friendly th Street from Lorane Highway to 28 Avenue (Job # 4546). Councilor Taylor indicated she would vote for the motion despite her concern for the people who had to pay the amount of money they were going to be assessed. She averred that there were some people who could not afford the assessment and there were other people who were strongly supportive of moving the project forward, but were not being assessed. She said it was urgent that the streets get repaired and she understood that it would cost substantially more if the project was delayed a year. She related that if they waited until the council had a chance to change the method of payment, she could not be sure that any substantial changes would take place. She noted that she had been assured by some people who lived in that area that they would be willing to help defray the cost though they were not being directly assessed. She said donations to the project would be tax deductible. She hoped that some people would consider making such donations. MINUTES—Eugene City Council June 22, 2009 Page 6 Regular Meeting