Item 2A: Approval of City Council Minutes

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We’ve led an enormous community planning effort encompassing land use, transportation, social equity, economic development and environmental stewardship. This is Envision Eugene and you’re all invited to be part of it. This city commitment to people, planet and profits has grown and strengthened over the last few years with careful and smart work by many people. It has not always been easy nor do I suspect it will be in the future. The life of a city is complex. We are moving forward with steady hands at the wheel. Our efforts have been noticed. ICLEI, a national coalition of local governments for sustainability, recognized our leadership in sustainability initiatives and innovation. We were named among the top bike cities in the country by Bike Magazine. We were named one of the 100 best cities for business by Forbes; a best place to retire; a great place for people with pets; home of a great university that is a member of the prestigious Association of American Universities; a best small city for families; a smarter city; and a best place to live. “Eugene is a breath of fresh air, unlike other places which duplicate each other across this land,” and “considered Paradise” are just a couple of the quotes about our city I’ve found. We‘ve also recently been noted as one of the nation’s most progressive communities and that is only possible because of all the work, cooperation, and vision coming from our citizens, council, staff and st leadership, working in a new era of collaboration to make Eugene a great city and place in the 21 century. And if that is not enough to launch you into 2011, let’s not forget our Ducks, the University of Oregon Debate Team and the On the Rocks an a cappella group, all competing nationally to accolades and honor. We live in the sweet spot. In 2011 we will continue to move our economic plan. People must have jobs - jobs that pay well and keep our community unique, healthy, clean and strong. We have a lot to build on. We’ll measure our progress and make adjustments as we go. We’ll take some specific additional steps to further address homelessness and the needs of our young people. In particular, we’ll take a look at how we might locally support our public schools during this time of state funding crisis. We’ll see all our downtown projects come to fruition and work on adding more. We’ll work on creating a safer community. We’ll work with the U of O and our neighborhood associations on a wide range of safety and livability issues. We’ll focus city efforts on an arts and culture district. Although we’ve lost some ground in the visual arts due to the recession, we remain committed to supporting the wealth of talent we are so fortunate to have in this community. We’ll decide the future of our city hall and plan accordingly. This is called “getting our own house in order.” We’ll implement our ambitious climate and energy plan to ensure that we are as prepared as we can be for an uncertain future, and we’ll maintain our huge commitments as a Human Rights City. MINUTES—City Council January 4, 20110 Page 6