CC Minutes - 01/24/11 Meeting - Laserfiche WebLink

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Eileen Nittles, 121 West Hilliard Street, representing Lane County Stand for Children, noted the potential of much larger class sizes if no additional funding was found. She urged the council to show leadership and refer the proposed income tax for schools to the ballot. She asked those who were there for Stand for Children to stand if they were willing to support the proposed tax. Many members of the audience stood. Jim Hill, 2660 Spring Boulevard, supported the proposed income tax for education. Boyd Iverson, 1872 Willamette Street, questioned how the proposed West Eugene EmX extension could be considered sustainable when it cost so much and was projected to lose money annually. He also questioned if the EmX system represented a service improvement over existing service, which had more frequent stops. Mr. Iverson found no facts in the materials prepared by Lane Transit District (LTD) that proved that EmX was green or more environmentally friendly. He noted the many more trips that EmX vehicles would make in comparison to existing buses and suggested that increasing buses from 34 to 87 a day would cause both more congestion and pollution. He asked how adding more buses to the street would reduce congestion. The street would require more frequent maintenance at taxpayer cost because the new vehicles were even heavier than garbage trucks. Mr. Iverson questioned the advertising for EmX conducted by LTD. He suggested it EmX was a good program LTD would not have to advertise on its behalf. He also questioned whether the expenditure of public money on a promotional campaign was allowable, and asked the council to check into the use of the funding. Lisa Namyet, 2770 Capital Drive, spoke in support of the proposed City income tax for schools. She said Oregon had some of the largest class sizes and the shortest school years in the country now and those conditions would get worse if the City did not act now. She feared the damage to students and the community deterioration that would result if the cuts were made. She believed a tax measure had a good chance of passing now and said many of those present were willing to help pass a measure. She recommended the council refer the tax with the greatest likelihood of passing, and that the tax revenues be used to decrease class size and add school days. Ms. Namyet favored a November ballot to give the two districts' bond measures a chance to pass. Phyllis Kesner, 24102 Washington Street, expressed support for the proposed City income tax for schools because it was the only just way she saw to proceed. She said that the tax was needed soon. McKay Solhberg, 2691 Fairmount Boulevard, expressed support for a City income tax for schools to be placed on the May 2011 ballot. She had witnessed the results of years in disinvestment in the schools and questioned if young families would ever know the quality education her older children had experienced in Eugene schools. She said it was very difficult to recruit new University of Oregon faculty members in the face of the decline of schools. She emphasized the importance of healthy schools to a healthy economy. She questioned how teachers could be expected to instruct with fewer hours, materials, and help. Kim Sawyer, 2170 Greenview Street, recalled learning from the recent community presentation about Envision Utah that 80 percent of Utah residents had the chance to vote on the plans that emerged from that process. He asked the council to consider such an approach to the local region in cooperation with the State government. He did not think the West Eugene EmX extension was the correct way to address transit issues. He supported good public schools but questioned how an income tax in one community was fair. Mr. Sawyer called for a statewide initiative to fund all Oregon schools and suggested a sales tax or the use of State lottery dollars for education. MINUTES— Eugene City Council January 24, 2011 Page 2 Regular Meeting