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Responding to a question from Mr. Clark about possible investors in the nonprofit organization that <br />would operate the soccer team, Mr. Zelenka said there was some interest on the part of the Jacqua family, <br />in particular Nate Jacqua, who played soccer professionally for the Seattle Sounders, as well as on the <br />part of other local investors. <br />Mr. Clark expressed appreciation for the work done by Mr. Zelenka and Mr. Brown. He continued to be <br />concerned that the proposal short- circuited the legitimacy of the district's process. Mr. Clark was also <br />concerned about the impact of the proposal on the community's commercial land supply, specifically on <br />the commercial acreage near the core, in light of the City's identified need for an additional 400 acres of <br />such land. <br />Mr. Brown reminded the council that the Civic Stadium property was purchased with the intent that it be <br />used in perpetuity for recreation. He acknowledged that the courts had ruled the district could determine <br />the property's future. He did not think there was anything in the proposal that precluded some <br />commercial development on the site. <br />Ms. Ortiz asked if staff time would be required to move forward with the proposal. Mr. Zelenka did not <br />think the time involved was significant. City Manager Ruiz added the time spent would depend on the <br />level of detail requested by the council. He wanted staff analysis of the financial impact of the proposal <br />on the City before the district made its decision. <br />In light of the manager's remarks, Ms. Ortiz expressed concern about spending time and money on an <br />effort that was unforeseen and unbudgeted. She wanted to know the cost of the process so she could <br />share it with constituents when asked. City Manager Ruiz agreed to return with information about what it <br />would require for the City to move forward with the proposal. Ms. Ortiz said she was willing to let the <br />process continue for the sake of the work that had been done and because of community interest. <br />Mr. Farr believed the community could support a soccer team, but suggested that issue was tangential to <br />the decision before the council. He said the district would decide the fate of the stadium and he did not <br />think it was the council's place to weigh in on the decision. <br />Mr. Poling agreed with Mr. Farr. If the council was to move forward, he wanted to see full presentations <br />from the other RFP respondents. Mr. Poling pointed out that the community had been discussing the <br />future of Civic Stadium for years and all the parties involved had plenty of opportunity to get their ideas <br />and financing in place. He thanked Mr. Zelenka and Mr. Brown for the work they had done. <br />Mayor Piercy thought the proposal needed to have the support of the City for the district to be able to take <br />it seriously. She believed that required the council to signal support to the district for some type of public <br />investment. Failure to act would also convey a message. <br />Mr. Clark said the fate of Civic Stadium was important to the community and he recalled his own <br />unsuccessful efforts to preserve the stadium. However, he was concerned that the City's late -hour action <br />could have negative and unintended consequences that could result in no development at all. He asked <br />City Manager Ruiz to identify any potential negative consequences that resulted from City support of the <br />proposal in his follow -up work. <br />Mr. Zelenka emphasized that he and Mr. Brown proposed to work within the existing process and <br />timeline. He did not believe the other proposals would be lost. He suggested a public hearing be <br />scheduled on April 25. He asked for council support to proceed. <br />MINUTES — Eugene City Council April 13, 2011 Page 3 <br />Work Session <br />