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implications of compact urban growth and higher densities. He asked the committee to discuss <br />what the community's economic engine would be, adding it was preferable for Eugene to make <br />that decision than for another entity to decide for it. <br /> <br />Mayor Torrey noted the impact that the closure of a mill could have on a community such as <br />Waldport. While Eugene had a broader economic base then Waldport, he believed it needed to <br />look to the future. Jobs did not just happen. For example, he believed the community needed to <br />have corporate headquarters, which generally sustained themselves during downtimes. He said <br />the committee could discuss such strategies and how to make them work. Mayor Torrey asked <br />the committee to be creative. <br /> <br />Mr. Proudfoot summarized the mayor's remarks, saying he was hearing a request that the <br />committee consider what the City of Eugene could do to create a more predictable business <br />environment, and consider what the community in general could do to support economic <br />development. Mayor Torrey believed that was an accurate summation. <br /> <br />Ms. Rygas said she did not know if there was actual unpredictability or a perception of <br />unpredictability. She questioned whether the City actually had a marketing problem. She <br />believed the committee's charge could be narrowed, but questioned if there was consensus on <br />what that entailed. She thought it important for the committee to keep in mind the broader <br />picture when reaching policy recommendations, and pointed out that much had already been <br />done for the committee to build upon. <br /> <br />Mr. Wanichek said the committee needed to discuss its goal to help it focus its charge. He <br />suggested the goal was jobs creation, which had multiple Objectives. He said the committee <br />could start by discussing the growth management pOlicies. <br /> <br />Mr. Kahle asked whether discussion of expanding the UGB was within the committee's charge. <br />He believed the issue had been decided through the Growth Management Study, and if the <br />committee was to work on "gaps," he questioned whether that was one. Mayor Torrey pointed <br />out the Growth Management Study was nine years old, and while the community may still agree <br />its results were viable, he thought the committee should look at everything. <br /> <br />Mr. Moore said he agreed that the committee could not separate the issues from the context. <br />However, the committee needed to be focused on something it could actually impact. As an <br />example, he noted the work Portland had done in industrial siting. <br /> <br />As an example of a possible gap the committee might discuss, Mr. Moore referred to Governor <br />Ted Kulongowski's task force on industrial land, which had identified Portland and Eugene as <br />potentially having enough vacant land to meet the State's regulatory requirements, but the land <br />itself was in parcel sizes that were insufficient to attract certain types of industries. The <br />committee may agree to focus that development to nodes to avoid expanding the UGB. <br />However, it may also find that even with a 20-year supply of land, it was missing opportunities <br />because parcels were insufficiently sized. The question became, was there actually enough land? <br /> <br />MINUTES--Mayor's Committee on Economic Development March 8, 2004 Page 6 <br /> <br /> <br />