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clarify that the term "mean" was used by mistake in the subcommittee report, and that the median, the <br /> middle number, was the standard to determine measures of wage, because it did not skew high. She said <br /> wages are easier to quantify than benefits, which would require more research, and she thought the <br /> subcommittee's modular approach to criteria acknowledged that. In addition, she said she thought each <br /> criterion would need more specificity before finally adopted. <br /> <br />Mr. Proudfoot asked staff if the City could incent the behavior described in the potential criteria <br />programmatically, rather than through an enterprise zone. Mr. Sullivan said if the City had a business <br />financing program there might be a way to do it, but the City typically does not have that kind of <br />relationship with businesses. He said the business loans program is small and would not have an omnibus <br />effect. <br /> <br />Mr. Korth asked Mr. Sullivan about urban renewal as a way to cluster desirable development. Mr. <br />Sullivan answered that urban renewal in Eugene is more focused on commercial redevelopment <br />downtown, and that consultants have told the City that industrial urban renewal, though possible and done <br />in other places, is not necessarily a good long-term business plan. Mr. Proudfoot summarized what he <br />was hearing was that urban renewal is the tool for downtown businesses and enterprise zone is more for <br />the industrial base. Mr. Sullivan said generally that was correct. <br /> <br /> Ms. Edwards moved, seconded by Mr. Korth, to adopt the <br /> recommendation of the Enterprise Zone Subcommittee, with two <br /> modifications: <br /> <br /> 1) strike the second bullet point on page 1 of the report that modifies the <br /> geographic boundaries of the enterprise zone; <br /> <br /> 2) add the following language to criteria a (addition in bold): <br /> "Local company---on property or payroll tax rolls for past three years" <br /> <br />In response to a question, Ms. Edwards clarified that the intent of her modification would be to renew the <br />previous enterprise zone boundaries. <br /> <br />Ms. Rygas said the first part of the motion undercuts the spirit of the subcommittee's compromise that an <br />enterprise zone has value to help businesses, but there needs to be a way to direct businesses. She said the <br />subcommittee did not intend that greenfields not be talked about, but saw it as an opportunity to attach a <br />different set of criteria to the greenfields than to the brownfields so that there could be some directive to <br />brownfields. <br /> <br />Mr. Wanichek suggested additional criteria that developing a brownfield could be one of the incentives to <br />get an 11.1% tax exemption. He said he also thought brownfields outside of the boundary should be <br />included, such as the railroad property. <br /> <br />Mr. Bowerman said the enterprise zone has had a rocky history in this community, and some of the <br />subcommittee saw excluding greenfields as a way to see an enterprise zone emerge successfully with the <br />existing and future City Councils. He said nothing in the proposal would prevent greenfields from being <br />developed. He said he thought subcommittee members were trying to find a way that improves the <br />opportunity for redevelopment and getting more buy-in with a broader population segment. He said he <br /> <br />MINUTES--Mayor's Committee on Economic Development June 14, 2004 Page 11 <br /> <br /> <br />