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accomplish more with the bond measure than it had promised and he was prepared to declare the bond a <br />success and do it again. <br />Mr. Brown agreed that the City had done precisely what it said it would do with the money and people <br />recognized that. He believed the council should move forward with the goal of putting another measure <br />before the voters. He agreed that it would be preferable if residents did not have to pay more than they <br />currently did. He supported Mr. Corey's recommendation. <br />Mayor Piercy said residents disliked seeing the community's infrastructure deteriorate and there was <br />widespread support for the investment that had occurred. She appreciated the video and said it was <br />important to keep communicating the City's message. She hoped the review panel could be an advocate <br />for a future measure. Mayor Piercy agreed it was preferable if the next bond cost taxpayers no more than <br />the current bond. She said the council should convey its awareness of economic conditions while also <br />conveying the necessity of keeping the roads in good condition. <br />Mr. Poling did not want to constrain the panel with a specific dollar amount and invited the review panel <br />to give the council its best thoughts and "think outside the box," even the recommended amount exceeded <br />the past bond amount. <br />Mr. Farr, who had not been on the council at the time the bond was proposed, thanked the council for <br />putting the bond measure forward. He said that street repairs might seem mundane to some but it was one <br />of the council's major responsibilities. He believed the City realized more from the bond measure than <br />anyone expected. <br />Ms. Ortiz said that good streets were an element of social equity. She said the street overlays done in <br />Trainsong had improved the quality of life for residents living on those roads. Ms. Ortiz believed the <br />bond measure demonstrated the council attempted to improve the quality of life for all residents. She <br />agreed with other councilors about the amount of the bond. <br />Mayor Piercy said Marist High School students were annually assigned to write her a letter asking her to <br />respond to local issues, and the majority concerned road conditions. She explained to them how street <br />repairs were identified and funded and each time she shared that information people had an "ah ha" <br />moment. She reiterated the importance of communicating that message. <br />B. WORK SESSION: <br />Eugene - Springfield Fire Services Merger Update <br />Fire Chief Randy Groves joined the council and provided an update on the merger of the Eugene - <br />Springfield fire departments. He described the functional consolidation that occurred between the <br />departments and noted that the department began the second year of functional consolidation with a <br />projected savings of $876,239. He discussed the steps taken since July 1 to make progress on the merger <br />and highlighted the discussions now occurring with the two cities' fire unions. Chief Groves briefly <br />noted some of the remaining challenges and reviewed the next steps in the process, which included: <br />Step 1: Evaluate the feasibility of a merged IAFF contract. <br />Iffeasible, continue to Step 2. <br />If not feasible, stop and develop strategy to separate. <br />MINUTES— Eugene City Council October 26, 2011 Page 3 <br />Work Session <br />