Item 2A: Approval of City Council Minutes

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Mr. Brown also commended the work plan and its emphasis on homelessness. He was happy to have more people working on the problem. He commended the HRC’s intention to reach out to the schools because that was where negative attitudes were often established. Mr. Neubeck reported that Ajamu Baraka, the key note speaker for International Human Rights Day, would visit area schools during his visit and network with local youth. Ms. Taylor, seconded by Mr. Brown, moved to approve the Human Rights Commission’s fiscal year 2012-13 Work Plan. The motion passed unanimously, 7:0. B. WORK SESSION: Bascom Village The council was joined by Grants Manager Stephanie Jennings and Housing Financial Analyst Becky Wheeler. Ms. Jennings and Ms. Wheeler provided a PowerPoint presentation on the results of the 2011 Affordable Housing Request for Proposals (RFP) as well as related affordable housing funding policies and processes. Ms. Jennings summarized the City’s guiding plans for affordable housing, the annual Housing RFP process, and the Eugene Landbanking Program for Affordable Housing and Housing Dispersal Policy. Ms. Wheeler then provided an overview of the County Farm landbank site. She noted the zone change process that preceded the RFP process, the release of the RFP, and the subsequent evaluation and public input processes. Ms. Wheeler reported that the Housing Poling Board (HPB) recommended that the City Council approve funding for the development of Bascom Village, a 101-unit development affordable to those at or below 50 percent Area Median Income. She described the proposed development and noted that St. Vincent de Paul proposed to construct 53 units in Phase 1 and the Housing and Community Services Agency of Lane County proposed to construct 48 units in Phase 2. Ms. Wheeler acknowledged the concerns expressed by neighbors regarding the proposal and directed the council to Attachment E of the Agenda Item Summary (AIS), which included responses to those concerns. Those concerns included traffic, the City’s Housing Dispersal Policy, and schools. She noted the letter attached to the AIS from Barb Bellamy of Eugene School District 4J in response to concerns about schools. The letter supported Bascom Village. Ms. Wheeler noted the options before the council, which included approval of Bascom Village, issuance of a modified RFP, or exploration of another site. The council was scheduled to take action on November 28. Mr. Pryor, a City’s representative to the HPB, said the HPB acknowledged the community’s concerns and slowed the process by building in additional steps to ensure those concerns were heard and accommodated to the degree possible. He had reminded the HPB of the need to consider the proposal in the context of the City’s work on Envision Eugene. The HPB’s recommendation for approval came after consideration of all testimony and its own review of the conditions and criteria and the board recognized the council might need to consider policy issues that went beyond its mandate. He thanked the members of the HPB for their work. Mayor Piercy also thanked the HPB. She said affordable housing was a long-standing priority in Eugene and was even more so today. MINUTES—Eugene City Council November 16, 2011 Page 3 Work Session