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last meeting. About half the committee thought the measure was premature. She noted the inclusion of a <br />letter to the council from the committee in the packet. Ms. Nathanson asked about the City's ability to <br />survey voters about the issue. City Manager Taylor indicated a survey regarding parks and open spaces, as <br />well as the civic visioning exercise, was in process. <br /> <br />Ms. Taylor said property acquisition for parks was her top priority. She asked why it took so long to <br />develop Milton Park and suggested the neighbors be updated on the topic. She also questioned the tree <br />cutting in the park. <br /> <br />Ms. Taylor asked about the status of projects in Amazon Park. Ms. Riner indicated that a variety of <br />projects, including both sports fields and natural areas, were contemplated. She said improvements to the <br />dog parks, trails, and multi-purpose field were proposed. Ms. Taylor asked if the council still had the ability <br />to influence the design. City Manager Taylor said no. <br /> <br />Mr. Meisner was pleased to see that the advisory committee was discussing maintenance and operations. He <br />asked if that discussion was focused on new acquisitions alone, because if that was the case, he was <br />concerned. He noted the City's past shift of the costs of parks maintenance onto the Stormwater Fund, <br />which he did not think appropriate. He hoped the committee did a comprehensive review of all maintenance <br />and preservation funding needs and discussed sources of funding. <br /> <br />With regard to the time it was taking to complete Milton Park, Mr. Meisner suggested that the City consider <br />increasing its parks planning staff either through contract or by hiring temporary employees to implement <br />new projects. He said residents of the Santa Clara area and those who paid the parks SDC and bonds were <br />frustrated by the delay in the planning process. <br /> <br />Mr. Pap~ determined from Ms. Riner that the City had compared its facilities to other Northwest cities and <br />Oregon communities and it appeared it was slightly above average. Mr. Pap~ asked if the City could be <br />flexible with regard to the standards for neighborhood parks. He said he received requests for restrooms in <br />Oakmont Park, and asked if the City could have an enhanced neighborhood park category. Ms. Riner said <br />that the City often had to forget about the standards and consider situations on a case-by case basis. She <br />said because of its location near a commercial center and was new, Oakmont Park was getting a different <br />kind of use than neighborhood parks normally do. Staff would be evaluating that question in the future. <br /> <br />Mr. Pap~ requested a comparison of what the community had built and purchased as a result of the 1998 <br />bond as opposed to what it had before the bond's implementation. <br /> <br />Mr. Pap~ commended the City's planning for Amazon Park. <br /> <br />Mr. Kelly shared Mr. Meisner's concern regarding the maintenance issue. While he appreciated the <br />advisory committee's comments about the possibility of employing serial levies for maintenance, he did not <br />support that approach and wished to move away from use of serial levies for ongoing services. <br /> <br />Mr. Kelly advocated for the council to hold a general discussion of financial reform in January 2005. <br /> <br />Mr. Kelly liked the geographic and facility/program balance envisioned by the advisory committee. <br /> <br />Mr. Kelly was pleased to hear about the survey. He was concerned about moving forward with a 2004 bond <br /> <br />MINUTES--Eugene City Council June 9, 2004 Page 6 <br /> Work Session <br /> <br /> <br />