CC Minutes - 01/11/12 Work Session

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had called together the affected neighborhood organizations to discuss those impacts and possible solutions. He said residents agreed that uniform solutions did not work for all parts of the community and discussed the concept of establishing a UO overlay zone with regulations specific to the area. He said another meeting would occur soon. Mr. Brown asked to be informed of the next meeting date. Mr. Zelenka agreed, and said he would also provide the council with the notes of the meeting. Mr. Zelenka reported the City's Sustainability Commission had new members and he anticipated they would do very well. He said the commission had been implementing its newly approved and modified work plan, and was focusing on the Envision Eugene process, West Eugene EmX, and the Coordinated Land Use and Transportation Advisory Committee. Mr. Zelenka commended the work of commissioner chair Josh Skov and Sustainability Liaison Babe O'Sullivan. Mr. Pryor reported on the most recent meeting of the Lane Council of Governments (LCOG) Board of Directors, saying the work plan for the Sustainable Cities grant was in place. He commended the work of Stephanie Jennings of the Planning and Development Department for leading that effort and recognized that she was doing two jobs. The search for a new executive director to replace retired LCOG director George Kloeppel was underway and a committee that included City Manager Jon Ruiz had been formed to oversee that process. The board would make the final selection. Ms. Ortiz reported on a meeting that involved herself, Mayor Piercy, Intergovernmental Relations Director Brenda Wilson, representatives of Beyond Toxics, and representatives of Union Pacific Railroad regarding local concerns about the impact of diesel emissions from idled trains. She learned that the railroad had policies in places governing the practice and did not idle trains when the weather was over 40 degrees because it wasted diesel fuels. She and the representative of Beyond Toxics would contact other railroad companies about their practices. Mayor Piercy added that the railroad reported that 75 percent of its trains were equipped with emissions control devices and that it paid for the devices without government assistance because it helped with fuel costs and because the railroad wanted to do the right thing and respond to community concerns. She said the railroad planned to equip all its trains with the devices. Ms. Ortiz thanked the Eugene Police Department for arresting the two gang leaders who had been impacting her neighborhood. She reminded the council of the upcoming Martin Luther King, Jr., march and called attention to an immigrant rights meeting scheduled for January 24 at First Methodist Church sponsored by CAUSA. Ms. Ortiz, seconded by Mr. Zelenka, moved to have staff draft a letter in support of keeping the Gateway Postal Distribution Center open. The motion passed unanimously, 8:0. Ms. Ortiz reported the Human Services Commission (HRC) planned to hold a Hate Crimes Conference and a planning group was overseeing that effort. Mr. Farr noted his son had been married the previous Monday and he and his new wife were going to Brazil for a year so she could study there under a Fulbright scholarship. He congratulated Alicia Hayes of Lane County Health and Human Services for her appointment to oversee the newly reorganized department. Mr. Farr said the HRC appreciated the recognition it received for its Listening Project at the State of the City address. He recognized the time spent on the project by Chair Toni Gyatso and Vice Chair Ken Neubeck and thanked Mayor Piercy for honoring the commission. Mr. Farr recognized the extensive volunteer work of Mr. Poling and his wife Glenda. MINUTES— Eugene City Council January 11, 2012 Page 2 Work Session