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Mayor Piercy thanked City staff for its effort in the State of the City address. She said the event went <br />very smoothly. <br />Mayor Piercy reported that the Metropolitan Planning Committee passed the Regional Transportation <br />Plan with minor amendments. She acknowledged there was little funding for the projects in the plan but <br />it was important to have such plans in place so the community was prepared when money was available. <br />The MPC continued to work on greenhouse gas planning and on scoping projects for land and <br />transportation scenarios. <br />Mayor Piercy said she also attended a meeting of the Regional Solutions Committee, which discussed the <br />role of Goshen in satisfying the industrial land needs of Eugene. <br />Mayor Piercy commended the redevelopment of the Taco Time Building at Broadway and Willamette <br />Street. <br />City Manager Ruiz announced several upcoming community events, including the Martin Luther King, <br />Jr. Day march, the Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Celebration at the Hult Center, and a presentation <br />by Dr. Joseph White at the UO. <br />B. WORK SESSION: <br />Boards and Commissions <br />City Manager's Office Division Manager Keli Osborn and Council Coordinator Beth Forrest joined the <br />council for the item. Ms. Forrest solicited council feedback on the boards and commission selection <br />process. <br />Mr. Clark, Mr. Farr, Ms. Ortiz, and Mr. Poling expressed specific concern about the geographic diversity <br />of City boards and commissions. Mr. Clark was particularly concerned about geographic diversity as it <br />regarded the Budget Committee and advocated for ways to enhance the recruiting process so the council <br />had a diverse range of opinions on that committee. Mr. Farr believed that wards 4, 5, 6, and 8 in specific <br />were underrepresented on City boards and commissions. Ms. Ortiz acknowledged the challenge of <br />volunteerism for many residents and encouraged the viewing audience to apply. Mr. Poling advocated for <br />better outreach. <br />Mr. Zelenka believed there were many complicated reasons, including demographics, which resulted in <br />some wards being unrepresented. <br />Ms. Taylor did not think geographic diversity mattered. Mr. Brown concurred <br />Ms. Osborn emphasized the challenge of getting people to apply. She suggested councilors think of <br />additional roles they could play in publicizing openings in their wards, such as providing people with <br />applications, and invited suggestions. <br />Mr. Pryor pointed out that when asked how they heard about a commission opening, the majority of <br />respondents indicated it was word of mouth. He suggested the City would not know why certain wards <br />were more represented than others unless it asked. He believed geographic representation should be a <br />factor in appointments. He said that he had made random calls to residents of his ward encouraging them <br />MINUTES— Eugene City Council January 11, 2012, Page 3 <br />Work Session <br />