Item A: Street Repair Review Panel Recommendation for 2012 Bond Measure

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ECC UGENE ITY OUNCIL AIS GENDA TEM UMMARY Work Session: Street Repair Review Panel Recommendation of 2012 Bond Measure to Fix Streets Meeting Date: May 23, 2012 Agenda Item Number: A Department: Public Works Staff Contact: Kurt Corey www.eugene-or.gov Contact Telephone Number: 541-682-8421 ISSUE STATEMENT This work session is an opportunity for the Eugene City Council to discuss the citizen Street Repair Review Panel’s (SRRP) recommendation for funding capital pavement preservation projects with a General Obligation (GO) bond measure to fix streets. The council is asked to provide direction for development of a resolution to place a GO bond measure on the ballot in November 2012. BACKGROUND Council Action History Following considerable study and discussion, including forming a Council Committee on Transportation Funding and convening an ad hoc citizen Street Maintenance Task Force, the council on July 28, 2008, approved Resolution 4953, calling a city election on a measure authorizing the issuance of $35.9 million of general obligation bonds to fund street preservation projects. Eugene voters on November 4, 2008, passed the five-year general obligation bond to fix streets, payable from property taxes beginning November 2009 and continuing through November 2013. The final set of street projects to be paid from this bond measure will occur in the summer of 2013. The 2012 Pavement Management Report was presented to the council on February 29, 2012, and provided updated information on the condition of asphalt paving in Eugene using 2011 rating and inventory data. The report showed progress had been made on the condition of Eugene’s streets, but more work was needed to further reduce the backlog of needed repairs on the 1,364 lane-miles of streets in the city. Specifically, the 2012 report calculated the backlog of repairs on improved asphalt streets was $118 million; a reduction in the estimated backlog of needed repairs of more than $50 million since the 2008 bond was approved. Despite this short-term downward trend the backlog is projected to continue to grow unless there is an increase in funding that is both sufficient and sustainable. In anticipation of the expiration of the 2008 bond measure, at the October 26, 2011, council work session, the council provided direction to staff to work with the citizen Street Repair Review Panel to develop a recommendation on a 2012 bond measure. The 11 community members serving on the Street Repair Review Panel were: John Barofsky, Howard Bonnett, Janet Calvert, Mel Damewood, Paul Holbo, Bob Kline, Steve Lee, Ollie Snowden, Clayton Walker, Gary Wildish, and Sue Wolling. The group met five times over a four-month period before unanimously approving the recommendation on April 10, 2012, to renew the bond measure to fix streets. S:\CMO\2012 Council Agendas\M120523\S120523A.doc