CC Minutes - 05/21/12 Public Hearing

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Councilor Farr indicated his concurrence with the remarks of Mayor Piercy, Councilor Ortiz, and Councilor Pryor and expressed appreciation for Mr. Van Landingham's testimony. He emphasized the negative impact that City actions adding to the cost of rental housing had on the community's supply of affordable housing. Councilor Brown supported the Rental Housing Code and continued to support elimination of the sunset clause in favor of a mandatory council discussion about the code. He thanked Ms. Perpinan for her testimony on behalf of tenants, many of whom were afraid to complain for fear of reprisals from their landlord. He believed that a ten -day requirement for repairs could be imposed by the council with the understanding that emergencies happened. Councilor Taylor recalled that the current Rental Housing Code was the result of the effort of many students who had since left the community. She said the residents who needed the code were not present at the hearing to voice their support. They did not have time to follow the council's actions and so were not present to advocate for elimination of the sunset. She thought it was important to eliminate the sunset so the code's proponents did not have to request its continuance every few years. She continued to question why the $10 fee per unit was considered a hardship by landlords. Councilor Taylor suggested City standards for subsidized housing were too high and might need to be reconsidered. Speaking to Councilor Taylor's remarks, Councilor Farr noted Mr. Van Landingham, who provided legal representation for low- income tenants and advocated on their behalf, spoke in support of the sunset. 3. PUBLIC HEARING: Resolution 5058 Electing to Receive State Revenue Sharing Funds Pursuant to Section 221.770 of the Oregon Revised Statutes; Resolution 5059 Certifying that the City of Eugene Provides the Municipal Services Required by Oregon Revised Statutes Section 221.760 in Order to Receive State Shared Revenues; and Resolution 5060 Adopting the Budget, Making Appropriations, Determining, Levying and Categorizing the Annual Ad Valorem Property Tax Levy for the City of Eugene for the Fiscal Year Beginning July 1, 2012, and Ending June 30, 2012 City Manager Jon Ruiz introduced the item, a public hearing on a resolution adopting the budget for fiscal year 2013. Mayor Piercy opened the public hearing. Zachary Vishanoff distributed copies of an article from the May 12 edition of The Register -Guard entitled "Courts closed under bridge pending road repair." He questioned the suitability of the current location of the basketball courts in Washington- Jefferson Park for that or any purpose, including a skateboard facility, given the condition of the Washington- Jefferson Bridge. Mr. Vishanoff wanted the City Council to secure condition reports from the Oregon Department of Transportation regarding that bridge and the new I -5 bridge to gauge their suitability for a skate park and suggested that "Skate Eugene" be asked to study both sites. Mayor Piercy closed the public hearing. MINUTES— Eugene City Council May 21, 2012 Page 4 Regular Meeting