Item 2F: Approval of League of Oregon Cities Priority Agenda

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Community Development The Jobs/Economic Development Initiative that supports funding for industrial site development. (Item A) General Government Pass legislation that will allow cities greater authority to regulate liquor serving establishments. (Item H) Human Resources Clarify that binding arbitration decisions may be overturned when those decisions violate public policy interests as defined by a local government. (Item J) Telecommunications Defeat legislation mandating the consolidation of Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPs). (Item L) Transportation While supporting the creation of a dedicated, non-roadway transportation fund, oppose any attempt to fund it from existing revenue streams – especially transfers from local governments to the state.(Item O) Item A: This is a top priority for our Eugene Airport. Item H: Our Police Department and 9-1-1 Program Manager have identified this as a high priority for their departments. Item J: Our Police Department and Human Resources Division identify this as a priority item for their departments. Item L: City staff firmly believes that PSAP consolidation should be locally driven, and that any program savings that result from consolidations should be redirected towards the actual cost of providing 9-1-1 services, not as a means to better pay for State general fund expenses. The Office of Emergency Management recently changed gears with one of the Legislative Concept placeholders. Rather than submit more refined language to fund a PSAP Consolidation Incentive Fund, they are submitting a bill to recommend that the 48 remaining PSAPs be consolidated into 9 regional centers. Our CLCC would likely be one of the 9 regional centers. Staff has met with Representative Nancy Nathanson and informed her that we want our legislative leadership to call the question on consolidation. We expected to see a proposal for one PSAP per county. City staff will be heavily involved in this legislation regardless of if the League of Oregon Cities has a priority for this item. Item O: Our Public Works Engineering staff and Finance/Disbursements staff identify this as a priority item for their departments. Previous Action from IGR and City Council In August of 2008, the full City Council voted on the League of Oregon Cities 2009 legislative agenda. The IGR Committee put forth five recommendations: changes to the property tax system; increased regulation on mental theft; transportation funding package; climate change legislation and; Oregon wireless interoperability network. The full City Council moved to approve these recommendations with a 6:1 vote, Councilor Bettman voting no. In June of 2010, the IGR Committee voted on the League of Oregon Cities 2011 legislative agenda. This did not go before full City Council. The IGR Committee recommended 7 legislative priorities at this meeting: reauthorization of BETC; overhaul of the property tax system; 9-1-1 tax for pre-paid cell phones; healthcare cost containment; additional funding for multi-modal transit and rail; recapitalize state municipal infrastructure funds and; protect existing and future water rights.