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Mayor Torrey spoke glowingly of an industry in western Eugene and said it was the largest taxpayer in <br />Lane County. He thought the new Enterprise Zone could help small corporations start and grow in the <br />area. <br /> <br />Mr. Kelly asked if it would be possible, under State law, to cap how much tax revenue to forgive from a <br />single applicant. <br /> <br />Mr. Pap6 thought the zone, of all four recommendations, had the potential to do the most good. He was <br />impressed by the way the "diverse committee" approached the issue and arrived at a unanimous <br />recommendation. <br /> <br />Mr. Poling commented that the City missed the opportunity to apply for the zone for two years. He <br />wished to move this particular recommendation forward so that the application could be made in a timely <br />manner when the application period was open. <br /> <br />Ms. Bettman asked, regarding the industry Mayor Torrey spoke of, how much the City paid per job, how <br />much the City paid in infrastructure, and how much the City was paying in services. She recalled the <br />hearings in front of the Army Corps of Engineers (ACOE) in which the schools and utilities said they had <br />the capacity for the industry. She felt the recent bond measures for more school buildings and the fact that <br />the Eugene Water and Electric Board had drilled several test wells to be evidence that the capacity was <br />not adequate. <br /> <br />Ms. Taylor agreed with Ms. Bettman, adding that the population had increased and more police officers <br />were needed as well. She recalled another business that had not paid a living wage and had left, she <br />thought, without paying any taxes. She surmised that the people employed by the business had caused a <br />further burden on the human service providers as a result of the low wages. <br /> <br />Mr. Kelly thought the Enterprise Zone could be useful and appreciated the fine-tuning work the committee <br />did on parameters. He thought the greenfield versus brownfield delineation was worth further considera- <br />tion. He asked staff to provide an outline of what would happen next, should the council vote to apply for <br />the zone. <br /> <br />Mayor Torrey stated that the fifth recommendation would be the last item on the City Council regular <br />agenda and that Councilor Meisner would be available by telephone for the vote. He thanked the <br />committee for its work. The council gave the committee members a round of applause to demonstrate <br />appreciation for their civic contribution. <br /> <br /> The meeting adjourned at 7:19 p.m. <br /> <br /> Respectfully submitted, <br /> <br /> Dennis M. Taylor <br /> City Manager <br /> <br /> (Recorded by Ruth Atcherson) <br /> <br /> MINUTES--Eugene City Council August 9, 2004 Page 9 <br /> Work Session <br /> <br /> <br />