CC Minutes - 03/08/06 Workshop - Laserfiche WebLink

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6. Inspire civic pride 7. Maximize the use of City Hall public spaces by the public and their access to government and its representatives 8. Strive for simplicity 9. Plan for the future Mr. Cohen noted the points of agreement among councilors voiced at a previous workshop: 1) the project should incorporate meaningful, sustainable design goals; 2) the project should accommodate growth over a 25-30 year period; 3) departments should be consolidated to the greatest practical extent; 4) the Downtown Plan should be consulted; 5) some public amenities should be included; 6) there should be public parking within a few blocks and access to public transportation; and 7) the council should consider sites other than the current city hall site. He further noted less than unanimous agreement among councilors that the current site was the appropriate location for a new city hall and that the existing city hall should likely be replaced. There was no unanimity about the question of whether the project should support the Great Street concept, co-location of non-city hall functions, and whether police patrol functions should be part of a consolidated city hall. Mr. Cohen noted the council’s interest in having public input on the inclusion of non-city hall functions, the criteria for site selection and ultimately the chosen site, the inclusion of police patrol in a consolidated model, and whether the current structure should be renovated, expanded, or replaced. Mr. Cohen provided an overview of the problems that led to the study, which included dispersed services, energy consumption, security and safety issues. With regard to seismic safety, Mr. Cohen said that when the current building was designed in the 1960s, it met the codes of that time. Since that time, scientists believed the area was likely to experience a much larger earthquake and codes had been adjusted accord- ingly. If the council chose to remodel the existing building, Mr. Cohen emphasized the consultants would be able to deal with the earthquake and seismic issues in the most cost-effective way possible, relative to other program goals for the project. Ms. Solomon arrived. Mr. Cohen discussed the issue of civic presence and connectivity, saying the council needed to ask itself what facilities that represent municipal government should be, and what level of civic presence and connection should they provide. 2. Preliminary Space Needs Mr. Cohen reviewed the methodology used by the consultants to arrive at a picture of how government was conducted in Eugene. A report would be produced that was based on demonstrated need, efficiencies, and precedents established by other municipal government projects. The report would also discuss growth needs. Mr. Cohen shared a bubble diagram showing preliminary City space needs by program area that reflected desired relationships in a new facility. He said that parking needs had not been fully considered much to this point but at least 200 spaces were needed. MINUTES—Eugene City Council March 8, 2006 Page 2 Work Shop