CC Minutes - 01/11/06 Work Session

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the project’s end results. However, he believed the effort had achieved the credibility and trust necessary to a successful transition plan. Mr. Reed thanked Mr. Papé and Ms. Ortiz for their support as the councilors representing the affected area, the mayor, Assistant City Manager Carlson and his staff, the citizen task force, and the two neighborhood organizations. He emphasized the cooperation of the service providers. Mr. Reed commended the involvement of the task force members in the effort. He also commended the work of Ms. Fisher in regard to the public outreach aspect of the effort. He said that she was assisted by task force members Jerry Finigan, Ann Vaughn, Dave Van Sickle, Mara Wile, and Patrice Philpott. Mr. Reed reviewed his firm’s accomplishments to this point, which included interviews with stakeholders; the preparation of an issues and findings report; monthly meetings of the task force; preparation of a white paper identifying 50 transition initiatives and options, preparation of a draft River Road/Santa Clara Heritage and Transition Framework; preparation of a guide to urban services; involvement in planning activities affecting the area; and implementation of a public outreach plan to engage the community in neighborhood conversations. Mr. Reed said that the transition team had been invited to speak to the Lane County Local Government Boundary Commission about improving the process for improving street annexation proposals, as well as invited to speak at a meeting of the Neighborhood Leaders Council. The transition team had also created and maintained a project Web site. Mr. Reed called the council’s attention to a flow chart on page 193 of the AIS that showed the project time line. Mr. Reed noted the council’s receipt of an e-mail communication from Mara Wile discussing her concerns about the process and the fact the work plan had not been updated. He said the schedule established at the time the work plan was prepared was linear, and the process by nature was dynamic, so the transition team had termed the process an adaptive planning process and believed it needed to be visionary in regard to how the transition would work and in regard to the set tasks. The work plan would be updated. Mr. Reed acknowledged that some tasks had been dropped from the work plan but in general he did not share Ms. Wile’s concerns. He thought the process was consistent with the work plan, and he offered to provide additional information if needed. He added that Ms. Wile was a strong critic of the transition team, which operated in a fish bowl and which “had lost skin on the streets” and would continue to do so. Mr. Reed said the project was contentious and large in scope and complexity and residents were passionate about their future, which Ms. Wile’s communication highlighted. He said the transition team would be sensitive to that, although he reiterated it was unrealistic to believe everyone would accept the results of the effort. Mayor Piercy solicited council comments and questions. Ms. Ortiz thanked members of the transition team and the task force. She also commended the work done by Mr. Reed and noted her attendance at several task force meetings. Referring to Mr. Reed’s “unfortunate” use of the word ‘contentious,’ Ms. Ortiz said that she liked to think that “when people get together and have conversations and have differences of opinion,” that was not contentious, it was “the sharing of the public process.” As long as people were not throwing things, she did not consider the discussions contentious. Ms. Ortiz indicated that she had not read the white paper since she had received it the previous week and thus had no questions at this time, but anticipated that she would support the motion in the AIS. MINUTES—Eugene City Council January 11, 2006 Page 2 Work Session