Item 2G: Resolution Authorizing EWEB Bonds for Roosevelt and Downtown Projects

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ATTACHMENT E 5. Why was the word “surplus” deleted from the resolution? The EWEB Board requested that the term “surplus” be removed from the resolution prior to their approval. The Board agreed that no EWEB property would be “surplus” until the various electric and water operations functions had been relocated to the Roosevelt site and sufficient planning and assessment work had been completed to identify which specific parts of the remaining property might not be needed for utility functions. Several essential utility functions will remain on the riverfront site. This change was highlighted for the council because the council information packets had already been sent out by the time the revised resolution was forwarded from EWEB. 6. What is the estimated cost if EWEB were to remain at their present downtown location? Although various high level estimates of this cost have been developed in the past, there has not been any careful study or cost estimate completed in the past several years. The EWEB Board recognized at least two years ago that EWEB’s current downtown site was not adequate for the long term cost-effective siting of water and electric utility operations and related equipment and material storage. In early 2005, the Board commissioned a detailed evaluation of the requirements and cost to move all EWEB functions (customer service, administration, water and electric operations, material storage, etc.) to a new site in west Eugene. As that analysis progressed, the Board asked that an additional analysis (the “split alternative”) also be prepared where administrative and customer service functions would remain downtown in the existing headquarters building and the electric and water operations functions would be relocated to west Eugene. The Board decided in February 2006 to proceed with this “split alternative”. 7. Some Councilors questioned EWEB’s use of the term “Master Plan”. Does EWEB intend to "Master Plan" the Riverfront site? EWEB fully intends to comply with requirements of the City's Downtown Plan and other regulations relative to the EWEB Riverfront site. EWEB staff is currently working with City staff to understand the roles, responsibilities and requirements relative to the planning effort. The EWEB Board will begin discussions about this work early next month. Initially, the discussions will focus on a staff developed scope of work that includes ratification of the objectives adopted by the Board in 2000. The outcome of EWEB's Riverfront Site Planning Project may or may not ultimately be titled a "master plan"; however, it will be developed with full knowledge of the City. 4