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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCCMinutes - 10/25/04 Mtg MINUTES Eugene City Council Regular Session Council Chamber--City Hall October 25, 2004 7:30 p.m. COUNCILORS PRESENT: Bonny Bettman, George Poling, David Kelly, Betty Taylor, Jennifer Solomon, Scott Meisner, Gary Papd, Nancy Nathanson. Mayor James D. Torrey called the meeting of the City Council to order. 1. PUBLIC FORUM Mayor Torrey reviewed the rules of the Public Forum. Julie Van Amerongen, 5045 Nectar Way, spoke on behalf of the Nectar Way Neighborhood Association in support of purchasing the 38-acre parcel bordering Nectar Way and Dillard Road. She described the property, which included some old growth trees and seasonal wetlands. She said a developer had purchased the property for $325,000 and was willing to sell it to the City for $600,000. The property had been recently appraised at $430,000 and this had just been submitted to the property owner. She conveyed the neighborhood's interest, should the property owner not react favorably to the appraisal, in working with the City and possibly with other organizations to create a contingency plan for the acquisition of the property so that it could be added to the Ridgeline trail system and be protected into perpetuity for the citizens of Eugene. Benjamin McKechnie, 1462 Hilyard Street, representing the Eugene Citizens for Housing Standards (ECHS), recalled the group's push to adopt a rental housing program based on the successful system in the City of Corvallis. He noted that the program in Corvallis had been selected as a model, out of many, in part because it had not caused any noticeable increase in rents in that city. He stated that there was, in fact, much support for the program there by citizens, landlords, and elected officials. Based on research, he asserted that complaint-driven programs were not nearly as successful and advocated for the adoption of a program based on the Corvallis program. Adam Petkun, 221 East Broadway, Apartment 165, also a member of ECHS, noted that recently, opponents of rental housing standards had argued that it was unnecessary and offered no new protections. He reiterated that tenants currently only have two options: 1) file a lawsuit against landlords in Small Claims Court; and 2) withhold rent. He stated that due to cutbacks in the courts, the former now took up to four months and was not available to all people and the latter could lead to eviction. He explained that State law allowed renters to withhold up to $500 for affairs of violations of State law and $1,000 in cases that involve serious health risks. He related that many repairs exceed the limit and that such repairs force renters to find solutions to problems they often did not have experience with. He reiterated that the creation of a rental housing code in Eugene would provide renters the protection they deserve. MINUTES--Eugene City Council October 25, 2004 Page 1 Regular Session Katie Shopp, 61464 Hamilton Road, also a member of ECHS, stated that Eugene had been without local protection of basic habitability standards for renters. She thanked the council for looking into changing that. She asserted that Eugene was currently the largest city in Oregon without such local protection. She related that throughout discussions with community business leaders, landlords, and the Rental Owners Association of Lane County, some had expressed concern that the current proposal did not address neighborhood blight. She countered that Eugene Code (EC) 6.005 through 6.010 covered all of these concerns. She encouraged the council to pass local rental housing standards. David G. Hoffman, 2790 Madison Street, wished to speak on the proposed Santa Clara Park. He stated that food was the top priority for people and, thus, so was the best food-growing soil. He asked why the City was wasting its time on urban growth boundary (UGB) issues when it should only be looking at soil analysis. He cited the case of the River Road farms versus the gravel pit, in which evidence had been provided by Professor Loudermilk, assistant chief soil conservationist, and though the soil was Class 2 the farms had prevailed. He related that Professor Loudermilk's study of 7,000 years of world agricultural history had shown that neglect of soil helped wipe out entire civilizations. He stated that homeland defense had become the government's priority, including protection of food sources. He opined that had a person with an Arabic-sounding name proposed to develop such prime farm land, it would be considered an act of terrorism. He asserted that the metro-area only contained a three-day supply of food. He said reduction in local food production forced an increase in food that was trucked in, causing damage to roadways, using fuel, and providing food that was less fresh. He asserted that local farms and growing its own food gave the United States a military, health, economic, and sustainable advantage. He expressed dismay that the City would consider a land swap that would turn 125 acres of Class 1 soil into a park. He felt history and nature show that people must protect the soil. Kevin Jones, 4740 Wendover Street, representing the Santa Clara Committee for Parks and Open Spaces, described the land swap. He reiterated that the land contained Class 1 soil. He stated that there was a great deal of opposition and encouraged the council to slow down and put the amendment of the Metro Park Plan on hold. He said there was no question that residents wanted a park, but wanted other sites to be considered. He conveyed the committee's recommendation that the City consider the Santa Clara Elementary School as a place to hold some of the facilities that would be part of a community park and that some other smaller parks be considered for further development. He commented that some areas of the country had worked to provide connections between parks and that some bicycle path expansion would benefit local residents. In closing, he stated that he and other committee members were gathering signatures in opposition of the land swap and had, to date, gathered approximately 350 signatures. Lee Rademacher, 4174 Lancaster Drive, also a member of the Santa Clara Committee for Parks and Open Spaces, echoed the comments of Mr. Jones. He shared that he lived on the edge of the UGB. He said his backyard featured seasonal water and had a direct view of the farmland that was proposed to be included in the UGB. He assumed the UGB had been designed to restrict growth in some areas and encourage it in others. He questioned the wisdom of swapping farmable land for developable land. While he recognized the need to eventually expand the UGB, he opined that at the rate the City was growing it would grow to include Junction City in the UGB. He felt the decision to swap prime farmland it would set a precedent for developers to "dangle a carrot" before the City and make such trades. MINUTES--Eugene City Council October 25, 2004 Page 2 Regular Session Zach Vishanoff, Patterson Street, alleged that the engineering firm CH2M Hill was building the power plant in the City of Coburg. He also alleged that the City had hired CH2M Hill. He thought, given the opposition to the proposed power plant in Coburg, the City should ~'fire" CH2M Hill. Mr. Vishanoff listed several articles and submitted them into the record. He asserted that the former director of the American Planners Association had invited the mayor to China to discuss "mega-cities." He opined that the new courthouse was part of a "Smart Growth" plan. He hoped there would be a "Smart Growth" debate or else the courthouse would be "built on a foundation of lies." Mr. Vishanoff related his experience of being shot by non-lethal bullets. He recommended the City review its policies regarding non-lethal weapons. Ray Wolfe, 1473 Luella Street, wished to focus on homelessness as addressed in the City of Eugene 2003 Legislative Policy Statement. He said it discussed homelessness primarily in terms of affordable housing. While he agreed that affordable housing was an important symptomatic aspect of homelessness, he felt the document overlooked fundamental causes of homelessness namely poverty, drug use, and mental health. He recommended that Eugene lobby unilaterally or with the help of the League of Oregon Cities to address these more fundamental causes ofhomelessness. He thought the 2004 document should be amended to deal with the regressive character of Oregon State income tax laws. He opined the existing laws were outrageously counter-productive. He said estimated tax withholding applied to very low incomes of people eligible for public assistance was unrealistic, short-sighted, and naive. Mr. Wolfe also recommended that the State of Oregon fund and reopen institutions to treat mental disease. He thought it obvious that treatment with tranquilizing medications had failed to successfully address the problems faced by the mentally ill when the State hospitals had been closed. He suggested that inclusion of low-income people in the deliberations of the council's legislative policy committee would help to provide sound policy on homelessness. He likened the current approach to curing small pox by treating the lesions and not the disease. LeAnn Walker, 2860 Federal Place, opposed the McDougal land swap for the proposed park in Santa Clara. She shared that she had helped collect signatures in opposition and had, to date, only met one person who supported the swap. She felt that in addition to impacting wetlands and the environment, it would also exacerbate traffic issues at the River Road/Beltline Road interchange, an interchange that was already failing. Charles Biggs, 540 Antelope Way, submitted his testimony in writing. He urged the audience to vote no on Measure 20-88. He asserted it would increase taxes so that the City could "spend $6 million to house non- tax paying social services" in the new public safety building. He asked why they could not be moved into the old police facility. He wondered if it was "asking too much to have children and victims go across the street." He theorized it could even be safer given what had happened to the Oklahoma City's co-located daycare facility. He thought the money would be better spent on a school levy. He questioned the wisdom of investing in buildings given the current fiscal situation, adding that "police fight crime, no buildings." He opined that a new building could be "rewarding bad behavior" recently reported in the news, such as the recent Magafia trial and incidences of racial profiling. He called the new police building "lavish" and reiterated that voters should vote against it. Rob Handy, 455-½ River Road, said he was inspired by the discussion at the joint session of the Planning Commission and City Council. He was particularly interested in the "alternate path" for planning and MINUTES--Eugene City Council October 25, 2004 Page 3 Regular Session development, specifically for the River Road/Santa Clara area. He wondered how an alternate path could be found around island annexation in that area. He thought there was sometimes a lack of good information about the pros and cons of urban service delivery challenges. He said residents wanted to know what the build-out would look like and asked if residents would have a voice in this. He asked if the "alternate path" would embrace context sensitive design. He wondered if pursuing the "alternate path" would cause the City to increase funding for neighborhood newsletters in order to involve citizens more. He wondered if such a path would cause a moratorium on annexations until there was a better plan to build trust and create a voice for area residents to that whatever plan was developed would be one that citizens could "get behind." He alleged that projects were largely staff-driven and suggested that the "alternate path" should do something other than staff-driven projects with timelines. Bruce Miller, PO Box 50968, complimented the Mayor on his interview on the radio station KPNW regarding his trip to Korea. He said he hoped the University of Oregon and Lane Community College (LCC) would have him speak about his trip. Mr. Miller complained that the University of Oregon faculty was aged. Mr. Miller registered his opposition to State Ballot Measure 38. He noted that the former dean of the University of Oregon Business School had written an argument in favor of the measure in the voter's pamphlet. He reiterated his displeasure with the individual in question. Mayor Torrey closed the Public Forum and called on the council for responses and comments. Councilor Bettman thanked everyone for their testimony. She considered a council meeting a success when so many people were engaged in the business of the community. Councilor Taylor Councilor Taylor thanked everyone for testifying. She conveyed her hope that the City would not delay the purchase of the land Nectar Way neighbors were speaking about. She averred that the City needed land, both for environmental preservation and for farming reasons. She also registered her opposition to the McDougal land swap, as it would take farm land out of production. Mayor Torrey explained to the committee of Santa Clara representatives that he had asked the City Manager to come back to the council with a plan to do outreach to that entire area to determine whether or not they want the City to proceed with this major community-level park. He shared his perspective that he and the council were prepared to move away from that land swap, should the residents be roundly opposed. But, he said, should the opposition be great, residents should think of other possible sites. He noted that the City was losing soccer fields and needed to plan for more park and field facilities for the children and adults of the community. 2. CONSENT CALENDAR A. Approval of City Council Minutes - September 15, 2004, Work Session - September 27, 2004, Work Session - September 27, 2004, City Council Meeting - September 29, 2004, Work Session MINUTES--Eugene City Council October 25, 2004 Page 4 Regular Session B. Approval of Tentative Working Agenda Councilor Bettman, seconded by Councilor Poling, moved approval of the Consent Calendar. Councilor Kelly noted he had submitted corrections to the minutes electronically. Mayor Torrey deemed them, without objection, approved. Councilor Taylor said she submitted minutes' corrections. She pulled Item B. Mayor Torrey acknowledged the minutes' corrections and deemed them, without objection, approved. Councilor Pap~ called attention to errors in the heading of the work session held on September 15 at noon. It was incorrectly listed as being held on September 13 and at 5:30 p.m. Roll call vote; the Consent Calendar, with the exception of Item B, was unanimously approved, 8:0. Councilor Taylor noted that the Tentative Agenda indicated the council would discuss the smoking ordinance on November 8 and wondered why changes would be considered. Mayor Torrey responded that he had asked the same questions in a staff meeting and the changes seemed to be minor. He said staff would provide the information prior to the meeting. Roll call vote; Consent Calendar Item B was unanimously approved, 8:0. 3. PUBLIC HEARING: An Ordinance Amending the November 1999 Street Classification Map Adopted by Ordinance No. 20181 to Designate Collector Streets in the Crest Drive Neighborhood City Manager Taylor stated that staff would be available, but given that the council had received a lengthy presentation on issue during the work session, no presentation was planned prior to the hearing. Mayor Torrey outlined the procedure for testimony. He opened the public hearing. Jon Belcher, 1240 West 15th Avenue, Apartment 4, noted he was not speaking for the Planning Commission. He supported the proposal as he felt it important for this area of town to have collector streets just as the rest of the City did. He said it was a fact that a significant number of people who drove through the neighborhood were from outside that part of town, so in that respect, it was not functioning as a collector. He suggested that the City make sure the context-sensitive design did not increase traffic. Kathy Saranpa, 3015 Friendly Street, commended the Mayor, City Manager, staff, and City Councilors for all of the hard work. She urged the council to adopt Option 2 and designate the streets in the area as local. She felt she had not heard one compelling reason to use the neighborhood collector designation for the streets. She opined the neighborhood had rare value in terms of natural beauty, history, and charm. Don Neet, 3436 Storey Boulevard, noted that Councilor Kelly had asked about traffic counts. He stated that the upper Crest Drive area received more traffic than the Storey Boulevard area. He suggested staff MINUTES--Eugene City Council October 25, 2004 Page 5 Regular Session look at Ayres Road, which he did not think had been improved by being designated a collector. He said the area residents did not want their neighborhood "destroyed." He related that staff had talked about the collector designation, that it looked good. He thought it would end at 28th Avenue and people would take Jefferson Street from there. He asked if anyone on Jefferson Street had been warned about the possible increase in traffic. He conveyed the neighborhood's willingness to work with the City, should the City align itself with the wish of the neighborhood to maintain the local designation. George Kjaer, 814 Lorane Highway, likened the meetings with the Planning and Development Department (PDD) staff with being sold a roof. He said the salesperson knew he needed a roof, but would not tell him how much it would cost nor what color it would be. He advocated for having all the design elements in place and codified, including the designation of context-sensitive design as well as the local street designation to provide a real choice. Donna Hawley, 3484 Storey Boulevard, said she was speaking on behalf of her daughter, Sheri Hawley, who was unable to attend. She shared that the "long struggle" affected the families and friends of the residents of the neighborhood. She reiterated that the neighbors wanted the beauty of the neighborhood to be preserved. She related that she had worked in the City of Salem as a neighborhood counselor, helping neighbors understand how to work with the City to achieve their goals. She understood the frustration of people who were confronted with City plans that were supposed to be for their own good. She opined that eventually the City had to pay attention to what the neighbors want and need rather than what "looked good on a piece of paper." She urged the council to keep the street designation "local." Stanley D. Kluth, 2830 Friendly Street, shared that he worked for the Army and the Department of Defense. He commented that the people should drive the plan and not the other way around. He related that he had lived in several cities in Germany. He said they had started to run traffic collectors through residential neighborhoods and had determined that it did not work. He stated that the cities had pulled the traffic back out of the neighborhoods by placing traffic calming devices and reducing the speed limit to 30 kilometers per hour. He stressed that residential neighborhoods were not for traffic. Virginia Starling, 3302 Storey Boulevard, asked how the neighborhood could give City staff "carte blanche" to design the area when they had not shown the neighbors any of the ideas that were being considered. She noted that staff had collected a variety of ideas from the neighbors, but there was no indication of the planning that City staff had undertaken. She asserted that senior transportation analyst for the Public Works Department, Gary McNeel, had contradicted himself regarding sidewalk requirements, which added to neighborhood mistrust. She said there were discrepancies in the information provided the neighborhood regarding tree removal as well. Clyde R. Nielson, 3441 Storey Boulevard, urged the City to cooperate with the neighborhood regarding designation and potential street improvements. He supported Option 2 and thought this was the solution the neighborhood would be willing to work with. He was troubled, however, by the meaning of "context- sensitive design." He thought sensitive to be a nebulous word, subject to individual interpretation. He commented that the word "context" in this case referred to the physical surroundings of the traffic. He opined that it should also include the people. He averred that neighborhood sentiments about what was being planned should be an essential part of the equation. He thought that a determination of how design decisions should be made and who shared in the final say should be folded into the term "context sensitive design." He felt that citizen involvement would otherwise be a sham. MINUTES--Eugene City Council October 25, 2004 Page 6 Regular Session In closing, Mr. Nielson thanked the City because the push for collector status for the neighborhood streets had given birth to solidarity. Paul Thompson, 2970 Charnelton Street, speaking as chair of the Crest Drive Neighborhood Association, conveyed the opposition of the association, as per the vote in the previous spring. He reminded the council that one year ago the neighborhood association had voted to formally and unanimously endorse the inclusion of context-sensitive design in the arterial/collector street plan. He observed that the work session had indicated that the council would not move ahead with an option on November 8 that did not identify either arterial collectors or local streets and possibly entered into an approach that looked at design options before classification. He asked that, should this approach be chosen, members of the neighborhood be carefully selected to aid in the design. Diane Thurlow, 217 Crest Drive, called attention to the fact that nearly all of the people who resided in the neighborhood had signs in their yards indicating their opposition to having the street designated a collector. She asked why the issue was not resolved already, given the level of opposition. She commented that she had to back out onto Crest Drive and that she did not find it to be dangerous. She liked the area and the wildlife, adding that she believed property values would go down if the change was instituted. Kathryn Lorish, 897 West 36th Avenue, thanked everyone present for all of their hard work. She thanked Mayor Torrey and the council for postponing the action from the previous spring. She said she learned since the Crest Drive vote that people were vital. She commented that the cohesiveness of the neighborhood had grown out of the ;;crisis." She stated that nearly 100 percent of the neighbors had signed a petition in opposition to the change in street designation. Fred Lorish, 897 West 36th Avenue, jokingly suggested a toll booth be installed at either end of the road. He reiterated the neighborhood's willingness to work with City staff and that the neighbors wanted input into what the improvements would entail. He noted that it was the final neighborhood to be added to the Comprehensive Plan and that this was not enough reason to make the change. He hoped City staff and neighbors could work together toward a ~win-win" solution. He conveyed the neighborhood's resolve to work with the City and preserve the neighborhood they lived in. He stressed that the neighborhood would not agree to a change that would increase traffic and the speed it travels at through the Crest Drive corridor. Matt Shuler, 890 West 36th Avenue, called Eugene a ~distinctive" community. He related that he had enjoyed the passion for democracy and for the neighborhood. He thought City staff, as steward of the community process, was trying to see the issue through new eyes. He pointed out that the new overlay, context-sensitive design, provided the opportunity for Eugene to lead the way and make it a best practice. He suggested that the Crest Drive neighbors had the energy and passion to pursue context-sensitive design and the City should seize the opportunity to deploy that energy in a positive way. Michael Boutette, 2970 Friendly Street, thanked the City for conducting the hearing. He concurred with comments made by previous speakers. He asked the council to consider who wanted the plan, noting that less than three percent of the neighborhood did. He wondered why, if it was so roundly opposed, the City was continuing to pursue a plan to redesignate area streets. He asserted that the TransPlan was supposed to benefit neighborhoods. He suggested the City work on a neighborhood that did want such improvements. Marcella Moore, 2812 Friendly Street, stated that she had resided at her residence for 28 years. She opposed the designation of Friendly Street, Storey Boulevard, and Crest Drive as collectors. She loved the MINUTES--Eugene City Council October 25, 2004 Page 7 Regular Session rural nature of the streets and had enjoyed raising two of her children in that area. She urged the City to designate the streets as ~%cal." Steve West, 3025 Friendly Street, thanked the council for all of the hard work. He also thanked the Save Our Streets Committee for all of its hard work as well. He commented that, should the City build larger streets, the traffic would increase. He reiterated neighbors' opposition, and averred it was not right to make neighborhood residents pay for the street improvements and it was not right to ask the neighborhood to give up its amenities. Furthermore, he did not believe it would solve the traffic problem. Mr. West reiterated his invitation to the council to join him for the walk from his house to downtown Eugene. He suggested that they stand at a comer of 6th or 7th Avenue and watch all of the cars driving by with only one person in them. Mr. West related that the staff report had indicated a commonality in the opinions received. He advocated for supporting Option 2. James McDonald, 560 Crest Drive, thanked the council for its hard work and asked the councilors to support Option 2 and keep the street designations local. Hal Huestis, 2856 Friendly Street, said he lived on Friendly Street for 23 years. He agreed that traffic had increased, but did not feel it had increased astronomically. He attributed the largest increase to the traffic light installation near the new post office and Willamette Street. Regarding street quality, he agreed it was terrible, but observed that it did not seem to be making people use other routes. Regarding sidewalks, Mr. Huestis asserted that some houses would lose ten feet of frontage. He did not want to live that close to the street, nor did he want to part with the mature vegetation in his front yard. He reiterated the neighbors' desire to be involved in the design. Marlene Varady, 420 Crest Drive, stated that she had run a massage center at the Crest Drive location for 19 years. She wanted to keep the street designation as it was. She felt the late Wayne Morse would approve, as he had donated the land surrounding his ranch to the City because he recognized the value of keeping it rural and a natural habitat. Jo Warren, 2840 Friendly Street, was adamantly opposed to the collector designation. She related that she had strong feelings, due in part to being unable to afford to be assessed for the cost of changes the City was proposing. She asked that Friendly Street be left as it is. Cathryn Treadway, 2820 Friendly Street, submitted her testimony in writing. She opposed the designation of the street as a neighborhood collector. She also thanked Mayor Torrey and the council for their leadership, stating that without them, they would not be there. Christine Donahue, 2988 Madison Street, said she had lived in the Crest Drive neighborhood for approximately 20 years. She stated that she attended many of the traffic study meetings and had volunteered and worked with staff several years back. She averred that many of the area streets were badly in need of repair and pedestrian safety was an issue. She opined that most of the traffic in the neighborhood was just from the neighborhood. She agreed that the neighborhood was unique and, as such, context-sensitive design standards would greatly benefit the process as citizens would participate. MINUTES--Eugene City Council October 25, 2004 Page 8 Regular Session Kirk Jacobson, 3280 Whitten Drive, explained that, as a medical doctor, he was concerned about health care and the environment both locally and worldwide. He noted that he was about to complete a solar energy project for his practice that would generate approximately 40 percent of his power. He said this had been a collaboration of the Eugene Water & Electric Board (EWEB), the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA), and himself. He shared this as an example of entities working together to build a win-win situation. He thought more time was necessary for the City to build relationships with all of the people in the neighborhood so that they could be included in the process. He felt the design charrette held by the City was just the start. He suggested linking the street designation, either by ordinance or by council motion, to the design process. He also recommended adoption of the Crest Drive Neighborhood Association recommendation, encapsulated in Option 2. He was concerned that approval of the designation as arterial collectors would alienate all of the residents of the area. Susan Jason, 310 Crest Drive, related that her home had suffered a devastating house fire on September 16. She said no one was home at the time and quick-thinking neighbors had been able to let their dogs loose. She noted they ran into the street and were not hit by cars and attributed this to the street not being a collector. She stated that the damage was not as severe as it could have been because the Eugene Fire Department responded quickly, something she also conjectured could have been delayed had the road been redesignated a collector. She averred the potholes could be fixed without changing the road. Len Bailey, 2932 Friendly Street, called the neighborhood unique in its collection of winding roads, wildlife, and tall fir trees and %ountry lane feel." He thought this neighborhood caused City planners and traffic engineers to ;;virtually drool at the possibilities to make the neighborhood into some grand, ;eugeneric,' super-efficient, over-engineered system." He averred that building wider streets would bring more traffic. He reiterated the neighborhood's desire to calm the existing traffic and to avoid increasing it. He asked the council to cherish the neighborhood as those who resided there did. Donna Riddle, 1238 Crest Drive, said she lived on her five-acre parcel for 34 years. She related that the County had turned over maintenance of Crest Drive to the City approximately 15 years ago. She alleged that it had not been maintained since then. She noted she nearly fell in a pothole earlier in the day. She agreed with comments that suggested that the change in traffic lights at Willamette Street had increased traffic. James Reed, 990 Crest Drive, stated that the Public Works Department staff had assured the neighborhood that the same physical design would be implemented irrespective of the classification. With that in mind, he suggested a local designation would not interfere with the City's goals of connectivity. He felt that the risk with the collector designation was that the codified standards for neighborhood collectors were far in excess of what would be deemed acceptable. He noted that context-sensitive design had yet to be codified. He opined that the risks to livability far outweighed the benefits of connectivity that a collector would afford the neighborhood. Regarding current traffic, he agreed that more stop signs and traffic calming were needed. He likened using evidence that traffic existed on the roads already as justification for redesignation to deciding that, because people were throwing garbage in their yard that it would be a good place for a garbage dump. Robbin Howard, 3217 Whitten Drive, said she walked on the streets with her seven-year-old daughter and they loved their walks in the neighborhood. She commented that the City offered incentives to businesses to move to the City, but the other reason businesses located here was the livability the City had to offer. She MINUTES--Eugene City Council October 25, 2004 Page 9 Regular Session asserted that designation as a collector could cause trees to be cut down, roads to be widened, and a reduction in the livability of the neighborhood. She thought everyone should think of themselves as public servants and should serve the public. She felt being attached to one wrong idea did not serve the public. She said she was honored by her neighbors' cooperation to work toward a common good. She supported Option 2. She noted that she had spoken to neighbors that, while opposed to redesignating the street, wanted the safety improved. She supported such improvements. Zachary Vishanoff, Patterson Street, expressed concern that video cameras would be included in the construction of roads. He alleged that Eugene was looking into a $50 million investment in new roads that included video cameras. He called it a huge problem for privacy advocates. He shared his observations about smart growth. Mayor Torrey called for comments from councilors. Councilor Kelly said in order to move forward collectively, the City needed to codify the design prior to discussing classification. Councilor Poling thanked everyone for their testimony. He thought that the council had good ideas that could solve the problem and the ultimate result would be a ;;win-win solution." Councilor Taylor lauded the abundance of intelligent and creative people in Eugene. She hoped the council would adopt Option 2. She related that she had heard from some of the residents on the side streets who expressed concern about the safety of the roads. She encouraged members of Save Our Streets to seek them out and talk with them. Councilor Bettman echoed council gratitude for the abundance of testimony. She hoped that, as the process moved forward, the group of neighbors would not lose momentum. She believed that the outcome would be calmer, safer streets and better mobility. She added that she had documentation that children were safer on calmer streets and offered to share it with anyone who was interested. Mayor Torrey declared that City Hall, the City Council, and the mayor did listen to the testimony. Mayor Torrey called for a five-minute recess at 9:20 p.m. 4. ACTION: Appointments to Boards, Commissions, and Committees Councilor Bettman, seconded by Councilor Poling, moved to reappoint Terrance McDonald to Position 2 on the Budget Committee for a three- year term beginning November 1, 2004, and ending on October 31, 2007. Roll call vote; the motion passed unanimously, 7:0 (Councilor Nathanson was gone momentarily from the dais.) Councilor Bettman, seconded by Councilor Poling, moved to appoint Michael Clark to Position 7 on the Budget Committee for a three-year term beginning November 1, 2004, and ending on October 31, 2007. MINUTES--Eugene City Council October 25, 2004 Page 10 Regular Session Councilor Kelly, seconded by Councilor Taylor, moved to substitute John Dembowski for Michael Clark in the motion. Councilor Kelly said both gentlemen gave good interviews, but he felt Mr. Dembowski would bring more diversity when looking at existing committee members' views. He also thought Mr. Clark was, perhaps, too expressive and it could be more challenging for him to fit into the committee structure. He suggested that Mr. Dembowski's work in the social services arena would bring an important voice in the Budget Committee discussions. Councilor Nathanson returned to the dais. Councilor Bettman agreed that most of the Budget Committee applicants had interviewed well. She believed it essential to have a balance of viewpoints on the committee and, so, would be supporting the appointment of Mr. Dembowski. She opined that Mr. Clark replicated the experience that was already on the Budget Committee. She noted it was Mr. Dembowski's second year to apply and that he had been succinct and %n message." Roll call vote; the motion to substitute Mr. Dembrowski for Mr. Clark failed, 5:3; Councilors Taylor, Bettman, and Kelly voting in favor. Roll call vote; the main motion passed, 5:3; Councilors Taylor, Bettman, and Kelly voting in opposition. Councilor Bettman, seconded by Councilor Poling, moved to appoint David Doll to Position 1, the unexpired term of Brian Allen, as an industry representative, on the Toxics Board for a three-year term beginning on November 1, 2003, and ending on October 31, 2006. Councilor Bettman said Mr. Doll had received eight votes in the balloting. Councilor Solomon called him an outstanding candidate who would be an excellent addition to the Toxics Board. She noted he was the only applicant from her ward, Ward 6. She asked that more people from her ward consider serving on a committee, board, or commission. Councilor Pap~ suggested that Mr. Doll be appointed to serve a whole term and not to finish Mr. Allen's term. Councilor Bettman withdrew her motion. Councilor Poling was amenable to this. Councilor Bettman, seconded by Councilor Poling, moved to appoint Dean Bautz to Positionl, the unexpired term of Brian Allen, as an industry representative, on the Toxics Board for a three-year term beginning on November 1, 2003, and ending on October 31, 2006. MINUTES--Eugene City Council October 25, 2004 Page 11 Regular Session Councilor Bettman advocated for his appointment. She stated that Mr. Bautz had experience doing the reporting for his company as well as having a background in chemistry. She also felt he would be able to work with people with opposing opinions. Councilor Poling, seconded by Councilor Solomon, moved to amend the motion to substitute Douglas Brooke for Dean Bautz in the motion. Councilor Poling pointed out that Mr. Brooke had the same level of experience as Mr. Doll and was currently working for the same company Mr. Allen had worked for. He felt Mr. Brook was aware of the demands and needs the Toxics Board would place upon him. He added that the council had received a memo from the Toxics Board endorsing him. Councilor Pap~ was impressed by all three of the candidates and said he could support any of them. Councilor Solomon underscored that the Toxics Board had sent an endorsement. Councilor Kelly wished to clarify that the recommendation from the Toxics Board had not been from the full board, but had been only from the industry representatives. He added that the full board had only provided recommendations on neutral positions. He asserted that Mr. Bautz did the reporting for his company, while Mr. Brooke was only part of a team of people who conducted this sort of work. He also felt that Mr. Brooke did not answer the question regarding the purpose of the Toxics Board as well as Mr. Bautz did. Councilor Meisner commented that all three interviewees were qualified. He was willing to take the recommendation from the industry representatives. Councilor Bettman related that she had been surprised by a ~lack of information" received from Mr. Brooke on important questions such as whether he could work with people on the board whose viewpoints differed dramatically from his. She thought his answers to be vague. She reiterated her reasons for supporting Mr. Bautz. She felt it was doing a ~disfavor to the board" to not appoint Mr. Bautz. Councilor Taylor said she was impressed with how well informed Mr. Bautz was. Councilor Nathanson referred to statements from the supplemental questionnaire from Mr. Brooke. She noted that it mentioned attending many meetings during the development of the program and that he supported compromise. Roll call vote; the motion to substitute Mr. Brooke for Mr. Bautz passed 5:3; Councilors Taylor, Bettman, and Kelly voting in opposition. Roll call vote; the motion to approve the appointment of Mr. Brooke to fill the unexpired term of Brian Allen, Position 1, for a term beginning on appointment and ending on October 31, 2006, passed, 5:3; Councilors Taylor, Bettman, and Kelly voting in opposition. Councilor Bettman, seconded by Councilor Poling, moved to appoint David Doll to Position 2, as an industry representative, on the Toxics Board for a MINUTES--Eugene City Council October 25, 2004 Page 12 Regular Session three-year term beginning on November 1, 2004, and ending on October 31, 2007. Roll call vote; the motion passed unanimously, 8:0. Councilor Bettman, seconded by Councilor Poling, moved to reappoint Jennifer Gleason to Position 5, an advocacy representative on the Toxics Board for a three-year term beginning on November 1, 2004 and ending on October 31, 2007. Roll call vote; the motion passed unanimously, 8:0. Councilor Bettman, seconded by Councilor Poling, moved to reappoint Marylee Bowman to Position 7, the neutral position, on the Toxics Board for a three-year term beginning on November 1, 2004, and ending on October 31, 2007. Roll call vote; the motion passed unanimously, 8:0. Councilor Bettman, seconded by Councilor Poling, moved to appoint Earl Koenig to Position 2, a Eugene at large position to the Lane Regional Air Pollution Authority Board of Directors, for a three-year term beginning November 1, 2004, and ending October 31, 2007. Roll call vote; the motion passed unanimously, 8:0. Councilor Bettman, seconded by Councilor Poling, moved to reappoint Karen Seidel to Position 1, on the Historic Review Board for a four-year term beginning November 1, 2004, and ending on October 31, 2008. Roll call vote; the motion passed unanimously, 8:0. Councilor Bettman, seconded by Councilor Poling, moved to reappoint Gunnar Schlieder to Position 2, on the Historic Review Board for a four- year term beginning November 1, 2004, and ending on October 31, 2008. Roll call vote; the motion passed unanimously, 8:0. Councilor Bettman, seconded by Councilor Poling, moved to reappoint Christine Thompson to Position 4, on the Historic Review Board for a four-year term beginning November 1, 2004, and ending on October 31, 2008. Roll call vote; the motion passed unanimously, 8:0. Councilor Bettman, seconded by Councilor Poling, moved to reappoint Richard Danemiller to Position 6, on the Historic Review Board for a four- year term beginning November 1, 2004, and ending on October 31, 2008. Roll call vote; the motion passed unanimously, 8:0. Councilor Bettman, seconded by Councilor Poling, moved to appoint John Ahlen to Position 4 on the Police Commission, the unexpired term of Kimberly Shore, for a four-year term beginning November 1, 2002, and expiring October 31, 2006. Roll call vote; the motion passed unanimously, 8:0. The meeting adjourned at 9:45 p.m. MINUTES--Eugene City Council October 25, 2004 Page 13 Regular Session Respectfully submitted, Dennis M. Taylor City Manager (Recorded by Ruth Atcherson) MINUTES--Eugene City Council October 25, 2004 Page 14 Regular Session