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HomeMy WebLinkAbout04/30/1986 Meeting M I NUT E S e Eugene City Council Lunch/Work Session McNutt Room--City Hall April 30, 1986 11 : 30 a.m. COUNCILORS PRESENT: Richard Hansen, Debra Ehrman, Emily Schue, Cynthia Wooten, Ruth Bascom, Jeff Miller. COUNCILORS ABSENT: Freeman Holmer, Roger Rutan. The adjourned meeting of April 28, 1986, of the City Council of Eugene, Oregon, was called to order by His Honor Mayor Brian B. Obie. e I. LAND USE FEE SCHEDULE UPDATE (memo, background information distributed) City Manager Michea1 Gleason introduced the discussion of the Land Use Fee Schedule Update. Finance Director Warren Wong said a review of City fees and charges was included in the financial strategy adopted by the council to fund the operating and capital budgets. He said a Cost of Services Study has been undertaken by every department. The study is identifying the direct and indirect costs of City services. He said the Planning Department is the first department to finish a Cost of Services Study and to propose fee increases. Carla Marmaro of the Planning Department said the department inventoried the services it provides, identified the beneficiaries of its services, determined the total cost of each service, and decided how the services should be financed. She said fees charged by other jurisdictions were examined. She noted that land use application fees have not been changed since 1980. She said the proposed fee schedule will recover about 21 percent of the total cost of application processing services. She said a City policy indicates it is appropriate for the City to subsidize land use fees because the community, as well as applicants, benefit from development activity. She said the changes to the fee schedule initiate charges for processing appeals, water and sewer extensions, street name changes, and modifications to Planned Unit Developments (PUD's) and conditional uses. The changes also waive the fees for annexation requests and modify the sliding scales for par- titions, subdivisions, and planned unit developments. e Answering questions from Ms. Ehrman, Ms. Brody said the present annexation fees discourage annexations. She said the council may decide to waive the annexation fee only for the area served by the River Road/Santa Clara Sanitary Sewer Service System. Mr. Gleason added that annexation fees are not as important financially to the City as the long-term financial impact of annexations. MINUTES--Eugene Ci ty Council., April 30, 1986 Page 1 e e - Ms. Ehrman said she favored waiving the fee for the River Road/Santa Clara area, but she would like to retain the annexation fee for other areas. Ms. Wooten said she agreed with Ms. Ehrman because the City is agressively pursuing annexation only in the River Road/Santa Clara area. Ms. Bascom said she understood the City is agressively pursuing annexation in all areas. Ms. Brody responded that the annexation policy approved by the council waives annexation fees for the River Road/Santa Clara area. Mayor Obie suggested that the councilors discuss the annexation policy again at its quarterly process session. Ms. Marmaro said the Planning Department publicized the proposed changes. Comments from the public suggested that fees be waived for other governmental units, and that the conditional use permit fee be reduced for day care facil- ities in residential districts. Ms. Marmaro said applications for day care facilities in residential districts are often controversial and the staff spends much time processing them. Mayor Obie commented that important applications will be received from the University of Oregon soon for a new science building and, perhaps, a dome for Autzen Stadium. Mr. Gleason pointed out that a request may be received from Lane County for a jail. Answering a question, Ms. Marmaro said the City does not receive many requests from other governmental units. Mr. Hansen asked if the City's processes were examined to see if they could be more cost-effective. Mr. Chenkin responded that the City revised all its planning processes in 1984 so that there is only one local hearing and one local appeal and so the hearing and appeal are on the lowest level possible. He said the changes resulted in approximately a 3D-percent savings in proces- sing time. Ms. Brody said savings also result from automating processes. Answering questions from Ms. Ehrman, Ms. Brody said an exemption from the appeal fee for people with low incomes was not considered. Ms. Marmaro said the council stated in 1974 that the City should recover 30 percent of the cost of processing residential applications and 60 percent of the cost of proces- sing non-residential applications, but the fees established then included only direct costs for the most part. She said that current cost recovery amounts to about 12 percent of total costs; the proposed fee schedule would raise the total cost recovery level to 21 percent. Answering a question from Mr. Hansen, Ms. Marmaro said it is difficult to com- pare the proposed fees with those of other cities because most other cities base fees on a less rigorous analysis of costs. However, the proposed fee schedule is similar to the schedules of Beaverton and Salem. Ms. Brody com- mented that the Eugene PUD fee will be less than Salem's and the Eugene fee for some other applications will be more than Salem's. Ms. Wooten said she is concerned about the increase from $230 to $625 for residential conditional use permits because many conditional use permits in residential zones concern minor issues and little financial gain. Ms. Brody said the staff recommended eliminating the difference in fees between resi- dential and non-residential conditional use permits. She said residential conditional use permits are often complex and involve significant staff time. MINUTES--Eugene City Council Apri 1 30, 1986 Page 2 . e e She said a present policy which indicates that the City will recover less from residential applications than from non-residential applications was initiated when the City was encouraging residential development. Now, the City wants to encourage commercial and industrial development as well. The Mayor and several councilors asked for additional information. Mayor Obie said he would like a cost justification for the increased fees. Ms. Bascom said she would like information about the kind of residential conditional use applications the City receives and additional information about the $625 conditional use fee for child care facilities. Mr. Hansen said he would like to know how many applications in each category were received last year. Ms. Wooten said she would like information about the staff time involved in residential and non-residential site review applications. Ms. Ehrman said she would like a staff recommendation about an exemption from the fee for an appeal for people with low incomes. II. REPORT ON LANE COUNTY JAIL Mayor Obie welcomed Lane County Commissioners John Ball and Jerry Rust and Lane County Administrator Jim Johnson. Mayor Obie introduced Mr. Johnson. Mr. Johnson said the old jail was pur- chased by the City for use as a maintenance shop in 1936. It was converted to a jail in 1952 and Lane County took over its operation in 1980. He said the voters turned down a County $12 million bond issue which would have provided a five-floor jail, and then passed a $9 million County bond issue to provide a two-floor jail in 1976. A third floor was added in 1978. He said 243 beds were available in the new jail, but jails should operate at only 85 percent capacity. Mr. Johnson said the peak population was 254 when the new jail was completed in 1979 and so the old jail was kept. He said the average jail population has increased because felony charges filed by the District Attorney have increased and because judges have been sending people to the County jails as a result of the lack of secure beds in the State prison system. Larry Sa1mony, Lane County Criminal Justice Coordinator, said that Lane County officials proceeded quickly when they received a complaint from two inmates about unsanitary and unhealthy conditions in the old jail. He said the quick action was to avoid long, costly procedures and control problems. County officials gave notice that the old jail would be closed in 30 days. They asked for a population ceiling of 207 for the new jail and a court-sanctioned release program. He said consultants indicated that the County's liability would increase greatly once it was notified of the unsanitary and unhealthy conditions in the old jail and that crowding would result in the new jail if a ceiling was not imposed. A crowded situation would have resulted in court action. Answering a question from Ms. Ehrman, Mr. Johnson said the conditions in the old jail were definitely unsanitary and unhealthy. Mr. Salmony discussed jail crises in other counties which resulted in great expense for the communities. MINUTES--Eugene City Council April 30, 1986 Page 3 e e e Replying to a question from Mr. Gleason, Mr. Salmony said that 207 probably is the maximum population the courts would allow in the new jail. He said courts have permitted several inmates in a cell only when inmates are in the cells less than 12 hours a day and when there are extensive recreational facili- ties. He said one expert stated that 207 was too many inmates for the new jail; consequently, that number probably would have been reduced if the County had become involved in litigation. Mr. Johnson emphasized that the jail should be operated at only 85 percent of capacity because of the sex and cus- tody classifications of prisoners. Mr. Salmony said that Lane County has taken actions to meet the jail crlS1S. The Criminal Process Coordinating Council (CPCC) was established and charged with advising the Lane County Board of Commissioners about the crisis. The cpce, the commissioners, and the sheriff have started several new programs. For example, about 35 inmates cut brush and pick up litter along county roads on weekends in the road fund work program. Other new programs are the Commun- ity Correction Center, the electrical supervision program, the pre-trial supervision program, the expedition of pre-trial investigation program, the reopening of the mental health section of the jail, and contracting for detoxification beds outside the jail. Answering questions from Ms. Wooten and Ms. Schue, Mr. Johnson said about 90 people are arrested each month for alcohol and drug offenses. The County purchases nine beds from Buckley House now but more are needed. Mr. Salmony said people who are difficult to manage cannot be sent to such facilities as BUCkley House. Mr. Johnson said the mental health unit of the jail can accommodate 20 people, but it is not a crisis intervention unit. He said people are transported to Dammasch State Hospital in emergencies. Discussing long-term planning, Mr. Johnson said the National Institute of Corrections is providing assistance to Lane County in forecasting the number of secure beds needed in the year 2000. He said options available to the County are: adding two floors to the existing jail at a cost of $9 million, the construction of a new facility at the site of the old jail, the establish- ment of a work camp, and a combination of the options and alternative methods of incarceration. He said the Lane County Board of Commissioners will review the long-range plan in August 1986. Replying to questions from Mr. Hansen and Mr. Miller, Mr. Johnson said the office space in the jail could be used for inmate beds, but then new offices would have to be constructed. Mr. Salmony said redesigning the jail would not add very many additional beds. Mr. Johnson said the State bond measure on the May ballot provides for cooperation between State and County jurisdictions for regional jails. Mr. Johnson said the Lane County Board of Commissioners directed that immed- iate solutions to the jail crisis be examined in order to handle City inmates and to end the pre-trial release of some prisoners. He said one of the immed- iate solutions is a temporary facility on the site of the old jail. He said that about 66 percent of the inmates are pre-trial and pre-sentencing inmates. MINUTES--Eugene City Council April 30, 1986 Page-4 . e e Ms. Ehrman said that some prisoners spend four to six weeks in jail before they are sentenced. Mr. Johnson said the County would like to implement a continuum of supervision and incarceration. It will include parole and probation services, community services, weekend work programs, pre-trial supervision programs, electronic supervision, community correction beds, mental health jail beds, mental health detoxification beds, crisis beds, a minimum security facility, the existing jail, and prison beds. He said many of the services are financed by grants. Answering questions from Ms. Bascom and Ms. Wooten, Mr. Johnson said the County's tax base does not affect the Lane County Corrections Division. The grants come from the Oregon Community Corrections Act. He said Lane County now receives $1.2 million for enhancement programs and about $3 million for parole and probation services. He said many social service programs provide services to the same people and the community spends about $25 million serving about 8,000 people involved with the Corrections Division and social service agencies. Mayor Obie thanked Mr. Johnson and Mr. Salmony for the presentation. He asked about the impact of Lane County's actions on Eugene citizens. John Rutledge, Eugene Deputy Police Chief, responded that about 75 percent of the inmates in the County jail were arrested by Eugene police. He said the City is rep- resented on the CPCC and the City staff is working with the County staff to develop solutions to the crisis. Mr. Johnson said Municipal Court prisoners can be kept in the County jail now if there is space, but sometimes there is no space. He said the City has budgeted about $400,000 for jail services. Mr. Gleason said that prosecution, juvenile, and social service issues had not been discussed. He said mental health issues are very important now. He said many transients are mentally ill and seem to be 1I10stll people. Ms. Bascom wondered how joint social services funds can be used to help people involved with the corrections system. Mr. Gleason said people involved with the corrections system have many problems that impact their behavior. For example, a young person may have academic problems, a drug problem, and family problems. He said a system is needed to integrate the available help, but, in the meantime, something must be done about the jail crisis. Replying to questions from Ms. Wooten, Mr. Gleason said he is discussing the use of City funds budgeted for jail beds for alternative methods of incarcer- ation. Mr. Johnson said the City does not pay for jail space for people charged with State crimes. Eugene citizens do pay on the County bond issue which constructed the jail. Replying to a question from Ms. Ehrman, Mayor Obie said the City expected Lane County to provide jail space and now the County does not provide it. He said the City must find a way to provide the service. Ms. Wooten asked for an inventory of independent organizations that provide social services in Lane County. She would also like to know what financial support the organizations receive. MINUTES--Eugene City Council April 30, 1986 Page 5 . e -- Responding to a request from Mr. Gleason, Mr. Johnson said that a crisis exists in the Lane County criminal justice system because many regional ser- vices the County should provide are not being provided sufficiently. They include services of the District Attorney, the Juvenile Division, and the police. He said the Urban Services Policy Committee is discussing a regional public safety measure. Answering a question from Mr. Miller, Mr. Johnson said a solution to the jail crisis will be initiated as soon as possible. The old jail will be demolished by July 1, 1986. III. ITEMS FROM THE MAYOR, COUNCIL, CITY MANAGER; APPOINTMENTS; ANNOUNCE- MENTS; AGENDA ADJUSTMENTS A. Lane Regional Air Po1ution Authority (LRAPA) Mr. Hansen said he understood that the City of Cottage Grove may withhold its contribution to LRAPA. He said he hoped other councilors will do as much as possible to preserve LRAPA because it is important. He said problems may result if air quality control is shifted to other areas. Mayor Obie added that environmental control is important. B. Cooperative Mailboxes Mr. Miller said that US Postal Service employees sometimes do not deliver mail to mailboxes in residential areas if cars are parked in front of them. Regarding another issue, Ms. Ehrman said that traffic problems are sometimes created by drivers who pullout into traffic after stopping to deposit mail at post office boxes. Mr. Miller and Ms. Ehrman asked staff to investigate both matters. C. Crime Solutions in Action , Ms. Wooten said a Crime Solutions in Action Symposium will be held May 14, 1986. D. Senior Nutrition Program and Other Financial Emergencies. Ms. Schue said that about $50,000 is being cut from funds for the Senior Nutrition Program administered by the Lane Council of Governments (L-COG). She said L-COG agreed to try to raise $10,000 for the program from local governments. She suggested City staff be asked to identify funds for an appropriate contribution from the City. Other councilors agreed with her suggestion. Ms. Wooten suggested the council discuss ways to finance emergencies that arise. E. People Who Use Skateboards Carelessly Ms. Bascom said a constituent complained to her about people who use skate- boards carelessly and seem to harass others. She noted this problem at 24th and Hilyard. She asked the staff to investigate the matter. MINUTES--Eugene City Council April 30, 1986 Page 6 e e e F. Discussions in Washington, DC Mayor Obie said that Councilors Holmer and Rutan are absent because they are on their way to Washington, DC, to discuss the expansion of the Mahlon Sweet Airport terminal with Federal officials. Mayor Obie adjourned the meeting at 1:05 p.m. Respectfully submitt)P, ~f~~l/;-;? (:~,.~ Micheal Gleason Ci ty Manager (Recorded by Betty Lou Rarick) BLR:vr/Mins28 MINUTES--Eugene City Council April 30, 1986 Page 7