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HomeMy WebLinkAbout05/19/1986 Meeting e EUQene City Council Quarterly Process Session Eugene Hilton Hotel--Board Room May 1 9, 1 986 5:30 p.m. COUNCILORS PRESENT: Richard Hansen, Debra Ehrman, Emily Schue, Cynthia Wooten, Freeman Holmer, Ruth Bascom, Roger Rutan, Jeff Mi 11 ere The adjourned meeting of May 14, 1986, of the City Council of the City of Eugene, Oregon, was called to order by His Honor Mayor Brian B. Obie. I. QUARTERLY PROCESS SESSION e A. Community Schools Coordinating Committee Councilor Ehrman reported that Judy Mosely, a 4-J School Board member, proposed the organization of another committee at the last meeting of the Community Schools Coordinating Committee. Ms. Ehrman said she indicated that she does not think another committee is needed. She said she pointed out that the program seems to be functioning well, there is a Joint City Council/4J Board Task Force, community schools do not have a high priority for the council, and the City financial contribution is not large. She said crime and drug and alcohol abuse are the issues of joint concern to both the School Board and the City Council. Answering questions, Ms. Ehrman said the community schools program staff seems to want more direction and monitoring from the council. Councilor Holmer said the relationship between the community school and the neighborhood is important, and he wondered if the communication among the community schools, the neighborhoods, and the City is sufficient. He said junior high newsletters can be a part of the City's communication network. Ms. Ehrman pointed out Christine Donahue, the City.s Neighborhood Liaison, attends the Community Schools Coordinating Committee meetings and the Parks and Recreation staff works with the community schools. Mayor Obie said coordination between the City and 4-J administrators is good. He agreed that the City should be supportive of the community schools program while not pro-active. Councilor Wooten reviewed the history of the Joint City Council/4J Board Task Force and said perhaps it should meet two or three times a year. e MINUTES--Eugene City Council May 19, 1986 Page 1 B. Community Workshop on Crime Actions and Solutions for Eugene ~ Councilor Miller congratulated Ms. Wooten on the organization of the Community Workshop on Crime Actions and Solutions. He said it was very successful. Ms. Wooten said the staff was very helpful. Answering a question, she said people attending the symposium represented diverse groups and geographic areas and submitted constructive suggestions. Ms. Wooten suggested a task force be appointed to recommend crime prevention methods that can be implemented by the City, the schools, and other parts of the community. She recommended that the Task Force finish its work in 75 days. Mr. Hansen said the task force should consider the necessity for citizens to accept responsibility individually and corporately for crime prevention. C. Joint Social Services Committee Mr. Miller reported that the Community Development Committee has maintained the joint social services fund although there is not enough money to meet the needs. He said administrative costs are only 18 percent of the funds received and committee members are sensitive to community needs. e D. River Road/Santa Clara Policy Committee Mr. Miller reported that the need for the River Road/Santa Clara Policy Committee terminated with the council adoption of the Public Facilities Plan. E. Finance, Administration, and Intergovernmental Relations (FAIR) Committee of the National League of Cities Mr. Holmer reported that he attended a meeting of the FAIR Committee of the National League of Cities. He said the committee discussed liability insurance and was enthusiastic about tax reform. F. Eugene Arts Foundation Councilor Bascom reported that the Eugene Arts Foundation and the City have been somewhat antagonistic. She said she encourages the Foundation Board of Directors to make their reports public. She emphasized that the City needs the Eugene Arts Foundation to be a healthy organization for gathering private funds for the Hu1t Center and the arts groups. She said the City will receive $10,000 from the foundation soon for the operation of the Hu1t Center. She said the funds from the Silva endowment go to the arts groups and the foundation is preparing guidelines for the expenditure of about $35,000 received annually from the Hult endowment. - MINUTES--Eugene City Council May 19, 1986 Page 2 . e , Mr. Holmer said the Hult Center is a public facility. He wondered about council involvement in decisions concerning it and whether the council's perception of its relationship to the Eugene Arts Foundation is clear. He said the City provides executive operation of the Hult Center and works with the Arts Foundation and the arts groups. He emphasized that he supports the efforts of the Arts Foundation to raise private subscriptions to minimize tax support of the Hult Center. Ms. Bascom responded that Eugene Arts Foundation members feel the City does not appreciate their contribution of $3 million for the Hult Center. She said the bylaws of the Arts Foundation do not require a city councilor on the Board of Directors. Ms. Bascom reported some conflict exists among the Eugene Arts Foundation, Support Hult Operations (SHO), and the City about the "brick" project. Answering questions, she said the Arts Foundation is continuing to reduce expenses. Carolyn Chambers is in charge and Marcine Goulden is Development Director. Ms. Bascom said some Hult Center projects could be removed from the CIP if the "brick" project is successful. She said the Eugene Arts Foundation members do not want the City to demand any specific amount from them. She said foundation contributions to the arts groups will probably be the same as last year because they depend on the interest rates of the Silva endowment. She said the Arts Foundation wants to use some of the funds from the Hult endowment to increase the visibility of the foundation. Replying to questions, Mr. Gleason discussed the Arts Foundation contributions when the Hult Center was constructed, Executive Director Ed Smith's activities, and the Performing Arts Commission. Mr. Hansen said the Eugene Arts Foundation is necessary for the operation of the Hul t Center. Ms. Wooten said the Hult Center must be publicly accountable, and the Performing Arts Commission performs that function. G. Southern Willamette Private Industry Council Mr. Rutan reported that the Southern Willamette Private Industry Council (SWPIC) is very effective. H. Council Committee on Economic Diversification Mr. Rutan reported that the Council Committee on Economic Diversification (CCED) has not met for several months. He said it should be reconstituted. He said Ms. Wooten and he prepared objectives for the committee and many opportunities exist for CCED to provide leadership. Mayor Obie and Ms. Wooten discussed the past organization and activities of CCED. Mayor Obie said it consisted of three members, but recently many other councilors wanted to be on it. MINUTES--Eugene City Council May 19, 1986 Page 3 e e - Several councilors commented on CCED. Ms. Ehrman said she was not happy when CCED functioned as a "mini-council." Ms. Wooten said the staff sometimes reported unnecessarily to CCED. Ms. Schue said CCED should be a small committee. Mr. Miller said it should be a small committee or a committee of the whole. Mr. Hansen said CCED should not make financial decisions. He said all the councilors should make decisions about economic diversification. He suggested that the time for CCED might be past, and a meeting of the whole council devoted entirely to economic diversification several times a year might meet the need. Mr. Holmer said any councilor who is committed to the work of CeED and willing to serve on it should be permitted to do so because it is the central committee of the council. Mr. Rutan said CCED is definitely needed. Mr. Gleason said the councilors do not seem to agree about what is policy and what is administration; therefore, the staff reported frequently to CCED, particularly about urban renewal. He emphasized that council rules indicate that any councilor may attend meetings of any City organization. Responding to questions from Mayor Obie and Mr. Rutan, six or seven councilors said they would like to serve on CCED, but the majority agreed that the committee should consist of three councilors and the Mayor. Mayor Obie said he will appoint a committee which will need to submit a work plan for CCED to the full council. I. Alton Baker Park Master Plan Ms. Schue said the Alton Baker Park Master Plan will be reviewed by the council this summer. She said Lane County Commissioner Jerry Rust wants a golf course in Alton Baker Park. She said she told Mr. Rust that Eugene does not oppose a golf course in Alton Baker Park, but Eugene will not help plan, build, or maintain it. None of the other councilors disagreed with that statement. She said an Urban Services Policies Committee document indicates clearly that Lane County may construct a golf course in Alton Baker Park. Mr. Hansen said the community can support several 18-hole golf courses. He said the location of Alton Baker Park is excellent for an 18-hole golf course, but the City has discouraged its approval in the past. Mayor Obie said the City will encourage approval of a golf course in Alton Baker Park now. Mr. Rutan said a study commissioned by the Metropolitan Golf Committee did not recommend a golf course in Alton Baker Park. Ms. Bascom discussed previous decisions about a golf course in Alton Baker Park. Ms. Wooten initiated a discussion of the expansion of Laurelwood Golf Course which, she said, is related to approval of a golf course in Alton Baker Park. Several councilors said there is not enough land near Laurelwood to provide a good 18-hole golf course, but Ms. Bascom said the course would be sufficient for many people. Mr. Gleason said the Eugene Parks Master Plan directs the staff to work on development of an 18-hole golf course at Golden Gardens and to examine the possibility of private development of an 18-hole course at Laurelwood. He said an expansion of the Laurelwood course is a land use issue; consequently, a conditional use permit application for a Planned Unit Development has been MINUTES--Eugene City Council May 19, 1986 Page 4 e e e submitted to the Hearings Official. A public hearing will be held, and the Hearings Official's decision will indicate if, and under what conditions, the Laurelwood course can be expanded. Then the City Council will hold a public hearing and decide if the City should issue a Request for a Proposal. Several people discussed the process. Mayor Obie and Mr. Hansen said the council should approve the process for considering the Laurelwood expansion. Ms. Bascom said additional residential development of Laurelwood should be considered if the council discusses the process. Ms. Schue said she is concerned about the process being pursued. She did not think the Joint Parks Committee approved the process. She said the operator of Laurelwood told the Joint Parks Committee that the course could be expanded with private funds. Ms. Wooten said the Citizen Involvement Committee should review the process. Mr. Holmer said he favored the process being followed now because the Hearings Official's decision will indicate what can be done legally. Mr. Miller said the question is, "Does the City want to build a good, public golf course?" If so, it could be built at Golden Gardens, Mount Pisgah, or Willow Creek, but neither Laurelwood nor Alton Baker Park are adequate. He said he is apprehensive because spending public funds for Laurelwood or Alton Baker Park might impede construction of a course at the other sites. He said the recommendations of the Metropolitan Golf Committee should be considered. Mayor Obie directed staff to refer the process for considering the expansion of Laurelwood to the Joint Parks Committee for a recommendation to the council. J. Lane Regional Air Pollution Authority, Metropolitan Cable/Television Commission, Metropolitan Policy Committee, Eugene/Springfield Visitors and Convention Bureau Mr. Hansen said the Metropolitan Cable/Television Commission probably will be terminated because the industry is being deregulated, funding problems may terminate the Lane Regional Air Pollution Authority, and the work of the Metropolitan Policy Committee has decreased because the Mid-Period Review and the Periodic Review of the Metro Plan are being completed. He briefly discussed his involvement on the Eugene/Springfield Visitors and Convention Bureau. K. Council Subcommittee on the Airport Mr. Hansen said the Council Subcommittee on the Airport will report to the council in time for the council to put a measure on the ballot in September. Several councilors commented on the financing of the airport expansion. Ms. Schue said no one has told her Eugene should finance the expansion with property taxes, and she is concerned about the Chamber of Commerce drive to do so. Mr. Miller said he would like information from the airport users about how they would like to finance the expansion. Answering a question, Mr. Hansen said two Lane County Commissioners approve of a county-wide effort to finance the expansion and three Lane County Commissioners oppose it. MINUTES--Eugene City Council May 19, 1986 Page 5 e L. Future of Our Library Committee Ms. Ehrman reported that the Future of Our Library Committee is obtaining information. M. Joint Social Services Committee e Ms. Ehrman reported that the Joint Social Services Committee made next year's allocations. She said the allocations probably will have to be reduced if a new tax base for Lane County is not approved by the voters. Answering questions, she said there are three Eugene representatives on the six-member committee, and she is satisfied with the present system of allocating joint social service moneys throughout the community. She said it was suggested that Lane County representatives make the allocations, but she did not approve of that process. Ms. Bascom is also on the committee. She said Eugene contributes most of the money and most of the projects are in Eugene. N. Council Endorsements Used for Fund-Raising Ms. Ehrman said the council endorsed National Dance Week some time ago and then the letter from the council was used for fund-raising by an organization. She questioned the practice because it could indicate the council supported a specific fund-raising effort. Mayor Obie said he is often asked to sign proclamations. Mr. Hansen said letters and proclamations do not need to indicate support for particular organizations. They can simply welcome people to the community. Ms. Wooten said councilors do not generally represent the council in their correspondence. Mr. Rutan said the council needs to be careful about permitting organizations to leverage the influence of the council. The councilors said they like to be notified when other councilors or the Mayor support an organization or want a proclamation signed. Mayor Obie recessed the meeting at 8:15 p.m. and reconvened it at 8:25 p.m. O. Non-Profit Corporations and Foundations The councilors discussed non-profit corporations, foundations, and trust funds which support activities of interest to the City. They referred to a May 16,1986, memo from the City Manager titled IIFoundations.1I During the discussion, non-profit corporations and foundations were considered to be the same. Mr. Gleason said five foundations now help support City activities and a sixth will be established soon. He said he does not have the authority to approve the creation of foundations. Mr. Holmer said there are advantages to having only one foundation as the University of Oregon has. He said foundations should be totally independent of the City unless the City has a process for approving them. Ms. Wooten e MINUTES--Eugene City Council May 19, 1986 Page 6 e e e said Celebration Eugene, Inc., was created to raise funds which the City cannot supply. Mr. Hansen said the council should avoid getting involved with foundations as much as possible because the City has no control over policies set by boards of directors of foundations. Ms. Wooten said annual reports and financial statements of foundations should be distributed to the council. She said boards of directors might be asked to indemnify the City from a possible financial loss when an event is sponsored. She said a contract will indicate that the City will have no financial liability for debts of Celebrate Eugene, Inc. Mr. Hansen suggested the City contract with foundations for services. Mayor Obie said the City Attorney's Office should be directed to ensure that the City does not have unknown liabilities. Ms. Bascom discussed the Eugene Parks Foundation, Inc. She said the current national trend is to encourage private fund-raising for things which previously were publicly financed. Answering questions, Mr. Gleason said foundations and non-profit corporations are technically different. He said the City will be responsible for the financial losses of any corporation if a court determines that the City has supported the corporation or if a court determines the City Council has direct involvement with the corporation. He said the council could establish a trust account and permit non-profit corporations to exist under specific conditions. In that case, the City Council would decide about accepting ~ifts from the corporations. He said problems can arise if the relationship 1S not very definite. Mr. Rutan suggested the council establish criteria for non-profit corporations and a process for approving them. Mayor Obie said the subcommittee reviewing City committees will make a recommendation about it. Mr. Holmer suggested this subcommittee discuss the possibility of retaining trust funds without foundations. Ms. Bascom said she will inform the subcommittee about the progress of establishing the Eugene Parks Foundation, Inc. P. User Fees and Revenue Plans Ms. Wooten said she would like to discuss the City's plans for increased user fees and other revenue. She wondered if the increases are incremental and if they impact one group of people more than other groups. Mr. Hansen wondered what percentage of the cost of services the City intends to recover in fees. Mr. Rutan suggested the council approve a standard criteria against which staff proposals for fee increases could be measured. He said the increased fees should not be more than the market will bear. Mr. Holmer suggested the cost of providing services should also be considered and compared to other jurisdictions. Q. Status of Financial Relationship and Cooperation with EWEB Ms. Wooten said she had been wondering about the City's financial relationship and cooperative efforts with EWEB, but no one commented on them. MINUTES--Eugene City Council May 19, 1986 Page 7 e R. Relationship of the City Council to the Downtown Commission and Other City Boards and Commissions Ms. Wooten said she would like additional information about the development of the downtown and the relationship between the City Council and the Downtown Commission and the council and the Parks Committee. 1. Budget Committee Discussing the FY87/88 budget process, Mr. Holmer hoped changes in financial policies will be presented to the council in time for the Budget Committee to comment on them. Mr. Miller said rules should be established for dealing with budget subcommittee reports and minority reports. Mayor Obie suggested the councilors discuss such processes with the Budget Committee members. S. Audit Subcommittee, Boundary Commission Budget Committee, and Legislative Subcommittee Mr. Holmer said the Audit Subcommittee has reported, the Boundary Commission Budget Committee accepted the budget supported by the council, and the Legislative Subcommittee has not met recently. T. Tree Beautification Commission e Ms. Bascom reported that many individuals donated to Operation City Pride, which was very successful. She said the commission has several unfinished projects to consider. For example, the Beautification Study is completed and recommends retention of a volunteer organization to implement it, and the sweet gum trees at 7th Avenue and Oak Street should be removed. In addition, Robin Morgan received a grant from the State of Washington to produce an urban forestry guide to be distributed in Washington and Oregon. She will use the Tree Beautification Commission as a model. Ms. Ehrman said the trees at 15th Avenue and Oak Street should be trimmed because it is difficult to see the traffic on Oak Street from 15th Avenue. U. TransPl an Ms. Bascom said staff is drafting a memo indicating legislative intent to alleviate the concern of Sacred Heart officials about Policy Pk6 on page 6 of the TransPlan. She said the officials are worried that the policy will be used against their proposal for a parking garage, although they can document that they are discouraging long-term employee parking. Mr. Gleason said the memo will indicate that the Hearings Official will consider several policies when a conditional use permit is requested for a parking garage and that the council had eliminated the words "by discouraging long-term employee parking" from a draft of the TransPlan. He discussed the amendment process for TransPlan. e MINUTES--Eugene City Council May 19, 1986 Page 8 e e e Mr. Miller said the change was not adequately noted when the council approved the TransPlan. Ms. Bascom discussed the conflict resolution process for the TransPlan. Mr. Holmer suggested the council adopt an explanation of the council's intent concerning POlicy Pk6, and the other councilors agreed with him. v. Legislative Subcommittee Ms. Schue reported that the Legislative Subcommittee changed its processes. Before the next legislative session, the subcommittee will adopt a policy document which the staff will use during the session. Therefore, the subcommittee will consider only those bills for which the policy document does not apply. Mr. Holmer suggested the policy document be prepared in the summer so the councilors can discuss it with prospective legislators in the fall. Ms. Wooten cautioned the subcommittee to watch for bills that are controversial or do not comply with the policies. W. Written Communications from Councilors and Lobbying Ms. Schue reported that she and Mr. Holmer drafted a statement about written communications from councilors. The other councilors agreed to consider it a Wednesday noon meeting. x. Communications Between Council, Mayor, and Staff Mr. Hansen said the City Manager provided good information about the Lane County jail when the council requested it, but he would like more memos indicating what is happening in City departments. Ms. Ehrman said she appreciates the expanded council newsletter. The other councilors agreed with her. Mr. Miller, Ms. Bascom, Mr. Rutan, and Ms. Schue said they are comfortable with communications. Ms. Wooten said she enjoys conversations with Mr. Gleason and has not had time for them recently. Mr. Holmer said the councilors have been advised of all major policy decisions recently. He said sometimes the council gets more information about administrative activities than it needs. Several councilors said they appreciate telephone calls from the City Manager when something new develops. Mr. Holmer asked for a report indicating the average increase in continuing staff pay. Y. Statement about Incumbents on Applications for Boards, Committees, and Commissions Ms. Ehrman asked the council to consider again including a statement about incumbents on applications for boards, committees, and commissions. She suggested a limit of two terms for incumbents if the council adopts an automatic re-appointment policy. Ms. Wooten said she favors indicating that incumbents are or are not re-applying. Mr. Holmer said he favors indicating only that incumbents may re-apply. Ms. Bascom said she did not want to make any changes to the current process. MINUTES--Eugene City Council May 19, 1986 Page 9 e Mayor Obie referred that matter to the Council subcommittee on reviewing City boards and commissions. z. Parking in Front of Large Mail Boxes Mr. Miller said staff is drafting a position paper about parking in front of an individual's mail box. AA. Golden Gardens Area Mr. Miller said he will continue discussing with the staff methods of alleviating problems caused by off-road vehicles in the Golden Gardens area outside the city limits and within the urban growth boundary. BB. Public Forum Mr. Holmer said the council should be willing to listen to people, but the scheduling of a public forum on the council agenda should be ended. Ms. Bascom said she favored retaining the public forum. Ms. Ehrman said it has not been abused, and several councilors agreed with her. CC. Interaction of Councilors e Ms. Wooten wondered how the councilors perceived their interaction, and Mayor Obie asked each of them to comment. Ms. Ehrman said the council seems to function well when it takes mini-votes to form a consensus. Mr. Miller said questions and disagreement are helpful when the council is considering an issue and it is good when councilors express their appreciation of the questions and disagreement. Ms. Wooten said all the councilors and Mayor Obie have been very busy; consequently, things have been somewhat hectic in the last few months. Ms. Bascom said she appreciates conversations with individual councilors. Mr. Rutan said the councilors work well together although they have different viewpoints. He said some disagreements are healthy and the councilors serve the community well. Ms. Schue said the councilors work well together and the consensus mode serves them well. Mr. Hansen said the council functions well but a number of decisions have been delegated to staff. He said some people are troubled by those decisions the council is not aware of because the council no longer makes the decision. He cautioned the council not to delegate traditional council decisions. Mayor Obie said he is pleased with the way the council functions and makes decisions. He said he has purposely been less active this year than in the past and, consequently, some councilors have accepted opportunities to represent the City. He said he and the councilors should rely on each other. e MINUTES--Eugene City Council May 19, 1986 Page 10 . e e DO. Relationship to Other Governmental Units Ms. Ehrman said efforts to cooperate with other jurisdictions have not been very successful. Ms. Bascom said the efforts must continue. Ms. Schue said the transfer of urban services from Lane County is progressing well. EE. Council Dinner Sessions After some discussion, the councilors agreed to start dinner sessions at 5:30 p.m. and lunch sessions at 11:30 a.m. Mayor Obie adjourned the meeting at 9:45 p.m. (Recorded by Betty Lou Rarick) BLR:pv/ST1694 MINUTES--Eugene City Council May 19, 1986 Page 11