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HomeMy WebLinkAbout05/18/1987 Meeting e e e M I NUT E S Eugene City Council Treehouse Restaurant May 18, 1987 6:10 p.m. COUNCILORS PRESENT: Debra Ehrman, Emily Schue, Cynthia Wooten, (6:15 p.m.- 9:45 p.m.), Ruth Bascom, Roger Rutan, Jeff Miller, Rob Bennett. COUNCILORS ABSENT: Freeman Holmer. His Honor Mayor Brian B. Obie called the quarterly process session to order. I. ITEMS FROM THE COUNCIL AND MAYOR Mayor Obie asked the councilors to discuss the committees they serve on, items they would like the council to discuss later in the evening, and what they like about being a councilor. A. Community Development Committee (CDC) Mr. Miller said the CDC is reviewing the percentages that will be used to allocate funds in the next three years. He suggested other councilors discuss with him their views about the use of the funds. He said the committee is also reviewing the minority loan program. He said committee members work well together and the staff is very good. B. Process to be Used in Goal-Setting Session Mr. Miller asked other councilors for permission to present a process to help in establishing budget priorities during the council's next goal-setting session. He said he would like to use a process that will delineate the issues. (The councilors discussed Mr. Miller's request later in the meeting.) C. Metropolitan Wastewater Management Commission (MWMC) Reporting on the MWMC, Mr. Bennett said he visited the treatment plant. He said sewer rates are an issue and he is studying them. He said the Eugene rates should be competitive. D. Lane Regional Air Pollution Authority (LRAPA) Mr. Bennett said LRAPA is doing an excellent job and he enjoys learning about it because air quality is an important issue. MINUTES--Eugene City Council May 18, 1987 Page 1 Ms. Schue said there were no "red" days this winter so it was difficult to evaluate the wood stove project. ~ Ms. Ehrman said Director Don Arkell is an excellent administrator. E. Cable Subcommittee Mr. Bennett said he has not made judgments about the issues the Cable Subcommittee will address. He said he does not like monopolies and people who work for Group W Cable seem to represent a monopoly. Mr. Rutan said the subcommittee changed its name from Cable Access Subcommittee to Cable Subcommittee. Ms. Wooten said the subcommittee asked the staff to investigate the possibility of the City undertaking a feasibility study of municipal operation of a cable utility and other ways of improving cable distribution and service. F. Citizen Involvement Committee (CIC) Ms. Wooten said CIC seems to have a clear work plan for citizen involvement only in planning processes. She said the role of the CIC has been expanded but it does not have a good understanding of how to proceed and it needs help from her and the council. ~ Ms. Wooten said the councilors should think about the kind of citizen involvement they want. She said people in Eugene want broad citizen involvement in many processes but she is not sure the citizen involvement received is the kind of citizen involvement that is needed. She said she would like a different kind of citizen involvement. She said some of the citizen involvement processes seem to get in the council's way when it makes some decisions. She suggested the council discuss at another meeting citizen involvement, the CIC, and the council's relationship to the community when major decisions are made. G. Tree and Beautification Commission Ms. Bascom distributed several documents concerning Project City Pride, Project Flower Shower, and Project Blitz. She said about 40 businesses received certificates from the City for their beautification efforts this spring. She discussed City Pride "blooming boxes" that will be sold by some businesses. Ms. Bascom said School District 4J officials cooperated with City officials in planting trees around Roosevelt Middle School. She said the commission would like to plant trees in the Bethel area next spring. She asked Mr. Miller to suggest a representative of School District 52 to work with City officials. Ms. Bascom said the City is sending letters to property owners on 6th and 7th avenues telling them it is their responsibility to maintain the sod and trees that were planted in parking strips when the streets were widened. e MINUTES--Eugene City Council May 18, 1987 Page 2 e Responding to a comment from Ms. Ehrman, Ms. Bascom said the council will receive a report about street trees later. She said upgrading the street tree planting program within existing resources has been difficult. She said it may be necessary to change the planting techniques. H. Eugene Arts Foundation Ms. Bascom reported that it has been hard for the Eugene Arts Foundation to ra i se money. Consequently, the Board of Di rectors deci ded to cut the administrative costs from $160,000 to $40,000. She said one person will be retained to administer the existing endowments and Foundation officials will probably ask the City for enough space in the Hult Center for that person. She said the change is important and needed. She said Arts Foundation officials will work with the arts groups instead of competing with them for funds. Replying to a question from Ms. Ehrman, Ms. Bascom said all the arts groups have financial troubles from time to time and that is true of arts groups nationally. She said the groups are very important to the city. Ms. Wooten said the Hult Center was listed as one of seven great acoustical performing halls in a book published by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. I. Joint Social Services Fund Ms. Bascom said the process of allocating the joint social services fund went we 11 thi s year. e Ms. Ehrman discussed preparation of a local social service plan. J. Hayward Field Coalition Mr. Rutan said he has been representing the City on a committee composed of representatives of many organizations interested in renovating Hayward Field. He will serve as chairperson of the local committee. K. Airport Financing Subcommittee Mr. Rutan said Assistant Manager Dave Whitlow has kept him informed of airport expansion activities even though the Airport Financing Subcommittee has not met recently. He said Wildish Construction Company, a local company, submitted the low bid and received the contract. He invited all councilors to a groundbreaking ceremony on June 15, 1987, at 10 a.m. Answering a question, Mr. Whitlow said Phase 1 of the airport expansion involves improvements to the parking lots, road system, landscaping, and lighting systems. Work on the terminal will begin in December 1987 or January 1988. e MINUTES--Eugene City Council May 18, 1987 Page 3 e L. Budget Committee Mr. Rutan said the budget process went well this year. He said council discussions focused on only a few of the many items in the budget. Ms. Wooten said several budget committee members requested a process session. M. Southern Willamette Private Industry Council (SWPIC) Mr. Rutan said Lori Swansan does an outstanding job in managing the SWPIC. He said the programs are excellent and practical and serve the people of Lane County. He said people get jobs as a result of the programs. N. Legislative Subcommittee Mr. Rutan said he enjoys his work on the Legislative Subcommittee. He said the Intergovernmental Relations staff is excellent and does a fine job. O. Council Committee on Economic Diversification (CCED) Mr. Rutan said the CCED is considering and identifying ongoing programs such as infrastructure and support systems and some target programs. He said the CCED considerations will be presented to the council. P. Audit Subcommittee e Mr. Rutan reported that the subcommittee met with the City.s auditors and found that Financial Director Warren Wong "knows what he is doing'" Q. Joint Parks Committee Ms. Schue said the proposed Laure lwood Golf Course expansi on is bei ng processed but the Joint Parks Committee worked out a compromise with the Fairmount Neighbors. She said the citizen involvement element of the Parks Master Plan probably will be amended. R. Metropolitan Policy Committee (MPC) Ms. Schue said the MPC met and the rotation system should have resulted in a Eugene representative being chairperson but Lee Beyer, a Springfield councilor, was elected chairperson. Later, Ms. Ehrman said Eugene representatives may be in an awkward position because Mr. Beyer is a City employee. Ms. Schue said the title to Alton Baker Park probably will be transferred to Eugene. s. Regional Organizations Ms. Schue bri efly di scussed the Lane Council of Governments, the Oregon Association of Regional Councils, the Steering Committee of the National League of Cities Transportation and Communication Committee, and League of e MINUTES--Eugene City Council May 18, 1987 Page 4 e Oregon Cities (LOC) on which she serves. She said Pacific Northwest Bell (PNB) representatives indicated in a LOC committee meeting that they were not happy with the franchise negotiations in Eugene. She also said the LOC convention will be held in Portland for two years in a row. It will be in Eugene in 1989. She said LOC members want to meet in Portland when the Oregon Legislature meets. T. Future of Our Library Committee Ms. Ehrman said the Future of Our Library Committee is evaluating sites. Most of the sites are city-owned. She said a tour of other libraries was interesting. u. Eugene Celebration Answering a question from Mr. Rutan, Ms. Ehrman said no councilors serve on the 1987 Eugene Celebration Steering Committee. V. Ad Hoc Committee for 5th Avenue Improvements Ms. Ehrman said the council will receive a recommendation from the Ad Hoc Committee for 5th Avenue Improvements for improvements along 5th Avenue from Willamette to Pearl Streets. She said $50,000 for the improvements was included in this year's budget. Owners of abutting properties will be assessed for the improvements also. e Ms. Ehrman discussed the committee's recommendation and said it will cost more than anticipated. There is a sidewalk in front of the Oregon Electric Station; therefore, the owner cannot be assessed even though the committee wants to reconstruct that sidewalk so it will be like the sidewalks in the rest of the block. Responding to a comment from Ms. Wooten about the need for a comprehensive design for the entire area, Ms. Ehrman said committee members are reviewing a plan for the entire area. She said they think the area is unique and begins on the mall and extends to the Willamette River. She said it may take 10 to 15 years to implement the design for the whole area because of the cost. Answering questions from Mr. Bennett, Ms. Ehrman and Mr. Whitlow discussed the systems development fund which will be used for part of the project costs. Mr. Bennett said the committee should be careful about using artificial materials. He also said the project should not take 10 to 15 years to complete. W. Eugene/Springfield Tourist and Convention Bureau and the Eugene/Springfield Metropolitan Partnership Mayor Obie said he represents the council on the Board of Directors of the Tourist and Convention Bureau and the Metropolitan Partnership. He said he will defend the council's action in decreasing contri but ions to those organizations because the budgets of City departments have also been cut. e MINUTES--Eugene City Council May 18, 1987 Page 5" e e e , Mayor Obie said the Partnership has many inquiries from business managers about locating businesses here. x. Pleasures of Working with the Council Mr. Miller said he enjoys learning about the council and City activities. He said he also enjoys council processes and the creativity that comes from conflict. He said he is happy to be part of a group that has made an impact on the city. For example, the 7th Avenue widening makes traveling easier. Mr. Bennett said he is on the Central Retail Management Committee and the Central Marketing Committee and he enjoys those activities because of his interest in the downtown. He said he enjoys all his committee assignments. He said he is evaluating the organization of his time and schedule because council activities take more time than he expected. He said serving on the council is more complex than he anticipated but he appreciates the challenge. Ms. Wooten said she is glad the councilors take opportunities to be friends. She said she feels an obligation and responsibility about the council's working, thinking, and acting together although sometimes the processes and results are frustrating. She said serving on the council is a pleasure. Ms. Bascom sa i d she enjoys bei ng the "poi nt personll on the council for thi ngs she cares about. She said she receives many telephone calls from constituents and she enjoys being part of the political process in the city. Mr. Rutan said he enjoys his work on the council. He said the councilors work together in a positive way and the results of council deliberations are positive actions for the city. Ms. Schue said she especially enjoys her contacts with people in other jurisdictions. Ms. Ehrman said new councilors sometimes have to change priorities and the way they work with other councilors. She said she usually receives telephone calls only about major issues. She would like more public participation. She said constituents often do not realize how councilors vote. Sometimes she gets blamed for council action she opposed. She said she represented herself as a liberal and feels her votes reflect her representation. She said she of tens feels compelled to defend City actions. She said she enjoys the business trips councilors take and the dinner and lunch meetings. She does not know if she will run again. She said the airport expansion is a successful council project and she hopes the downtown renovation and the Riverfront Research Park are also successful. Mayor Obi e said he enjoys successful Ci ty projects such as the airport expansion and the Sister City Program. He said such projects prove that perseverance and diligence get results. He said the councilors have demonstrated leadership and he enjoys working with them. Responding to a request from Mayor Obie, City Manager Micheal Gleason said the council has shown much excellent leadership. He said the council sets goals and stays with the goals. MINUTES--Eugene City Council May 18, 1987 Page 6 Mayor Obie recessed the meeting for about ten minutes at 7:50 p.m. ~ II. PROCESS FOR FINANCIAL PRIORITIZATION Mr. Miller said he would like to work with the staff to develop a process that the council could use at its next goal-setting session to establish service priorities. He said the process would be used when the council sets its goals but consideration of the process would not anticipate decisions about goals or budget priorities. Mr. Miller discussed the budget process used in the past and said changes were negotiated by the Budget Committee and City Council after the Executive Budget is prepared. He would like to propose a process for involvement before the Executive Budget is prepared. The process would delineate agreements and identify a negotiating process for disagreements. Disagreements would then be resolved and direction given to the City Manager for use in preparing the Executive Budget. Mayor Obie pointed out that forecasts indicate the City will have a $1.5 million shortfall in FY89. e Answering questions. Mr. Miller said the process he will propose will lead to an understanding of disagreements about the budget, to testing priorities against each other. and to considering the consequences. He said the process would deal with the City's expected $1.5 million shortfall by identifying priorities before the Executive Budget is prepared. The process would enable the council to act instead of react. It might make the financial policies more specific. The process might identify lIpublic safety" and an acceptable service level for public safety and indicate the impact on the system of giving public safety a priority. Other councilors discussed Mr. Miller's proposal for some time. They asked him to work with the staff and present a specific proposal within a month. III. PROPOSAL TO INCREASE ROOM TAX 1 PERCENT Ms. Wooten distributed copies of a proposal to raise the Transient Room Tax from 7 percent to 8 percent. The increase in the tax would provide a revenue stream to repay the bonds for the renovation and marketing of Hayward Field. to develop and market destination point infrastructure and facilities, and to create marketing and program support for the merger and advancement of cultural programs in the city. She said the 1 percent increase in the room tax would generate about $120,000 annually and the goal of her proposal is to increase destination point activities and tourism. Ms. Wooten referred to the proposed .5 percent increase for the renovation of Hayward Field. She said her proposal is a draft and is based on the natural resources, cultural resources. and athletic resources of the community. She said the Cuthbert Amphitheatre is an example of natural resources, the Hult Center is an example of cultural resources, and Hayward Field is an example of e MINUTES--Eugene City Council May 18, 1987 Page 7 e athletic resources. She discussed uses for those and other resources such as the Shelton-McMurphey House and Autzen Stadium and said her proposal combines all the resources into one program. She emphasized that she supports the renovation of Hayward Field but that marketing the renovated field will be essential. Ms. Wooten said most people go places for special events and corporate sponsorship for special events is very important. She proposed a $.50 per ticket fee, a 5 percent gross sales ticket office commission, and a competitive rental fee for facilities. She stressed the need for long-term financing of facilities for destination point and tourism activities because they should be part of an integrated economic diversification program. Ms. Ehrman suggested the council consider funding Ms. Wooten's proposal with a restaurant tax. Ms. Wooten said she supported a restaurant tax in the past. Ms. Ehrman said a restaurant tax will produce more money than a 1 percent increase in the room tax. Mayor Obie said council consideration of Ms. Wooten's proposal at this time would be unfortunate because the motel and hotel industry.s support for a .5 percent room tax increase for the Hayward Field renovation is fragile. He sa i d fi nanci a 1 support for the renovation shoul d be assured before other proposals are considered. He said consideration of more than a .5 percent increase in the room tax might jeopardize the Hayward Field renovation. He said a specific program or vision is necessary and should be identified before funding is considered. e Ms. Wooten said the City has not had a vision for destination point and tourism activities and her proposal is the first step in developing a vision. She emphasized the need for marketing. She said it will be difficult to increase the room tax twice. Ms. Schue said more information and discussion from the staff is needed about Ms. Wooten's proposal. She pointed out that the Hayward Field renovation proposal is specific and has been discussed by many people for many months. She discussed Indianapolis, Indiana. Responding to her question, Mr. Whitlow said a report from the Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services Department about special events and destination point activities will be presented to the council in about a month. Ms. Bascom said hotel and motel owners testified before the Budget Committee that room tax funds should be used to increase their business. Mr. Miller said he agreed with Mayor Obie's statement that financing for the Hayward Field renovation should be approved before other proposals are considered. He said he needs the report from the Parks Department, information about destination point activities, data to indicate how people and industries would benefit, and justification before Ms. Wooten's proposal is considered formally. Mr. Rutan said CCED will be discussing destination point activities. He said the council shoul d focus its attention on goals and the council needs to decide whether it wants to attract a few big events or many small events. e MINUTES--Eugene City Council May 18, 1987 Page 8 e Mr. Bennett said the creation of jobs is the object of economic diversification in his opinion and he does not know how destination point activities create jobs. He said the Hult Center creates permanent jobs in the community and he supports the Hayward Field renovation because of the jobs track and field events create. For example, people come before and stay after track and field events. He said he needs information about how many jobs will be created by destination point activities. Ms. Wooten said she does tourism development professionally. She discussed current trends in the service and tourism industries and said jobs are created although they are not family wage jobs. Ms. Bascom said the funding for the Hayward Field renovation should be established before other proposals are considered. She said Ms. Wooten's proposal seems to have merit but the organization of the Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Services Department needs to be stabilized before new services are added. She said she will support raising the room tax for a well- developed proposal to increase tourism. Mayor Obie suggested the council review the report about special events from the Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services Department and then consider Ms. Wooten's proposal. He said CCED should review the report before the council considers it. Answering a question from Mr. Bennett, Mr. Rutan said CCED will present general recommendations in the program and special project areas to the council. e IV. ROLE OF AIRPORT COMMISSION Mayor Obie referred to an April 30, 1987, letter from Louise Wicks, Chairperson of the Eugene Airport Commission, to the Mayor and City Council. The letter concerned the Airport Commission's role in the expansion of the Mahlon Sweet Airport terminal. Mr. Whitlow said the Airport Commission proposed the creation of a project oversight committee that would meet regularly with the project staff to receive reports about such things as bids, the project budget, change orders, and schedul e. The proposal i ncl udes a suggestion that the subcommittee chairperson report to the council once a month on the project. He said the airport must continue to operate during the construction and the subcommittee could discuss continuing operations. Mr. Rutan favored the suggestion. He emphasized that the subcommittee should not make decisions about the construction. Ms. Schue and Mayor Obie said the subcommittee should serve as a sounding board as the Civic Center Commission served during construction of the Hult Center. e MINUTES--Eugene City Council May 18, 1987 Page 9 e Ms. Ehrman said a monthly written report from the subcommittee and a quarterly meeting with the chairperson would be sufficient. Answering her question, Mr. Whitlow said the subcommittee will report to the Airport Commission about the construction. Ms. Bascom cautioned about too much interference from committees during construction. Mayor Obie directed the staff to present the council with a written proposal that includes parameters for the subcommittee. v. NUCLEAR FREE ZONE TASK FORCE Mr. Rutan said the objective of the Nuclear Free Zone Task Force was to respect the people who passed the ordinance and to convert the ordinance into a legal, constitutional, realistic, and enforceable document. Mr. Bennett said he and Ms. Wooten were appointed to the task force with instructions to address issues such as the economic impact of the ordinance as well as technical, legal issues. He said some other people felt the task force should address only technical, legal issues. As a result, he and Ms. Wooten wrote the council about their perceptions of the instructions and he later restated the perceptions at a council meeting. However, at the council meeting on May 13, Ms. Schue seemed to indicate that the ordinance should be implemented and Commemoration Day activities planned. He asked the council for specific instructions. e Mr. Rutan said the City Attorney indicated that the legal and substantive questions about the Nuclear Free Zone Ordinance are so fundamental that the task force should not assume the legality of any parts of the ordinance. Ms. Schue said many cities have legal nuclear free zone ordinances. She said the requirement for a Commemoration Day did not seem to be controversial but there may be other issues that are not technically legal issues that need to be modifi ed. Mr. Miller said he is concerned about the cost of Commemoration Day activities. Mayor Obie said the council told the task force to implement the sections of the ordinance concerning entrance signs and letters to officials and to report to the council about other things. He said he, too, is concerned about the cost of the Commemoration Day. Ms. Wooten said the ordinance is very complex and technical and the task force is doing well. She said the observance of Commemoration Day did not seem controversial or political. Mr. Bennett said the issue he raises is whether the objective of the voters should be considered by the task force when it considers issues other than the technical, legal ones. e MINUTES--Eugene City Council May 18, 1987 Page 10 e Mayor Obie said the council did not direct the task force specifically to interpret the objective of the voters. He said the task force was directed to address the legal, technical, and financial issues concerning the ordinance. Mr. Rutan said the task force should make recommendations to the council. He said he does not favor implementing any more parts of the ordinance until the council receives recommendations about them. He emphasized that the Commemoration Day is controversial. Ms. Wooten said the task force directed a subcommittee to plan a Commemoration Day observance and the plans will be submitted to the council. She said the task force is addressing more than the legal and technical pre-emption constitutional issues. The task force is considering such things as the scope of the ordinance and the composition, duties, and enforcement capability of the Nuclear Free Zone Board. Ms. Ehrman said the council must attempt to implement the ordinance because it is the law and the council will face a legal challenge if it does not show good faith and implement some of the ordinance. Ms. Schue agreed with Ms. Ehrman, but she said the City should not spend much money on a Commemoration Day. She suggested a ci vi c group be asked to do something appropriate. Answering a question from Ms. Bascom, Ms. Wooten said the four issues the task force was charged with addressing are being addressed. e Answering questions from Ms. Wooten, Ms. Ehrman said Mr. Rutan does not favor implementing any more parts of the ordinance until the task force has finished its work. Mayor Obie said the council directed the task force to study the ordinance and make recommendations about how to deal with it. The council did not direct the task force to implement the ordinance. Mr. Miller wondered if the effective date of the ordinance had been suspended. Mr. Gleason said the City Attorney indicated the penalty provisions of the ordinance should not be implemented because they are vague. He said parts of the ordinance are being implemented with the consent of the council. Other parts of the ordinance are being studied by the task force. Mayor Obie directed the task force to present a recommendation to the council about a Commemoration Day observance. VI. URBAN RENEWAL AGENCY MEETING ON JUNE 2 Answering a question from Ms. Ehrman, Mr. Gleason said the council will meet as the Urban Renewal Agency on June 2. The council probably will set goals and review specific proposals. Ms. Wooten said she is concerned about the way the downtown is being redeveloped and the way the redevelopment is communicated to the public. She e MINUTES--Eugene City Council May 18, 1987 Page 11 e e e said there does not seem to be a vision of what the redevelopment should accompl ish. She wondered how she can express her idea of what the redevelopment should look like. She said the public should know about redevelopment plans and not be surprised at new proposals. She said she wants a map that indicates changes to be made. Ms. Bascom said a May 14 memo from Development Director Abe Farkas answered many of her questions. It reviewed the Downtown Commission and Planning Commission discussions. VII. HISTORIC PRESERVATION OF SHELTON-MCMURPHEY HOUSE Mayor Obie said he is concerned about historic structures in the City. He said the Shelton-McMurphey House is an asset to the community and was willed to the Lane County Historical Museum. Ms. Wooten said the Shelton-McMurphey House Task Force plans for the future of the house and Lane County probably would be willing to transfer the title to the house to the City. She said City Public Works Department employees have done some work on the grounds but private organizations often maintain historic homes. Mr. Bennett said historic structures need to have an economic use. Several councilors discussed historic homes in other cities. Ms. Bascom asked for a report about the Shelton-McMurphey House. Mayor Obie suggested the report include a proposal for its use. VIII. HENDRICKS PARK Mayor Obie suggested public involvement in Hendricks Park be increased. He suggested a terrace cafe in the park be considered. Ms. Schue liked his suggestion. Several councilors discussed eating facilities in parks in other cities. Ms. Ehrman said a master plan for the park is being prepared. Mr. Gleason said the Owens Rose Garden is beautiful now. Mayor Obie adjourned the meeting at 9:45 p.m. ~~.' ~(~ Micheal Gleason City Manager (Recorded by Betty Lou Rarick) MINUTES--Eugene City Council May 18, 1987 Page 12 ----