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HomeMy WebLinkAbout09/16/1987 Meeting M I NUT E S e Eugene City Council McNutt Room--City Hall September 16, 1987 11:30 a.m. COUNCILORS PRESENT: Freeman Holmer, Ruth Bascom, Jeff Miller, Roger Rutan, Emily Schue, Robert Bennett, Cynthia Wooten. COUNCILORS ABSENT: Debra Ehrman. The adjourned meeting of the City Council of Eugene, Oregon, was called to order by His Honor Mayor Brian B. Obie. 1. ITEMS FROM MAYOR, CITY COUNCIL, AND CITY MANAGER A. Meeting Time Mr. Rutan requested clarification of whether lunch meetings were to begin at 11:30 a.m. or at noon. B. Hayward Field e Mr. Rutan reported that Assistant City Manager Dave Whitlow and he had met with representatives of the University of Oregon Athletic Department about an intergovernmental agreement for the use of newly renovated faci 1 i tie.s at Hayward Field. He said the first phase of the project had been completed, with a warm-up track at 18th Avenue and Agate Street and a Master Plan for other developments to be addressed in the next phases. Mr. Rutan added that the issue of Springfield room tax funds had not been resolved, but an agreement with Springfield would be sought, and the issue would be brought back to the City Council through a memo or meeting agenda item. C. Housing Mr. Bennett said residents of his ward had expressed concerns about a house being moved into an in-fill lot in the Laurel Hill neighborhood. He said he agreed with judgments that the structure was not in keeping with the general tone of the neighborhood. He also said the Building Code apparently allowed a foundation to be installed over a considerable period of time and included no provisions for site review. He asked whether the issue was a concern in other areas of the city and said he favored pursuing the matter in some way. Mr. Bennett added that he favored development of lots, but he thought they should fit in with the existing area and should not disrupt the neighborhood. e MINUTES--Eugene City Council September 16, 1987 Page 1 Ms. Schue said some residents in her area were upset at the appearance of a house that had been moved in and not finished. Ms, Bascom said she agreed with e the concerns expressed and thought the issue of timing should be addressed. Mr. Holmer asked whether certificates of required for occupancy were habitation of residences. Mr, Gleason said certificates of occupancy were required for habitation, but concerns still applied to structures that were unoccupied. He suggested that staff work with Mr, Bennett on the issue and bring back a proposal. Ms. Schue and Mayor Obie requested that staff attempt to address the issues of finishing work and site review for houses being moved. Mr. Gleason said he thought the process might require code amendments and perhaps a public hearing before the Planning Commission, Responding to Mr, Bennett's request, Ms, Schue agreed to assist with efforts to address the issue. D. Cultural Affairs Ms. Bascom complimented the Mayor's presentation and the video at yesterday's lunch with the Oregon Transportation Commission. Ms. Bascom reported that nine hours of the Oregon Bach Festival had been featured on the Canadian Broadcasting Company last Saturday and Sunday. She said she would playa short excerpt of the broadcast at the joint meeting of the City Council and the County Commissioners. She added that Lane County had e assisted with the broadcast, which had received laudatory comments and had been aired around the world. E. League of Oregon Cities Ms. Schue reported that the League of Oregon Cities planned to hold a goal- setting session next Wednesday. She said councilors could give suggestions and comments for the session to her, F. Solar Access Ordinance Mr. Miller said attempts were being made to arrange meetings regarding the City Solar Access Ordinance. He said communication appeared to be improving, and he suggested postponing a decision until a meeting could be held to address language in the ordinance. He said issues included interpretation of the ordinance, adding that he thought a resolution was possible that would allow protection of access and support from the building industry. Ms. Wooten suggested that meetings include proponents of the ordinance, such as the Willamette Valley Solar Energy Association, EWEB, the League of Women Voters, the Department of Energy, and others. Mr. Gleason said the item would be on the City Council agenda of September 28. He said he would meet with staff and would attempt to hear all interests in reaching a compromise. e MINUTES--Eugene City Council September 16, 1987 Page 2 Ms. Bascom suggested allowing the ordinance to go into effect as planned on October 1. She said she favored beginning the process and letting it evolve. e Ms. Schue said she agreed with Ms, Wooten abo~t including all interested parties, in addition to builders. Mr. Rutan said he also agreed with Ms. Wooten and supported Mr, Miller's efforts to inform and involve all parties in discussions. Mr. Miller said he thought the issue was technical and complex and needed the informal involvement of staff. He agreed to work with staff to include all parties in meetings in an attempt to develop an agreement for submission to the City Council. Ms. Bascom said she thought details would need to be worked out as the ordinance was implemented, and not before. Mr. Bennett said he would appreciate being kept informed of the issue, adding that he continued to support a comprehensive solar ordinance and a win-win agreement. G, Towing Mr. Holmer said citizens were complaining about a new towing company that enforced parking regulations on private property. He said complaints claimed that inaccurate prices had been posted and corrective action might be possible under the City's ordinance. Mr. Holmer asked to be informed of any related situations that came to councilors' attention. e Mr. Holmer said he was nervous about invading rights of privacy in addressing the housing issue discussed earlier today. He sa i d he agreed that some standards were appropriate, but he was not sure how far regulations could or should govern appearance. H. Council Process Session Ms, Wooten said she had requested that the Nuclear Free Zone Task Force and the human rights commissions be added to the list of topics for the upcoming Council process session. Councilors said a proposal for a voters pamphlet would be on the list of topics. Mayor Obie asked how councilors favored proceeding during the annual council goals session. He said he favored addressing future visions for the community and having a work plan ahead of time. Mr, Holmer suggested meeting without a facil itator. Ms. Wooten said she did not favor that idea. 1. Ya-Po-Ah Terrace Ms. Wooten requested that Public Service Officer Deborah Evans follow up on a petition being circulated to designate the Ya-Po-Ah Terrace a "Whistle Free Zone." She said elderly residents had complained of not being able to sleep at night. Mr. Gleason said staff had attempted to work out a solution between representatives of Southern-Pacific railroad and residents of Ya-Po-Ah e MINUTES--Eugene City Council September 16, 1987 Page 3 Terrace, but attempts had not been very successful. He agreed to report back to the counci 1. e J. Parks Mayor Obie reported that a petition about a park in Ms. Bascom's ward had been received at Monday's council meeting. He said he thought a response was needed. Mr, Rutan said Ms. Schue and he had raised the issue at a recent Joint Parks meeting. He said signs had been installed last Friday and stated that the park would be closed from midnight to 6 a.m. Mr. Rutan said residents had asked for closure from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. and they would be notified of the action. K, Vietnam Memorial Plaque Ms. Wooten asked about a planned installation of a plaque for the Vietnam Memorial Wall. Ms. Schue said the plaque had been cast, and installation was underway. Mr, Rutan said an installation ceremony would be held during the Eugene Celebration, on Sunday from noon to 2 p.m. L. Miscellaneous Mayor Obie thanked Ms. Bascom and Linda Lynch for their work with the Oregon Transportation Commission. Mayor Obie asked about a building being planned for the County Fairgrounds. Lane County Administrator Jim Johnson said he was aware of no building plans at the fairgrounds. e II. LANE COUNTY TOURISM REPORT City Manager Micheal Gleason introduced the item, noting that Lane County had been working on a master plan for tourism. Lane County Administrator Jim Johnson introduced Margaret Drivas, director of the County tourism program. Mr. Johnson reviewed history of the program, and Ms. Drivas reviewed plan implementation and evaluation of the tourism program. Mr. Johnson said tourism had been identified for enhancement at a goals session held in January of 1986. A one-percent increase in the room tax also had been adopted and was expected to raise about $200,000 per year for tourism efforts, he said. He said the Board of Commissioners had appointed an advisory tourism counci 1, which then had pursued a three-phase effort consisting of: 1) a marketing research study; 2) development of a three-year marketing plan, which was adopted in 1986; and 3) implementation. Mr. Johnson said implementation activities included two commercials for tourism in Lane County. He showed tapes of those television advertisements, not i ng that they featured 1 oca 1 actors and had been produced by a 1 oca 1 advertising firm. Mr. Johnson said the theme of the commercials,featuring experiences of people and places and excuses for staying in Lane County, would e MINUTES--Eugene City Council September 16, 1987 Page 4 be repeated in other spots highlighting golf, the Bach Festival and other musical events, the County Fair, local track, and wineries. He said the spots e would be shown in Portland, Bend, Central Oregon, and the Medford and Northern California areas, as well as being translated to the Coast and the upper Willamette Valley. He added that local showings of the spots were intended to enhance local pride and awareness. Ms, Dr;vas noted that material on County tourism strategies had been sent to councilors. She said a visitor's guide was expected to be published soon and would feature a river-rafting scene on the cover. She said the guide would include descriptions of places in Lane County, of accommodations and restaurants, a calendar of events, suggested tours, and activity maps. She added that tour packages were available as part of the plan, and a number of groups already were committed to those packages. Ms. Drivas said inserts to the guide would provide information from the Chamber of Commerce, the Metropolitan Partnership, or other agencies. Ms. Dr;vas said the broadcast of the Oregon Bach Festival was one of eight special projects selected for the first round of funding as complements to the tourism plan. She said 26 requests, totaling $138,000 in project funds, had been received for about $30,000 in available funds, which she said indicated immediate interest. Ms. Drivas .said County staff planned to assist with other area festivals, with a staffed tourist information booth at Saturday Market, and with advance promotional activities for the 1989 world games at Hayward Field and for the "1989 (third annual) International World Congress of Colored Sheep.1I She added that a second cycle of projects would be awarded for the 1988 season, and applications for that cycle would be taken this fall. It Ms. Dr;vas said the tourism council had expressed interest in a hospitality program to make residents aware of the value of tourism and to help with their role as hosts for visitors to the area. She said staff also had been involved in attending trade shows, where research was showing strong interest in the Northwest as a new vacation area. Ms, Drivas said results of the television commercials were not final, but the Convention and Visitors Bureau had reported 227 requests to the 800 phone number since August. She added that those requests appeared to occur when commercials were aired. Ms. Drivas sa i d a study of target areas had been conducted to measure awareness before the tourism program, and another would be conducted after the program. She said the first study had shown very low awareness of Lane County as a destination. Ms. Wooten asked how the study had referred to the Lane County area, adding that she thought people might be familiar with Eugene but might not know that it was in Lane County. Ms. Drivas said she thought the study had referred to Lane County and to specific destinations in Lane County. Ms. Drivas said information in the study would be kept updated through periodic reviews. She sa i d a visitor-intercept questionnaire had been administered this summer with assistance from the University of Oregon, and such surveys were expected to continue periodically throughout the plan. She e MINUTES--Eugene City Council September 16, 1987 Page 5 said the most recent summer survey had indicated increases in the number of visitors from Portland and from Northern California, as well as indicating e that many visitors had chosen Eugene as a destination and were not just passing through the area. She added that it was important to keep information current in order to help refine advertising campaigns and to meet requirements for special project funds. Ms. Drivas said evaluation of the program would include examination of room tax receipts. She noted that those revenues would experience some natural increase and would have to be compared with overall results to indicate conclusions about the program. Ms. Drivas said she thought one of the most important areas of evaluation would be the amount of participation by the tourism and travel industry, including cooperative funding. She said two local wineries already had agreed to assist with funding for that part of the campaign. She also said the first printing of the Visitor's Guide had been largely paid for with cooperative funding, Ms. Drivas said tourism was the third largest item in the national economy and was highly competitive. She reported that good cooperation had been received from agencies throughout the county and that those agencies also had praised the efforts of the Convention and Visitors Bureau. Ms. Drivas said the US Chamber of Commerce had indicated in a study about two years ago that 24 visitors a day would have the same cash expenditure impact a s a sma 11 factory with an annual payroll of $100,000. She also said a previous study had showed more than 5,000 jobs, $222 million in business e receipts, and $40 million in annual payroll related to Lane County tourism. Ms. Drivas said she would leave copies of information in the City Manager1s Office for review. Mr. Johnson expressed appreciation for the cooperation and good work of the Convention and Visitors Bureau. Mr. Holmer said destination point development was a long-term objective and the plan was for three years. He asked whether the plan was intended to be a permanent commitment of the County. Mr. Johnson said the County program was permanent, but a three-year time frame had been chosen to start. III. LEGISLATIVE WRAP-UP City Manager Mi chea 1 Gleason introduced the item. Linda Lynch of the Intergovernmental Relations Division presented the staff report. Ms. Schue said the Legislative Subcommittee had held ten meetings, and results were reported in information sent with agenda packets. Ms, Lynch reviewed the 1987 Legislative Report, noting that fiscal impacts were described on the last two pages. She said legislative successes had resulted in about $30 million in project investments and had occurred because of a strong leadership role by the City Council and strong support from the Lane County delegation and staff in City departments. e MINUTES--Eugene City Council September 16, 1987 Page 6 Ms. Schue said this was the first year the subcommittee had tried a set of legislative policies, and they had worked very well. e Mr. Gleason said he thought the City currently enjoyed a unique level of influence, whi ch he attri buted to cooperation from the County and other delegations. He said testimony from city councilors and mayors also was a strong influence. Mr, Gleason added that one area to be worked on in the future was appointments to State boards and commissions. Ms. Schue noted that a major effort had gone into the passage of an increase in the State gas tax. She praised the cooperation with the State Department of Transportation and the work of the League of Oregon Cities, as well as staffs from Port 1 and and Eugene, particularly Terry Smith of the Pub 1 i c Works Department. Mayor Obie complimented Ms. Lynch for her work with the Legislative process, noting that she also had received praise from other lobbyists outside the City. He added that he appreciated the work of the Legislative Subcommittee and noted that out of 2,700 bills submitted to the Legislature, 900 had passed. Mr. Holmer moved to approve the September 10, 1987, Legislative Subcommittee minutes; to commend the subcommittee and staff for all of the work they accomplished; and to approve the 1987 Legislative Subcommittee Report. The motion was seconded and carried, 7:0. e IV. WORK SESSION: REPORT ON RESULTS OF PARKS AND RECREATION MARKETING SURVEY City Manager Micheal Gleason introduced the item. Parks, Recreation and Cultural Servi ces Di rector Ed Smi th presented background and revi ewed the purpose of the marketing study, described in the agenda item summary. He introduced Carrie Matsushita of the PARCS Department, who presented the staff report. Ms. Matsushita said the survey had been conducted using a combination of mail and telephone interviews, 46 of which had been completed. She revi ewed results of the survey and their implications for delivery of PARCS services. Ms. Matsushita noted that the reported participation rate of 80 percent was higher than percentages reported by other cities in similar studies. She said the most frequently vi si ted parks, in order, were Skinner Butte Park, Hendricks Park, and Amazon Park, adding that such information offered insights into allocation of maintenance resources. Ms. Matsushita said the survey indicated that the more people used PARCS services, the more satisfied they were with those services. She added that staff was attempting to encourage more use of parks through special events such as concerts in the parks or by adding equipment such as picnic tables. e MINUTES--Eugene City Council September 16, 1987 Page 7 Ms. Matsushita said 96 percent of respondents had indicated that they were livery satisfiedll with the level of parks maintenance; she added that comments e received had been related more to behavioral problems than to maintenance. She said 96 percent of respondents also had agreed that parks and recreation services made positive contributions to quality of life and to the City.s livability, adding that nonusers and well as users had placed high value on quality of life. Ms, Matsushita said the survey had asked about the level of support for capital improvement projects in the Master Plan, and the top three projects had been an indoor pool, extension of the Ridgeline Trail, and (not included in the plan) improvements to Cuthbert Amphitheater. Four out of ten households had reported that at least one family member had participated in a recreation activity over the past 12 months, and more than 60 percent of those had returned. Ms. Matsushita said those results indicated that staff needed to concentrate resources on keeping customers, as well as attracting them initially. More than 40 percent of respondents 55 years or older had reported visiting a senior center, and 18 percent of respondents had participated in specialized recreation programs. Ms. Matsushita added that staff would attempt to respond to an increasingly older population by ensuring that facilities could meet the increasing demand. Ms. Matsushita said the department was at maximum capacity for serving the needs of persons with disabilities, adding that a new facility was needed and on the horizon. e The survey had indicated that cost, in addition to motivation, was a factor in use of facilities and services, with 64 percent of low-income respondents reporting that they never had visited a parks and recreation facility. Ms. Matsushita said staff had been di sheartened by those findings and was concerned about making sure that recreation was accessible to all populations. She added that the income segment least likely to use recreation facilities were households earning $50,000 or more per year. Ms. Matsushita said commitments to work and other activities were the major reported obstacles to participation, and she said convenience was becoming increasingly important, with trends moving toward providing services near work sites. Ms. Matsushita noted that one-third of respondents had reported belonging to a private or commercial recreation establishment such as the YMCA. She said she thought that figure seemed high but added that those people also appeared to be participating in City-sponsored activities. Ms. Wooten asked how those figures compared to those of other cities. Ms. Matsushita said that had not been examined. Ms. Matsushita reported that staff was examining available statistics about neighborhoods and demographics, social concerns such as youth at-risk, the increasing demand for convenience, and the increase in the pre-school-age population. e MINUTES--Eugene City Council September 16, 1987 Page 8 Ms. Bascom asked about the relation between low-income participation rates and the elimination of wading pools. She said residents in her neighborhood had e raised private funds for operation of a wading pool, She said the pool was heavily used, and availability of wading pools appeared to be even more important in low-income neighborhoods and with increasing numbers of preschoolers. She asked about efforts to address those concerns. Ms. Wooten said the wading pool at Monroe Street Park was in a low-income area, where many families were busy working or could not afford to give money. She said the neighborhood had attempted to raise funds through a parking program at Lincoln School duri ng the Lane County Fair, but those funds were not sufficient to pay for a supervisor during the times needed. She said the pool also drained badly, adding that her feelings were hurt to realize that the City apparently could not operate a wading pool in a public park for a low- income neighborhood. Ms. Bascom requested costs for operating low-income wading pools as part of next year's budget. Mr. Rutan said he thought the survey reflected several national trends, such as a more active population and increasing numbers of seniors and youth. He noted that those trends were resulting in an exponential increase in use of parks services and facilities, particularly in the Eugene community. Ms. Schue said she thought the potential existed for more involvement by volunteers. Ms. Wooten said volunteers could not be used at wading pools because of liability issues. Mr. Gleason said Mr. Rutan's observation was correct, and the vo 1 ume of activity was increasing faster than the population. He also noted that all significant facilities were from 15 to 30 years old and eventually would e require upgrading or replacements. He added that the Jefferson Pool had been between 35 and 40 years old when it was demolished. Mayor Obie said he thought the parks department seemed to have a lot of "can1t do's,1I adding that he would like to see more IIcan do's.1I He challenged staff to ask whether the City truly had a great program and department, and if not, to develop ways to get there. He thanked staff for the report. Mayor Obie adjourned the meeting at 1:30 p.m. (Recorded by Leslie Scales) mncc0916 - MINUTES--Eugene City Council September 16, 1987 Page 9 e e AGE N D A ,.~ EUGENE CITY COUNCIL _"1I ";PO September 16, 1987 11:30 A.M.--LUNCH/WORK SESSION--MCNUTT ROOM NOON--CITY COUNCIL MEETING MCNUTT ROOM--CITY HALL Adjourned meeting of September 14, 1987; His Honor Mayor Brian B. Obie presiding. Council ors: Debra Ehrman, President Jeff Miller Freeman Holmer, Vice President Roger Rutan Ruth Bascom Emi 1y Schue Robert Bennett Cynthia Wooten e I. ITEMS FROM MAYOR, CITY COUNCIL, AND CITY MANAGER II. LANE COUNTY TOURISM REPORT '\':' III. LEGISLATIVE WRAP-UP ..... . ..~. ES . -:., f-I-+ .. moved, seconded by , to approve the September 10, 1987, Legislative Subcommittee m~ call vote. -;: 0 . ~ V" <f '() IV. WORK SESSION: REPORT ON RESULTS OF PARKS AND RECREATION MARKETING SURVEY e ~ Adjourn to September 23, 1987. PL:je/MINS294 @) Agenda 9/16/87--1