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HomeMy WebLinkAbout12/09/1987 Meeting M I NUT E S e Eugene City Council Work Session/Business Meeting McNutt Room/City Council Chamber December 9, 1987 11:30 a,m. PRESENT: Debra Ehrman, Freeman Holmer, Ruth Bascom, Robert Bennett, Jeff Miller, Roger Rutan (11:30 a.m,-1:30 p.m,), Emily Schue, Cynthia Wooten. The work session for the City Council of the City of Eugene, Oregon was called to order at 11:40 a.m. by His Honor Mayor Brian B. Obie. 1. WORK SESSION: 1987 EUGENE CELEBRATION Celebration committee members introduced themselves and descri bed thei r participation in this year's event. Ms, Smolnisky said this year's Celebration was one of the best ever, thanks to City volunteers and others who donated their time and energy. She stressed the celebration will not be as much of a success if it does not have the e support of the City of Eugene. Ms, Simon said she worked with the publicity aspect of the Celebration. The local merchants welcome the Celebration and are happy to support it. However, Ms. Simon said the council needs to realize the community is limited in the support it can offer, She added the Celebration has grown to the extent where it is a regional destination point. Mr, Mayes said he worked with the architect's show put on at the Hilton Hotel. Mr, Camarda said he was involved with the film and video aspects of the celebration, including the live coverage of the parade. Ms, Graham said she is the University of Oregon's representative and was in charge of opening ceremonies. Mr, Stevens said he 'participated in fund-raising efforts and production of the posters, He said his impression of City staff has greatly improved since he began working with them in connection with the Celebration. Mr. Poston said he helped organize the jazz festival and could not have done it without the assistance of City staff. He said the City of Eugene would lose a tremendous asset if the Celebration was not able to continue. e MINUTES--Eugene City Council December 9, 1987 Page 1 Ms. Waggoner said she has worked on the committee for the past three years. She reiterated earlier comments that the Celebration attracts people from e outlying areas. Mayor abie thanked committee members for their contributions. He said it is not his intent nor that of City staff to discontinue support of the Celebration in future years. The City will be looking for more pri vate support for the celebration and developing major sponsors for the event. He added people should not be concerned about so-called "budget cuts" and their impact on the future Celebrations. Ms. Bascom said she has heard conflicting information about whether the celebration is considered a local or regional event, She asked if it is possible to acquire attendance data. Mr. Denfeld said a two-year old survey of approximately 300 people indicated 17 percent were from outside the Eugene zip code area. Ms. Ehrman said she continues to be supportive of the celebration and is glad the council has decided to work on the budget issue to insure the celebration will continue. Mr, Roan stated that regardless of funding questions, it is critical for the City to remain committed to the celebration. He said one private sponsor discontinued his support because he did not want to be associated with a "dying" event that the City does not support. An expression of support from the City will give the committee more influence in its efforts to attract private sponsors. e Responding to a question from Ms. Graham, Mayor abie said there have not been any feasibility studies conducted to determine the number of sponsors willing to contribute. Mr. Roan said to date the CelebrationIs fund-raising strategy has occurred on a regional basis. This has been done to match a trend of corporations to advertise on a regional level. He pointed out the Celebration is trying not to compete with other local organizations for the same money. Mayor abie said the committee should not be deterred by one sponsor who withdrew his funding for fear the event was becoming unpopular. He said it will become obvious as the budget plans emerge that the City is still in support of the Celebration. Ms. Schue suggested the council should at some point make a formal statement reiterating its support of the Celebration. Mr. Mill er caut i oned aga in st issuing such a statement, He said he does not want the council to get itself in a position of favori ng one program over other worthy programs ita 1 so supports, He said the most pressing question is how to be more creative in maximizing the existing amount of funds. Ms. Bascom asked about the possibility of Celebration events earning money. Mr. Roan said that question will be taken up in future analysis conducted by the commi ttee. e MINUTES--Eugene City Council December 9, 1987 Page 2 Ms. Schue said statements made by the council regarding the future of the Celebration should be realistic about funding and stress that there needs to e be additional support, Any statements made now might be misconstrued by the community, she added. Mr. Camarda said he is confused about how the budget shortfall occurred. Mayor Obie said it is a result of shrinking Federal and State dollars and a levelling of local funds. Mr. Camarda said it might be beneficial for the council to keep the community more informed about the reasons behind the budget problems. Ms. Smolnisky said it is important for the committee to begin its meetings in January to avoid the time shortages that occurred this year. She said this might also help in the resolving some of the private donation issues. Mayor Obie adjourned the work session at 12:14 p,m and called the business meeting of the Eugene City Council to order at 12:20 p,m. in the City Council Chambers. 1. ITEMS FROM THE CITY COUNCIL, MAYOR, AND CITY MANAGER A. National League of Cities Conference Ms. Schue said she and Mr. Bennett will be attending the meeting of the National League of Cities. B. Initiative Petition Process e Mr. Holmer said he discussed with City Attorney Tim Sercombe ways to improve the process for submitting initiative and referendum measures. He and Mr. Sercombe agreed it would be best to draft an ordinance that would require proposed initiatives to be brought before the council for consideration of whether to conduct a public hearing. If the counci 1 chose not to become involved, the ordinance would require the sponsors to hold a public hearing at which time the public could point out administrative, 1 ega 1 , or other problems. Ms, Wooten said she agrees there is a problem. However, she is worried that holding public hearings on a proposed initiative would politicize the measure before it is put before voters. Ms. Ehrman suggested placing the item on the February process discussion. C. Staff Support for Minority Positions Mr. Holmer suggested staff provide more information on minority points of view. While he appreciates the useful information provided by staff, he said it is often difficult on complicated issues for counci 1 members in the minority to receive accurate information about their positions. The council agreed to place the item on the February process discussion. e MINUTES--Eugene City Council December 9, 1987 Page 3 D. Review of Mobile Homes in Residential Subdivisions e Mr, Miller asked about a two-year review that was supposed to have occurred on an ordinance allowing mobile homes and fabricated housing to be constructed in the same subdivision. He said more than two years have passed and he has not received any information about an evaluation. City Manager Mike Gleason said he would look into the issue. E. Parcade Parking Fees Ms. Wooten said she has received several complaints about parking fees in the Parcade during Hult Center performances, Currently, the public is allowed to park free at the Parcade except during Hult Center performances. She said she would like staff to review the history of the practice and inform the council of its value to the City. Acting on a suggestion from Ms. Schue, the parking structure under the Conference Center was added to the review. F. IISafe Timesll on Bike Paths Mr. Rutan said he has had several comments from female joggers who do not feel safe running on the bike paths near the Willamette River. He asked staff to conduct the feasibility of "safe timesll on bike and running paths where police motorcycle patrols would be redirected to cruise the Willamette bike path from the Greenway Bri dge to the Autzen foot bri dge. He suggested these patrols could occur three to seven days a week between the hours of 6:30-8:30 a.m, and 4:30-6:30 p.m. Ms. Ehrman said she endorsed Mr, Rutan's idea, and suggested contacting e running clubs to see if they are interested in volunteering to patrol the paths. Ms. Wooten said she was recently contacted by representatives from martial arts schools who said they would be willing to teach women runners basic self- defense methods through the Police Department. G. Public Safety Evaluation Mr. Rutan said on several recent occasions he has found himself defending to members of the community the City's commitment to public safety. He asked staff if there is a way to obtain an objective, third-party evaluation of the state of public safety in Eugene. Mr. Gleason said statistically Eugene has a low crime rate when compared to the rest of the nation, However, those figures do not register the IIfear" factor produced by the number of transients or panhandlers. He said burglary throughout the country is out of control and is also a problem in Lane County, although local figures are low in comparison. Mr. Rutan reiterated his desire to have statistics and analysis about local crime particularly with the approach of budget evaluations. e MINUTES--Eugene City Council December 9, 1987 Page 4 Ms. Wooten suggested the council also consult the Public Safety Advisory Committee because that committee has an accurate estimate of the fear issue - and the sentiment of the community in general, H, Relocation/Renovation of Housing Structures Mr. Bennett brought up the issue of what should be done about housing structures that are left incomplete and later become eyesores for the rest of the neighborhood. Ms. Schue said there is a house in her neighborhood that is presenting a similar problem. She agreed with Mr. Bennett and said there is a need for an ordinance that requires people to complete their projects, Mr, Holmer said he does not agree there should be such an ordinance because it involves the council in matters of taste. Ms. Wooten said she sympathi zes wi th the problem, although stated she disagrees with such an ordinance because of the problems it would present for people unable to finance the renovation of a house in a certain amount of time. Mr. Bennett said he is not worried about legislating taste. He said he is concerned about someone moving a house into a neighborhood and not being able to finish the improvements. Ms. Schue raised the point that builders of new homes are not allowed to leave them incomplete. Mr. Mill er a s ked if neighborhood covenants place any restrictions on e renovation completions. Mr. Gleason said those covenants are civil agreements and are not enforceable by the City. He added there are fi nanci a 1 restrictions that monitor the completion of new houses. Following a suggestion from Ms. Ehrman, the council agreed to hold a work session on the matter along with any other Building Code enforcement issues. I. Nuclear Free Zone Ordinance Ms. Ehrman clarified comments she made regarding the Nuclear Free Zone ordinance at the December 7 council meeting, After reflecting on her decision that the council should move ahead with a decision, she said she now agrees with the recommendation to address the issue at a later date. She impressed upon staff she would like the City Attorney's office to thoroughly review Option A, J. WOONERF Maintenance Regarding Mr. Holmer's concerns with the lack of maintenance of the WOONERFs, Ms. Ehrman said she is planning to attend the next meeting of the West University Neighbors. e MINUTES--Eugene City Council December 9, 1987 Page 5 K. Trip to Europe e Ms. Ehrman said during her recent trip to Europe that three cities, including Vienna and Salzburg, have malls to attract shoppers. L. Planning Commission Workplan Mayor Obie brought up two issues regarding the recent Planning Commission Workplan. One problem identified by the commission is displaced persons at mobile home parks. Mayor Obie said he is hesitant to have the commission spend a significant amount of time on the issue before it is determined to be a major problem. The work plan noted the commission will not be spending much time on the issue of housing lIat, around and for the University of Oregon,1I according to Mayor Obie. He said he is concerned because of the potential impact the housing issue has on the entire community. Mayor Obie said he would like to encourage the Planning Commission to further explore the matter of University of Oregon housing. Mr. Holmer said he is concerned about possible City involvement in regulating or providing housing for the University of Oregon. Mayor Obie said the extent of the Planning Commission's involvement would be zoning and land use issues. II. APPOINTMENTS: MAYOR'S NOMINATIONS TO THE CITIZEN INVOLVEMENT COMMITTEE, NATURAL RESOURCES ADVISORY COMMITTEE, LOAN ADVISORY COMMITTEE, CONSTRUCTION CODE BOARD OF APPEALS, EMERGENCY MEDICAL e SERVICES BOARD, AND MEDICAL ADVISORY SUBCOMMITTEE City Manager Mike Gleason introduced the item, Ms. Ehrman moved, seconded by Mr. Holmer, to appoint the Mayor's nominations to various City boards and commissions as outlined in the staff memorandum, Ms, Wooten asked why Manley Doane, a Creswell resident, is being nominated to a City of Eugene commission post. Mayor Obie said the Building Division, after a lengthy search, was unable to find qualified applicants for the Construction Board of Appeals who live within the City limits. Larry Reed, Building Division, said Michael Larion currently lives in Santa Clara, which is within the planning and building permit service area under contract with Lane County. Mr. Doane, although he does not live in the City, is employed by a company located in Eugene. Mr. Reed said it is traditionally difficult to find individuals representing the mechanical journeymen and installers willing to volunteer for the time commitment required. Roll call vote; the motion carried unanimously, 8:0, e MINUTES--Eugene City Council December 9, 1987 Page 6 III . APPOINTMENTS: MAYOR1S APPOINTMENTS TO THE SISTER CITY COMMISSION e City Manager Mike Gleason announced the item. Mayor Obie said his appointments were outlined in the staff memo. They were James Dougher) Henry Rust) Patricia Hamilton, and Genna Lemman. IV. ORDINANCE CONCERNING THE RIVERFRONT RESEARCH PARK COMMISSION City Manager Mike Gleason introduced the item. Cathy Briner) Development Department, presented the staff report. She sa i d the first item is an amendment to the original ordinance that created the commission. The initial ordinance provided for un staggered terms of the commission members. She said the department is now recommending the council pass an ordinance creating staggered terms in order to achieve continuity with existing members while allowing new members to be appointed, The second item is reappointment of the existing seven members on the Riverfront Research Park Commission. Four of those members will serve two-year terms and three members will serve one-year terms. Ms, Bascom said she would have preferred that Sally Weston be given one of the longer terms. Responding to a question from Ms. Bascom, Ms. Briner sa i d those members serving one-year appointments are eligible for reappointment, Ms, Bascom said she would not 1 i ke to have rules that govern commission appointments e discourage applicants by being too strict. CB 3010--An ordinance concerning the Riverfront Research Park Commission; amending Sections 2.013 and 2,224 of the Eugene Code, 1971; and declaring an emergency. Ms, Ehrman moved, seconded by Mr, Holmer, that the bill be read the second time by council bill number only, with unanimous consent of the council, and that enactment be considered at this time, Roll call vote; the motion passed unanimously, 8:0. Council bill 3010 was read the second time by council bill number only. Ms. Ehrman moved, seconded by Mr. Holmer, that the bill be approved and given final passage, Roll call vote; the motion passed unanimously, 8:0. The bill was declared passed (and became Ordinance No, 19524). e MINUTES--Eugene City Council December 9, 1987 Page 7 V. APPOINTMENTS: MAYOR'S APPOINTMENTS AND NOMINATIONS TO THE RIVERFRONT RESEARCH PARK COMMISSION Ie City Manager Mike Gleason introduced the item. Ms. Ehrman moved, seconded by Mr. Holmer, to re-appoint R, A. "Gus" Keller for a term ending December 31, 1989; Harry Rubenstein for a term ending December 31, 1988; and Sally Weston for a term ending December 31, 1988, to the Riverfront Research Park Commission, Roll call vote; the motion carried unanimously, 8:0. VI. ORDINANCE INCREASING MEMBERSHIP ON THE AIRPORT COMMISSION City Manager Mike Gleason introduced the item, Bob She 1 by , Di rector of Aviation, presented a staff report. He reviewed the council's instructions that staff draft an ordi nance increasing the membership on the Airport Commission to nine positions. Two of those members will be representatives of Lane County who will be nominated by the Lane County Board of Commissioners and are not required to be residents of Eugene. CB 3011--An ordinance concerning the Airport Commission; amending Sections 2.013 and 2,050 of the Eugene Code, 1971; and declaring an emergency. Ms. Ehrman moved, seconded by Mr. Holmer, that the bill be read the second time by council bill number only, with unanimous . consent of the council, and that enactment be considered at this time. Roll call vote; the motion carried unanimously, 8:0. Council bill 3011 was read the second time by council bill number only. Ms. Ehrman moved, seconded by Mr. Holmer, that the bill be approved and given final passage. Roll call vote; the motion carried unanimously, 8:0. The bill was declared passed (and became Ordinance No, 19525). VII. STATUS REPORT ON AIRPORT PROJECT City Manager Mi ke Gl eason introduced the item. Steve Counard, Airport Commission, presented a status report. He said the commission subcomittee and staff have held weekly meetings to review construction progress, The land site is nearly complete with the exception of the toll plaza, The right turn exit from Greenhill Road will soon be in use, Approximately 40,000 trees and shrubs will be planted with the onset of winter. Mr, Counard said the airline companies using the airport have approved the construction plan and agreed that minor details should be handled at the local level. He said he anticipates terminal bid documents to go out in early . MINUTES--Eugene City Council December 9, 1987 Page 8 February, Bids will be opened in March and construction may begin as soon as April. He said the major land site portion is below budget. Current design Ie estimates for the terminal building indicate that project will fall within its $9.1 million budget. The airport expansion model, which is presently in the airport lobby, will be moved from location to location throughout the year, He said the commission has received a great deal of cooperation from the FAA. Overall, the project to date has been safe, ahead of schedule, and within budget. Responding to a question from Ms. Ehrman about the color scheme, Mr. Counard said the exterior will be two tones of green while the interior will be opaque to blend in with the mauve colors. VIII. RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING SALE AND PUBLICATION OF NOTICE OF SALE OF $5,830,000 GENERAL OBLIGATION BONDS FOR AIRPORT TERMINAL EXPANSION PROJECT City Manager Mike Gleason introduced the item. Warren Wong, Finance Director, presented a staff report. He said the council will be accepting bids March 6. The Finance Division anticipates selling the revenue bonds in late March, prior to the award of the airport construction bids. Mr. Wong said he and Mr. Gleason traveled to New York last week and made a rating presentation to Moody's Investor Services. He said the rating will be received in three weeks. Res. No, 4069--A resolution of the City of Eugene, Lane County, Oregon authorizing the issuance of bonds for the . purpose of financing airport improvements. Ms. Ehrman moved, seconded by Mr, Holmer, to adopt the resolution, Roll call vote; the motion passed unanimously, 8:0. IX, RESOLUTION ESTABLISHING A SISTER CITY RELATIONSHIP WITH IRKUTSK, USSR City Manager Mike Gleason introduced the item. Kate Gessert, Soviet Sister City Committee, said she is available to answer any council questions. Mayor Obie said he is enthusiastic about the prospects of a sister city in the Soviet Union. He said Ms. Gessert has given him two letters signed by 26 people interested in traveling to Irkutsk in the next five years. Ms. Schue also expressed her support for the idea, despite the isolated location of the Russian city, She noted it is appropriate for the City of Eugene to be acting on such a measure on a day when the leaders of the two countries are meeting in Washington D,C. to reduce the number of nuclear weapons , . MINUTES--Eugene City Council December 9, 1987 Page 9 - , Mr. Holmer said Irkutsk is an appropriate choice because of its proximity to La ke Ba i ka 1 . -- Ms. Ehrman commended the group of people who have worked on the project for their dedication. She said she envisions the Soviet sister city group will be as active as the Kakegawa delegation. Res. No. 4070--A resolution of the Council of the City of Eugene, Oregon extending an invitation to the City of Irkutsk, USSR, to become a sister city and inviting the people of Irkutsk, USSR, to participate in said program. Ms. Ehrman moved, seconded by Mr. Holmer, to adopt the resolution. Roll call vote; the motion passed unanimously, 8:0. X. RESOLUTION APPROVING AND ADOPTING RECOMMENDATIONS OF HULT CENTER PERFORMING ARTS COMMISSION AND ORDINANCE CHANGING THAT COMMISSION TO THE EUGENE CULTURAL AFFAIRS COMMISSION City Manager Mike Gleason introduced the item. Mike Fox, Chairman of the Performing Arts Commission, presented a brief staff report. He said the commission supports the decision that there be one commission overseeing all cultural affairs activities in the City of Eugene. Responding to a question from Mr. Holmer, Keith Martin from the City . Attorney's Office said in this case it is proper for the council to adopt the resolution before the ordinance is changed. Ms. Bascom said she is supportive of the resolution, However, she would agree more with the mission statement if the phrase "Culture and Leisure Plan" is deleted from the openi ng sentence of the mi s s ion statement, She said inclusion of the plan significantly alters what is covered by the new Cultural Affairs Commission. Mr. Fox said the Performing Arts Commission has had considerable discussion about the impact of the role change, Because the Culture and Leisure plan is a public documentt he said commission members feel they should follow the framework of the plan as it currently exists. He said that does not mean the commission is adverse to refining the plan in the future, He speculated that a future task of the Cultural Affairs Commission will be to amend the plan as needed. Mr. Fox said he does not interpret council adoption of the resolution and ordinance as a mandate for the commission to implement the entire Culture and Leisure Plan. . MINUTES--Eugene City Council December 9, 1987 Page 10 ~ Res. No. 4071--A resolution changing the name of the Hult Center for the Performing Arts Commission; -- expanding its authority, approving and adopting a new policy 1 as adopted by Resolution No. 15 of the Hult Center for the Performing Arts Commission. Ms, Ehrman moved, seconded by Mr. Holmer, to adopt the resolution. Ms. Bascom moved, seconded by Mr, Holmer, to amend the motion by deleting the phrase IICulture and Leisure Planll from the mission statement. Ms. Wooten asked Ms, Bascom if the reason for her opposition to the phrase is because some portion of the plan will compete with funds for other projects. Ms, Bascom said her reasons for objecting to the phrase are that the mission statement gives the new commission sufficient direction and focus without including the Culture and Leisure Plan, She said when she and other councilors reviewed the the plan they became overwhelmed by the questions it raised. Ms. Wooten said she would vote against the amendment because, as stated by Mr Fox, the plan is already a public document. She noted the council has been criticized for not implementing the plan. Ms. Schue pointed out the resolution does not say the new commission will do . everything in the Culture and Leisure Plan. She said she intends to oppose the amendment. Roll call vote on the amendment; the motion failed 2:6 with Councilors Bascom and Holmer voting aye, and Councilors Ehrman, Bennett, Miller, Rutan, Schue, and Wooten voting nay. Mr, Bennett moved, seconded by Ms, Schue, to substitute IIconsi stentll for IIconsonantll under Mi ssion Statement on Exhibit A. Mr. Bennett explained the word IIconsistentll gives him a more clear understanding of the meaning of the statement. Roll call vote on the amendment; the motion failed 3:5 with Councilors Rutan, Bennett and Schue voting aye, and Councilors Ehrman, Holmer, Bascom, Miller, Wooten voting nay, Roll call vote on the main motion; the motion carried unanimously, 8:0. . MINUTES--Eugene City Council December 9, 1987 Page 11 CB 3012--An ordinance concerning the Hult Center Performing Arts Commission; amending Sections 2,013, 2.630, -- 2.632, 2.634, and 2.636 of the Eugene Code, 1971; and declaring an emergency. Ms, Ehrman moved, seconded by Mr. Holmer, that the bill be read the second time by council bill number only, with unanimous consent of the council, and that enactment be considered at this time, Roll call vote; the motion carried unanimously, 7:0, with Mr, Rutan absent. Council bill 3012 was read the second time by council bill number only. Ms. Ehrman moved, seconded by Mr. Holmer, that the bill be approved and given final passage, Roll call vote; the motion carried unanimously, 7:0 with Mr, Rutan absent. The bill was declared passed (and became Ordinance No. 1952~). XI. PUBLIC WORKS SNOW/ICE PLAN City Manager Mike Gleason introduced the item. Bob Hammi tt, Maintenance Superintendent, presented a staff report. He said the plan before the council is an updated version of the 1982 plan. Mr, Hammitt said included in the plan is an agreement that the Ci ty take over from the State snow and ice maintenance of the major east-west arterial through Eugene. The meeting was adjourned at 1:33 p,m. -- (Recorded by Todd Nissen) mnccl209 -. MINUTES--Eugene City Council December 9, 1987 Page 12 I '.