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HomeMy WebLinkAbout03/07/1988 Meeting - M I NUT E S Eugene City Council Board Room--Hilton Hotel March 7, 1988 5:30 p.m. COUNCILORS PRESENT: Freeman Holmer, Ruth Bascom, Robert Bennett, Debra Ehrman, Jeff Miller, Roger Rutan, Emily Schue (after 6:25 p.m.), Cynthia Wooten. The adjourned meeting of the City Council of the City of Eugene, Oregon, from February 22, 1988, was called to order at 5:45 p.m. by His Honor Mayor Brian B. Obie. I. QUARTERLY PROCESS SESSION A. Announcements Mayor Obie noted that he would have to leave the meeting briefly at 7:30 p.m. in order to welcome the World Delegation of Seniors, who were in tit town for the Governor1s Conference on Aging. Mayor Obie reported that he had appointed the first voters' pamphlet committee to prepare statements for ballot measures on the nuclear free zone ordinance. He said Councilors Holmer and Schue would be the proponents, NFZ Task Force member Robert Ellis and Chamber of Commerce President Richard Miller would be the opponents, and the committee would choose one other member. He said the City Attorney's Office had reported that no proponents of the original measure were qualified according to the ordinance, and a City Attorney's Office opinion on that could be provided. . Ms. Wooten said that in acting on the ordinance to form a committee, she had not been aware that City Councilors would be appointed as proponents. She said she did not think the selection reflected the diversity of opinion in the community, and she expected some backlash. Mayor Obie said he had tried to appoint those whose opinions were "close to the middle," and he added that the committee would select a fifth member. Ms. Bascom said she thought it was important to provide representation of the original ordinance if the community was to perceive the process as fair. Mr. Holmer said he expected that the committee would attempt to develop an impartial description. He said he had received a suggestion for a fifth member from the League of Women Voters, and he thought it deserved to be considered. e MINUTES--Eugene City Council March 7, 1988 Page 1 e Ms. Wooten said she was disappointed that no representatives of the proponents' point of view had been appointed, and she asked whether the process was similar for State ballot measures. Mayor Obie said the proponents were those who had supported putting the measures on the ballot. Mr. Miller suggested that better representation of the Minimally Revised Version of the Nuclear Free Zone be provided to address community perceptions. Ms. Wooten said she agreed that it did not seem appropriate for the City Council to become the proponents of the NFZ measures, and she wanted fairness and an appearance of fairness. She said she was surprised by the process and appointments as they concerned a delicate subject. Ms. Bascom said she thought the voters' pamphlet was up to City Council discretion and was to be used only for unique items. She asked whether the Downtown Development District Tax committee had been appointed. Mayor Obie said the measure would be included, but measures could be taken out of the pamphlet if the council agreed. - Ms. Bascom said she would raise the issue again on Wednesday if council support existed, adding that she thought the pamphlet was intended only for complex issues, not for all ballot measures. She said a vote on the downtown development tax could be held every other year, and she thought inclusion of that issue would weaken the voters' pamphlet. Mr. Rutan said he believed the measure had passed by a dwindling margin and could fail. Mr. Holmer said inclusion might be worthwhile, and Mr. Rutan suggested including the measure to reinform voters about the tax, with no intention of repeating the explanatory statement every year. Ms. Wooten asked whether the DDD tax was part of a strategy relative to the Urban Development District. Mr. Holmer said he was not opposed to that. Ms. Ehrman said she liked the idea of a one-time referral. She asked what would happen if no opponents applied, adding that she thought volunteers from the council should be sought. She said she did not think the council had anticipated becoming the proponents of measures. Ms. Freedman said applications would be sought during spring vacation. Mayor Obie said that if the council wanted to change its direction, it should do so now. Mr. Miller asked about the cost. Mr. Holmer said that a measure with arguments pro and con would be about $2,500, and without the arguments, costs would be about $700. e Mr. Rutan reported that he would represent Eugene and the Sister City Committee at the Kakegawa marathon in Japan. He said he would attend the April 23 event with four others, and airfare and lodging was being paid MINUTES--Eugene City Council March 7, 1988 Page 2 e by Kakegawa. He added that he looked forward to visiting Japan and representing the council. Mayor Obie suggested looking for uniforms that the Eugene group might use. B. Suggested Agenda Items Mayor Obie reviewed the list of suggested agenda items and asked for additional suggestions. Ms. Bascom requested discussion of the EWEB Plaza. Ms. Wooten and Mr. Miller requested discussion of Boxing Funds/Civic Emergency Funds. Mr. Rutan said he favored a preliminary discussion of the Budget Committee role if time was available. Ms. Ehrman suggested discussing the impact on council meetings of the campaign for mayor, which included two councilors. She also suggested discussing the work plan. Mr. Holmer requested reports from committees and discussion of Budget Committee qualifications. Ms. Ehrman requested discussion of the annexation program. e Mr. Bennett requested discussion of private sector representation downtown. C. Committee Reports Mr. Holmer reported that the Historic Preservation Ordinance Task Team had met for 22 months and had developed a draft ordinance 21 pages in length, which he noted was longer than the original but was highly specific. He said the item would come before the City Council in two to three months, and he thought he would recommend voting for the ordinance. He added, however, that in the future he thought it was unfair to appoint two representatives of the Historic Review Board, two representatives of the Planning Commission, and one City Councilor, a process that he said had resulted in tension. Mr. Holmer said he and Ms. Bascom would be working on reviewing the purpose and mission of the Eugene Arts Foundation and would keep the council informed over the next three to six months. Ms. Ehrman said the Joint Social Services budget session was beginning and had been typical, with increasing requests exceeding the available funds. She said $75,000 was being requested for Carper House on AIDS. She also reported that advisory committees were meeting, they had reviewed Lane County's administrative costs, and they were discussing percentage guidelines. e MINUTES--Eugene City Council March 7, 1988 Page 3 e e e Mr. Bennett reported on his introductory year serving with Ms. Ehrman on the Lane Regional Air Pollution Authority. He said he appreciated the opportunity and was impressed with the commission and advisory board. He commended the work of Brian Bauske and Don Arkell, for working with major wood products employers at meeting requirements and maintaining the balance in the community. Mr. Bennett noted that wood stoves were an issue, perhaps less for Eugene than for other communities. He said Eugene had reported a good year so far, with voluntary compliance resulting in no "red" days for wood stove pollution. Mr. Bennett said the Metropolitan Wastewater Management Committee continued to raise the issue of rates and was undergoing an audit. He said he served on the selection committee, which would look at the board, staff, and organizational structure. He said audit results must be objective and well-researched, and he would report back on those. Mr. Rutan reported that a group was working on private funding for a business center at the airport terminal. He also noted that the Council Committee on Economic Diversification would receive another version of the Economic Development Strategic Plan and would be looking at the Willamette National Forest Plan. He said SWPIC continued moving along. Mr. Rutan said it was hoped that Hayward Field would be ready for the NCAA track meet, and he noted a large amount of construction occurring at the University. Ms. Bascom asked whether Springfield would contribute funds for the project, and Mr. Rutan said he believed it would. He said the University of Oregon also was contributing a large amount of funds, which now was projected annually at five times the original amount. He also said the World Veterans Games would be held at the field, which would be a world-class facility. Mr. Rutan said the Room Tax Subcommittee, an intergovernmental committee formed at the request of County Commissioners, would be looking at bonds on the Lane County Fairgrounds and Convention Center opportunities and also would be developing recommendations. Councilor Schue joined the meeting. Mr. Miller reported that the eommunity Development Committee had voted on a three-year plan, and he had not yet met with the Citizen Involvement Committee. Mr. Miller reported that the Council Committee on Towing would issue a report, and it was hoped that pricing problems would be aleviated by allowing owners of lots to boot cars. Mr. Holmer noted that the new rules required posting of notice and prices. He said the committee intended to develop a proposal that would give property owners greater responsibility for booting cars and would bring it back to the council unless objections existed. Responding to questions, Mr. Holmer said owners of lots still could choose to hire a towing company or to boot cars themselves. He said MINUTES--Eugene City Council March 7, 1988 Page 4 e property owners suffered adverse reactions because of strict price and process. Ms. Wooten said she thought significant progress had been made regarding the arts and revisions to the Economic Development Strategic Plan as a result of her meetings with the Cultural Affairs Commission and Hult Center Director Bob Schutz. Ms. Wooten said she was working on the Lincoln School Subcommittee. She also reported on a meeting with the Downtown Commission and staff about the EWEB Plaza. Ms. Wooten said she would be serving on the Joint Social Services Committee and is no longer serving on the Citizen Involvement Committee. Ms. Bascom reported that the Local Government Boundary Commission Budget Committee had raised the City's assessment by 68 percent because of a legislative direction regarding large cities, a lack of activity by districts, and because legal fees for annexation challenges had increased the budget. She said the issue probably would be addressed in the next Legislature. Ms. Bascom reported that the Tree and Beautification Committee would become a subcommittee under the Joint Parks Committee. She also said the Urban Forestry Guide now had become a report and was intended to function for the next quarter of a century. e Ms. Schue said the Joint Parks Committee would be joined by a citizens group to upgrade the Parks Master Plan. She said she would serve as chair, and representatives were included from allover the area. Ms. Schue said plans were being made for the trip to Washington, DC, and it appeared that LRAPA would have enough funds this year. Ms. Ehrman reported that she could be appointed to a State Commission. Mayor Obie reported that he had helped to greet a delegation from Everett, Washington, that had visited the Library, the Hult Center, and the Conference Center, as that city was planning to build a $22 million library and 500-seat performing arts center. Mayor Obie said he planned to submit a proposal on a drug paraphernalia and a seizure ordinance, in which funds confiscated would go to charity or social concerns. Responding to Ms. Ehrman's question, he said businesses that would be affected by the ordinances had not been contacted. e Mayor Obie reported that Councilor Holmer now served on the board of the Eugene-Springfield Metropolitan Partnership. He said the partnership had no criteria for addressing performance, and the executive committee had recommended a minimum performance level of bringing in at least 100 jobs and two business announcements per year. MINUTES--Eugene City Council March 7, 1988 Page 5 e Ms. Schue said Eugene and Lane County had presented a united front before the State Transportation Commission hearing on the 126 access program. Mr. Rutan announced that this week CCED would host the Trade and Economic Development Commission of the State Legislature. D. FY89 Social Concern Mayor Obie asked councilors whether they still favored identifying one major social concern for FY89. He said staff had suggested addressing the issue of housing. Ms. Bascom said she thought staff presented a good proposal. Mr. Bennett said housing was an important issue, but he preferred choosing a newer issue. He said he thought council support was needed in the areas of youth and ~rugs and child care. He said housing had been chosen because of other City work being done in the area and because of low start-up costs. Mr. Miller suggested identifying two foci--one for this year and one for next year, which he said could allow more lead time and better results. e Ms. Schue noted the shortage of funds, even for worthy projects, and she asked about specific proposals in the areas of concern mentioned by Mr. Bennett. Mr. Bennett suggested establishing a council committee on the issue for one year, in order to support and make visible existing efforts of others, in issues such as early intervention programs in child care. Mr. Rutan asked about the objectives of the committee and said he favored encouraging attention in order to generate additional private support and to improve programs through spending time and attention on them. Ms. Wooten said a work plan could address issues that might vary from year to year. She suggested, for example, using the Legislative Committee or working with State agencies and the League of Oregon Cities on networking. She said she saw the committee1s role to be one of facilitating, encouraging media attention, examining the issue in context of other goals and/or budget, or providing assistance with grant-writing or other in-kind contributions. She said the work plan needed to have goals and to be evaluated, and she added that committee membership could rotate annually according to issues and interest. Mr. Holmer suggested have a council committee sort out and delegate responsibility in a specific recommendation. Ms. Wooten agreed, adding that the committee could bring back a recommendation for an issue, a work plan, and an objective means of evaluating efforts. e Ms. Bascom said she was not eager to address a new issue each year, but she would agree to council consensus. She also said she saw the City as a facilitator for social programs, and she did not think it should move in on Federal or State areas. MINUTES--Eugene City Council March 7, 1988 Page 6 e Mr. Miller said a subcommittee might address three or four long-term goals, and objectives could vary each year. He also said the legislative schedule might allow two issues to be addressed if appropriate. Mr. Rutan said he agreed with the subcommittee idea, and he suggested that direction be put into areas where impact would be measurable, or at least would make a difference. He said he thought it was important to focus on one or two key areas that would have an impact. Mayor Obie said he agreed with Ms. Bascom about the large number of issues and about whether the council had extra time available. He asked what the efforts were intended to accomplish. e Mr. Holmer said he was concerned about whether the council was glvln9 adequate attention to the social infrastructure of the community. He said he saw a need to devote time to examining whether a gap existed in the total City program. Ms. Wooten said she did not mean to imply that the City undertake direct service delivery, and she did not necessarily think accomplishments could be measured in terms of resources, but she wanted to address ways of leveraging council influence to create responses by others, whether through money, resources, legislation, private-sector response, or some other means. She added that she thought it was essential to pursue a social focus and she supported Mr. Holmer's comments regarding balance in the council's view of the community. Ms. Ehrman said she favored a tie-in with an issue like liThe Gut.1I She said she thought citizens felt that it was up to the community to provide alternative activities for youth. She said she agreed with Mr. Bennett that housing was not her first choice of an issue, but she noted that programs already existed and that it might be a good issue to start with. She suggested that the issues of vagrancy and transients were related to housing, and she added that another issue could be chosen for the future. Ms. Schue said she felt that all social service providers should be contacted and that none should be left out or overlooked. Mr. Miller volunteered to serve on a subcommittee to look at options. Mr. Holmer noted that The Independent Sector, a Washington-based organization, was exploring private ways of addressing social concerns, and he suggested focusing attention on private efforts and services now being provided. Mr. Holmer moved to authorize the Mayor to appoint a committee to develop a process proposal and recommendations. e Mayor Obie appointed Mr. Bennett, Mr. Miller, and Ms. Wooten to a committee for developing a social concern process proposal and recommendation. The three councilors agreed to serve, and Ms. Wooten MINUTES--Eugene City Council March 7, 1988 Page 7 e said she favored bringing the recommendation back to the council by the end of April. Ms. Bascom said she would like the committee to look at the issue of homelessness. The issues of hunger and drug abuse also were suggested as options. Mayor Obie said he favored leveraging with private-sector activities. Mr. Bennett noted that staff support would be needed for the effort and that funding concerns might require reallocation of some resources. Ms. Ehrman said she thought the council had agreed at the goals session that efforts should not result in large costs. E. EWEB Plaza Mayor Obie suggested that the EWEB Plaza be named "Skinner Plaza," adding that the City of Eugene boat had docked in that area in the past. Ms. Bascom said the EWEB Plaza project was scheduled for a council agenda in the near future, when design approval would be sought. She said she would like to resolve differences, adding that agreement had been reached on 95 percent of the project. She said she had attended meetings with the Downtown Commission and project architect Don Genasci to review plans, and she wanted council guidance on whether a fountain should be included. She noted that lots of movement occurred along the path, which ~ must be separated from circular movement in the plaza. Mayor Obie left the meeting. Ms. Bascom said she thought a fountain was inappropriate and she favored supporting the Downtown Commission in its recommendation to make the small space an open plaza. She said the fountain was not included in the design guidelines adopted by the council, but EWEB representatives wanted the fountain included and it was listed in the architectural service agreement dated November 24. Ms. Bascom suggested asking EWEB to drop the fountain because of expense and design and perhaps do paving designs instead. She also thanked Ms. Wooten for working on the issue. Ms. Wooten said she appreciated Ms. Bascom's efforts and did not think the fountain was important in the riverfront setting. Mr. Rutan suggested changing the fountain but said he found the rest of the plans acceptable. Mr. Holmer asked whether the Downtown Commission had approved the steps between the flat area and the bike path. Ms. Bascom said that had not received much attention, but the decision to move the fountain west had been a compromise position of the commission. Mr. Bennett asked about the best way to convey the council's feelings, adding that he did not feel strongly enough to disrupt the relationship e MINUTES--Eugene City Council March 7, 1988 Page 8 e with the board. Ms. Wooten said a second part of the proposal included plans for meetings with EWEB commissioners. Mr. Miller asked about cost, and Ms. Bascom said the project included about $260,000 in City funds. She added that EWEB would pay design and maintenance costs for the area of the plaza and that the $30,000 for the fountain could be used for paving and landscaping. Mr. Holmer said he thought a fairly small area would be open at all times, and a fountain would add interest. He added that to change the design and separate the areas with steps did not seem to add anything, and that he favored the design as it had gone to the Downtown Commission. Ms. Bascom said she had agreed with Mr. Holmer until she had visited the space and saw how small it was, and she thought some disagreement arose because of the differences in the plans and the site. Ms. Wooten said she thought the site was important and she would like council approval to send a letter to EWES. Mr. Rutan moved that the council approve sending a letter to EWES. The motion was not seconded. Mr. Bennett said he did not favor that and he suggested letting EWEB decide. e Ms. Bascom said guidelines about open space had been dropped in order to add the fountain. Mr. Holmer suggested having the issue come to the City Council after a meeting could be held between the council committee and the EWEB board. Mayor Obie returned to the meeting. The meeting was recessed for a break at 7:36 p.m. F. Boxing Funds/Civic Emergency Funds Ms. Wooten affirmed that the ordinance pertaining to the former Boxing Commission tax will remain in place. She recommended that the council appoint a committee to review the ordinance with staff. She suggested the council explore amending the ordinance to change how the money generated by the tax must be spent. She added she does not agree with the Boxing Commission's recommendations on how to distribute the remaining approximately $7,000. Mr. Holmer suggested that the Council Committee on Committees return with a recommendation on how to use the fund and the remaining money. Ms. Wooten said she is also not interested in accepting the Boxing Commission1s recommendation that it remain in an advisory capacity to the City on safety issues. e MINUTES--Eugene City Council March 7, 1988 Page 9 e Ms. Schue said she is unclear about the history of the Boxing Commission tax. Mayor Obie said the tax is now levied by the State and used for designated groups such as veterans organizations. Ms. Wooten and Ms. Ehrman suggested they form a committee to look into the issue. Mayor Obie said he does not think the council needs a civic emergency fund tied to the Boxing Commission. Ms. Wooten said the council should also look into extending the tax to other sporting events. G. Proposal for Community Survey Ms. Wooten said the council should pursue a survey that could help gauge community spending priorities and give the council a better sense of how it is viewed by its constituents. She said she is interested in knowing how the community sees the future in terms of capital improvements. Mr. Holmer said he has reservations about the reliability of such surveys. He said it is difficult to arrange for studies that are planned and executed carefully enough to provide reliable data. Ms. Ehrman said she is interested in the cost of the survey commissioned by the City of Springfield. If a survey is approved, she said it should be tied to the budget process. e Mr. Bennett said he also is skeptical about a survey. He said it is difficult to get accurate responses from such surveys. Ms. Wooten said she has run surveys in community newsletters that received good responses. Mr. Miller said he does not oppose conducting such a survey. However, he said it should be well-planned and not a random sampling. Ms. Ehrman moved, seconded by Ms. Schue, to refer the issue to the Budget Committee. The motion passed 4:3:1, with Councilors Schue, Miller, Rutan, and Erhman voting aye, Councilors Wooten, Holmer, and Bennett voting nay, and Councilor Bascom abstaining. Ms. Wooten said she voted against the motion because the issue is too broad a question to refer to the Budget Committee. H. Councilor Computer Access Mr. Holmer said he has been experimenting with a telephone modum that connects his home computer with the Regional Information System (RIS). Through the system, Mr. Holmer said he is able to review and edit council documents and send and receive messages. He suggested that the council e MINUTES--Eugene City Council March 7, 1988 Page 10 e explore the possibility of setting up a system for each councilor. He said he is not prepared to make a formal recommendation yet. I. City Council Work Plan 1. Liquor Licenses Ms. Ehrman asked about the agenda item related to liquor license reviews. Mr. Holmer said the ordinance is scheduled to come before the council later in the spring quarter. Mr. Rutan recalled the council's interest in establishing City criteria for the review of liquor licenses. He said the City does not presently have criteria for reviewing those licenses. Mr. Holmer said the issue was first raised by staff in October 1987 when staff wanted to be sure it understood the council's present criteria for reviewing licenses. Mr. Rutan said he is unsure how useful it will be for the council to discuss the issue because of the substantial amount of Federal and State law already existing. Ms. Ehrman said she is also interested to know how much time the council is scheduled to spend on the matter. Mayor Obie asked how many councilors are interested in looking into the issue. Mr. Holmer said Mayor Obie is acting without adequate information. He said the issue is an effort from staff to draft an ordinance stating what the current policies are. e Mr. Gleason said he will put the issue on a future Wednesday agenda. 2. Building Code Enforcement Ms. Wooten asked how Building Code enforcement was placed on the work plan. Ms. Ehrman said she raised the issue because of constituent concerns in her ward. Mr. Bennett said he is glvlng up on the issue of regulating minimal standards for infill structures in a neighborhood. He said the problem still exists, but he and staff have been unable to come up with a way to address it. Ms. Schue said she is also unhappy about the issue. Mr. Gleason said there are two basic approaches one can take. The first is the Housing Code, which directly addresses the concern but is an expensive intervention. The second option is to augment the Nuisance Abatement Program, which is less expensive but can be an inducement for ensuring that minimal standards are met. He said all nuisance abatement resources are presently focused on inspection. Mr. Bennett said he would like a report on the Building Code as it applies to handicapped access for new construction, rehabilitations, and historic building rehabilitations. He said the Commission on the Rights of the Disabled is taking an aggressive position with regard to the code e MINUTES--Eugene City Council March 7, 1988 Page 11 e requirements. is important. He said the commission and the issue of handicapped access However, he said a balanced approach is necessary. Ms. Bascom said she supports such a report, and said she is interested in knowing the guidelines and limitations that apply to the commission. Mayor Obie said he was surprised to hear the City is suing C.B. Simons for code violations. Mayor Obie said he received a copy of a memo about the Commission on the Rights of the Disabled's request to be involved in a staff hiring process for Intergovernmental Relations. He said the council would be thrown out of office for allowing such intervention. Ms. Wooten said the commission is interested in reviewing the job description. 3. City Annexations Ms. Wooten said she is concerned about the way the City is implementing the annexation program. She said she would like to review the issue before May. Ms. Ehrman reminded councilors that she raised the idea of forming a subcommittee earlier this year. e If the council revisits the issue, Mr. Rutan said it should review the issue from the beginning to be sure of the roots for the current policy. Ms. Ehrman said she is aware of where the policy is coming from. However, she said the council is loosing touch with the issue. Ms. Wooten said several Planning Commissioners have also expressed concern to her about annexations. Mayor Obie said the issue will be on a future agenda. J. Scope/Role of Budget Committee Mr. Holmer said the council should reject staff's recommendation to require credentials for Budget Committee members. Ms. Schue said it is her understanding that staff is most bothered by the amount of money spent on preparing reports for lay members on the Budget Committee. She suggested that each budget season start out with a session on what can be reasonably expected from staff. Mr. Gleason said the Budget Committee, because it does not have responsibility for work programming, tends to second-guess significant council policy decisions. He said staff is not in a position to deny the Budget Committee members full budget analyses. He said the budget staff is stretched to its limit and has run out of resources. e MINUTES--Eugene City Council March 7, 1988 Page 12 e Mr. Rutan said the council should not try to establish criteria for budget appointees. He said the council should clearly establish the role of the Budget Committee. Each budget cycle should start with a review of the Budget Committee responsibilities. He suggested council members either not sit on the Budget Committee, or have two liaison members. Under the present system, he said the council often hears issues twice. Mr. Holmer said State law requires a Budget Committee that consists of both council and lay members. He suggested the council establish ground rules that no study project be undertaken by staff unless a majority of the council authorizes it. Ms. Schue said the council has not been good at telling the Budget Committee lay members what is beyond their authority. Mr. Gleason estimated that two-thirds of the Budget Committee's staff cost is related to lay members on the committee. Ms. Ehrman noted that lay members are the only chance councilors have to appoint a committee member solely of their choosing. Mr. Bennett asked how the Committee on Committees felt about the suggestion to place requirements for lay members. Mr. Holmer said the Committee on Committees did not consider that issue. Mr. Miller asked if there is a way to invite lay members to council ~ meetings on budget topics to avoid duplicating the same issues later. Mayor Obie said perhaps the Committee on Committees should address the issue again. Ms. Wooten suggested the council leave the appointment process as is, ask staff to recommend ways to streamline the budget process, and establish Budget Committee ground rules at the outset of the budget season. Ms. Bascom said she is content with the appointment process, although she said staff and the council should look at ways to make the budgeting process more efficient. K. Campaign Protocol Ms. Ehrman said she does not want the council meetings to turn into campaign forums during the election season. Mr. Rutan said it is important for the council to establish an environment in which candidates are comfortable and the City can conduct its business. Mr. Gleason pointed out that all candidates have traditionally been invited to a 30-minute information session prior to the election. e MINUTES--Eugene City Council March 7, 1988 Page 13 e L. Private Sector Representation Mr. Bennett said representatives from the private and public sector have been working to get stronger private sector representation downtown. He said he has received a positive response from business owners interested in forming a broad-based organization. The rationale behind such an organization is that, in general, business owners have a long-term interest in the commercial success of the downtown area. He said it is important to keep in mind that several building owners also own retail businesses. Mr. Bennett said the organization as projected will have strong retail representation and an aggressive retail component. He said the desire is not to attempt to duplicate past efforts but to boost retail activity. He said a draft organization format has been sent to private sector representatives in the Downtown Development District. He said he is hoping to receive comments back in the next 30 to 45 days. After that, a public meeting will be scheduled to gather input about the draft format. Mr. Bennett added he thinks area retailers are in a position to raise money that would be distributed according to the new organization's board of directors. e Mr. Holmer asked about the history of the former downtown organization. He said he is pleased with what Mr. Bennett is pursuing. Mr. Bennett said the Eugene Downtown Association has been effective on certain issues. However, he said the association's scope is narrower than what will be represented by the current proposal. M. Cruising Ordinance Mr. Miller asked if the City has adequate penalties for litter, noise pollution, and alcohol abuse to handle the apparent resurgence of cruisers along the Willamette Street "gut.1I Mr. Gleason said he will prepare a staff report on the current fines for those problems. Ms. Schue said she was awoken at 1 a.m. the previous Saturday morning by an individual angry over having a beer bottle thrown at him by cruisers. Mr. Holmer said he received a telephone call at 11:30 p.m. Friday from someone complaining about cruisers. Ms. Wooten said she supports addressing the crulslng ordinance issue once again if cruisers do not change their behavior. Mr. Miller said the biggest problem with the proposed ordinance is its two-trip limitation. Ms. Ehrman suggested that councilors participate on a police ride-along. Ms. Schue added that councilors should drive the gut themselves. e MINUTES--Eugene City Council March 7, 1988 Page 14 e e e N. Other Mayor Obie said the Equitable Building, because of the substantial amount of asbestos inside it, is unfit for habitation. He said the City should consider either trading the property or demolishing the building. The meeting was adjourned at 8:55 p.m. to March 9, 1988. Respectfully Submitted, _;~~.[;-{{:~;~;.~~{~:c:~~ Micheal D. Gleason City Manager (Recorded by Leslie Scales and Todd Nissen) mncc030788 .r MINUTES--Eugene City Council March 7, 1988 Page 15