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HomeMy WebLinkAbout04/13/1988 Meeting e e e M I NUT E S Eugene City Council Lunch/Work Session McNutt Room--City Hall April 13, 1988 11:30 a.m. COUNCILORS PRESENT: Freeman Holmer, Ruth Bascom, Robert Bennett, Debra Ehrman, Jeff Miller, Roger Rutan, Emily Schue, Cynthia Wooten. The adjourned meeting of April 11, 1988, was called to order by His Honor Mayor Brian B. Obie. I. ITEMS FROM THE CITY COUNCIL, MAYOR, AND CITY MANAGER Mr. Miller announced he would be leaving at noon. A. Nuclear Free Zone Ballot Measures Ms. Wooten requested an update on litigation regarding the Nuclear Free Zone ballot measure. Mr. Whitlow said no trial date had been scheduled. Mr. Holmer explained that because only the second question has been challenged, the question has become whether to proceed with or cancel the election. Ms. Wooten clarified the question as being whether the council wanted to proceed with an election if both advisory questions could not be placed on the ballot. Mr. Gleason was asked to provide additional information about how long the decision could be postponed. B. Goals Session Referring to discussion at the November goal session, Ms. Wooten asked if the futuring session was going to occur. Mr. Whitlow said it had been scheduled for the June Quarterly Session. C. New Revenues and Taxation Ms. Wooten asked for further consideration of new revenues and taxation. She favored proposing a restaurant tax to put before the voters. Ms. Wooten listed several questions relating to a restaurant tax that she felt should be considered. They included wh~ther a restaurant tax should create a cap for property taxes, whether it should offset property taxes, whether it should be earmarked for capital purposes and therefore free up general funds, whether there should be exemptions, and how much owners should be paid to administer the tax. MINUTES--Eugene City Council April 13, 1988 Page 1 e Ms. Wooten moved, seconded by Ms. Ehrman, to appoint the best committee possible to examine the issues of a restaurant tax that may be placed before the voters in November 1988. Ms. Schue said the council already had agreed to seek alternative sources of revenue and she would be uncomfortable going beyond a process that is already in place. Ms. Ehrman recalled plans to hold a work session on revenue. Mr. Gleason explained that the financial planning process would start after the budget process ends in June. Mr. Rutan said the council had not taken a position on whether to support a restaurant tax and he personally was not in favor of it. He thought it would be premature to form a committee until the budget process determines the financial outlook. He favored holding a planning session to look at a number of different revenue options. Mr. Miller agreed with Mr. Rutan, saying he thought it would be prudent to review options to reduce the budget before considering new taxes. Mr. Holmer said revenue options are so extensive that it would be inappropriate to limit the proposed committee's work to only one option. He said he would consider the need for a committee to examine new revenue sources if new sources are still considered necessary after the budget process is completed. e Ms. Ehrman referred to Mr. Gleason's budget presentation and $850,000 that is unfunded. With such a large deficit, she considered it difficult to proceed within the budget context. She suggested expanding Ms Wooten's motion to include other revenue resources. Ms. Wooten said numerous committees have looked at alternative revenues and she was suggesting the formation of a strong community committee to examine the options. She said she was not seeking a short-term solution for FY89. Ms. Wooten expanded her original proposal, to appoint the best committee possible to explore all major, non-property tax-based new revenue options that might be placed before the voters in November 1988. Councilors continued to be concerned that forming a committee was premature. Roll call vote; the motion failed, 5:4 with Councilors Bascom, Wooten, Ehrman, and Holmer voting aye and Councilors Bennett, Rutan, Schue, and Miller voting nay, and Mayor Obie casting a nay vote. D. Traffic Mr. Rutan said traffic was noticeably absent on Willamette Street at 11 p.m. Saturday night. He reported constituent concern with the intersection at Coburg Road and 1-105 and he requested a staff report as soon as possible. e MINUTES--Eugene City Council April 13, 1988 Page 2 e E. Social Issues Mr. Bennett shared a March 8 editorial titled "Underclass Must Learn the Importance of Exertion," regarding how social issues are addressed. F. Human Rights Ms. Ehrman had inquired about Affirmative Action in the Department of Public Safety.s hiring practices and she encouraged councilors to take an interest in City personnel issues. She said more women and minorities should be hired in the Fire Division. Mr. Holmer said the Commission on the Rights of Minorities had chosen to change its name to the Commission on the Rights of People of Color. If the change is the recommendation of staff, it should bring a proposal for an ordinance change to the council. G. Legislative Subcommittee Mr. Holmer reported on the successful visit to Washington in March. He said lobbying in a variety of venues had been effective, but he suggested making the trip in smaller groups at a different time than the National League of Cities for greater effectiveness in moving forward Eugene's issues. e Ms. Bascom said a program that had surfaced at Justice Department meetings was one that targets habitual juvenile offenders in Oxnard, California. To learn more about the success of this program, she suggested inviting representatives from Oxnard for discussions. Mayor Obie referred to a conversation with Senator Packwood and said councilors had been effective. In his opinion, the large number of councilors in attendance allows the sessions that were most helpful to Eugene's delegation. He suggested arriving prior to the National League of Cities meeting in order to make contacts. Ms. Schue said more consideration needs to be given to better use of resources and she favored discussing whether fewer councilors should attend at one time. Mr. Rutan said Eugene has one of the best Federal programs in the country for a city its size, and he hoped the community was aware of the effort by lobbyists, Intergovernmental Relations staff, and the council that is responsible for this success. H. Mayor's Trip to Japan Mayor Obie report.ed that his trip had been successful and he complimented the people of Kakegawa on their graciousness. He believed seeds of trade had been planted by the product show. e MINUTES--Eugene City Council April 13, 1988 Page 3 e e e I. Governor's Agenda Mayor Obie encouraged councilors to attend the Governor's Agenda Luncheon at which Governor Goldschmidt will speak on the "Year of the Child. II J. Public Safety Training Mayor Obie announced that a land use difficulty has caused a delay and public safety training will be an agenda item in three or four months. Mr. Holmer reported on a call from a constituent concerned about the Goshen site who suggested investigating the County's land fill area. Ms. Bascom said she also had received several calls on this issue. II. WORK SESSION: FUTURE LIBRARY PROJECT--PROJECT SCOPE Pat Decker of the Planning Department described the library planning process. She reviewed the council's earlier decision to discuss and reach agreement on project scope before tu~ning the issue over to a council subcommittee to consider the financing alternatives. Public review of council decisions on project scope and financing is scheduled for late October. During the project scope phase, the council will make decisions at each of six meetings and on June 15 it will review those decisions. Mr. Holmer expressed a concern that the building size assumption would depend in part on decisions about branches; Ms. Decker said that during the process, some decisions will affect earlier ones, and the June 15 meeting will afford an opportunity to re-address those decisions. Mayor Obie said his perception was that the community would not spend $20 million for a library, and that was the main issue for the council's process to address. A, Population Assumptions and Planning Period Assumption Jim Carlson indicated that Eugene's population will reach 200,000 by 2008. He said the proposed library is the only public facility being planned specifically to serve that projected population. Information about Eugene's growth during the past 50 years supports the predicted increase. A 25 percent increase in population is anticipated as Eugene annexes existing population within the Urban Growth Boundary. Mr. Carlson said projections look at Eugene in terms of the larger metropolitan area, and the information he was pres~nting is a part of the Metropolitan Area Plan update. By the year 2010, it is estimated that Eugene's population will be 70 percent of the Metro area. Councilor Miller left the meeting at 12:15 p.m. MINUTES--Eugene City Council Apri 1 13, 1988 Page 4 e e e Answering a question from Ms. Wooten, Mr. Carlson said Eugene's present population would be 134,000 if River Road-Santa Clara and Glenwood were annexed. Mr. Holmer asked about Census Bureau projections for the state, and whether Eugene's projected increase parallels that projected for the state as a whole. Mr. Carlson said there were a number of different projections and projecting bodies, and those presented are consistent with Portland State's most recent projections and with other public facility planning in the area. Replying to Mr. Rutan's question about the degree to which projections are generated by past patterns, Mr. Carlson said projection work being done for the Metro Plan Update looks at the past and at current economic trends and employment projections. He reviewed a chart showing Lane County's actual employment, wage and salary data, and projections for 1958-2010. Councilors discussed their reactions to the projected population information. Mr. Holmer commented that he was uncomfortable with such a round number, but said he was satisfied with the predictions. Mr. Rutan cautioned against relying too heavily on history to make projections. He thought the 200,000 figure was too high and he suggested that more consideration should be given to physical limitations to growth. Answering a question from Ms. Ehrman, Mr. Carlson said projections made in the 1960s underestimated Eugene's population in the 1980s, but probably overestimated that of the 1990s. Mayor Obie observed that the lesson learned from the building of the library, City Hall, and airport 20 years ago was to always build facilities that can accommodate additions to meet future needs. Mr. Holmer asked if the aging of the baby boomer generation's children would have an impact on staffing at the University and LCC and if so would therefore alter projected employment figures. Mr. Carlson responded that enrollment projections for the University are fairly stable, but University employment is expected to increase because of expansion of research facilities. Mr. Rutan described change as the one certainty in the world, and he said Eugene needs a facility with the flexibility to reach whatever capacity is dictated by a community of uncertain size. Ms. Schue said the discussion would have implications when design is considered. She suggested that one option would be to design a building with space that could be rented and used for other purposes until it is needed for library space. Ms. Decker said there is a need to plan for a library and the decision is whether to build it all now or to build it in segments and have branches. It would be helpful to know if the council has general agreement that Eugene's popl1lation by 2010 may be 200,000 and if the council's direction is to plan a facility that will meet the needs of 20 years in the future. She added that exp~nsion of the present library was identified as a need in 1977 and the lengthy delay in meeting that need continues to degrade the facility's ability to serve the public. , MINUTES--Eugene City Council April 13, 1988 Page 5 e e e Mr. Holmer identified the planning period as an appropriate issue for discussion. In his opinion, a ten-year period is more realistic than 20 years. Ms. Decker said it is difficult to plan a major facility for less than ten years. Mayor Obie again stressed the need to build a facility that can grow with the community rather than to plan for a specific projected population. Mr. Bennett agreed that ten years is a reasonable planning period, and he said he was concerned about building with an initial assumption that space would be rented. Ms. Ehrman asked if the ten-year planning period being considered would commence after construction is completed. There was consensus that the council was considering the year 2000 when the projected population would be 168,000. Mr. Rutan disagreed with that projection. Councilors indicated more realistic projections ranged from 160,000 to 170,000, but reached agreement that the planning period should be until the year 2000 for a population of 168,000. B. Service Mix and level Carol Hildebrand reviewed the process of the Future of Our Library Committee as it considered reasonable alternatives for providing adequate library facilities. An early assumption was that the future Eugene Public library should offer about the same mix of services as it does presently. These services include: 1) collections of adult and children's books, reference books, magazines and newspapers, records and cassettes, videos, art prints, and puppets; 2) public spaces that include meeting rooms, reading sections, and study areas; 3) equipment for public use that includes coin-operated copiers, typewriters, and online catalog terminals; 4) programming for children and adults; and 5) "community center" features that provide rest rooms, art displays, and bulletin boards. Other possible services that were considered by the committee but not included in its recommendation were the following: 1) special collections room, 2) office for the Friends of the Library, 3) art gallery, 4) drive-in check-out window, 5) office for community organizations, 6) coffee shop for the public, 7) library gift shop, 8) public smoking lounge, 9) tool library, and 10) meeting room equipped as a television studio. Ms, Hildebrand described the committee's recommendation after its consideration of services to be provided by the library. The committee recommends maintaining the current service mix, with an understanding that changes will occur in format and media. It is assumed that the library will continue to be a collection-based operation. It should continue to provide space for reading, study, and the use of equipment and materials. Meeting rooms should be designed for use by community groups during hours that the library is closed. Ms. Wooten asked if software collections were being considered, and Ms. Hildebrand answered that budget considerations do not allow public check-out of software at this time, but software should be considered part of the MINUTES--Eugene City Council April 13, 1988 Page 6 e collection in the future. Ms. Hildebrand said libraries can purchase check-out rights when they purchase software. When the committee entered its second phase in 1987, it commissioned a special survey to determine the community.s perception of the space that is most important to include in an expanded library. In the responses, more books ranked 79 out of 100 points; study space, 67; story hours, 63; computers, typewriters, and diverse collections, 56; art displays, 45; and meeting rooms, 41. The committee interpreted these results as a reflection of the community's preference to continue and improve what the library is doing presently. Mr. Bennett asked for further explanation of the concept of community rooms. Ms. Hildebrand said the recommendation is for three meeting rooms to total 3,300 square feet. The current policy of providing this space rent-free to any non-profit, educational, or community group would be continued. Users must set up the rooms themselves, and can purchase coffee from the library. She said it would be possible to change this policy, to consider expanding meeting room availability to include commercial and fund-raiSing groups, and to charge for their use. Mr. Bennett said he hoped for further discussion on operating the meeting rooms on a self-supporting basis. Ms. Hildebrand told the council that approximately 25 percent of the meetings now held at the library are training sessions and meetings of City employees. e Mr. Holmer stated his acceptance of the assumed mix of services, given the deferral of a decision on branch facilities. Ms. Ehrman commented that the committee had not recommended space for special collections in an effort to avoid duplication of services provided by the University of Oregon Library. Mayor Obie questioned whether the assumed mix gave sufficient emphasis to the electronic transfer of information. Ms. Hildebrand reported that staff assumed the building should be designed to allow full use of existing electronic equipment and the addition of whatever cabling and equipment is needed if the library moves away from print collections. Mr. Rutan commented that some of the service options not included may represent economic opportunities that might help finance the project. Ms. Decker said that if a complex that houses uses in addition to the library is developed, it would be possible to ask the developer to dedicate a certain amount of revenue if the library is brought to the development. Service level mix was identified by Ms. Hildebrand as another set of assumptions that will have an impact on the size of the building being considered. She reported that the committee had assumed that construction should meet library needs for 20 years and that the bUilding should be able to house the collection adequately at the present per capita level. The ratio at this time is 2.5 items per person. The other service level e MINUTES--Eugene City Council April 13, 1988 Page 7 e e e assumption is that there should be adequate reading and study areas, and meeting room space throughout the design life span of the building. There was general agreement with the assumptions about service level and mix if the appropriate planning period is adjusted to ten years as agreed earlier in the discussion. C. Floor Size Councilor Bennett left the meeting at 1:15 p.m. Jim Robertson explained that diagrams he would present were based on the assumptions made by the committee that the building would be three or four stories and approximately 90,000 to 120,000 square feet. The committee commissioned H.B.W. Associates to develop a detailed program that assumed a projected population of 200,000 and planned for 20-year growth. It calls for a total building area of about 115,000 square feet, or three times the size of the current facility. The program also addresses some functional adjacencies by defining the functions within each of the departments or areas and assigning them square footage. For operating efficiency and ease of use, the consultants recommended that each floor should be 50,000 square feet or less. Mr. Robertson said the site places constraints on the building profile. One of the prime criteria used for each site under consideration was that it be at least one half block in size. Loads generated by a library are approximately 125 pounds per square foot of live load, making it advisable to consider use of the basement. If the building is designed with a setback, natural light would reach the basement. In assuming the use of a basement, there is the potential of some underground parking which requires a ramp. In the design Mr. Robertson presented, space was also allowed for the bookmobile. Mr. Robertson indicated public open space on the site was included at the request of the committee. Allowing for the setbacks and open space, the half block site has a buildable area of 40,000 to 45,000 square feet. Mr. Rutan said he thought it was premature to discuss design and he asked if the objective was to build a library as a monument or as a functional facility. Ms. Schue said she found Mr. Robertson's design information useful. Ms. Bascom agreed with Ms. Schue. Ms. Hildebrand said the present library is 38,000 square feet, with a main floor of 18,000 square feet, occupying less than half of the half-block site. Ms. Decker reported that the Future of Our Library Committee recommended a library of approximately 50,000 square feet to have floors as large as possible to minimize the amount of staff required to move between floors, but small enough to prevent users from feeling lost. She said the council should not be asked to make a decision on floor size at this time, but is being asked for direction on whether a structure of two to four stories should be considered. Ms. Decker said staff and the committee shared the opinion that one-story structures do not belong in downtown Eugene. MINUTES--Eugene City Council April 13, 1988 Page 8 e e e Mr. Holmer said he was not prepared to eliminate a one-story structure from consideration and he thought discussions of branching and service mix might indicate that less square footage is needed. Ms. Wooten questioned whether the council had a decision to build an entire new building. Mr. Rutan suggested considering a multi-story structure with first level retail space, four levels class A office space, and a library on the fifth through seventh floors. Ms. Hildebrand said the library required ground floor space. Mr. Obie asked for consideration of a 30,000 square foot warehouse structure adjacent to the present building. The meeting was adjourned at 1:30 p.m. Respectfully.subm,itted, "..--;.,~ / /;::) /\1' E~~"""Y'.w~'~ Micheal Gleason, City Manager (Recorded by Mary Feldman) mncc 041388 MINUTES--Eugene City Council Apri 1 13, 1988 Page 9