HomeMy WebLinkAbout07/10/1989 Meeting (2)
e M I NUT E S
Eugene City Council
Council Chamber--City Hall
July 10, 1989
7:30 p.m.
COUNCILORS PRESENT: Ruth Bascom, Robert Bennett, Shawn Boles, Debra Ehrman,
Bobby Green, Freeman Holmer, Roger Rutan.
COUNCILORS ABSENT: Emily Schue.
The regular meeting of the Eugene City Council was called to order by His
Honor Mayor Jeff Miller.
I. PUBLIC FORUM
Mayor Miller said the public forum is an opportunity for citizens to express
opinions and provide information to the council about issues that are not
scheduled for council consideration. He said the council will not respond
immediately to the concerns expressed in the public forum.
e Mary Ann Holser, 2620 Cresta De Ruta, spoke as a representative of the
Rainbow Coalition on behalf of a proposal submitted by the Friends of lincoln
School for rehabilitation and development of the Lincoln School building.
Although this topic is scheduled for council consideration July 24,
councilors agreed to hear Ms. Holser's comments.
Ms. Holser said a community center in the Lincoln School building would
replace the loss of a sense of community that resulted when the school was
closed. She described livability and quality of life as essential elements
of economic development and said the Friends of lincoln School proposal would
improve the quality of life for the multi-ethnic community in that
neighborhood. She added that the proposed development would help provide
healthy recreational alternatives for young people.
Verococha Starr, 1430 Willamette Street, spoke on behalf of homeless people
and presented petitions to the council opposing the City ordinance
prohibiting camping. Mr. Starr suggested temporarily designating a specific
area of Alton Baker Park as a camping area and said this would allow homeless
people to camp in dignity and peace while something is done to address the
shortage of permanent housing in Eugene.
e MINUTES--Eugene City Council July 10, 1989 Page 1
e Mr. Starr encouraged the council and members of the public to write or call
President Bush and HUD Secretary Jack Kemp and express support for replacing
what President Reagan removed from the housing budget.
II. CONSENT CALENDAR
A. Approval of City Council Minutes of May 8, Dinner/Work Session;
and May 22 and May 24 City Council Meetings
B. Findings and Recommendations of Hearings Official and Approval of
Improvement Project (Green Lane) (Job #2412)
C. Call for Public Hearing for Street Vacation of Zona Lane (SV 89-2)
Ms. Bascom asked that items B. and C. be removed from the consent calendar
for discussion following agenda item VI.
Ms. Bascom moved, seconded by Mr. Rutan, to approve item A.
listed under the consent calendar. Roll call vote; the
motion carried unanimously, 7:0.
III. PUBLIC HEARING: RESOLUTION CONCERNING EUGENE PARKS AND RECREATION
MASTER PLAN
e City Manager Mike Gleason introduced the topic. Ernie Drapela, Parks,
Recreation and Cultural Services Department, gave the staff report.
He described the careful planning involved in developing the Eugene Parks and
Recreation Plan which is intended to replace the 1983 Eugene Parks and
Recreation Master Plan. Mr. Drapela said the updated plan is more readable,
is better organized, and has a broader treatment of the local urban areas.
It includes elements representing River Road, Santa Clara, and Glenwood.
Calling the plan visionary, he considered it an attempt to foresee Eugene's
park needs for the next 29 years. Mr. Drapela emphasized that public input
was an important part of developing the draft plan. He pointed out that on
page 7, item 15, the plan includes direction to II. . form a task team to
explore if there is a sufficient need and, if so, determine a suitable
location and appropriate way to manage and operate a skateboard facility.1I
Using the public's input and the Joint Park Committee's direction, a complete
draft plan was prepared and was the subject of public hearings before the
Joint Parks Committee in March and the Planning Commission in June. As a
result, numerous changes were suggested and accepted by those two bodies and
are included in the staff's recommendation for adoption of the plan.
Mayor Miller opened the public hearing.
e MINUTES--Eugene City Council July 10, 1989 Page 2
e Cheryl ZWillinger, 892 West 23rd Avenue, spoke as a representative of the
Youth Commission. Referring to the 1986 report of the Crime Action Task
Force, which concluded that there is a lack of youth-oriented recreational
resources available in the community, and to the council's recent passage of
anti-skateboarding and anti-cruising ordinances, Ms. Zwillinger asked that
the council make positive recreational alternatives a priority in the goals
of the Parks and Recreation Plan. She gave the council a copy of a handbook
on skateboarding from Salem.
Mark H. Simpson, 622 Hayden Bridge Road, spoke as a skateboarder and
described skateboarding as an art form which has been denied expression by
the council1s passage of an ordinance prohibiting skateboarding on the
downtown mall. Mr. Simpson maintained that skateboarding should not be
considered a crime and that a skateboard park should be developed. He
volunteered to help in that development in whatever way possible.
Brian Wright, 398 West 20th Avenue, asked for a skateboarding facility to be
made part of the Eugene Parks and Recreation Plan. He considered the amount
of public testimony on the issue a demonstration of the need for such a
facil ity. Mr. Wright volunteered his time and expertise in making the
facility a reality. He suggested that specific areas be designated as legal
and safe for skateboarding during the planning and development stages of a
skateboard park.
Julie Stock, 1710 South 5th Street, Cottage Grove, said there is a need for
more activities for youth in the Eugene area because present alternatives are
e limited to parties where alcohol and drugs are used, or expensive movies and
dance clubs which many young people cannot afford.
Charlie Larson, 73 Rasor Avenue, encouraged the council to involve youth and
homeless people in developing a parks plan. He supported providing a legal
camp site, possibly in a City park, for homeless people, and developing a
skateboard park and other recreational opportunities for young people.
Brad Perkins, 1590 Mill Street, presented a petition regarding the West
University Park located on 14th Avenue near Hilyard Street. The park is
presently a IIpocket park,1I often frequented by transients. Mr. Perkins
suggested expanding the park to Hilyard Street, which he said would help
establish the area as a park by making it more visible to the community.
Mr. Perkins said a half-block site at 19th Avenue and Pearl Street is
presently controlled by the City's Public Works Department and could be
transferred to the PARCS Department and then turned over to a private sector
company or private/public partnership to be developed as low-income
multi-family housing. Mr. Perkins said income from that sale could be used
to buy the additional property for expansion of the 14th Avenue park.
Next, Mr. Perkins described skateboarding as an art form and said young
people should be given an opportunity to represent the community by serving
e MINUTES--Eugene City Council July 10, 1989 Page 3
- on a task force to research locations for a skateboarding park. Mr. Perkins
suggested that the site beneath the Washington/Jefferson bridge may be
appropriate.
There being no additional requests to speak, Mayor Miller closed the public
hearing.
Responding to a question from Ms. Ehrman, Mr. Drapela explained that the
numbering of proposed actions listed in the draft plan does not signify
prioritization within those categories. Gary Chenkin, Planning and
Development Department, added that high-priority items relating to particular
facilities would come to the council as part of the annual Capital
Improvements Program (CIP), at which time the council will provide direction
on what should be pursued. He said the CIP will continue to be the channel
through which neighborhoods express their needs.
Mr. Green described a skateboarding tournament he recently observed in
Irvine, California, and recommended that staff obtain information about that
city's skateboarding park. Expressing his support for a skateboarding park,
Mr. Green said he thought the council was in general agreement. He said
questions of liability need to be addressed as part of the development of a
park.
Mr. Green asked whether rest rooms are designated for metropolitan parks only
in the Parks and Recreation Plan, because he had noticed few being available
e in some developed parks. John Etter, PARCS Department, responded by saying
budgetary considerations usually result in rest rooms being placed only in
larger community parks intended for all-day use.
Mr. Boles said he was glad park wading pools were open again. Referring to
page 20 in the draft plan, Mr. Boles asked about funding for high priority
items in the Central Planning District. He said some projects designated as
medium-priority already have funding available in the eIP. Mr. Boles asked
whether the parking lot east of Fir Lane and improvements to the River House
parking lot are part of the Maurie Jacobs project. Mr. Etter replied that
both parking lots were originally included in the Maurie Jacobs project and
that the Fir Lane lot is now in the CIP with a donation designation and the
River House parking lot is not in the CIP at this point.
Answering further questions from Mr. Boles, Mr. Etter said rehabilitation of
the Sladden Park irrigation system is done, but the rest rooms are not. He
indicated that the expansion of the West University Neighborhood Park
referred to earlier by Mr. Perkins is included in the Central Area plan on
page 20.
Responding to Mr. Boles's statement that he understood that a skateboard park
task force would be created following the council's passage of the ordinance
prohibiting skateboarding in the downtown mall area, Mr. Chenkin said that
with council's direction, formation of such a task team would be consistent
with the draft plan.
- MINUTES--Eugene City Council July 10, 1989 Page 4
fa Mr. Bennett directed a question to City Attorney Tim Sercombe about how the
Parks and Recreation Plan relates to the Metro Plan. Specifically, Mr.
Bennett said he was concerned that the draft plan assigns priority to and
directs action on specific community needs and may lead to questions of
interpretation. Mr. Sercombe responded that clarifying language has been
placed in the resolution that addresses Mr. Bennett1s concern, which the
Planning Commission also considered when it discussed the draft plan. That
language helps interpret the different policies and their future use by the
City. The resolution itself will be printed in the final version of the plan
as an aid to interpretation.
Mr. Sercombe said one of his concerns had been that the plan not be
interpreted to create land use decisions out of every administrative and
financial decision made by the City in connection with the parks and
recreation system. If general policy language in the plan was interpreted as
creating planning policy after adoption by council, a number of
administrative and financial facilities planning decisions could be converted
into land use decisions. The consequences of those types of decisions being
classified as such would be that they would need to be taken after a
quasi-judicial or contested case hearing process, would need to be justified
by findings, and could be appealed to the Land Use Board of Appeals. Mr.
Sercombe referred to a memorandum he sent the Planning Commission and said
that many of the draft plan's policies are only guidelines for the council
and for staff in making parks and recreation decisions in the future. Those
policies which implement the Metro Plan are adopted as policy to guide land
e use decisions. The resolution specifies that the proposed actions that are
intended to be guidelines (particularly the assignment of high, medium, and
low priorities to specific elements of the plan) are not adopted as policy
and are not intended to commit the City to do any particular project.
Mr. Holmer asked whether there was significance in the fact that the name had
been changed from the 1983 title which included "Master Plan" to just "Plan.1I
Mr. Sercombe saw no legal significance in the change.
Mr. Holmer asked which policies in the plan are land use regulations or are
adopted as policies to be used in making land use decisions. Mr. Sercombe
responded that those policies are not highlighted within the Parks and
Recreation Plan. He added that where general policy covering the regulation
of specific land use decisions has already been adopted in the Metro Plan and
language in this plan refines that or makes it more clear, that policy
language is adopted as guiding land use decisions.
Ms. Bascom thanked staff for its diligent work on the draft plan. She
commented that demographic studies conducted as part of the development of
the plan showed that the parks having the heaviest use were those along the
riverbank. Studies also revealed new, increased demand for mini-neighborhood
parks. Ms. Bascom said the hearings on the draft plan demonstrated the need
to develop networks with other public institutions, including the University
of Oregon, for use of playing fields and swimming pools.
- MINUTES--Eugene City Council July 10, 1989 Page 5
- Ms. Bascom referred to high priority proposed actions listed under the
Westmoreland area on page 30 of the draft plan and reported that at the
public hearing, the topics of identifiable entries, a neighborhood
playground, and a bicycle crossing on 18th Avenue received the most
attention.
Mayor Miller commended staff for its work on the plan.
Res. No. 4127--A resolution concerning the Eugene Parks and
Recreation Plan and repealing City of Eugene
Resolution Nos. 3774, 3877, 3937, 4000, and
4053.
Ms. Bascom moved, seconded by Mr. Rutan, to adopt the
resolution.
Mr. Holmer said he considered the findings contained in the resolution
extensive and he questioned why they needed to be so lengthy. He asked about
the expansion of the Joint Parks Committee from seven to fourteen members and
said he understood that was a temporary change during the drafting of the
plan. Mr. Holmer also questioned reference to IIsignificant community and
neighborhood involvement.1I He was curious about the outcome of the plan's
review by the Department of Land Conservation and Development and the
planning directors for Lane County and Springfield. Additionally, Mr. Holmer
observed that while the draft plan would function as an inventory of
recreation needs and opportunities, it failed to commit the City to begin its
e Goal 5 qualitative analysis. Finally, he described the draft plan as a good
administrative document, but he said because it was too comprehensive, lacked
priorities and policies reflecting land use regulations, and had not been
adequately analyzed by councilors to be sure its policies and priorities were
those of the council, he urged the council not to endorse it by resolution.
Mr. Bennett agreed with Mr. Holmer1s opinion that the draft plan had not been
adequately analyzed by councilors and he questioned the need to adopt the
plan by resolution.
Mr. Gleason responded that formal adoption of documents such as the one
before the council provides guidance to the City's boards, commissions, and
staff in the preparation of budget documents and represents the council's
general consensus in the direction for future agendas.
Mr. Sercombe pointed out that findings are necessary because the plan adopts
some land use regulations. He said the plan could be interpreted as the
implementation of plan direction contained in the Metro Plan. It a 1 so
functions to implement parts of the LCDC Goal 8 (the Parks and Recreation
Statewide Planning Goal).
Mr. Bennett stated that he would vote for the resolution, but he wanted to be
on record as acknowledging that he was not knowledgeable about every aspect
of the plan.
e MINUTES--Eugene City Council July 10, 1989 Page 6
e Mr. Gleason considered the council's dialogue useful for staff as it attempts
to reflect the majority will of the council in setting future decisions. He
emphasized that staff uses these documents as planning documents to guide the
development of capital and operating budgets.
Responding to Mr. Boles' request to typographically highlight the land use
policies within the document, Mr. Sercombe said land use policies are
contained in a number of documents and they generally take two forms: the
first is direction to governments regarding actions, and the second is
direction on how to decide individual land use requests. Most of the
policies in this plan are not directed to individual land use decisions but
are guidelines to action and are not intended to convert budget or policy-
making decisions into land use decisions.
Mr. Holmer concurred with Mr. Gleason's desire to have a document to guide
action, but requested that future plans have the specificity of the CIP and
be explicitly subject to further review through the budget process.
Answering a question from Mr. Green, Mr. Gleason said any circumstances
requiring financial commitments would require review by the Joint Parks and
Budget committees, as well as by the City Council. Ms. Bascom expressed hope
that some projects identified as high priority in the document would receive
private funding, enabling them to move ahead without additional council
review.
Roll call vote; the motion carried 6:1, with Councilor Holmer
e voting nay.
Ms. Bascom moved, seconded by Mr. Rutan, to appoint a task
force to consider the development of a skateboard park.
Ms. Ehrman described the recently-passed ordinance prohibiting skateboarding
in specific areas as not being anti-skateboarding. Mr. Green asked that the
young people who offered their services during recent public hearings would
be included in the decision-making process of the task force.
The motion carried unanimously, 7:0.
IV. PUBLIC HEARING: ORDINANCE CONCERNING LAND USE FEES
City Manager Mike Gleason introduced the topic. Tony Mounts, Finance
Division, gave the staff report. The item under consideration is designed to
amend the City Code to conform with the intent of Ordinance No. 19494,
adopted by the council August 3, 1987. It would delegate to administrative
procedure the fee-setting authority for land use application fees.
Mayor Miller opened the public hearing.
There being no requests to speak, Mayor Miller closed the public hearing.
e MINUTES--Eugene City Council July 10, 1989 Page 7
e Answering a question from Mr. Boles, Mr. Gleason said the broader topic of
developmental fees in terms of the ratio of the cost returned to the City
will be considered at a later time. The fees affected by this ordinance may
undergo another adjustment at that time.
CB 4149--An ordinance concerning fees; amending Sections
2.212, 7.595, 7.610, 8.820, 9.030, 9.035, 9.040,
9.126, 9.128, 9.154, 9.512, 9.516, 9.576, 9.672,
9.690, and 9.700 of the Eugene Code, 1971; and
declaring an emergency.
Ms. Bascom moved, seconded by Mr. Rutan, that the bill, with
unanimous consent of the council, be read the second time by
council bill number only, and that enactment be considered at
this time. Roll call vote; the motion carried unanimously,
7:0.
Council Bill 4149 was read a second time by number only.
Ms. Bascom moved, seconded by Mr. Rutan, that the bill be
approved and given final passage. Ro 11 ca 11 vote; a 11
councilors present voting aye, the bill was declared passed
(and became Ordinance No. 19625).
V. RESOLUTION CONCERNING TESTIMONY ANO FUNDING APPLICATIONS
e Res. No. 4128--A resolution establishing policy governing
City testimony and funding requests, and
repealing Resolution No. 2625, adopted
February 28, 1977.
This item was postponed to a later date to allow Ms. Schue to be present
during its discussion.
VI. RESOLUTION REGARDING INTERIM FINANCING FOR LOCAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS
Warren Wong, Finance Director, reported that the resolution would authorize
the issuance of $2.3 million in short-term warrants to pay for construction
financing of Bancroft projects already approved by the council. The sale
will occur August 1, 1989.
Res. No. 4129--A resolution authorizing the issuance and sale
of limited tax general obligation bond
anticipation notes, Series 1989 in an amount
not to exceed $2,3000,000, for the purpose of
providing funds for interim financing of
improvements within local improvement
districts.
e MINUTES--Eugene City Council July 10, 1989 Page 8
e Ms. Bascom moved, seconded by Mr. Rutan, to adopt the
resolution. Roll call vote; the motion carried unanimously,
7:0.
II. CONSENT CALENDAR ITEMS REQUIRING FURTHER DISCUSSION
B. Findings and Recommendations of Hearings Official and Approval of
Improvement Project (Green Lane) (Job #2412)
Ms. Bascom asked whether approval of this item would in effect constitute
annexation of this part of Santa Clara. Doug Weber, Engineering Division,
responded that the particular area in question was annexed as part of the
development of the Santa Clara shopping center.
C. Call for Public Hearing for Street Vacation of Zona Lane (SV 89-2)
Answering a question from Ms. Bascom, Mr. Weber said he believed that the
mobile home park development is moving ahead. Mr. Gleason added that the
item calls for a public hearing on the matter and he assured the council that
more information would be available before that hearing.
Responding to a question from Mr. Bennett about requiring payment for the
vacation of already improved streets, Mr. Gleason explained that typically
this type of transaction involves payment in the amount of the appraised
value.
e Ms. Bascom questioned whether this item was appropriate for inclusion on the
consent calendar. Mr. Gleason answered that because the item called for a
public hearing, at which time the council would receive additional
information, it was considered routine.
Ms. Bascom moved, seconded by Mr. Rutan, to approve items B.
and C. listed under the consent calendar. Ro 11 ca 11 vote;
the motion carried unanimously, 7:0.
The meeting adjourned to July 12, 1989, at 9 p.m.
Re~.
n~0 "-
Micheal Gleason,
City Manager
(Recorded by Mary Feldman)
mncc 071089-730
e MINUTES--Eugene City Council July 10, 1989 Page 9