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HomeMy WebLinkAbout08/16/1989 Meeting e M I NUT E S Eugene City Council McNutt Room--City Hall August 16, 1989 11:30 a.m. COUNCILORS PRESENT: Ruth Bascom, Shawn Boles, Emily Schue, Debra Ehrman, Freeman Holmer, Bobby Green, Roger Rutan. COUNCILORS ABSENT: Rob Bennett. The adjourned meeting of August 14, 1989, of the Eugene City Council was called to order by Mayor Jeff Miller. 1. ITEMS FROM THE CITY COUNCIL, MAYOR, AND CITY MANAGER A. Second World Conference of Mayors for Peace Through Inner-City Solidarity Mr. Boles said he represented the City at the second world conference of e Mayors for Peace through Inner-City Solidarity. One portion of the conference was dedicated to education by the Japanese about the consequences of the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. A second portion of the conference addressed the role of cities in the nuclear age. Mr. Boles said the consensus of delegates at the conference was that cities have an important role to play in preventing nuclear war. Five actions that cities can take to help prevent war are create or strengthen nuclear free zones; increase the education of children; examine purchasing policies; and consider new ordinances such as the stratospheric protection accord. Mr. Boles circulated copies of the Nagasaki Citizens' Peace Charter and asked councilors to consider ratifying the charter. B. City Initiative and Referendum Process Mr. Holmer relayed suggestions from Planning Commissioner Ken Tollenaar regarding proposed changes to Eugene's initiative and referendum processes. Mr. Tollenaar suggested that the council retain the number of registered voters in Eugene as the basis for determining how many signatures to require on initiative and referendum petitions, adjusting the percentage of signatures required as council feels appropriate. Mr. Tollenaar also suggested that a distinction be made between the number of signatures required for an ordinance and the number required for a charter amendment. e MINUTES--Eugene City Council August 16, 1989 Page 1 e Mr. Holmer urged the council to consider these suggestions; other councilors agreed to do so. C. Letters from Councilor Holmer Mr. Holmer referred councilors to his letters regarding an increase in garbage rates (dated August 16, 1989) and the resolution adopted by the Neighborhood Leaders Association about urban renewal (dated August 15, 1989). Ms. Ehrman suggested that the council meet informally with the Neighborhood Leaders Association to discuss its position on urban renewal. Other councilors expressed interest in this suggestion. D. Housing Now! March Councilors discussed a variety of ways that the council could support the Housing Now! march in Washington, DC. Ms. Bascom moved, seconded by Ms. Ehrman, that the Eugene City Council endorse the Housing Now! march. Mr. Holmer moved, seconded by Mr. Green, to amend Ms. Bascom's motion to request that the Legislative Committee develop a specific housing-related program for use by City delegates to Washington DC. The amendment carried unanimously, 7:0. e The motion carried unanimously, 7:0. The council discussed what its involvement might be in the local activities of the Housing Now! organization. Ms. Bascom suggested that the council share the City's efforts to increase the amount of affordable housing in Eugene. Mr. Boles thought the council should also convey its willingness to consider more drastic solutions to housing problems than it has pursued to date. II. REVIEW OF AIRPORT RULES ADOPTION Airport Manager Mike Boggs gave the staff report. Mr. Boggs said that the rules at Mahlon Sweet Airport are similar to those at most major airports. They serve several purposes: they provide guidelines and rules for operations at the airport and they provide that all commercial operators at the airport have a permit or a license. Eugene's rules and regulations also provide specifically for aeronautical activity minimum standards; this is a requirement of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). In addition, the rules and regulations establish a procedure for the administrative process of permitting or contracting and they assist airport staff in meeting the FAA's requirements for nondiscriminatory contracts and procedures. e MINUTES--Eugene City Council August 16, 1989 Page 2 e Mr. Boggs said the current rules and regulations for Mahlon Sweet Airport consist of a revised draft of the rules adopted in 1969, guidelines set out by the FAA for minimum standards for airports, and the standards that are generally accepted within the industry and that exist in most airports. Mr. Boggs said that the revised rules represent nearly two years of effort and have been reviewed by the Airport Commission, the FAA, the existing airport operators, taxicab and limousine operators, and other interested parties. Mr. Boggs said that on July 26, 1989, the City Manager executed an Administrative Order adopting the Rules Governing Use of Mahlon Sweet Airport. At the request of councilors Holmer and Bennett, these rules are now before the council for review. Mr. Boggs said Mr. Holmer's concerns center around Sections 9 and 10 of the airport rules. Section 9 deals with the permitting procedures for commercial activities at the airport and Section 10 addresses the revocation procedures. Mr. Holmer said that he is concerned about the arbitrary manner in which airport decisions may be made. He thought Section 9 and 10 should contain an assurance that the perspective permitees will be treated fairly and equitably. He did not feel the Airport Manager should have absolute discretion to make decisions about permits at the airport. Mr. Holmer urged the council to instruct the City Manager to arrange for the revision of the rules to remove the uncertainties and to preclude the potential inequities that are now created by Section 9 and 10. The council directed staff to revise the draft to respond to Mr. Holmer's e concerns and to bring the revisions to the council within 60 days. Mr. Rutan noted that he would like to see the City develop general guidelines about the type of commercial activity that will be allowed and/or encouraged at the airport. Mr. Boggs said that guidelines about the specific uses would be more appropriately addressed in a concession plan for the airport. He indicated that he would include this on the Airport Commission1s work plan. Res. No. 4137--A resolution repealing Resolution Nos. 1629, 2424, and 3598. Ms. Bascom moved, seconded by Mr. Rutan, to adopt an order approving the Rules Governing Use of Mahlon Sweet Airport and to adopt the resolution. III. CONSIDERATION OF OPTIONS REGARDING WISTEC Answering a question raised at a previous work session, Mr. Gleason said staff estimates that it would take between $75,000 and $125,000 per year to operate WISTEC completely as a municipal facility. Ms. Bascom noted that WISTEC's budget is approximately $164,712 per year. e MINUTES--Eugene City Council August 16, 1989 Page 3 e Ms. Bascom moved, seconded by Ms. Schue, that the Eugene City Council provide $10,000 from the City's FY89-90 Contingency Fund for WISTEC's $20,900 recovery program, expecting that the remainder of WISTEC's recovery program will be secured from private funding sources. Mr. Holmer asked what WISTEC's deficit is. Deborah McCarty, Director of WISTEC, said the organization's current deficit is $14,000. The $21,000 that WISTEC is seeking for its recovery program is completely separate from the deficit. Ms. Ehrman noted her support for the motion. She said WISTEC is an asset to the community and thought that the council may want to continue its support in the next budget season. Ms. Bascom and Ms. Schue agreed. Mr. Green was supportive of the motion but expressed reservations about continued support of WISTEC in future budgets. He felt that continued funding of WISTEC would set a precedent which would be used to bolster the requests of other community groups seeking funding from the City. Mr. Green also encouraged the School District to make larger contributions to WISTEC. Mr. Boles was also supportive of the motion but seconded Mr. Green's concern about continued City contributions to WISTEC without thoughtful consideration of how WISTEC could be supported at a regional level. Mr. Boles pointed out that WISTEC is a facility with regional benefits. e Mr. Holmer also agreed with Mr. Green1s concerns. He said he would support the motion because he felt the council should take 90 days to decide how deep its involvement with WISTEC should be. Mr. Holmer said that before WISTEC returns with a further request for funding, he hopes to see a comprehensive plan that indicates how the City's contribution helped to leverage private, regional, and State funds to secure a stable funding source. The motion carried unanimously, 7:0. IV. PROGRESS REPORT ON WEST EUGENE WETLANDS SPECIAL AREA STUDY Steve Gordon, Lane Council of Governments (L-COG), updated the council on the West Eugene Wetlands Special Area Study. He said staff conducted a series of successful tours of the west Eugene wetlands last spring. L-COG has developed a self-guided tour and those interested can tour the wetlands by themselves. Mr. Gordon said Scientific Resources Incorporated (SRI) has been hired to conduct fieldwork in West Eugene. This fieldwork will serve as the basis for the functions and values assessment that is being funded by a $50,000 grant from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Mr. Gordon reported that staff has conducted two citizen involvement workshops. He said the discussion at the workshops was good and some new e MINUTES--Eugene City Council August 16, 1989 Page 4 e ideas were generated. Staff will be preparing a report summarizing the discussion at these workshops and hopes to conduct four additional public workshops to review results of field studies, evaluate the functions and values of wetlands, to generate techniques for protection and mitigation of wetlands, and to develop policy recommendations. The next workshop will be held in November, after SRI has obtained preliminary results. Mr. Gordon noted that a revised wetland mitigation plan has been prepared for the West Eugene Parkway project. The final Environmental Impact Statement is expected to be released for public review in September 1989. Mr. Gordon stated that Senate Bill 3 was passed during the legislative session. This bill establishes a process for requesting and receiving State approval of regional wetlands plans. It also establishes an Oregon wetlands policy and clarifies wetlands definitions. Mr. Gordon said staff has also been successful in its efforts to obtain a $250,000 EPA appropriation to study the feasibility of creating: 1) multiple use water quality features adjacent to the Amazon Channel, 2) a prairie wetlands experimental station west of Eugene, and 3) a visitor/nature center in the West Eugene-eastern Fern Ridge area. Mr. Gleason asked Mr. Gordon to elaborate on the opportunities for wetlands mitigation at Fern Ridge Reservoir. Mr. Gordon said there are some large parcels on the southwest side of the reservoir; the State wildlife management area may be expanded into that region. In addition, the City may wish to e extend the Amazon greenbelt to connect with Fern Ridge Reservoir. Mr. Gordon thought that Fern Ridge Reservoir presents a lot of opportunity for mitigation if EPA can be convinced that the reservoir is part of a base wetlands system with a plan community similar to other local wetlands. Ms. Bascom asked if an extension of the Amazon greenbelt would require condemnation of private land. Mr. Gordon said that this probably will be a concern. He said staff is preparing a report on the legal and financial issues that would be raised by an extension of the Amazon greenbelt. The meeting adjourned at 1:15 p.m. Respectfully s~ . ~~--- . Mi eal Gleaso City Manager (Recorded by Monty Hindman and Tanya Northman) MNCC 081689 - MINUTES--Eugene City Council August 16, 1989 Page 5