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HomeMy WebLinkAbout09/18/1989 Meeting . M I NUT E S Eugene City Council Quarterly Process Session Gallo Nero Restaurant--85 Oakway Mall September 18, 1989 5:45 p.m. COUNCILORS PRESENT: Ruth Bascom, Robert Bennett, Shawn Boles, Debra Ehrman, Bobby Green, Freeman Holmer, Roger Rutan, Emily Schue. The adjourned meeting of September 13, 1989, was convened by His Honor Mayor Jeff Mill er. 1. HOSPITAL AUTHORITY Councilors discussed their September 13 meeting and their decision regarding the Hospital Authority item. Mr. Boles considered The Register Guard's news story that reported council approval to be inaccurate and he was awaiting the public hearing to decide the merits of the request. Councilors agreed that they intended to review the ordinance and consider the public testimony before making any decisions on the matter. e Mr, Bennett asked Ms. Bascom to consider whether she should declare a conflict of interest. Mr. Gleason explained that that as a result of Wednesday's work session, the item would be the subject of a public hearing September 25. He told the council that delaying its decision might add to the hospital's cost, depending on interest rates. Councilors clarified that their direction to staff to prepare an ordinance did not represent consensus to approve the request, but was intended to provide a basis for discussion and to allow a public hearing to be called. Mayor Miller requested that staff contact the editor of The Register Guard to ,request public notice of the reporting error mentioned earlier. At this point, technical difficulties caused a delay Ms. Bascom's slide presentation on her recent trip to the USSR. II. COMMITTEE REPORTS AND PROCESS ISSUES A. Human Rights Task Force Mr. Green reported that the task force is now looking at different models to determine the best structure for the human rights program. The group is - MINUTES--Eugene City Council September 18, 1989 Page 1 Quarterly Process Session . addressing the issue of what the City should do to assure that its value statement is reflected in its work. Whether leadership of the task force belongs with the City or with the community has been a subject of some concern. He said cost will be a factor in determining whether there should be a single commission or several. Mr. Green stressed the importance of preserving the distinction between human rights and other rights or privileges. He expected the work of the task force to be completed by the end of the calendar year. B. Eugene-Springfield Convention and Visitors' Bureau Ms. Ehrman reported that Jerry Rust has replaced John Ball on the bureau's board of directors. She asked the council whether the City should take a position regarding the location of the bureau and its potential move to the Gateway area. While that location would have the advantage of proximity to Interstate 5, it may not be the best for Eugene. Mr. Holmer commented that the business community should express its opinion and it may not be appropriate for the council to take a position on what he called a semi-private sector matter. Mr. Boles said he hoped the bureau would present to the affected jurisdictions its rationale for proposing a move. Ms. Ehrman anticipated that because a move would involve a request for increased funding, the City would have to take a stand eventually. She added e that relocation is included in the bureau's existing five-year plan and the executive board has scheduled a special meeting on the topic in late September. Councilors agreed that function and not convenience should dictate the location of the bureau and they concurred with Mr. Green's request for more information about actual space needs and costs before making a recommendation. C. Homeless and Affordable Housing Task Force Mr. Bennett anticipated that within the next 30 days, the County task force will recommend raising money through a new source of income. Interest on trust account deposits, a business license fee, and a serial levy are being discussed. Ms. Schue commented that the task force may be the appropriate channel through which citizens can address the housing issue. She asked if a public meeting or hearing was scheduled. Mr. Bennett replied affirmatively. Mayor Miller stressed the importance of making the public aware of the effort local jurisdictions are putting into this issue. Mr. Gleason said he hoped to obtain a tentative schedule of public hearings soon. - MINUTES--Eugene City Council September 18, 1989 Page 2 Quarterly Process Session . D. Office Automation Mr. Boles described the office automation system as an asset that allows him to interact directly with staff. He encouraged other councilors to take advantage of this communication tool. E. Time Line and Action Report Mr. Boles said the revised time line suggested by Mr. Rutan is working well. He suggested that all items from councilors at Wednesday meetings be included in the weekly action list regardless of whether they require staff action. Mr. Gleason responded that all comments or issues raised during council meetings are tracked and assigned to staff. Ms. Schue added that many items are brought as information and require no further .action. F. Corrections to Assignment List Mr. Boles reported that the Retail Task Force should be added to his list of committee assignments. He said he was also serving on the Fairgrounds Master Plan with councilors Ehrman and Rutan. G. Council Committee on Infrastructure Mr. Boles said the committee's work plan is available. The committee is reviewing systems development charges and will participate in a workshop in e early October. Mr. Boles viewed these charges as part of an equation that recognizes the positive and negative financial impact developers have on a community. He reported that the committee has yet to address issues related to roadway deterioration in the south hills. H. Development Fee Project Mr. Rutan said he would join councilors Boles and Ehrman as this group begins its work September 20. 1. Public Forum Item at City Council Meetings Ms. Schue commented that the public forum appears to be degenerating into a contest of wills between citizens and the council. She said its intent was to encourage people to address the council in a friendly, open setting and that setting a time limit for comments defeats that purpose. Mr. Bennett agreed that a timer may be disconcerting to some speakers but he recommended limiting speakers in some way. He viewed the public forum's purpose as being to introduce new subjects that require research and not to serve as a grass roots town meeting. Mr. Boles reported that denial of the right to speak was the topic of a recent Westside Neighborhood Quality Project meeting. He suggested that the list of action items for the next two or three weeks could be used as the boundary of what could be addressed at a meeting. e MINUTES--Eugene City Council September 18, 1989 Page 3 Quarterly Process Session e Councilors spent some time discussing the purpose of the public forum and how to best allow the public to speak to elected officials. Several changes were considered: move the item to the end of the agenda; count the number of requests to speak and divide the allotted agenda time equally among them; restrict the number of times the same person can speak at the public forum; provide a more reasonable amount of public hearing time on topics of public interest; rely on the Mayor's judgment; rename the item "new issues forum;" provide citizens with opportunities to use the City's computer system to communicate with elected officials and staff; assign an administrative officer to hold public hearings for anyone with a message to deliver to the council; request the removal of signs from the" Council Chamber privately, before the meeting instead of during the meeting. Councilors decided not to make major structural changes in the public forum at this time, but agreed that more flexibility would enhance the public's perception of the council.s access i bil i ty. At this point, Mayor Miller called for a five-minute break. J. Council Committee on Funding for Local Arts Mr. Holmer reported a potential conflict among councilors in determining who should receive the revenue from a percentage increase in the Transient Room Tax. Mr. Rutan explained that the Sports Council may propose a .5 percent addition to the County Room Tax. Mr. Holmer asked whether support of the arts groups should come from a countywide increase or a City increase. e Mr, Boles discouraged a piecemeal approach to funding and said sports, recreational opportunities, and the arts are all part of the issue of tourism and their support should be coordinated as part of a coherent package. Ms. Schue said that the Arts Funding Committee is aware of the need for coordination, but she pointed out that arts groups fe~l an urgency to obtain additional funding quickly. Mr. Rutan reported that some representatives of the hotel industry support the establishment of a council to manage additional room tax revenue and to judge the worthiness of various projects to receive funding by their ability to fill rooms. Mr. Bennett said there is already some judgment about the quality of the arts in terms of contributions to the community as a whole. Ms. Schue said the Hult Center is to provide cultural opportunities for the taxpayers supporting it but some local arts groups feel that preference should be shown to local groups. They feel that by allowing nonlocal groups to use the facility, the revenues of local groups are reduced. Regarding the evaluation of the relative merits of various arts groups, Mr. Holmer said that because variety is attractive from an economic development perspective, perhaps a disproportionate amount of funding should go to those groups with the least chance of success otherwise, in order to preserve that variety. e MINUTES--Eugene City Council September 18, 1989 Page 4 Quarterly Process Session --- e Mayor Miller requested that a work session be scheduled to address issues surrounding funding for sports and the arts. Mr. Boles asked that the visual arts as well as the performing arts be included in future discussions. Ms. Bascom encouraged the council to schedule a meeting with the Cultural Affairs Commission soon. Ms. Ehrman added that each of the groups seeking funding from the Transient Room Tax should be asked to report and those reports should be considered during a work session. K. Autzen Stadium Dome Mr. Rutan reported that this group was not active, but pointed out that if the University of Oregon undertakes a major expansion and change at Autzen Stadium, a broad base of support will be necessary. L. Airport Mr. Rutan reported that Airport staff's attempts to attract an additional carrier may be adversely affected by a nationwide shortage of aircraft. M. Parking Meters Mr. Rutan requested a preliminary staff report on recent changes in the downtown parking program. Ms. Ehrman pointed out that the extension of parking meters in the vicinity e of the library was not part of the recommendation of the Downtown Development District Review Group. Councilors reported that they had received several telephone calls and letters in opposition to the installation of parking meters, particularly near the library. Mr. Bennett encouraged the council to delay its evaluation of the parking program until the scheduled six-month review by the Downtown Commission. Councilors reached consensus to delay formal evaluation of the program as originally planned, but requested a report on installation of meters in the areas outside the downtown core area and on attended parking as soon as possible. Councilors briefly discussed the need to inform the public that the Downtown Commission and City Council will review the program after six months. Ms. Schue said downtown businesses should be encouraged to help remind the public to carry quarters for parking meters. Responding to a question from Mr, Holmer, Mr. Gleason said digital meters are more efficient to operate and maintain and will eventually replace existing mechanical meters. N. Eugene Celebration Parade Councilors were asked to tell Mary Walston their plans for participation in the Eugene Celebration Parade. - MINUTES--Eugene City Council September 18, 1989 Page 5 Quarterly Process Session ---- e o. Citizen Committee on Mayor/City Councilor Compensation Mayor Miller reported that this new committee would meet for the first time at noon September 19. Ms. Ehrman said an article on the topic appeared in a recent issue of What's Happening. P. Audience Involvement at Wednesday Meetings Mayor Miller asked the council to consider a process for allowing audience participation at its Wednesday meetings. Ms. Schue emphasized the importance of distinguishing between a speaker who provides the council with needed information and one advocating a position. Mayor Miller suggested that councilors inform staff when a member of the public is to present information and allow staff to introduce the person. He said that would help the council maintain some control. Mr. Holmer pointed out that councilors may not know about the speaker ahead of time, and he would prefer having councilors ask the Mayor to recognize a speaker. The Mayor could then ask for council agreement before allowing someone to speak. Mr. Boles pointed out the need to avoid allowing a line up of proponents or opponents of controversial issues to speak during the council's work sessions. Q. Environmental Protection Agency: Sewer Hook-Up e Mr. Gleason described his meeting with the Director of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) earlier in the day as a cordial one in which he requested clarification of the arrangements for the next phase of the grant. He reported that the EPA is unequivocally adamant that the environmental problem (ground water contamination) must be resolved and the next stage of the grant carried out. Hook-up will be required within the boundary of the designated health hazard area, regardless of local politics and the difficulties of annexation. He said the City will act under express orders of the EPA to make those sewer hook-ups occur. Mr. Gleason explained that the grant agreement required a facilities study which required trunk lines to be placed and the City to proceed with a voluntary annexation program. If that failed to meet the proposed schedule, the City was to undertake an aggressive annexation program. If the schedule still was not met, the EPA specified that it expected hook-ups to occur with or without annexation. Mr. Gleason said the City now must proceed with a change in the plan to allow sewer connections without annexation within the boundary certified as an environmental hazard. Responding to questions, Mr. Gleason said he anticipates that the County will serve as the enforcement agency. If residents choose not to annex, the City will borrow from the State Environmental Pollution Fund, which would increase costs to property owners. An additional work session on the project will be scheduled soon. e MINUTES--Eugene City Council September 18, 1989 Page 6 Quarterly Process Session . R. Councilor Bascom's Trip to the U.S.S.R. At this point, Ms. Bascom presented a slide show highlighting her May visit to Tashkent and Irkutsk. S. Lane Regional Air Pollution Authority (LRAPA) Ms. Ehrman reported that a public hearing regarding mandatory curtailment of wood stove burning will be held September 19. Mr. Bennett pointed out that while carbon monoxide pollution may become a problem in the future, wood stoves account for 95 percent of the PM10 levels. Ms. Schue added that if a mandatory burning control program is instituted, it will be the responsibility of the general purpose government. Ms. Ehrman said Springfield is considering a ban on backyard burning (Eugene already has one). LRAPA continues to monitor field burning. THe EWEB steam plant has been granted an extension to develop appropriate technology. T. Shelton-McMurphey House Ms. Ehrman reported that a meeting to discuss the options for the historic Shelton-McMurphey House is scheduled for the last week in September and will be among the topics at the council's joint meeting with the Lane County Board e of Commissioners October 2. U. Fairgrounds Master Plan Ms. Ehrman said this committee had not met. Councilors briefly considered whether a meeting should be initiated by City representatives, Mayor Miller agreed to investigate. V. Li nco 1 n Schoo 1 Ms. Ehrman asked councilors to approach the issue of Lincoln School with open minds and the realization that it is a difficult one for the neighborhood. Mr. Gleason noted that while the council authorized staff to enter negotiations and to bring back a memorandum of agreement, it also instructed staff to deal with the issues that have been raised by the neighborhood (child care and park land). Mr. Boles added that a compromise solution is being sought and he reported that the developer is being very cooperative. Ms. Ehrman said 50 to 75 people attended a meeting at the Kaufman Center at which many different views were expressed. Ms. Bascom expressed hope that the Italianate house located at 15th Avenue and Olive Street could be moved safely. . MINUTES--Eugene City Council September 18, 1989 Page 7 Quarterly Process Session ~- . W. Notification of Councilors Mr. Boles referred to recent City action relating to the Chambers Connector underpass in the Whiteaker Neighborhood and said he wanted to discuss the City Manager-City Council relationship. Mr. Bennett said he anticipated a fuller discussion of that issue at the council's October Goals Session. Mr. Boles seemed to be concerned with what determines when neighborhoods and City Councilors will be involved in administrative actions. He maintained that mechanisms exist to inform affected councilors prior to action being taken that will have a negative impact on a neighborhood, but they were not used in the situation he cited. Mr. Bennett responded that grassroots dialogue may not be appropriate when an administrative action is being undertaken to prevent a crisis situation. Mr. Holmer agreed with Mr. Bennett as to it not always being possible to consult neighborhood residents before the City takes action that may result in a material change in an area, but he concurred with Mr. Boles that the councilor representing the area should be informed. Mr. Gleason pointed out that it is not always possible to anticipate the impact of issues and said he would make every effort to contact councilors when it seems appropriate. Mr. Boles supported developing a mechanism for providing councilors with common information when decisions are made. e Councilors agreed that additional reports could be postponed. The meeting adjourned to September 20, 1989, at 9:30 p.m. (Recorded by Mary Feldman) mncc 091889 e MINUTES--Eugene City Council September 18, 1989 Page 8 Quarterly Process Session