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HomeMy WebLinkAbout10/21/1989 Meeting e M I NUT E S Eugene City Council Rogue Room--Valley River Inn October 21, 1989 9 a.m. COUNCILORS PRESENT: Ruth Bascom, Robert Bennett (after 9:45 a.m.), Shawn Boles, Debra Ehrman, Bobby Green, Freeman Holmer, Roger Rutan, Emily Schue. The special meeting of the Eugene City Council was called to order by His Honor Mayor Jeff Miller. Sharon Thorne began the session by reviewing the council's ranking of issues at its meeting the previous evening. Councilors discussed the differences between goals, strategies, and action agendas and how frequently they should review progress on strategic issues. At Mr. Rutan's suggestion, the list of issues was divided and those areas identified in the past that now have a work program and agenda in place were e separated from those areas requiring a new strategy. The ongoing program areas included financial stability, social goal-housing, public safety, intergovernmental coordination, citizen relations, economic development, annexation, and downtown development. Many components of these ongoing issues will require further council attention in the months ahead. The council identified the following action agenda priorities: -- Urban Transition, Phase II/Local Intergovernmental Relations -- Social Goal: Housing -- Public Safety -- Library -- Transportation Alternatives in the Metropolitan Core They agreed to discuss an additional issue, referred to as "federated arts/ recreation." Councilors also identified issues relating to changes in the council work load in response to Mr. Rutan1s leave of absence as an area to be discussed during the day if time allowed. URBAN SERVICES The council discussed the need for intergovernmental cooperation to meet the needs associated with urban transition. Transportation issues were mentioned e MINUTES--Eugene City Council October 21, 1989 Page 1 Goals Session e as needing particular attention. There was general agreement that roles should be clarified as a focused, united urban front is developed. Mr. Gleason suggested that the Council Legislative Committee may be the appropriate vehicle for developing a focus on issues the City needs to discuss with the County. Councilors commented on whether Intergovernmental Relations staff or the council committee should develop a focused list of issues to be prioritized and strategies to be developed. Road funds, the fairgrounds, Alton Baker Park, and the Shelton-McMurphey House were all mentioned as issues to be included on the list. Councilors concurred that the Legislative Committee should work with Intergovernmental Relations staff to develop a short list of intergovern- mental issues that will come to the council for approval. That ongoing list will be the next phase of a coordinated urban transition. Because the Legislative Committee will be asked to work on more intergovern- mental issues than it has previously, it was suggested that the committee name might be changed to Intergovernmental Relations. SOCIAL GOAL: HOUSING Mr. Bennett asked the council to continue its commitment to housing as its top-priority social goal in order to begin implementing the plan that has recently been completed by Lane County. Councilors agreed with his request. e Ms. Bascom said that the library and children's issues also could be considered as social goals. PUBLIC SAFETY Councilors reported generally favorable public response to the Community Response Team (CRT). They discussed the need for police response to incidents in the university area and noted the importance of working with campus security personnel and the high costs resulting from occasional "near-riot" situations. Mr. Gleason reported that discussions with University representatives indicate that they recognize the need to control certain types of behavior. The CRT was viewed as partial realization of the council's existing goal to explore new public safety strategies, but that goal requires that new strategies continue to be sought to accomplish what the CRT has not, particularly relating to youth. A question was raised about whether the council's goals should include reference to drugs and gangs. Ms. Ehrman hoped to avoid giving the community the impression that the city is overrun with gangs and drugs. Mayor Miller observed that keeping public safety as a high priority and being willing to fund it helps keep the gang situation under control. He felt that greater e MINUTES--Eugene City Council October 21, 1989 Page 2 Goals Session --- ------- e police presence in certain areas is an appropriate preventive method. Mr. Boles referred to the citizen-led Community Coalition Against Gangs as another effective method that addresses the problem proactively. Mr. Gleason clarified that public safety activity is not limited to the CRT or police, but also includes first responder, hazardous material management, and ambulance deployment. Discussion of the CRT needs to take place in the context of where it fits into the overall public safety long range plan. .. Ms. Schue hoped that activities of the CRT would be integrated with those of the PARCS Department. FEDERATED ARTS/RECREATION Mayor Miller explained that the concept of a federated program responded to apparent needs in the community relating to sports and the arts. He advocated developing a master plan that takes into account facilities available at school and park grounds, and that utilizes help from the private sector. The council's specific concerns centered on the need to provide services to all young people, to develop a stable funding source, not to disrupt already successful programs such as Kidsports, and to support a variety of programs. In discussing the topic, there seemed to be agreement that programming and facilities are two separate areas and that integration with existing plans, e particularly the Parks Master Plan, is important. Doubts were voiced about whether this issue belongs in the council's current list of priorities. Councilors concurred that the Joint Parks Committee should work to develop an action plan to be brought back to the council for further consideration. LIBRARY Councilors discussed the March 1989 defeat of the proposed library project and considered whether to pursue a new library at this time in light of the many other downtown and development issues that need to be resolved. They disagreed on appropriateness and timing of another vote on the issue. Ms. Ehrman supported a vote on the site in 1990, with consideration of financing subsequent to that election. She maintained that unless the community supports the site, it won't support a financing mechanism. Saying he preferred the 13th and Olive site, Mr. Holmer agreed with Ms. Ehrman. Mr. Bennett and Ms. Bascom preferred not asking the electors to approve a site. Mr. Green favored the council selecting a site with the agreement that it would be downtown. Mr. Rutan observed that many citizens lack information and knowledge about the issue and he doubted that voters would approve a site without knowing how the project might be financed. Mayor Miller suggested placing the issue on the council's action item list and agreeing to select a site and develop a solution to the need for a new library. e MINUTES--Eugene City Council October 21, 1989 Page 3 Goals Session e URBAN RENEWAL AND TAX INCREMENT FINANCING Councilors agreed that they wished to continue their support of the use of tax increment financing in appropriate circumstances. They discussed initiative proposals to require votes on individual projects and on plans or amendments or the incurring of any debt beyond two years. Some citizens appear to oppose tax increment financing and/or downtown development. Councilors expressed doubts about the future of urban renewal should either proposal receive voter approval and agreed to deliberate further at their Wednesday meeting. TRANSPORTATION Councilors supported Mr. Rutan's observation that it is time to begin exploring transportation systems that will be required for a built-out Eugene. They agreed on the need to discuss transportation issues with Lane Transit District and on the importance of developing community commitment to realistic transportation alternatives. Efficient circulation within the core area, rather than movement of people from suburbs into the core area, was determined to be the focus of the issue. Councilors supported including a bicycle component in road improvements (as specified in the Metro Plan). e Councilors concurred that they would like to explore systems that would offer incentives to downtown workers who use mass transit. CITIZEN RELATIONS Councilors reviewed the City's values statement and the council's relation- ship with the community. They discussed holding joint meetings with different boards and commissions, but recognized the need to balance the benefits of additional meetings against the problem of adding to their already heavy work load. Councilors agreed to retain citizen relations on their ongoing list of issues and to explore informal ways of meeting with community representatives. OTHER ISSUES Industrial development Councilors discussed industrial development during lunch. e MINUTES--Eugene City Council October 21, 1989 Page 4 Goals Session e Financial stability Councilors agreed to retain the identification of new sources of revenue on their ongoing list of issues. Mr. Boles urged the council to discuss revenue sources in conjunction with a discussion of targeted revenues. Mayor Mill er said that discussions of revenue must include discussions of expenses. He encouraged the council to review items in the budget that do not represent its current priorities and suggested that some decision may need sunset provisions attached to them. Mr. Holmer observed that when looking at revenue sources, opportunities for creative financing should be sought. Council work load/Councilor Rutan's assignments Mr. Holmer moved, seconded by Mr. Green, to designate Mr. Bennett Council Vice President. The motion carried unanimously. During lunch, councilors reviewed Mr. Rutan's committee assignments and agreed that his duties would be delegated as follows: CCED: Councilor Holmer SWPIC: Mayor to appoint new representative Audit Committee: Leave as is (two other councilors on committee) Autzen Dome: Councilor Ehrman Fairground: Leave as is (Boles and Ehrman also on committee) e Sports Council: Councilor Rutan to stay on committee Legislative; Councilor Ehrman Airport Comm.: Councilor Rutan to stay on committee Hayward Field: Councilor Rutan to stay (committee inactive) Vets Games: Rutan to stay (committee inactive) Downtown Design: Councilor Rutan to stay Development Services Financing: Leave as is (Ehrman, Boles, Holmer on committee) Committee on Committees: Mr. Bennett Sign Advisory: Leave as ;s (committee work almost done) Mr. Rutan suggested developing a process to give councilors an opportunity to provide input and to anticipate issues that may be coming. This could be accomplished if councilors received, on a regular basis, a listing of current staff work by department. He also recommended reviewing the total number of committees on which councilors serve and the number of council meetings. He asked for a reduction in the number of items councilors report on. Mr. Gleason recommended delegating more administrative oversight to boards and commissions to allow councilors to focus on their agendas. Ms. Schue observed that the system under which the council was established was designed to serve a much smaller population and that issues have become more complex with the city.s growth. Mr. Boles stated that lion major issues, - MINUTES--Eugene City Council October 21, 1989 Page 5 Goals Session e the council should have an opportunity to frame it on the front end, check in the middle, and close at the end.1I Councilors commented on situations in which rules and regulations have been brought to the council for approval that probably belong at a different level (boards, commissions, and staff). Councilors considered alternative meeting times and reached consensus that there is greater efficiency in retaining their regular meeting times. Councilors agreed that all the action items they had considered have equal pri ority. The meeting adjourned to October 23, 1989, at 3:05 p.m. , (Recorded by Mary Feldman) mncc 102189 e e MINUTES--Eugene City Council October 21, 1989 Page 6 Goals Session