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HomeMy WebLinkAbout11/15/1982 Meeting ,~ ~ < - M I NUT E S - City Council Dinner/Work Session Treehouse Restaurant, Eugene November 15, 1982 5 p.m. PRESENT: Brian Obie, John Ball, Bill Hamel, Mark Lindberg, Gretchen Miller, Emily Schue, Betty Smith, Cynthia Wooten, City Councilors; Freeman Holmer, Councilor Elect; Jim McCoy, Anne Bennett, Tom Schott, Roger Newstadter, Richard Skeie, David Filer, Downtown Commission; Bob Fenstermacher, Philip Miller, Liz Caywood, Kathryn Cox, Nan Dixon, Mary Hudzikiewicz, Jim Ellison, Eugene Action Forum; Micheal Gleason, City Manager; Barb Bellamy, Elaine Stewart, Mike Tharp, John Porter, Pat Decker, Dave Whitlow, Pat Lynch, staff. Mr. Whitlow said the purpose of the meeting was to hear a report from the Eugene Action Forum and to review the work program of the Downtown Commission. I. EUGENE ACTION FORUM A. History Ms. Bellamy said the EAF began a few years ago as the Better Eugene Committee. They were a support group formed to pass the City budget. Since that time e several members decided the city needs a support group on an ongoing basis to promote communication between the City of Eugene and its citizens. EAF members want ideas on ways to relate to the City Council and to facilitate communica- tion. Ms. Hudzikiewicz said EAF incorporated two years ago. The Skinner Butte cleanup, Franklin Boulevard cleanup, and a monthly series of public access TV shows on economic development have been past projects. B. Mission Statement Mr. Fenstermacher said that after review of the City's goals, a mission state- ment for the EAF was developed. It includes communication, public education, and civic projects. Ms. Cox said the committee wanted input on the working relationship between the committee and the city government and how the effort can be maximized. She said, regarding the first goal of communication, that two-way communication is needed between the citizens of Eugene and the City Council to exchange information on important issues. A city-wide forum meeting having a single subject focus or a town hall meeting like a call-in radio show, media appearances, or opinion surveys are activities to stimulate interest in city government. Ms. Cox listed activities for achieving the second goal of public education. Those include broadening promotion of City budget perspectives or other issues, including primarily budget matters, ballot measures, and citizen participation in the governmental process. e MINUTES--Eugene City Council November 15, 1982 Page 1 ~ ~ Regarding civic projects as the third goal, Ms. Cox said the EAF would provide activities that would stimulate civic pride. EAF would act as a catalyst and e clearing house to get people connected with projects they are interested in. She asked if City Councilors thought those objectives were appropriate. Councilor Miller said that to get a feeling of public opinion is difficult. She expressed concern about the extent to which all of the projects could be accom- plished. There is a need for town hall meetings and forums, but setting them up is time-consuming. She asked if volunteer resources had been considered. Mr. Ellison said the intent is to start small with a single issue forum for a neighborhood group rather than a city-wide program. Ms. Cox said that not all projects would be undertaken in every year. Mr. Lindberg said the three objectives are laudable. There will be an opportunity to fulfill the older assignment in promoting bond issues and budgetary questions. The EAF can help with alternative revenue sources for the City and with capital improvements projects. Library expansion and other projects may need energetic private cooperation on funding sources. Councilor Hamel said the three objectives are suitable. He suggested keeping communication open with City Council to get all functions down in writing. Mr. Fenstermacher said a mission statement document would make recruitment easier. EAF hopes to recruit a membership of 250 or more in order to accomplish more work. Councilor Smith said a larger membership would be of benefit. Funding is a question and she encouraged EAF to consider itself an organization welcoming funding from private and public sources. She suggested that EAF is a good group e to act as a catalyst to provide cooperation between the public sector and city council. Councilor Schue said the financial future of the City is on City Councilors' minds. EAF might educate on capital improvements, how they are funded, and why they are needed. Discussion and explanation are needed in this community on basic restructuring of Oregon's financial system. She encouraged continued clean-up efforts as time allows. Councilor Wooten said she would like the EAF to coordinate a concrete program in which people would go to fraternal and civic organizations with City brochures regarding the attraction of businesses to the area. EAF could coordinate that effort. The people of Eugene have talked about a community festival which would help create a sense of identity. No one has taken on the charge of putting together something like an artquake or rose festival tailored for Eugene. She said the EAF is the perfect group to coordinate that effort. Councilor Ball said the EAF had carved out three excellent goals and ways to obtain them. Councilor Obie said he appreciated the desire of the EAF to be of assistance. City Council needs EAF to do things City Council can't do. The No. 1 need is an allied group to communicate to the public. He said he viewed public education as city council's job. But, City Council needs help with this e MINUTES--Eugene City Council November 15, 1982 Page 2 ~ and City staff are promote passage of budgets and other important issues. He reminded the EAF that a support group to advocate the passage of bUdgets and other financial measures is still needed. If town hall meetings are needed, e that should be done if time allows. Public opinion is needed especially at goal-setting time. C. Process Ms. Cox solicited councilors' opinions on the process of relating the EAF to City Council and to city government. Councilor Miller said a councilor could be assigned to attend meetings occasion- ally on an informal basis to act as liaison. Ms. Hudzikiewicz said Ms. Bellamy currently is providing that liaison. Councilor Smith said that Ms. Bellamy's working with EAF is important and that having a councilor work with EAF is also needed. Councilor Wooten said Ms. Bellamy could maintain a relationship with EAF. As projects are taken on, the projects could have a councilor liaison assigned to those particular projects. Mr. Fenstermacher said that does not address the problem of what to do when the project is initiated by EAF. A constant contact person is needed. Councilor Obie said action should move in the direction of comments made by City Councilors and EAF. The issue of a liaison will be on a City Council agenda before January 1. D. Membership Ms. Hudzikiewicz said a membership fee is being considered. Councilor Hamel questioned the validity of asking members to pay a membership fee. Council or Obie said a source of people for membership could be those persons who apply for e positions on various boards and commissions of the City of Eugene. He recommended that letters be sent to them. II. DOWNTOWN COMMISSION Mr. McCoy introduced the commision's work plan, which includes four elements: The Downtown Plan, marketing and promotion, operation, and parking and trans- portation. Mr. Schott said he expects the adoption of the Downtown Refinement Plan in 1983 or early 1984. He outlined the four phases of the Downtown Plan work program. The overriding concern is citizen involvement. The Downtown Commission wants to develop a plan that can evolve into some action. Ms. Bennett said, regarding the marketing and promotion phase, that the EAF could work with the Downtown Commission. The Downtown Commission has identified three specific project areas of marketing and promotion. They are space and property management, development of a marketing strategy and development of a unified marketing effort. Specifically considered was a centralized position or office to keep track of downtown vacancies and to make an effort to fill those vacancies. Also discussed was a marketing strategy to identify the downtown market and to communicate the diversity of downtown and to communicate the type of things and projects that are going on. A unified marketing program has been discussed. It included collaborating with LTD and the Performing Arts Center to market the downtown. Marketing is significant to all other areas of the work plan. e MINUTES--Eugene City Council November 15, 1982 Page 3 , ~ Councilor Wooten asked when the Downtown Commission would take on the mall management activity. Mr. McCoy said a series of meetings will be held to discuss that issue. e Ms. Stewart said one of the timing issues facing the Downtown Commission is that the commission needs to clarify the marketing strategy of downtown. Their contract and relationship with the Eugene Downtown Association is tied to that marketing strategy. It is impossible to define marketing strategies and to contract with the Eugene Downtown Association without a budget. The Downtown Commission will begin a marketing strategy and set aside a sum of money for marketing and promotion and then define their relationship with the Eugene Downtown Association and mall manager so that it ties into the budget. Mr. McCoy said, the marketing strategy will be examined and one will be developed which tries to meet all the goals of the downtown. Councilor Hamel said no effort had been made in the past to occupy vacancies in the downtown. He applauded the Downtown Commission1s plan to addr~ss that issue. Councilor Wooten asked what downtown identity is being promoted. Ms. Bennett said there are several components. The identity is that it is a diverse area, not just a retail area, but a business and cultural center which includes housing. Mr. Skeie reported on the operations phase. The Downtown Commission has been following through with several urban renewal projects. One was the 10th Avenue transit mall, another was the Park Willamette project. The Ax Billy Building and pedestrian cover are proposed projects. e Councilor Wooten asked if the Downtown Renewal Plan would include the donut district issue. Mr. Tharp said it is anticipated that that will happen after the Downtown Plan has been developed. Councilor Wooten said the donut district should be considered at the same time. Councilor Lindberg said the one aspect of the Renewal Plan Advisory Committee1s work that would be worth looking into is the report data covering everything from infrastructure to transporta- tion. Councilor Obie suggested that the donut issue become part of some logical process that determines the future ground rules for the area. Councilor Wooten asked for discussion of the issue that some elements of the plan would be contingent upon financing that would not come from any other source. Councilor Ball asked if the Downtown Commission would try to prevent a situation similar to the Park Willamette Building. Mr. McCoy said staff is planning to avoid that procedure. Steps are being taken to keep communication open in development of the Ax Billy Department Store. Ms. Bennett said they would attempt to put the Park Willamette experience to memory to prevent that type of thing from reoccurring. Responding to a question, Mr. Schott said survey results at the Performing Arts Center open house were consistent with the Downtown Commission1s own priorities. There is a uniform lack of understanding of the necessity of infrastructure improvements. Ms. Bennett said safety is the main issue for citizens. Mr. Schott said people do not park in the Overpark because of fear. Councilor e MINUTES--Eugene City Council November 15, 1982 Page 4 . ~ Lindberg said he is interested in the Downtown Commission sinking their teeth into the vagrancy issue. Mr. Skeie said the safety issue is a catch-22. If e enough people are downtown, the crime element is washed out. Now there is not enough business to wash the criminal elelment out. It takes a lot of people to fill the big streets. Ms. Bennett said it had been mentioned at Downtown Commission meetings that if Eugene becomes vital with color, action, and lights, the vagrants will be there but they will not be as noticable. Councilor Wooten asked for statistical information. Councilor Lindberg said on November 24, he would be submitting a 10-page report on vagrancy and said the solution may be at hand. Mr. Filer said the Whiteaker Neighborhood had voiced concern that the downtown not push the element out of downtown and into the Whiteaker area. Mr. Filer said the downtown parking program was identified as a downtown problem to be considered early. Shortly after the goal-setting session, the tenants of the Medical Arts Building on Broadway raised concerns about removal of a service- free lot from the program since it affects availability of handicapped parking. A subcommittee was formed October 1 and commissioners listened to description of policy, background behind the parking program, legal aspects of the tax structure, and legal aspects to an alternative tax structure and program use patterns. A decision on the parking program is due in two weeks. A problem exists with needing to make decisions but with having no plan context in which to make them. Early action is expected that would not attempt to revise conceptual foundations of the program but would address immediate problems. Mr. Neustadter said the subcommittee is not sure that they are in total agree- ment with the council on the T-2000 Plan that states free parking for shoppers is a priority. Mr. Schott said the single best definintion of the current e parking problem was stated by John Porter, who said, liThe parking problem is that there is no parking problem.1I Mr. Filer added that the current parking program was developed under a much different notion of what downtown should be like. Free parking for consumers which excludes employees could use some revsion. The downtown is for a variety of uses and employees use the downtown. Mr. Skeie said the Overpark is not as popular as the Parcade. An analysis is being made on why people leaving the Overpark feel more vulnerable. Mr. Lindberg reported that the head of a senior citizens' group had called about her concern that merchants were not catering to the needs of many of the senior citizens who live close to downtown. Senior citizens were discouraged that shops were not addressing their merchandising needs. Mr. Schott said the legitimacy of the Downtown Commission has been questioned. The enabling legislation that wrapped up urban renewal and caused the Downtown Commision to exist put the urban renewal authority with the City Council. The Downtown Commission needs City Council support during the formation stages, if it is to be an effective commission. Councilor Ball said the Downtown Commis- sion will have the support. Councilor Miller said people can be invited to field decisions to City Council. Councilor Wooten said city council needs to find ways to promote the Downtown Commission. The Downtown Commission and Planning Commission are the highest ranking advisory bodies in the City of e MINUTES--Eugene City Council November 15, 1982 Page 5 . Eugene, and that needs to be conveyed by City Council to the citizenry. Coun- cilor Schue assured that City Council does not want decision-making brought e back to them; people will not be encouraged to go around the Downtown Commis- sion. Councilor Obie said the Downtown Commission has the ability as a group to develop a common mission appropriate for the Downtown Eugene Area. He encouraged the Downtown Commission to be on a fast track and said the City Council will be supportive. . LE:pmjCM8a15 e - MINUTES--Eugene City Council November 15, 1982 Page 6