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HomeMy WebLinkAbout11/24/1982 Meeting c .. " M I NUT E S e Eugene City Council City Council Chamber November 24, 1982 11:45 a.m. COUNCILORS PRESENT: John Ball, D. W. Hamel, Mark Lindberg, Gretchen Miller, Brian Obie, Emily Schue, Betty Smith. ABSENT: Mayor Gus Keller and Councilor Cynthia Wooten. Adjourned meeting of the City Council of the City of Eugene, Oregon, was called to order by Acting Mayor Brian Obie, Council President. I. ITEMS FROM MAYOR & COUNCIL, APPOINTMENTS, ANNOUNCEMENTS, AGENDA ADJUSTMENTS A. Appointments 1. Eugene Citizen Involvement Committee Mr. Obie announced that the council had held interviews for appointments to the Citizen Involvement Committee and had voted unanimously to select Chuck Bailey, e 1627 Lawrence Street, term to expire December 31, 1985; and Richard Perry, 2433 Lariat Meadows, term to expire December 31, 1985, to positions on that committee. 2. Boxing Commission Mr. Obie announced that Mayor Keller had appointed Jim Gillette, 86340 Needham Road, to fill the position vacated by Stoddard Malarkey on the Boxing Commission. 3. Balloting for interv;ewees for Planning Commission opening Councilors submitted ballots for interviewees for the opening on the Eugene Planning Commission. City Manager Micheal Gleason said that the ;nterveiws would be held on December 8, 1982, at 10:30 a.m. in the McNutt Room. II. ROUTINE ITEMS FOR COUNCIL APPROVAL A. Consideration of City Council minutes of September 27, 1982 and October 25, 1982 (minutes distributed) Ms. Schue moved, seconded by Ms. Smith, to approve the City Council minutes of September 27, 1982, and October 25, 1982. Roll call vote; motion carried unanimously. e MINUTES--Eugene City Council November 24, 1982 Page 1 , ; J - ;," III. PUBLIC HEARING: VAGRANT POPULATION PROBLEMS--THE HUMAN SIDE OF ECONOMIC e DEVELOPMENT (entire report distributed) Mr. Gleason introduced Councilor Mark Lindberg. Mr. Lindberg said that staff had worked with him to develop the vagrancy report. He said that' draft copies of the report had been circulated to public agencies, City departments, and neighborhood groups for comment. He said the report found that the vagrancy problem was growing nationally and was to some extent an irrevocable situation, affecting or related to the City budget, the economic vitality of the downtown, neighborhood livability, park use, the budgets and programs of human service agencies, and the budgets and programs of the courts and jails. He said that while the problem cannot be eliminated, it can be managed. He suggested that a task force composed of people directly involved with the vagrancy problem be formed to study management of the problem and to report to the council in six months with recommendations to reduce the burden of the problem on taxpayers and to help vagrants. Public hearing was opened. Ernest Unger, Director of the Eugene Mission, 1542 West 1st Avenue, said that the report presented by Councilor Lindberg was an excellent evaluation of the problem. He said many of those perceived as vagrants in the downtown mall area are actually bored young people with families in the community. He felt that formation of the task force would allow coordination of efforts to address the vagrancy problem and help avoid duplication. He offered to serve on the task force. e Richard Guske, 278 North Grand Street, represented the Whiteaker Community Counci 1 . He said that the Whiteaker Neighborhood was strongly affected by the vagrancy problems and that neighborhood residents were subject to small burglaries, robberies, and harassment by the many vagrants in the area. He asked that the neighborhood be made a part of proposed solutions for managing the vagrancy problem, since much of the problem is concentrated in that area. He felt that the costs of vagrancy should be defined and compared with the costs of proposed solutions. Charlotte Lemon, 1280 Mill Street, said that the report was excellent. She endorsed the suggestion of forming a task force. She noted that the report did not discuss the problem found in the West University Neighborhood, where she lives, of people living in buses and vans parked on City streets. She said her neighborhood was encouraging residents to use the parks, since the presence of many neighbors would make neighbors feel more secure in the parks, despite the presence of vagrants. She said neighbors were also urged not to contribute to panhandlers. Ms. Lemon said despite these efforts, neighbors in the West University area feel threatened by vagrants. Nick Isaacson, Director of Buckley House, 707 East 17th Avenue. read a prepared statement in support of formation of a Vagrancy Task Force. He said that 70 per- cent of vagrants were abusers of drugs and/or alcohol. He discussed the high costs of processing these offenders through the justice system and incarcerating them at public expense. He said that Buckley House would like to see its detoxi- e MINUTES--Eugene City Council November 24, 1982 Page 2 - . . fication program, which cost approximately $25 to $40 per day, used as an e alternative to incarceration. Bill Feigle, Administrator of B & H Stump Ranch, 160 North 54th, Springfield, supported formation of the task force. He said that his facility was currently treating 45 former alcoholics and drug abusers. He said his organization would like to cooperate with the work of the task force. Bill Uhlhorn, Director of Family Shelter House, 367 Highway 99 North, welcomed the Clty'S move to take the leadership in work on the vagrancy problem and offered to serve on the task force. Marie Fink, representing Eugene Switchboard. 795 Willamette Street, Suite 222, sald her organization was often the first point of contact for transients arriving in the area. She supported the report and formation of a task force. Jonathan Stafford, 1060 Madison Street, urged that a task force be appointed to study the vagrancy issue, which he felt had a direct effect on the quality of life in Eugene. There being no further testimony, public hearing was closed. Councilor Schue commended Mr. Lindberg for the excellent report, thanked those with expertise in the area of vagrancy problems who had testified, and said she personally supported formation of a task force to address this problem. She felt that even if the problem could not be completely solved, it could be made e better. Councilor Miller agreed with Ms. Schue's comments and thanked those in the community who had worked with the vagrancy problem over the years. Councilor Obie asked how the task force would be appointed. Mr. Lindberg said that he would work with the Mayor to develop a list of seven people to be recommended to the council for appointment to the task force. He asked that the council direct the City Manager to authorize several City departments to send representatives to serve as ex-officio members or consultants to the task force. Ms. Schue moved, seconded by Ms. Smith, to authorize formation of an ad hoc vagrancy task force and approve the task force work program. Mr. Lindberg said he was pleased with the response of the community and noted that several present or former vagrants had participated in developing the report. Ms. Smith noted that the council had received a memorandum from the Downtown Commission, supporting formation of the task force. Roll call vote; motion carried unanimously. e MINUTES--Eugene City Council November 24, 1982 Page 3 .- ;. IV. FURTHER CONSIDERATION OF APPEAL OF ADMINISTRATIVE ACTION TO REMOVE PARKING e ON EAST SIDE OF OLIVE, NORTH OF 11th FOR LANE TRANSIT DISTRICT BUS STOP (memo distributed; background information previously distributed) Mr. Gleason introduced City Traffic Engineer Jim Hanks. Mr. Hanks noted that the public hearing on this matter had been held one week ago. He said that in the interim he had toured the site with Mayor Keller and several members of the council. Mr. Hanks said that representatives of the Lane Transit District (LTD) and the Plasma Center had met and that he believed they would be able to work out a solution to the center's delivery problems. He added that the first 20 feet of yellow zone at the corner of the intersection could not be used for parking, but that the next 18 feet would be available for loading and unloading. He said that if the council wished to uphold the administrative decision on this matter, no action was necessary. Councilor Hamel said he would personally like to see the status quo maintained and urged the owners of the Hammer/Furtick Building, LTD representatives, and Mr. Hanks to reach a compromi se. Mr. Hanks said he believed that such a compromise had been reached to address the removal of the parking. Responding to a question from Councilor Lindberg, Mr. Hanks said that observations made at the site yesterday found that of the 13 cars parking in the three spaces, only four were not Plasma Center patrons. Mr. Lindberg said he believed it was appropriate to eliminate the parking and allow LTD and the businesses to work out compromise solutions. e Ms. Schue moved, seconded by Ms. Smith, that the City Council affirm the administrative ruling. Mr. Lindberg said he hoped the motion included understanding that staff would continue to work to accommodate the needs of businesses and of the bus system in the area. Roll call vote: motion carried 5:2, with Councilors Ball, Lindberg, Miller, Schue, and Smith voting in favor; and Councilors Hamel and Obie voting in opposition. V. LEGISLATIVE SUBCOMMITTEE REPORT (memo, priorities, background information distributed) Mr. Gleason introduced Councilor Betty Smith. Ms. Smith referred to materials that had been distributed to councilors regarding the council's dinner with the Lane County Legislative Delegation. She said that the council's top priorities for legislative consideration in the 1983 session would be discussed and noted that, for the first time, the Springfield City Councilors would be participating. Mr. Ball said he would be able to attend. Mr. Obie and Mr. Hamel said they would not be able to attend. Ms. Miller said she believed Ms. Wooten would be at tend i ng . Responding to a question from Mr. Obie, Ms. Smith said that the councilors-elect had been invited to participate. e MINUTES--Eugene City Council November 24, 1982 Page 4 ~ . . Ms. Smith reviewed a draft of legislative priorities for Eugene and Springfield for 1983. These were 1) Economic development, including emphasis on support for higher education and development of a research corridor, planning and development, and job creation; and 2) State and local government finance, including diversifying and stabilizing revenues and improving local authority/flexibility for taxation and tax base elections. She noted that the Legislative Subcommittee needed approval of the priority homework before the meeting with the delegation. Mr. Gleason said that this meeting with the legislative delegation was very important and contributed to the City of Eugene's exceptional effectiveness at the legislative level. He noted that the Lane County delegation plays an important leadership role in the legislature. Councilor Lindberg said that he supported the priorities in the draft and agreed that there was need to diversify revenue sources. He said, however, that he did not feel comfortable with the specific suggestion of a statewide sales tax. He felt that the sentence referring to the sales tax should be deleted from the draft. Councilor Smith said the draft was intended to open the door for discussion of particular revenue measures by the legislature. She said the Springfield City Council had suggested strengthening the statement of support for a sales tax. She felt that the statement basically urged strong investigation of the possibility of a sales tax. Councilor Miller noted that the Financial Planning Committee was considering the e sales tax issue. She felt that some significantly different statewide revenue system was needed, not just readjustment of existing systems. She said she personally felt comfortable with the statement in the draft. Councilor Schue said that the legislative committees of both the League of Oregon Cities and the Eugene City Council felt that it was stronger to suggest a specific solution to the revenue problem to the legislature rather than merely identifying the problem and offering no solutions. Councilor Lindberg said that he would withdraw his objection to the statement so long as it was very clear that council members were not to be held to that particular position. Councilor Smith asked that as a part of its approval of this priority statement the council also approve the policy used in the last legislative session regarding City testimony in the State Legislature. She believed that the policy had worked well in the past in coordinating testimony of various arms of the City. Ms. Schue moved, seconded by Ms. Smith, to adopt the Legislative Subcommittee's report. Roll call vote; motion carried unanimously. e MINUTES--Eugene City Council November 24, 1982 Page 5 VI. RESOLUTION RELATING TO THE BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION CODES (memo, e resolution distributed) Mr. Gleason said that this matter was an important part of the City's efforts at deregulation. He introduced Mick Nolte, Superintendent of Building Inspection, Public Works Department. Mr. Nolte discussed the work of the Coordinated Permit Counter Task Team (CPCTT). He noted that this group was engaged in a comprevensive review of all City permit and development process, with the intent of streamlining these processes wherever possible. He said that guidelines for changes to the land use process had been developed by the CPCTT and, after review by the Planning Commission and the Citizen Involvement Committee, would be presented to the council at a future meeting. He said that the CPCTT will also review the Capital Improvement Program and street and utility assessment processes, the business licensing process, and the fire code, as well as other processes. He said that, in keeping with the streamlining work of the CPCTT, staff suggested that the City support simplification of the State Building Construction Codes through adoption of a resolution urging uniformity and simplicity in those codes and that the City support legislative action toward such simpilification. Res. No. 3737--A resolution relating to the uniformity and simplicity of building and construction codes. Ms. Schue moved, seconded by Ms. Smith, to adopt the resolution. Roll call vote; motion carried unanimously. VII. SATURDAY MARKET MOVE TO PARK BLOCKS (memo, background information distributed) e Mr. Gleason introduced John Porter, Acting Director, Department of Housing and Community Conservation. Mr. Porter noted that Hugh Prichard, Chairperson of the Downtown Commission, was present to respond to questions from councilors. Mr. Porter said that the Downtown Commission recommended moving the Saturday Market to the park blocks at 8th Avenue and Oak Street. He said that Lane County had agreed to this use. Mr. Obie noted that the Executive Director of the Saturday Market was present to answer questions from councilors. Mr. Obie suggested that closing Park Street on days of the market be considered to ease pedestrian crossings in the area. Mr. Porter said that moving of the market from November 27 through the end of 1982 was being done as an experiment. He said that long-term issues, such as suggestions for street closings, would be worked out through the Downtown Plan. Ms. Schue moved, seconded by Ms. Smith, to approve the Downtown Commission's support of the Saturday Market move to the park blocks at 8th and Oak Street. Roll call vote; motion carried unanimously. e MINUTES--Eugene City Council November 24, 1982 Page 6 :. VIII. CONCEPTUAL APPROVAL OF AMENDMENTS TO EUGENE'S CODE AND ORDINANCE RELATING - TO HOUSING CODE REGULATIONS (memo distributed) Mr. Gleason introduced John Porter, Acting Director, Department of Housing and Community Conservation. Mr. Porter said staff was seeki ng conceptual approval from the counci 1 for ceasi ng enforcement of the II amenityII portion of the Housi ng Code. He said that the HCC Department needed to make cutbacks on General Fund operations. Mr. Porter said that the Fire and Life Safety portions of the Code would continue to be enforced and that the amendments would therefore not seriously affect the well-being of the citizens of Eugene. He said that because of high vacancy rates, consumers had the choice of seeking alternate housing if they were not satisfied with conditions of their current housing. He sai d that if the council gave conceptual approval to the amendments, staff would return with an ordinance proposing specific amendments. He said arrangements would be made with the Fire Department and Building Division for inspection and enforcement of non-amenity codes. Councilor Schue asked how protection of housing conditions for tenants would be provided. Mr. Porter responded that there is State legislation relative to the tenant-landlord complaint process. He said that, under the amendments, the City would not be investigating tenant complaints unless they were on life safety issues. ~lr. Gleason reiterated that life safety codes would continue to be enforced by the City and noted that houses where Federal housing rehabilitation fUnds were used would still be required to meet the lIamenityll portion of the Code. e Mr. Lindberg said he felt that this matter should be referred to the Joint Housing Committee. He suggested that the council give conceptual approval to the amendments but wait for a review from the JHC before adopting any changes. Ms. Schue moved, seconded by Ms. Smith, to conceptually approve the amendments as outlined to Eugene's Code and Ordinance relating to Housing Code regulations, refer the matter to the Joint Housing Committee, and wait for that committee's review and comments before final adoption. Councilor Obie said he felt that enforcement of housing amenity codes was a civil matter and that the City should not bear the burden of enforcement costs. Roll call vote; motion carried unanimously. IX. ITEMS FROM MAYOR & COUNCIL, APPOINTMENTS, ANNOUNCEMENTS, AGENDA ADJUSTMENTS (continued) A. Selection of Interviewees for Planning Commission Opening Ballots were submitted as follows: Mark Lindberg Tom fmdersen Betty Smith Peter Thompson e Donn Chase Ral ph Carl son MINUTES--Eugene City Council November 24, 1982 Page 7 - -, - Cynthia Wooten Tom Andersen - Bill Hamel Peter Thompson Ral ph Carl son Donn Chase Brian Obie Donn Chase Ral ph Carl son Peter Thompson John Ball Peter Thompson Thomas Andersen August Palmitessa . Emily Schue Thomas Andersen Peter Thompson Michael LaNier Gretchen Miller Tom Andersen Paul Bogen Ruth Shriber Councilor Obie said that the balloting had resulted in 5 votes each for Thomas Andersen and Peter Thompson, 3 for Ralph Carlson, and 3 for Donn Chase. Mr. Hamel moved, seconded by Mr. Ball, to interview four candidates e for the Planning Commission. Roll call vote; motion carried 4:3, with Councilors Ball, Hamel, Miller, and Obie voting in favor; and Councilors Lindberg, Schue, and Smith voting in opposition. B. City Employee "Gold Book" Counci lor Mill er referred to the "Gol d Book", the City' s employment agreement for all personnel, union and non-union. She questioned the wording of statements on page 5 of the book under the heading of Affirmative Action, particularly the section on non-discrimination, and asked for an opinion from the City Attorney on the extent to which the material contained in the statement of non-discrimina- tion was binding upon the City. C. Distinction between Hilton Hotel and Eugene Convention Center Councilor Lindberg said he was impressed at the hearing on November 22 regarding the Hult Center with the pride of ownership Eugene citizens feel in the Eugene Centre buildings. He felt there was no clear distinction between the Hilton Hotel and the Eugene Convention Center and suggested that some type of plaque be installed in the center to indicate that it is a public building. D. Placement of Media Equipment in Council Chamber Councilor Hamel said that television cameras located in the front of the Council Chamber block the view of those seated in the audience. Mr. Gleason said that, unfortunately, due to the wiring and layout of the chamber, little could be done e MINUTES--Eugene City Council November 24, 1982 Page 8 -, to correct this situation. He said that at some point a major capital project ~ would be needed to overhaul the chamber, improve the sound system, provide a location for the media, and provide for alternate forms of recording the minutes of council meetings. Councilor Obie thanked Barbara Bellamy, Public Information Officer, for keeping the television cameras to the side of the chamber at the November 22 council meeting. E. December Council Meeting Schedule Mr. Obie said that the council would meet on December 8, 13, and 15, and would then recess until January 1983. F. Progress in Economic Development Efforts Councilor Obie noted that a number of items on the council's agenda had been tied to economic development efforts: streamlining of building and construction codes, moving the Saturday Market, reducing Housing Code enforcement, and addressing the problem of vagrancy. Meeting was adjourned to December 8, 1982. Respectfully submitted, · ??~8.- ~~ I........~~:;..-- ~ Micheal D. Gleason City Manager (Recorded by Darcy Marentette) MDG:DCM:dcm/CM7a1 e ~llNUTES--Eugene City Council November 24, 1982 Page 9 " . PLANNING COMMISSION B ALL 0 T One opening , , J.~4~ 2. 3. I e I i i ! lit Y j I Councilor e - e PLANNING COMMISSION B ALL 0 T One opening 1. d~~~ 2. $~~ 3. e I I i i i S,&d by: ! ~/hc& //-Z('-SZ- t Counci 1 or Date e -. 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