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HomeMy WebLinkAbout06/22/1983 Meeting M I NUT E S e Eugene City Council City Council Chamber June 22. 1983 11 :45 a.m. COUNCILORS PRESENT: John Ball, Dick Hansen, Freeman Holmer, Mark Lindberg, Brian Obie, Emily Schue, Betty Smith, Cynthia Wooten. Adjourned meeting of the City Council of the City of Eugene. Oregon, was called to order by His Honor Mayor Gus Keller. I. ITEMS FROM MAYOR & COUNCIL. APPOINTMENTS, ANNOUNCEMENTS, AGENDA ADJUSTMENTS A. Senior Sports Festival Councilor Holmer displayed a shirt and cap from the Senior Sports Festival and noted that the City Council had provided some funding for the event, which had been very successful. B. Petersen Park Barn Run Councilor Ball announced that the second annual Petersen Park Barn Run would be e he1 d on June 25. He noted that this publicly and privately sponsored event was being put on by Active Bethel Citizens, Petersen Park Barn, and Feets. C. Eugene Celebration Task Force Councilor Wooten said that she would report to the council in late July on the activities of the Eugene Celebration Task Force. She noted that 75 volunteers were involved in work on the celebration. Councilor Schue asked if a name had been selected for the celebration. E1 a i ne Stewart. Eugene Development Department, responded that the name selected was "Raindance: the Eugene Celebration". Ms. Stewart noted that the task force might consider shortening the name after it sees some examples of the use of the name in graphics. II. ROUTINE ITEMS FOR COUNCIL APPROVAL A. Legislative Subcommittee minutes of June 15. 1983 (minutes distributed) Ms. Schue moved, seconded by Mr. Obie, to approve the Legislative Subcommittee minutes of June 15, 1983. Roll call vote; motion carried unanimously. e MINUTES--Eugene City Council June 22, 1983 Page 1 III. PUBLIC HEARINGS . A. Easement Vacation Request for Property Located East of the Intersection of Center Way and Martin Street (Daniel Johnson)(EV 83-1)(map, background information distributed) Recommended approval by the Planning Commission April 25, 1983 Vote--5:0 Assistant City Manager David Whitlow said that this was a routine item that had been carried over from the council IS June 15, 1983, agenda. He said staff was available to respond to questions from councilors. Public hearing was opened. There being no testimony, public hearing was closed. CB 2654--An ordinance authorizing vacation of a seven-foot wide public utility easement located east of the intersection of Center Way and Martin Street. Ms. Schue moved, seconded by Mr. Obie, that the bill be read the second time by council bill number only, with unanimous consent of the council, and that enactment be considered at this time. Roll call vote; motion carried unanimously. Council Bill 2654 was read the second time by council bill number only. e Ms. Schue moved, seconded by Mr. Obie, that the bill be approved and given final passage. Roll call vote. All councilors present voting aye, the bill was declared passed and numbered 19152. B. Revisions to Neighborhood Organization Charters for: 1) Whiteaker Community Council; and 2) West Side Neighborhood Quality Project (memos, resolutions, charters distributed) Mr. Whitlow said that there would be no staff presentation on the proposed revisions but that Richard Guske, chairperson of the Whiteaker Community Council, was available. He said that Robert Wheeler, chairperson of the Westside Neighbor- hood Quality Project, was unable to be present, but that staff would respond to any questions about the revisions proposed for that groupls charter. Public hearing was opened. Jonathan Stafford, 1060 Madison Street, testified in support of the proposed . . reV1Slons. Richard Guske, 278 North Grant Street, said he was chairperson of the Whiteaker Community Council. He said that the proposed revisions would change the boundaries for that organization, define the organization's relationship with affiliate groups, and provide for at-large members to serve on standing committees, along with executive board members. - MINUTES--Eugene City Council June 22, 1983 Page 2 - There being no further testimony, public hearing was closed. Res. 3784--Resolution approving and accepting the Whiteaker Community Council amended charter. Ms. Schue moved, seconded by Mr. Obie, to adopt the resolution. Roll call vote; motion carried unanimously. Res. 3785--A resolution approving and accepting the West Side Neighborhood Quality Project amended charter. Ms. Schue moved, seconded by Mr. Obie, to adopt the resolution. Roll call vote; motion carried unanimously. C. Supplemental Budget #7 (memos, detail, resolution distributed) Mr. Whitlow introduced Finance Director Warren Wong. Mr. Wong said that the first resolution before the council would authorize a loan from the Federal Revenue Sharing Fund to the Performing Arts Center Fund, as per the recommenda- tion of the Budget Committee. He said that this supplemental budget would be the last for FY83. It includes repayment to the Overpark Fund for a loan issued in May to the Performing Arts Center Fund and a re-issuance of a loan from the Revenue Sharing Fund. Mr. Wong noted that this would provide funding for a capital project to improve pedestrian access between the Hult Center and the downtown mall. Mr. Wong said that the supplemental budget also included provis- ion for taking Early Financial Settlement funds from the initial Central Eugene e project and transferring them to a Commercial Revitalization Loan Fund. He noted this would comply with the advice of the Department of Housing and Urban Development to spend these funds this year. Public hearing was opened. There being no public testimony, public hearing was closed. Res. 3786--A resolution authorizing a loan from the the Federal Revenue Sharing fund to the Performing Arts Center fund. Ms. Schue moved, seconded by Mr. Obie, to adopt the resolution. Ms. Wooten said she supported the $250,000 loan to the Hult Center, but she asked when the Financial Planning Committee would take up the issue of long-term finances for the center. Mr. Whitlow said the council would be discussing this at a dinner work session in August. Responding to a question from Ms. Wooten, Mayor Keller said that the full council would discuss the matter and then delegate it to the Financial Planning Committee for further work. Roll call vote; motion carried unanimously. - MINUTES--Eugene City Council June 22, 1983 Page 3 CB 2655--An ordinance adopting a supplemental budget; making e appropriations for the City of Eugene for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 1982, and ending June 30, 1983; and declaring an emergency. Ms. Schue moved, seconded by Mr. Obie, that the bill be read the second time by council bill number only, with unanimous consent of the council, and that enactment be considered at this time. Roll call vote; motion carried unanimously. Council Bill 2655 was read the second time by council bill number only. Ms. Schue moved, seconded by Mr. Obie, that the bill be approved and given final passage. Roll call vote. All councilors present voting aye, the bill was declared passed and numbered 19153. IV. CONTINUED DISCUSSION CONCERNING ROOSEVELT BOULEVARD ASSESSMENTS Mr. Whitlow noted that at its June 13, 1983, meeting the council had voted to submit an application for Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Jobs Bill funds, seeking $600,000 for improvements to Roosevelt Boulevard; $75,000 for emergency shelter funds to be allocated through ,Joint Social Services; and $45,000 to cover administrative costs. He said the council had asked staff to return with more details on participation by the State of Oregon in assessment subsidies for Roosevelt Boulevard. Mr. Whitlow introduced Tim Sercombe, City Attorney's Office. Mr. Sercombe responded to questions raised by the council at e its June 13 meeting regarding the possibility of making differential assessments, providing subsidies only for low- to moderate-income property owners. Mr. Sercombe said that under Section 39 of the City Charter, all changes to the assessment process must be enacted six months before they are initiated. He said that since the council had already initiated the Roosevelt Boulevard project, there was no possibility of making differential assessments. Mr. Whitlow reported that since June 13 the staff of the Public Works Department had been negotiating with the State of Oregon and that staff believed there was a possibility that the State might participate in funding for the project, perhaps through partial funding of improvements to the intersection of Roosevelt with Highway 99. Mr. Whitlow said that if the council wished to consider reprogramming the use of the Jobs Bill funds staff was available to discuss this, but he noted that staff did not recommend reprogramming. Mr. Whitlow noted that the City has requested additional Federal Jobs Bill funds for a portion of the Roosevelt Boulevard project to the west of the section previously discussed. Ms. Wooten asked if the request was for Economic Develop- ment Administration funds. Public Works Director Don Allen responded affirmatively and said that the request for $460,000 was in the process of being submitted. e MINUTES--Eugene City Council June 22, 1983 Page 4 - Councilor Wooten asked if the design for the Roosevelt Project had had to be altered to qualify the project for Community Development funds and for the assessment write-down. Mr. Allen responded that adjustment of the width of the project had been discussed with the neighborhood group but that he did not know of any cutback in the project to comply with HUD regulations. He noted that the only question may have been whether to include the intersection at Highway 99 in the proj ect. Ms. Wooten asked if the assessment write-down was an afterthought. Mr. Allen responded that the project had not been included in this year's capital projects list because after the neighborhood area hearing it was clear there would likely be a remonstrance if the full assessment was made. Respondi ng to further questions from Ms. Wooten, Mr. Allen said that the council had approved write-downs for other projects, including projects on East 11th Avenue, Augusta Street, and Coburg Road. Mr. Whitlow noted that there was a precedent for using CDBG funds for projects in particular neighborhoods that were of community-wi de val ue. Responding to a question from Ms. Wooten, Mr. Allen said that the State's contribution to the intersection project at Highway 99 and Roosevelt could be as high as $100,000. Responding to a question from Councilor Lindberg, Mr. Allen said that it was estimated the signals at Highway 99 and Roosevelt Boulevard would cost $80,000, 95 percent of which was for the signal hardware. Mr. Lindberg asked if the project would be phased. Mr. Allen responded it was possible that, depending on weather conditions, the initial paving would be done in the fall of 1983, with final work done in the spring to bring the street up to standard. He said that e the bids would include the fall completion date, and any phasing would be left to the discretion of the contractor. Responding to a question from Mr. Lindberg, Mr. Sercombe said that a motion to reconsider use of the $80,000 allocated for signalization would need to be made by a councilor who had voted on the prevailing side of the original motion regarding the Jobs Bill application. Councilor Schue said she believed the council had always followed a policy of assessing property owners, even property owners on arterial streets, at the fee for residential streets. She asked how much the City would save if curbs, gutters, and sidewalks for the Roosevelt project were assessed to property owners. Mr. Allen responded that only curbs and sidewalks were included in the proposed assessments. He said that City ordinances allow assessment of up to 20 feet of pavement and that this was what was being subsidized. Councilor Wooten said she had some serious concerns regarding the assessment wr i te- down. She said she had received figures that indicated that 35 percent of the 6256.45 front feet in the project were owned by the State, 13 percent by a corporate investment firm, 22 percent by businesses, 15 percent by absentee owners, and only 15 percent by owner-occupants. She suggested that the City a~plk to the Economic Development Administration for funds for this portion of t e ooseve1t project and reallocate the Jobs Bill funds to meet the needs of the commun i ty . e MINUTES--Eugene City Council June 22, 1983 Page 5 Councilor Holmer asked if the State did agree to contribute to offset the cost e to the City of the Roosevelt project whether the council would be able to reprogram a portion of the Jobs Bill funds. Mr. Whitlow responded that reprogramming would be possible even if the State's commitment were made after July 1, 1983, but he noted this should be qualified to indicate there is no guarantee that the funds could be reprogrammed into a particular category. Ms. Wooten asked what process would be used for the reprogramming. Mr. Wh i t 1 ow introduced Greg Byrne, Eugene Development Department, to respond to this question. Mr. Byrne said that any proposals for reprogramming would be considered by the Community Development Committee, which would make a recommendation to the City Counc il . If the council made a decision to reprogram, it would then amend the statement of objectives and send it to HUD. He noted that the funds must be obligated by September 30, 1983. Councilor Lindberg suggested that since there was a good chance that the project would not be completed until the spring of 1984, funding for the signals should be postponed and the $80,000 cost of the signals reallocated in a way that would meet the intent of the Federal legislation. Mayor Keller noted that G. V. Stathakis had asked to speak on this item, but that the public hearing had already been held and no hearing was scheduled for today. Mr. Whitlow noted that council agendas are scheduled several weeks in advance and that if Mr. Stathakis wished to speak to the council he should make a request through the City Manager's Office. Councilor Sini th sai dshe fel t the council shoul d wa it to see if funds are e forthcoming from the State for the Roosevelt project before the council considers reprogramming funds. Ms. Wooten suggested the council could take public testimony at that time. Councilor Hansen asked staff to keep councilors informed, perhaps through a memorandum, on the status of the negotiations with the State. V. REPROGRAMMING OF WEST UNIVERSITY NEIGHBORHOOD BLOCK GRANT FUNDS (memo distributed) Mr. Whitlow introduced Greg Byrne, Eugene Development Department. Mr. Byrne said that the council was asked to consider routine reprogramming of funds dating back as far as the 1978 Block Grant. He said all the funds had been committed to the West University Neighborhood to projects that either had been abandoned or had been completed for less than the funds allocated. He said the Community Development Committee had recommended that the funds be used in the West University Neighborhood for two large projects that would aid in implementation of the West University refinement plan. He said the proj ects included landscaping, street improvements, and traffic controls but would involve no street closures or diverters. Responding to a question from Councilor Hansen, Mr. Byrne said that there had been considerable participation in planning for these projects, with participation from residents and commercial and institu- tional uses, and that all involved seemed satisfied with the plans. Councilor Lindberg agreed that all those involved seemed to be satisified with the design. e MINUTES--Eugene City Council June 22, 1983 Page 6 Ms. Schue moved, seconded by Mr. Obie, to accept the staff report e to reprogram the funds. Roll call vote; motion carried unanimously. VI. SALE OF CITY PROPERTY ON WEST 11TH AVENUE (memo, maps, resolution distributed) Mr. Whitlow introduced Public Works Director Don Allen. Mr. Allen said that no one but the adjacent property owners would have a use for the property. He noted that site review criteria had been applied which required that the property in question be used for access to the existing parcel. Res. No. 3787--A resolution authorizing conveyance of real property. Ms. Schue moved, seconded by Mr. Obie, to adopt the resolution. Roll call vote; motion carried unanimously. VI I. VAGRANCY TASK FORCE REPORT--Initial Presentation (memo, entire report distributed) Mr. Whitlow introduced Chris Hofmann, Eugene Development Department. Councilor Lindberg, Vagrancy Task Force Chairperson, said that the task force had found the vagrancy issue to be extremely complex. He complimented task force members for their hard work. He noted there had been extensive public participation in the work of the task force, as well as good cooperation with City departments, including the Police Department. Mr. Lindberg said that the task force had e conducted surveys of those who are homeless and of agencies that serve the homeless and had developed findings of fact which had in turn led to development of 24 recommendations. Ms. Hofmann said that 12 recommendations were for effective enforcement of existing laws, especially regarding behavior of vagrants in public places and use by vagrants of abandoned buildings. She said other enforcement recommendations addressed issues of 1) sup~ort for continuing the practice of issuing citations in lieu of custody were appropriate, 2) support for intervention and prevention, 3) support for use of street worker/ counselors, 4) monitoring use of the City parks by vagrants, 5) providing a safe working environment for Parks employees, and 6) providing legal camping areas for the homel ess. Ms. Hofmann said that four of the enforcement recommendations dealt with the downtown area and addressed issues of 1) pedestrian and vehicle circulation, 2) providing waiting areas in non-public places for plasma donor center clients, 3) asking the Planning Commission to re-examine the downtown zoning ordinance to regulate location of plasma donor centers and other uses that attract vagrants, and 4) consideration of licensing donor centers. Ms. Hofmann said that the remaining recommendations addressed services for vagrants and the problem of trying to help the truly needy without creating a IImagnetll for vagrants from other areas. She said these included recommendations for expansion of existing shelter facilities, coordination of services, provision of low-cost housing after initial emergency shelter, investigation of the use of self-help training programs, and support for the work of the Joint Social Services Committee. e MINUTES--Eugene City Council June 22, 1983 Page 7 . Ms. Hofmann said that a subcommittee of the task force had worked for six months on the issue of alcoholi~ and vagrants and this had led to recommendations for working with local jurisdictions to provide funding for court-mandated treatment and a proposal for a pilot project for transportation of intoxicated people to detoxification centers. Ms. Hofmann said the final recommendation of the task force was that the Mayor and City Council recognize the work of all the agencies and volunteers that work with the homeless. Councilor Lindberg said that the task force was in the process of establishing a work program for the summer months and would report to the council again in September. Responding to a question from Councilor Smith, Mr. Lindberg said that the council would be holding a brief public hearing at its June 27 meeting on the report of the task force. He said that he hoped the council would accept the recommendations of the task force as policy. He hoped the council would also discuss a budget for the work of the task force. Councilor Holmer noted that his father had worked with the homeless during the depression. Mr. Holmer praised the compassion and realism of the task force's report and expressed hope for implementation of the recommendations. Councilor Obie commended Mr. Lindberg and the task force and asked if there was a need for the council to hold a public hearing on the report before addressing the question of adopting this as policy. Ms. Hofmann said she knew of members of the public who hoped to comment on specific recommendations in the report at the public hearing. e Councilor Schue praised the excellent balance in the report of concerns for vagrants and concerns for the health of the community. She felt nolding a hearing to allow comments from those involved with the vagrancy issue in the community was appropriate. Councilor Hansen said that the report was excellent. He expressed some concern with some of the recommendations, particularly those that might infringe on free speech activities or restrict use of common areas. Councilor Lindberg said he would be interested in a response from the City Attorney's Office on these issues. He felt the task force had tried to be sensitive to these concerns. Councilor Obie said he would also like information from the City Attorney's Office on the ability to have those who are incarcerated perform work in the community. Tim Sercombe, City Attorney's Office, said that there was no legal barrier to requiring community work in lieu of a sentence, but that the cost of monitoring such service was often prohibitive. e MINUTES--Eugene City Council June 22, 1983 Page 8 . Mayor Keller thanked task force members for their hard work. Councilors applauded the efforts of the task force. Mr. Whitlow noted that many paid City staff members had worked with the task force. The council applauded these efforts as well. The meeting was adjourned to June 27, 1983. (Recorded by Darcy Marentette) MDG:DCM:clj/CM8a8 e - MINUTES--Eugene City Council June 22, 1983 Page 9