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HomeMy WebLinkAbout11/16/1983 Meeting M I NUT E S e Eugene City Council Regular Meeting City Council Chambers November 16, 1983 11:45 a.m. COUNCILORS PRESENT: Emily Schue, Brian Obie, Mark Lindberg, Richard Hansen, John Ball, Betty Smith, and Freeman Holmer. COUNCILORS ABSENT: Cynthi a 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, ANNOUNCEMENT, AND AGENDA ADJUSTMENTS A. All-American Cities Competition Councilor Schue stated that she had just returned from Baltimore, Maryland, where she had presented the Eugene project in the All-American Cities competition. She said she and the staff were pleased with the presentation but that the e results of the competition would not be known for several months. Ms. Schue stated that representatives would be sent to Eugene to gather additional informa- tion if the City was being considered as a finalist. B. Councilor Attendance Councilor Ball stated that he would be out of town for the week of November 21 and would therefore be unable to attend the scheduled council meetings. C. League of Oregon Cities Conference Councilor Holmer stated he had just returned from the League of Oregon Cities Conference. He stated that the 1985 conference would be held in Eugene. D. Appointments Mayor Keller stated that he would postpone the council.s consideration of his appointments until later in the meeting. , II. ROUTINE ITEM FOR COUNCIL APPROVAL: CONSIDERATION OF CITY COUNCIL MINUTES OF OCTOBER 10, 1983 (minutes distributed) Ms. Schue moved, seconded by Mr. Obie, to approve the City Council minutes of October 10, 1983. Roll call vote; the motion carried - unanimously, 7 :0. MINUTES--Eugene City Council November 16, 1983 Page 1 III. PUBLIC HEARING: REVISION OF OAK HILLS HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION CHARTER (memo, resolution, charters distributed) e City Manager Micheal Gleason introduced the agenda item, stating that there was no formal staff presentation. He stated that Nan Pheifer of the Oak Hills Homeowners Association was present to answer any questions. The public hearing was opened. Nan Pheifer, 1980 Kimberly Drive, Eugene, spoke to be on record as being in favor of the charter revision. There being no further testimony, the public hearing was closed. Res. No. 3817--A resolution approving and accepting the Oak Hills Neighborhood Association amended charter. Ms. Schue moved, seconded by Mr. Obie, to adopt the resolution. Councilor Holmer stated that the council had last addressed the issue of the Oak Hills charter and the nature of the recognition given to a neighborhood organiza- tion as the official voice of the neighborhood in August. He stated that a motion calling for a recognition policy rather than a unique resolution for the Southeast Firs Neighborhood failed by a 5:4 vote at that time. He said the counci 1 was told that there would be a council revi ew of the model recogni ti on policy resolution in September but there had been no review to date. e Mr. Holmer moved, seconded by Mr. Hansen, to defer the motion on the resolution until completion of the recognition policy review. Councilor Hansen stated that he was also concerned that ten citizens could dictate the majority rule for the entire neighborhood. He said that those people who chose not to participate in that activity should not be automatically counted as giving support to the decision. He said that a review was needed before the council proceeded. Ms. Schue said she was in favor of the proposal. While she recognized that ten people did not speak for the entire neighborhood, she did not perceive that situation to be the issue. Ms. Schue stated that the real issue was for the City to give the neighborhood residents an opportunity to organize within a framework to accomplish neighborhood goals. She stated the City used such groups as paths for City information and projects. She recognized that neigh- borhood groups did not always obtain the level of participation they desired, but it was unreasonable not to recognize a group until it achieved some set level of participation. She said that it would be reasonable to ask any neigh- borhood group how many individuals were involved in any decision presented to the council and to weigh that factor accordingly. Councilor Smith said she appreciated Mr. Holmer1s procedural concern and agreed with Ms. Schue's statement that support for the neighborhood associations has been a strong council policy. She said that a policy clarification was needed, but she did not see the need to defer action on the present request. She asked if staff had any comment on the issue. e MINUTES--Eugene City Council November 16, 1983 Page 2 Mr. Gleason stated that staff had originally planned to deal with the recog- nition policy issue in September but it was set aside due to modifications of e the council work program to accommodate the Affirmative Action Program as a first priority. He stated that the questionnaires were presently being distributed and staff hoped to have a report by January or February, with some possible resolution by March or April. He suggested that the Oak Hills Association could be recognized under its existing charter and then deal with the present issue within the recognition policy. Councilor Holmer stated that his motion for deferral was not an expression of disapproval or discontent with the neighborhood organizations. He said he was a regular participant in his own neighborhood organization and that he believed the organizations were a useful means of communication between the City and the residents. He said it was offensive to adopt a resolution that stated the council recognized the organization created under the particular set of by-laws as the official voice of the neighborhood. He said the neighborhood group will continue to work whether the council takes action on the resolution or not. Councilor Lindberg said he did not view the council as debating the policy, but whether the present issue matched the existing policy. He said that it did and the council should approve the resolution. Councilor Ball stated there was some apparent philosophical disagreement within the council on the role of neighborhood groups. He said he preferred to specify the policy and to determine the council.s standing on the policy; therefore, he would support the motion to defer. Councilor Obie said he had a difficulty in having the Oak Hills neighborhood e caught in the crossfire of the policy issue. He said it would be easier for him to vote on a policy issue rather than tying it in with the Oak Hills charter. He said business should proceed as usual and that the council should separately address the policy issue. He stated that he would vote against the deferral. Mayor Keller stated that a current policy existed for neighborhood groups and that it was appropriate to raise the policy issue under a separate item. He hoped that the council would vote to defeat the motion to defer. The motion to defer action on the resolution failed 4:3, with Councilors Holmer, Ball, and Hansen voting aye; and Councilors Smith, Schue, Obie, and Lindberg voting nay. The motion to adopt the resolution passed unanimously, 7:0. Mayor Keller asked that staff expedite the recognition policy issue for presen- tation to the council. Mr Gleason said staff was presently distributing the questionnaires, stating that a factual basis was desired before any presentation to the council. Councilor Hansen questioned the appropriateness of the councilors in completing the questionnaires. Mr. Gleason stated that different forms of the questionnaire were being distributed to different groups and that it was important for staff to obtain feedback from all involved parties. e MINUTES--Eugene City Council November 16, 1983 Page 3 IV. OLYMPIC SCIENTIFIC CONGRESS (memo, resolution, booklet distributed) e City Manager Micheal Gleason introduced the agenda item. Business Assistance Manager Cathy Briner prefaced her presentation by stating her appreciation of Councilor Schue's role in the All-American Cities Competition. Ms. Bri ner stated that staff was recommending that the council approve the resolution reaffirming the City's support for the Olympic Scientific Congress and the loan request for $40,000. She stated that her November 10 memorandum outlined the specific uses of the loan. She said staff felt that the presence of the congress in Eugene would assist the City in promoting Eugene as a destination point and recruiting new businesses to the area. She introduced Dr. Michael Ellis, Dr. Jan Broekhoff, and Dr. Dan Tripps of the congress organizing committee and Mike Hartnett and Tim McNeilly of the Convention and Visitors Bureau. Dr. Michael Ellis stated that each modern olympiad involved cultural, religious, and scientific aspects in addition to the athletic games and that Eugene would be hosting the major portions of the cultural and scientific aspects of the 1984 Olympiad. He briefly reviewed the background and history of the development of Eugene as the host city. He stated that he realized the significant import of the congress to the city, stating that 700 papers had been submitted by scientists from more than 32 countries, including Cuba, the USSR, and the Peoples Republic of China. He said his organization was convinced that the congress would be successful, but he said the assistance of the city was needed to maintain contact between all the individuals involved and to host those individuals in a manner which presented Eugene as a destination point. He said he anticipated 3,000 individuals to attend the congress in addition to the representatives to the congress. He estimated that the conference would e cost $1,300,000, of which $1,000,000 would be raised by the end of the con- ference. He asked the council to support the resolution and loan request to assist the organizing committee in presenting a successful congress. Mike Hartnett of the Eugene/Springfield Convention and Visitors Bureau stated that his staff did not have the budget to travel to all the countries that would be represented in the congress; therefore the loan would help the congress to be a showcase for Eugene and bring those representatives to the city. Ms. Briner again asked for the council's support of the resolution and the loan request. She announced that she and Mayor Keller would be making a presentation to the Oregon Tourism Council in Coos Bay on October 28 to gain support and a financial commitment for the Olympic Scientific Congress. Councilor Smith stated that, as a member of the convention board, she was aware of the work being done and urged support of the request. She stated that the congress reinforced the council's concerns for destination point activities. In response to a question on the City's legal standing on a loan, City Attorney Tim Sercombe explained that the loan proceeds from the Civic Emergency Fund, generated from the boxing match revenues, were appropriate under ORS 463.170. He stated that 40 percent of those revenues could be distributed for charitable or educational purposes and that the remaining loan balance would come from contingency funds. Mr. Gleason stated that there was no problem in the City investing money for a public purpose, adding that staff would determine the budget process once the council approved the request. - MINUTES--Eugene City Council November 16, 1983 Page 4 Councilor Lindberg stated he had some initial reservations about the loan request based on anticipated cutbacks to public services, but he was impressed e with the potential impact of the congress and suggested shifting the loan to a grant. Mayor Keller noted he had received some requests to testify, and, with the consent of the council, asked for comments from Ms. Vincent and Ms. Hamide. J. Vincent, 2550 McMillan, thanked the council for the opportunity to speak. She said she was concerned with the little sense of community involvement with the congress and she would like to see much more emphasis placed on such involve- ment. She stated that it would be important for the community to gear up for the congress, stressing that the treatment of the congress representatives by residents would possibly have the most effect. Verda Hamide, 27812 Clear Lake Road, stated that she was excited about the event and that the committee was apparently striving for the benefit of the community. She offered her assistance to the committee and asked the support of the council and the community for the congress. Ms. Briner stated that staff was in the process of developing an educational and public relations campaign to prepare the community for the congress and to develop avenues for community participation. Mayor Keller stated that he had suggested the congress as a short-term goal for the council at its recent Goals Session. He asked support for the congress because of the potential opportunity for the community to present itself as a e destination point. Ms. Schue said she appreciated the comments underscoring the efforts of the University team in hosting the congress and she agreed that the community was not prepared for its own role. She cited language as one problem that must be addressed. Res. No. 3186--A resolution concerning the Olympic Scientific Congress. Ms. Schue moved, seconded by Mr. Obie, to adopt Resolution No. 3186 reaffirming suppport of the Olympic Scientific Congress to be held in Eugene on July 19-26, 1984, and to approve a loan of $40,000 that will be processed by the Budget Committee in the next supplemental budget on December 13, 1983. Roll call vote; the motion carried unanimously, 7:0. Councilor Holmer suggested that a similar resolution be developed to address the 16th Annual Conference of the International Society of Music Educators to be held in Eugene in early July 1984. He stated that the conference deserved the official recognition of the City. Mayor Keller voiced his agreement with the suggestion. Mr. Holmer agreed with Ms. Schue's comments that efforts be made to address the language barrier issue. Mr. Gleason stated that the University of Oregon is to be commended for its efforts in assisting the City in developing destination point activities. e MINUTES--Eugene City Council November 16, 1983 Page 5 V. APPEAL OF ADMINISTRATIVE ACTIONS REGARDING THE WEST UNIVERSITY ON-STREET PARKING PRICING PROGRAM (memo, background information distributed) e City Manager Micheal Gleason introduced the agenda item. City Traffic Engineer Jim Hanks presented the staff report, stating that this was the fourth time the WUN Parking Program had been before the council since the request to submit the grant request was first presented in September 1982. He said the council authorized staff to enter into the grant agreement in March 1983 after approval of the grant was received and that an appeal was made to the program in October 1983. Mr. Hanks then outlined the parking program which would establish a two-hour time limit in the neighborhood but would allow residents to obtain a free permit to park in excess of that limit. He explained that the unique feature of the program was the proposed sale of parking permits to commuters. He said the program was in response to elements of the West University Refinement Plan and would also respond to the parking and mass transportation goals of the T-2000 Plan. He said the program's goal of improving the livability of the area would also meet the effort of the Metropolitan Plan. Mr. Hanks stated that the parking program was supported by the West University Neighborhood, the University Community Liaison Committee, and the University Small Business Association. He acknowledged several individuals which had participated in the recent review of the parking program. He then reviewed his November 16 memorandum to Public Works Director Don Gilman which addressed the program issues and concerns raised by individuals and groups, recommended program changes, and specified changes being undertaken by the University of Oregon, Sacred Heart General Hospital, the Lane Transit District, and the City of Eugene. This memorandum included four program changes to address the concerns raised at the October 10 council meeting. Mr. Hanks emphasized that the parking program was a demonstration project e and that staff was committed to making whatever changes necessary within the remaining 18 months to make the program work. He said staff recommended that the council approve the program, adding that staff had decided to delay implementation of the program until January 15, with enforcement to begin on February 1. Councilor Hansen questioned whether an assumption was being made that the revenue generated by the sale of permits would cover the shortfall of $125,000 per year. Mr. Hanks responded that the initial cost of the program would be high due to the evaluation required by the federal government, but that the implementation cost of the program after the initial two-year period would be much lower, adding that staff expected the enforcement of the program to pay for itsel f. He said the intention was not to sell a large amount of permits. Mr. Hansen calculated that it was necessary to sell 595 permits per month to break even, not including any possible fines. Mr. Hanks responded that the program budget was based on selling 50 permits per month. He added that he would distribute the budget to the council for their study. Councilor Ball said he understood the University was conducting research on the adequacy of the Bean parking lot. He asked if any accommodation could be made for parking for low-income students. Mr. Hanks responded that this issue could be addressed, but stressed that it would be difficult for the City to compete with the $8 per term parking fee for the Bean lot. He stated that the lot could handle over 300 more cars to partially accommodate the 650 commuters to the area. He said that he would pursue the issue of low-income students through the advisory committee. e MINUTES--Eugene City Council November 16, 1983 Page 6 Mr. Gleason stated that the program was a demonstration and thereby required experimentation. He stated that staff was committed to experimenting to develop e a solution and that for the first time all the participants were eager to provide input for improvement. He added that the focus of attention was on the program and that the City had two years to work on it. He said that a better program might be developed, but it would not necessarily please everyone. Mayor Keller questioned if the City's committment was for an 18-month program. Mr. Hanks stated that changes could not be made month to month, but he estimated that problems identified during the first year could be accommodated in the second year of the program. He said staff could make changes as necessary, stating that half of the C and 0 zones had already been eliminated from the program based on the interests of the people involved. He said that one result of a demonstration project could be to show that the project was bad. He said he believed that after two years the program would be different. In response to a desire by a citizen to present testimony, Mayor Keller explained that the public hearing had been concluded at the previous meeting. He stated that he would provide the opportunity to speak if time allowed. Councilor Ball said it appeared progress was being made in the program, the best result of the program being the participation of the area institutions. He stated he did not feel ~bligated to provide unlimited free parking for commuters and employees in the area, adding that Eugene was no longer a small town. He added that the concerns and needs of the area homeowners could not be overlooked. Councilor Lindberg stated there were many policies which supported implementation e of the program. While the first attempt at consensus was not successful, he wanted to compliment the individuals who had participated in the development of the program. He said that effort must be continued so that the program progressed with any necessary changes. Mr. Gleason, adding to the staff report, stated that staff hoped to work more aggressively to make the state willing to provide an adequate parking program for the University. Councilor Obie stated he still had concerns that the staff presentation did not reflect the concerns identified in the letters and telephone calls from citizens, and that the suggestion of high community support was possibly erroneous. He said he was troubled by the desire to move ahead with the program without addressing those concerns and said that three alternatives would be to pass the proposal, refer the proposal to the advisory committee to deal with the issues. or have more work performed by the council, possibly in a subcommittee. He said he wished to hear more opinion from the council. Councilor Hansen said he was concerned with collecting the $17.50 fee from an individual who could afford it. thereby denying someone else an equal chance to park on the public street. He said the goal was to create parking for the residents, and, although he realized that the federal grant was based on that fee, he did not feel that charging a fee was a good idea. He suggested the alternative of a two-hour parking restriction from 9 a.m. until 6 p.m. He e MINUTES--Eugene City Council November 16, 1983 Page 7 agreed with Mr. Ball that it was not the City's obligation to provide parking for employees in that area. He said he was not prepared to support the fee, e acknowledging that it might complicate the situation with half of the program cost being paid by the federal grant. He stated that he still wanted to know how the program would break even based on the sale of 50 permits per month. Councilor Schue acknowledged that the council might have acted differently if it could start the process over, but she stated that the City had already accepted the grant and had designed the program. She complimented the work of the staff and the involved citizens and suggested that the council might formally recognize the advisory committee. She said she had read the letters referred to by Mr. Obie, suggesting that there might have been some time lag between the letters being written and changes being made to the program. She said it would be foolish to discard everything, and she suggested that the council move forward since the attention of the involved groups had already been obtained. She said there was still time to make adjustments before the January 15 implementation. She said she would vote to support the program. Councilor Holmer said he was originally against the proposal but stated he agreed with Ms. Schue's comments and that the program would evolve during the demonstration period. He said he believed that the program should be approved. In response to a question, Mr. Hanks stated that there was a strong possibility that the program costs would have to be repaid if the program were not implemented. He also stated that there might not be enough time for a valid evaluation of the program if it were delayed any longer. With regard to program financing, he stated that the objective was to demonstrate the program, and not to raise e revenue through the sale of permits. He explained that the budget was set up on a $125,000 program and the City would be able to cut back expenses when it obtained the grant because the City had not been incurring some of the normal expenses of the program, such as enforcement. He said there was no obligation by the City to generate revenue and that the budget was developed to insure a break-even status. Councilor Obie said he agreed to move ahead with the program, but to do so with caution. He requested that the advisory committee report to the council every six months. Mayor Keller added that an appropriately well-defined meeting schedule should be developed for the advisory committee and that an advertisement be published to ensure attendance at those meetings. Mr. Hanks said he antici- pated that the committee would be an ad hoc group meeting as appropriate, but he added that the schedule and advertisement suggestions could be implemented. In response to Ms. Schue's suggestion, he stated that a formal structure of the committee should be developed. He added that he expected the committee to meet on a more regular schedule than suggested by Mr. Obie. Mr. Obie said he had anticipated a formality to the group, that it would be representative to the user groups, and that it would deal with the problems as identified on a recom- mending basis. Ms. Schue said she hoped that the neighborhood residents would be included in the committee. Mr. Hansen asked that a report on the number of permits sold be presented by the middle of February. Mr. Gleason agreed that a regular report would be appropriate, but he asked that staff first be given one month to implement the program. e MINUTES--Eugene City Council November 16, 1983 Page 8 Ms. Schue moved, seconded by Mr. Obie, to deny the appeal of administrative actions regarding the West University On-Street e Parking Pricing Program and proceed with the project. Roll call vote; the motion carried unanimously, 7:0. Mayor Keller stated that he did not call for public testimony since the meeting was not advertised as a public hearing. VI. LAND USE APPLICATION PROCESS REVISIONS (CA 83-1) (memo, background information, including ordinance, distributed) City Manager Micheal Gleason introduced the agenda item, stating that the council had already had a workshop and a public hearing on the issue. He stated that Gary Chenkin of the Planning Department was present to answer any questions. CB 2692--An ordinance concerning land use application processes; amending sections of the Eugene Code, 1971; adding new sections to that code; repealing sections of that code; and providing for an effective date. 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, the motion carried unanimously, 7:0. Council Bill 2692 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 became Ordinance No. 19197). VII. BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT FUND (memo distributed) City Manager Micheal Gleason introduced the agenda item, stating that the report on the Business Development Fund was being returned to the council for action. Jesse Smith of the Eugene Development stated that he was present to answer any questions of the council. Ms. Schue moved, seconded by Mr. Obie, to approve the Business Development Fund. Roll call vote; the motion carried unanimously, 7:0. e MINUTES--Eugene City Council November 16, 1983 Page 9 VIII. BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT FUND ADVISORY COMMITTEE e Mayor Keller apologized to the council for not having submitted the names of his nominations to the Advisory Committee earlier. He said that because the council wanted to have the committee in place by November 16, he therefore recommended the following appointments to the Advisory Committee: Lenders: Bruce Riddle Pacific Continental Bank Tom Fuller Accountant: Kay Anthony Kohnen, Larsen & Company Business: Mike Hodges Spectra Physics (large) Bruce Anderson Hutchinson, Harrell, Cox, Teising & Anderson PC (small) Consumer at Large: Jean Names (Prof.) LCC Business Assistance Center. Ms. Schue moved, seconded by Mr. Obie, to approve the appointments. Roll call vote; the motion carried unanimously, 7:0. The meeting was adjourned at 1:20 to November 21, 1983. Respectfully submitted, e ~". ..d4 . Micheal D. Glea on City Manager (Recorded by Thorn Strunk) TS:ts/CMBa22 e MINUTES--Eugene City Council November 16, 1983 Page 10