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HomeMy WebLinkAbout06/18/1984 Meeting M I NUT E S e Eugene City Council Quarterly Dinner Session Treehouse Restaurant June 18, 1984 6 p.m. COUNCILORS PRESENT: Brian Obie, Cynthia Wooten, John Ball, Debra Ehrman, Richard Hansen, Freeman Holmer. COUNCILORS ABSENT: Emily Schue, Betty Smith. The meeting of the City Council of the City of Eugene, Oregon, was called to order by His Honor Mayor Gus Keller. I. REVIEW OF AGENDA The City Council briefly discussed the meeting agenda, particularly Councilor Obie's Metropolitan Economic Development Effort. Councilor Wooten suggested that an entire day be spent at the Council Goals Session discussing that issue. Mayor Keller said he preferred an earlier meeting date. Tentative - dates were then discussed by the council. Councilor Hansen said he wished to know Mr. Obie's position on the issue before the council discussed the item further. Councilor Wooten suggested a July date as an alternative meeting time; she directed staff to determine a Monday or Wednesday evening in July for a meeting from 5:00 to 9:00 p.m. so that discussion could be con- tinued at the Council Goals Session if necessary. Mayor Keller directed staff to schedule the Goals Session for September. II. TOPICS A. Metropolitan Economic Development Effort Councilor Obie stated that the community's current economic development efforts were not fruitful, stating that the City had no real metropolitan strategy for recruiting businesses or for business assistance, resulting in the City losing numerous opportunities. He suggested that a metropolitan entity be formed to handle the economic development planning responsibility, possibly a joint public/private venture funded by the private sector with representatives from the various community players. Councilor Wooten said she shared Mr. Hansen's comment that the council should not proceed until the issue was clarified. She stated that any meetings or structure of such an entity should be inclusionary. Mr. Obie responded that the present situation points out the need for development areas. He said the City .e MINUTES--Eugene City Council June 18, 1984 Page 1 must develop an entity to be involved in the economic development area. - He said the City has the authority to form such an entity but that it must determine how to properly use it. Mayor Keller commented that funding will be a major issue, of which the key will be the council IS commitment to the spending of any resources. He said he understood Mr. Obie to say that any action by the City must be at a higher level. He said the staff had the talent to accomplish those goals although most outsiders did not view the City as making any progress toward those goals. Councilor Obie stressed that the private sector must be involved because the City needed its financial support. Councilor Hansen said he was surprised at the suggestion of a business tax to support the program and that he was unsure of the reaction by the private sector because he was not sure of the entire process. He suggested that some business charges be put on hold to facilitate support for the economic development program. Mr. Obie said the community must be comfortable with the program and the need for the program itself. Mr. Hansen, referring to a recent article in the Ore~onian on Portland, stated that some people were surprised at the importance belng placed on industry. Mr. Obie suggested that the council schedule two sessions, one to discuss economic development and one to discuss goals. Councilor Ball said he was not clear on the form of such a new organization. While he acknowledged Mr. Obie's statement that any effort must be on a higher level, he questioned whether a new entity was required. Ms. Wooten suggested several possibilities for the entity, stating that any such entity may have or require a variety of structure formats. She said that a key element was the e ability to coordinate the resources for such an effort. Councilor Hansen still questioned the program and the need for outreach centers, stating that the players for such a program already existed. Mr. Obie said he felt the outreach centers would achieve sitings in Eugene. He stressed the need for Eugene to build relationships and to capitalize on its economic factors--the university and the airport--and projects such as the Riverfront Park. He stressed the need for the City to become involved and reverse the downward economic spiral of the metropolitan area. Councilor Holmer said that Mr. Obie had presented his program to the Executive Committee of the Eugene Chamber of Commerce. In response to Mr. Obie's statement of the need for program financing, Mr. Holmer said the committee had stated that the City must develop its infrastructure and business assistance program. The committee had also stated that the private sector must have a role and voice in the program to satisfy the business community. Mr. Obie stated that the program had clear public and private roles, stating that the scope of the council was city-wide. He said the City needed an organization to develop the program and then to report back to the council. He said the private side was needed to create the arena for the program and then the public side could provide the follow-up. He stressed the need for involved participation to solve the community problem. Stating that Mayor Keller had some difficulty with the private sector assuming a strong role in the program, he said he felt the City Council has taken the lead during the past five years and it was frustrated with the lack of participation by the other players. Stating the need for the players to be totally committed, he said the City, - MINUTES--Eugene City Council June 18, 1984 Page 2 with its Business Assistance Team and Joint Committee on Economic Development, e should have the primary role. He said Ms. Wooten had been correct two years ago when she suggested the use of outreach centers. Ms. Wooten said the City has been too polite in its development efforts. Mr. Obie responded that the Eugene/Springfield area has improved its image and the opportunity was now present to make some progress. Councilor Holmer said it appeared that roles would exist for both sides in such a program. He said the Chamber of Commerce has not had the tax resources to perform such actions. He questioned whether it was appropriate for the City to market the community, stating that the City should develop its infrastructure and provide the private sector with a voice in the program if the City wanted its financial support. Mayor Keller questioned whether developing policy issues might assist in the discussion. He said he personally did not see a role for the chamber in the program, stating that a confiict of interest existed and that the private sector should not dictate the program because it had not been successful in the past. Councilor Ball said the people did not care who acted as long as some progress was made. Ms. Wooten said she understood the comments by Mayor Keller and Mr. Holmer but added that the chamber had not developed any jobs for the community and it was necessary to try something different. In response to Mr. Holmer's comment that few sitings had occurred in the past 18 months, Ms. Wooten said the majority of jobs were not created by one siting. She said Eugene must be innovative because it was competing with cities with more economic advantages. Councilor Hansen said it appeared that the council was looking for immediate results. He said he did not care who the entity was but that all the players must be involved in progress toward the common goal. He said the City must feel e comfortable with the economic outreach program. While he understood that each group would want to take individual credit for such a program, he stressed the need for the groups to be organized into a team. City Manager Micheal Gleason stated that the Chamber of Commerce, Springfield, and Oregon Pacific have all assisted in developing the metropolitan area. He said the foundations have been laid, but it was necessary for the resources to be focused. He stated that he was concerned with the failure of the timber industry to regain its previous level. Councilors Obie and Wooten recognized that any program would be long-term and that resources must be focused. Mr. Obie stressed that all players, especially the University of Oregon, must be involved. He requested the council to allow him to take the lead on the economic development project, stating that he will provide feedback to the council. Councilor Hansen agreed, adding that the program must be agreeable to all concerned. He felt the City has recognized its shortcomings and has made some progress. Mayor Keller commented that the chamber must invest the majority of effort if it wanted to be the major player in the program. He stressed that a partner- ship would not develop from one partner dictating to the others. He felt the work of the BATeam has been successful even though no sitings have occurred. In response to Mr. Gleason's comment on the timber industry, he said that a 1977 report had stated that the jobs would be gone, but that the situation occurred sooner than expected. e MINUTES--Eugene City Council June 18, 1984 Page 3 In response to Mr. Ball's request for input, Councilor Obie said he should e remember that he would be the Mayor of the entire community and not just the business community. Councilor Wooten asked Assistant City Manager Dave Whitlow to distribute copies of a New York Times article on Rhode Island presenting a comprehensive economic development program to the voters and the New York Times Book Review article on the national finance corporation. B. Boards/Commissions/Committee Councilor Wooten said she was feeling more estranged from the appointment pro- cess and that she wanted to expand the advertising and recruitment process to build up a file of interested citizens. Councilor Holmer stated that he shared the concern, stating that the council should study the present composition of the various boards and commissions to determine what type of representation was needed. Ms. Wooten said she did not support the staff recommendation of reducing the Downtown Commission to seven members. Mayor Keller said he did not care either way, stating that the City had made a significant effort in the area of citizen participation. He stressed that the council shoul d consider those people who have already applied for membership to boards and commissions, stating that those people would feel frustrated if positions were advertised. Councilor Hansen supported the Mayor's position and agreed with Mr. Holmer's suggestion to study the present composition of the boards and commi ss ions. He commented that vacancies should not be advertised if the council already had some hidden agenda on which it would base its decision. Councilor Wooten stated that the City would again be holding an open-house recruitment process during the Eugene Celebration. Councilor Ehrman stated e that the application form for boards and commissions should include the occupation of the applicant. Councilor Obie said the council must directly solicit qualified people to fill vacancies, stating that the Downtown Commission situation could have been avoided if the council had set criteria. Mayor Keller stated that there was no harm in the council having some diversity in its opinions on recruitment but that it may be difficult to change the recruitment ground rules. Mr. Hansen said the council must agree on the criteria to be used so that people will be aware of the agenda. In regard to the Downtown Commission, Ms. Wooten said that the commission had too much work for only seven people. Mayor Keller responded that the council only had seven members. Mr. Ball said the council had erred in the process of the last Downtown Commission appoint- ment; he said the council should agree to the number of finalists or to some other process. The council generally agreed that some process and criteria must be established. Mr. Holmer asked staff to provide the council with the present commission composition. Mayor Keller said the position to be vacated by David Filer will be advertised from July 1 through July 30. The council discussed possible criteria to be considered for the Downtown Commission vacancy. Mr. Hansen stressed that the council must be honest with the public. Mayor Keller, Mr. Ball, and Ms. Ehrman agreed that they would choose a woman for the vacancy if all other factors were equal. They said they would follow the council's affirmative action policy in striving for good community representation. e MINUTES--Eugene City Council J u n e 18, 1984 Page 4 Mayor Keller said he wanted the freedom to make the best choice without having e to deal with any guidelines set by the council, stating that any guidelines would be unfair. C. Partisan Involvement in Non-Partisan Elections Councilor Ehrman stated that the memorandum she had distributed to the council also contained the pertinant ORS language which stated that a candidate running for a non-partisan position cannot declare himself/herself to be a member of a major party. She said the council had enough to do without addressing this issue, stating that any interested group could raise the issue. Mayor Keller pointed out that this statement was similar to one Mr. Holmer had previously made. Mr. Holmer said he had told the Rubicon Society that it would be appropriate for them or the Republican Central Committee to raise the issue if they were so inclined. He thanked Ms. Ehrman for preparing the memo. He also stated that Ms. Ehrman had informed him that Joyce Nichols had declared herself as a Democrat in her campaign literature. D. Public Access to RIS Councilor Holmer stated that Randy Kolb had raised the issue and that it was scheduled for discussion by the Citizen Involvement Committee. He said the council should adddress the issue because not all information should be made available to the public. Ms. Wooten said she had raised the issue, stating that the council and the Lane County Board of Commissioners will have the chance to review a public access program before it becomes available. e Mr. Gleason stated that several user groups were already hooked into the RIS. He said the City must provide permission to any user to access the data file because improper modem connection could damage the equipment and some infor- mation was restricted. He explained that the security system was not presently designed to allow complete access. He said the Budget Committee had raised the issue; he added that the issue would be presented to the council when development of the security system was completed. E. How to Minimize Burdens on Councilors' Time Referring to the Planning Department slide presentation at the joint City Council/Planning Commission meeting on June 13, Councilor Holmer stated that the slides had not presented any new information compared to the material he had already read. He questioned the need for staff to provide both written and oral updates to the council. He stressed that the council should be careful how its time was used. Mayor Keller agreed that the meeting ran long but that he enjoyed the presentation. Mr. Ball said staff was providing the council the opportunity to view the presentation before public viewing. Mr. Holmer responded that the public had already viewed the presentation. Ms. Wooten commented that staff was proud of its efforts and wished to share its work with the council. Councilor Obie suggested that the council should have the option to leave or stay and view any presentations. He also suggested that the council should develop responsibilities to ensure time was well spent, to include depending e MINUTES--Eugene City Council June 18, 1984 Page 5 on other councilors who have particular expertise. Mr. Ball suggested that e only one councilor should be a representative to any board or commission. Ms. Wooten said that the issue involved was the level of trust between councilors. Mr. Gleason stated that the council would soon be due for a process session because of the several new members. Mayor Keller directed him to include the process in the upcoming Goals Session. Mayor Keller stressed the importance of the council having respect and aware- ness of each councilor's position. Mr. Obie suggested that each councilor should assume the responsibility for individual issues in the legislative program to improve the council's success in that area. He stressed the need for trust among the councilors. Mr. Holmer stated that he will discuss the issue with the Legislative Subcommittee. Mr. Gleason commented that the council had a cohesive legislative program but it needed more coverage by the councilors. He added that the City could have the assistance of Springfield in thi s area. Councilor Wooten suggested that the council move ahead on scheduling a forum for the legislative candidates. Mayor Keller responded that such a forum would be difficult to moderate and the candidates would probably only say what the council wished to hear. Mr. Obie said that the forum could have other aspects. He suggested that the council coul d structure the agenda and ask for input from the candidates. Mayor Keller stated that the council must be careful about any statements it made about the candidates due to its non- partisan nature. Mr. Obie stated that the council will develop five issues for discussion. The council generally discussed the need for developing e agenda issues. Mr. Holmer commented that having a clear agenda would assist in lobbying efforts. Responding to Mr. Hansen's comment about the diversity existing in the political arena, Mayor Keller stressed the need for the council to have one voice in its legislative efforts. Ms. Wooten commented that the council must inform those people involved of its concerns. Mr. Gleason stated that the main problem was that the council had no repre- sentation, stating that no metropolitan relationship existed due to the apportionment at the county and legislative levels. Ms. Wooten said the council must elaborate on the agenda which it has developed over the past years. Mayor Keller agreed to proceed but wanted to know what the council expected from the forum. Mr. Gleason stated that he will work the process through the Legislative Subcommittee and present it back to the council. Mr. Holmer stated that the subcommittee was scheduled to meet on July 3; he said he will make a presentation to the council on July 11. F. Citizen Involvement Committee Councilor Holmer suggested that the scope of the Citizen Involvement Committee be broadened beyond planning issues, stating that he felt it had a broader responsibility which should be reflected in the ordinance. Ms. Wooten re- sponded that the CIC was limited by ordinance and recognized that any expansion of its scope would require additional staff support and time. She said that any addition to the committee's scope should be directed by the council. In response to a question by Mayor Keller, Ms. Wooten stated that the committee e MINUTES--Eugene City Council June 18, 1984 Page 6 was reviewing numerous land use issues. Mr. Holmer stated that the CIC could e broaden its scope to monitor the recruitment and use of citizens. He also suggested that the committee itself could suggest the limits of its scope. In response to a question by Mr. Hansen, he said it would be appropriate for the CIC to review the various committees and boards if so directed by the council. Mr. Hansen commented that the City had numerous committees and that some overlap existed. The council generally discussed the issue of reviewing its committees and commissions with regard to any duplication of efforts. While Mr. Obie stated that it would be an appropriate task for the council, he said he was concerned with creating an agenda for the CIC. Mayor Keller suggested that the CIC should study the entire picture and present its recommendation to the council. Mr. Obie suggested that two councilors be selected to review the committees and commissions. Mayor Keller suggested that he, Mr. Obie, and Ms. Wooten develop a recommendation to the CIC for their response. Mr. Gleason said the council must be aware that it was going in a deliberate direction to review all boards and commissions, some of which were complex in nature. He said that a cost would be associated with any review. Mr. Hansen stated that he was more interested in studying those committees that met frequently. M~or Keller agreed to review the issue with that direction. He suggested that he and Mr. Obie and Ms. Wooten would prepare an agenda before presenting the issue to the CIC. Ms. Ehrman said the committees should be reviewed without any bias. G. Cable TV e Councilor Hansen said he had reviewed the franchise with Group W, stating that the three percent rate may increase to five percent. He said he was troubled with the Public Access Channel with its yearly cost of approximately $150,000. He suggested that it should be operated through another entity, possibly L-COG rather than the non-profit corporation, to broaden its reach. Mr. Obie responded that he was disappointed with the investment, stating that the City should receive better results or should get out of the business. He said he would be willing to invest the money in other cable-related activities. Ms. Wooten said she was concerned with the issue, suggesting that the Cable Commission should hire a consultant to improve its production. Mr. Hansen commented that L-COG might better operate the facility. Mr. Ball said he would be willing to look at any administrative structure as long as public access was maintained. In response to a question, Mr. Hansen explained that the cost to the City was $80,000 per year. He asked whether the rate should be increased to five percent. Mr. Obie said the increase to five percent would be appropriate if the City had a reason, such as a teleport. Mr. Ball stressed the importance of the city having public access. He said the City should make public access a factor in any franchise agreement. In response to a question, Ms. Wooten said public TV networks existed but none provided the opportunity for citizens to produce their own shows. Summarizing the consensus of the council, Mayor Keller stated that the issues were to hire a consultant to determine if improvement was possible and then to e discuss future involvement based on that information. Ms. Wooten said the MINUTES--Eugene City Council June 18, 1984 Page 7 production management should be improved before changing the nature of the e production. Mr. Hansen stated that the public access must perform an outreach program. In response to a question, Mr. Gleason stated that televised council meetings would possibly begin in October. H. Open Public Testimony Period at Council Meetings Stating that the issue had been raised at the previous council meeting and at the Goals Session, Councilor Ball suggested that the council attempt to provide limited time for public comment on non-agenda items at one meeting each month. Mr. Gleason responded that his past experience with similar programs included the problem of people venting their anger at the council and staff. Mr. Ball felt that the council and staff could handle the situa- tion, adding that any problems would be a trade-off for the added public rel ations. He felt that allowing the open public testimony would increase the credibility of the council. Ms. Ehrman commented that the council should perform the program on a trial basis before the council meetings were televised, stating that the television coverage may affect the council response and the public presentation. Mr. Hansen said he would support the idea, adding that the Mayor should set the ground rules so that the individual would state his or her problem without any personal attack on the councilor staff. Mr. Obie agreed that some ground rules should be established; he suggested that the council prohibit any repetitive presentations and those by political candi- dates. Mr. Hansen suggested that the Mayor could monitor the presentations. Mr. Holmer said that the City provided numerous opportunities for public testimony; he suggested that the council consider having citizens apply for e testimony time on issues specified by the council. Mr. Gleason suggested that citizens could ask for specific issues to be listed through their respective councilors. While Mayor Keller agreed that the program could be tried at some .time in the future, there was no consensus for action by the council. He commented that the council has previously circumvented ground rules that he had set. 1. Gi 11 espi e Butte Councilor Ball stated that he was interested in the council's position on this issue. Mayor Keller suggested that it could be scheduled for discussion. In response to a request for clarification of the issue, Mr. Ball said the City's previous bid had been rejected; he added that the property was still avail able. Ms. Wooten said she was still interested whether the City should obtain the property to maintain as open space. Mr. Gleason said staff was attempting to schedule a dinner session between the council and EWEB with an agenda of developing a process between the two groups on how to list items for discussion and then a process for resolution through a subcommittee. Assistant City Manager Dave Whitlow said the meeting was tentatively set for mid-July. Mayor Keller said the subcommittee should work with staff and then make a presentation to the council. Mr. Hansen said he would support maintaining Gillespie Butte as public space. In response to a question, Mr. Ball stated that the area was not presently included in any major City pl an. Ms. Wooten questioned how the City would obtain both the Gillespie Butte and the riverfront property. Mr. Gleason said e the issue will come back before the council before the mid-July meeting with EWEB. MINUTES--Eugene City Council June 18, 1984 Page 8 I II. OTHER ITEMS e Councilor Wooten stated that Ms. Smith will be announcing her resignation from the council at the June 20 meeting to allow Ruth Bascom to assume the position. Mayor Keller stated that the resignation will be effective August 1. The meeting was adjourned at 9 p.m. Respectfully submitted, o/~. Micheal D. Gl eason City Manager (Recorded by Thom Strunk) TS:ky/CM23al e e MINUTES--Eugene City Council June 18, 1984 Page 9