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HomeMy WebLinkAbout09/26/1984 Meeting / M I NUT E S - Eugene City Council City Council Chamber September 26, 1984 11:45 a.m. COUNCILORS PRESENT: Brian Obie, Cynthia Wooten, John Ball, Debra Ehrman, Freeman Holmer, Emily Schue, Ruth Bascom. ABSENT: Mayor Gus Keller, Councilor Richard Hansen. Adjourned meeting of the City Council of the City of Eugene, Oregon, was called to order by Council President Brian Obie in the absence of His Honor Mayor Gus Keller. I. ITEMS FROM MAYOR AND COUNCIL, APPOINTMENTS, ANNOUNCEMENTS, AGENDA ADJUSTMENTS A. Appointments 1. Councilor Bascom's City Boards, Commissions, and Committees Assignments e Mr. Gleason referred to' the distributed memorandum which listed Councilor Bascom's assignments on City boards, committees, and co~missions. Ms. Wooten moved, seconded by Ms. Schue, to approve the Mayor's appointment of Councilor Bascom to the following City boards, commissions, and committees: Eugene Budget Committee, Eugene Arts Foundation Board, Joint Agency Committee for Review of Sanitary Sewer User Fees, Room Tax Subcommittee, and Utilities Task Force. Motion carried unanimously; 7:0. 2. Mayor's Notification of Appointments Concerning Legislative Subcommittee Ms. Wooten moved, seconded by Ms. Schue, to approve the Mayor's appointment of Debra Ehrman to the Legislative Subcommittee and Emily Schue as Chair. Motion carried unanimously; 7:0. B. Announcements 1. Certificate of Conformance for Financial Reporting On behalf of the Mayor, Mr. Obie presented a certificate of conformance from the Government Finance Association, an international organization of govern- ment professionals. The certificate was for conformance in financial reporting e MINUTES--Eugene City Council September 26, 1984 Page 1 for the 1983 financial statements. Eugene was one of ten cities receiving e this award. Dee Ann Raile, Reporting/Control Manager, received the award. 2. New Bicycle Racks for the Hult Center Ms. Bascom introduced Dr. Dennis Collis. Dr. Collis presented a birthday present to the City of Eugene from the SHO organization. The present was several new bicycle racks to be placed in front of the Hult Center. C. Eugene Celebration Ms. Wooten presented members with souvenirs of the Eugene Celebration. She thanked the City staff for the help they have given to the Celebration. II. ROUTINE ITEMS FOR COUNCIL APPROVAL A. Consideration of'City Council Minutes: Joint City Council/Planning Commission Meeting Minutes of June 13, 1984, Regular Meeting Minutes of August 13, 1984, Dinner/Work Session and Regular Meeting Minutes of September 10, 1984, and Regular Meeting Minutes of September 12, 1984 (minutes distributed) Ms. Wooten moved, seconded by Ms. Schue, to approve the City Council minutes of June 13, 1984, August 13, 1984, September 10, 1984, and September 12, 1984. Roll call vote. Motion carried unanimously; 7:0. e B. Segregation of Assessment for Property Located West on Bradley Drive North of Bond Lane; Applicant: Larry and Kathy Jackson (SE 84-9) Ms. Wooten moved, seconded by Ms. Schue, to approve the segregation of assessment as noted. Roll call vote. Motion carried unanimously; 7:0. III. RESOLUTION CONCERNING BALLOT MEASURE 2 (memo, resolution distributed) Res. No. 3880--A resolution of the Eugene City Council opposing the passage and impact of Ballot Measure 2 at the November 1984 election. Mr. Gleason said this resolution was prepared at the request of the council. Ms. Schue supported the resolution but wanted to add public safety and social services along with economic development. Mr. Holmer agreed and suggested a word change in Finding 5. Ms. Wooten said they may well have to reorder funding priorities if Ballot Measure 2 passes and people should be educated about this. Ms. Bascom wanted the resolution to speak to the problems of litigation that could arise from Ballot Measure 2's passage. Ms. Ehrman said the 50 percent voter turnout requirement was an unsolved problem of the e measure. MINUTES--Eugene City Council September 26, 1984 Page 2 , The following amendments were made to the resolution: Finding 5 on page 1 e after the phrase "Development Assistance and Information Center, and many other basic," add "public safety." Add Finding 9 which reads, liThe City has a responsibility to its citizens to provide basic services. These services include: public safety; social services; parks and recreation; library, maintenance of streets, public buildings, and other municipal properties; and the provision of sanitary sewers. Ballot Measure 2 will curtail to a substantial degree the ability of the City to provide these services." Add Finding 10, which reads: "10 Adoption of Ballot Measure 2 will provoke expensive and unproductive litigation. The process set out in the measure for adoption of new tax measures is uncertain and ambiguous.1I (Members voted on adoption of these amendments at the end of the meeting.) Ms. Wooten moved, seconded by Ms. Schue, to adopt the resolution as amended. Roll call vote. Motion carried unanimously; 7:0. IV. RESOLUTION RELATING TO HISTORIC STREET TREES (memorandum distributed) Res. No. 3881--A resolution of the Eugene City Council expres- sing its opposition to a proposed City Charter amendment relating to historic street trees. Mr. Gleason introduced the resolution, which came at the request of the council and was based on the deliberation of the council previously. e Ms. Wooten said it was inappropriate for the council to go on record regarding this particular ballot measure because in the past there has been no precedent for the council to take positions on particular ballot measures aside from those directly affecting the financial capacity of the City. The resolution is not appropriate. A simple statement of preference would have sufficed. The findings are conjecture and speculation. Ms. Wooten cited proposed finding 3 and said the people objecting to the widening of 6th/7th were not one in the same with those supporting the ballot measure. In proposed finding 4, Ms. Wooten said it is not sure construction would be affected by passage of the ballot measure. She stated that proposed finding 5 was specu- lative as well. She continued by noting that proposed finding 6 on automatic delays was not appropriate. The measure only allows people to vote. The process will not impede progress. Ms. Bascom opposed the measure. There is a problem working with the State Department of Transportation. This measure is another indication that Eugene likes to put special hurdles in the way of completing projects. The pUblic.s concern for trees could better be expressed in a tree commission which Ms. Bascom along with the Council planned to establish. Ms. Bascom urged support for the resolution and for the concept of a tree commission that would be temporary in its charge. Mr. Holmer suggested that in the future they should do a better job of educ- ating the voters. A possible way to do that would be by printing a City voters pamphlet. Ms. Wooten added that the State puts out a voters pamphlet - MINUTES--Eugene City Council September 26, 1984 Page 3 in May and November that includes city-wide and ward-defined candidates. e Staff was requested to investigate to see if local ballot measures could be printed in the State voters pamphlet. Mr. Ball moved, seconded by Ms. Schue, to adopt the resolution. Mr. Obie said the citizens needed to know how the council feels about the resolution. He said this measure was detrimental to the community. It would draw attention to a preconceived notion that it is hard to get things done in Eugene. Ms. Ehrman stated that she had voted against the council taking a position. She had met with the proponents and with Mr. Gleason. She had toured the area. She opposed the measure, not for the reason stated in the resolution, but because she felt that the city should not have a public vote every time even one tree would be affected by widening. She was disappointed in the resolution and its reference to the widening of 6th/7th Avenues as well as other findings. She could not vote for the portion of the resolution con- taining the findings. Mr. Ball supported the resolution. He would be in favor of rewriting the resolution. He favored Councilor Bascom's proposal for a city-wide tree commission as a way to address this problem. He gave the reasons that he objected to the measure and urged broader citizen participation during the planning process for transportation projects instead of giving the citizens an opportunity to veto a project. e Mr. Holmer suggested the members adopt the resolving portion of the ordinance, deleting the findings and the words, "Based upon the above findings. . ." Ms. Ehrman said she would accept that suggestion. Mr. Obie and Ms. Schue supported the proposal also. Ms. Schue did not want to give the impression that the council was opposed to trees. She cited Arbor Day awards presented to the City, the effort to save most of the trees in the 6th/7th Avenue projects, and the Community Development Block Grant money going to street trees. Mr. Ball, who made the motion, and Ms. Schue, who seconded the motion, agreed to amend the motion and adopt a replacement resolution that reads as follows: BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF EUGENE, a Municipal Corporation of the State of Oregon, as follows: Section 1 The City Council opposes passage of the proposed charter amendment on historic street trees as it represents a serious detriment to regional transportation planning and implementation, to economic development of the City, and to the obtaining of transportation funds for the City of Eugene. Roll call vote. The motion carried 6:1. Mr. Obie, Mr. Ball, Ms. Ehrman, Mr. Holmer, Ms. Schue, and Ms. Bascom voting aye; e Ms. Wooten voting nay. MINUTES--Eugene City Council September 26, 1984 Page 4 V. SUSPENSION OF PARKING FEES FOR THE EUGENE CELEBRATION (memo distributed) e Mr. Gleason introduced staff. Mr. Luell, Eugene Development Department, said this is in response to the need for parking during the Eugene Celebration. He asked the council to waive the fees during the Celebration. Ms. Wooten moved, seconded by Ms. Schue, to direct the City Manager to waive the parking fees for spectators of the Eugene Celebration in the Performing Arts Center Garage for Friday evening, September 28; and all day Saturday and Sunday, September 29 and 30, and for evening event parking in the Parcade. Roll call vote. Motion carried unanimously; 7:0. VI. ORDINANCE CONCERNING SIDEWALK CONSTRUCTION ON SORREL WAY This item was held over to another meeting per the request made by Councilor Hansen at the September 24, 1984, City Council meeting. VII. COUNCIL SUBCOMMITTEE RECOMMENDATIONS RELATING TO THE CITY'S BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS (memo distributed) Mr. Gleason introduced staff. Ms. Beck said the council had asked Ms. Wooten and Mr. Obie to meet as a subcommittee with Mayor Keller and to review the current list of boards and commissions and committees. The purpose of the review was to see if there were advisory groups that could be eliminated or e combined with others before the City begins its annual recruitment of citizens to serve on public advisory groups. Staff made recommendations which the subcommittee approved. She referred to the distributed material. The proposal was to eliminate the Room Tax Subcommittee, the Affirmative Action Task force, the City Council Community Development Goals Subcommittee, the Emerald Canal Task Force, the Vagrancy Task Force, and the Lenders Task Force. It was also proposed that there be further study of the Boxing Commission, Gambling Committee, Garbage Board, Public Solicitations Commission, Sign Code Board of Appeals, and Historic Review Board. Councilor Obie and Wooten commented. Ms. Beck explained that the reason for eliminating the above groups was that in all cases their work was either completed or closely paralleled the work of another group which would continue to exist. Ms. Wooten moved, seconded by Ms. Schue, to approve the recom- mendations of the council subcommittee concerning various boards, commissions, and task forces. Motion carried unanimously; 7:0. VIII. FIRE AND EMERGENCY SERVICES PLAN (memo distributed) Mr. Hall was introduced by the City Manager. Mr. Hall spoke of the success of the plan done in 1977. He said the department has changed the way it operates. Fire prevention, code enforcement, education, and emergency medical services are new directions for the department. There is more cooperation - MINUTES--Eugene City Council September 26, 1984 Page 5 between the cities. Mr. Hall explained what other cities had done in planning. e He said the total department was involved in the planning. It was anticipated that the plan would be done in the Spring. In response to a question raised by Councilor Wooten, Mr. Hall said disaster planning did include spills. They were not involved with FEMA atomic attack plans. Mr. Gleason said he had never worked with a more open Fire Department. He complimented the department on its ability to provide more service with less money. He said Mr. Hall was a great Fire Chief and very open to change. IX. INTERIM COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE WORK PROGRAM REPORT Mr. Weinman reviewed the work of the I-COC. He said they will receive comments this month. He reviewed the work program for the I-COC. Ms. Schue and Mr. Ball, who sit on the committee, asked for the councilors' comments. Mr. Obie suggested that I-COC have an early meeting to receive council comments. The meeting was adjourned. R~11Y submit e ? ~~.. Micheal O. Gleason City Manager BC:vr/CM27a13 - MINUTES--Eugene City Council September 26, 1984 Page 6