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HomeMy WebLinkAbout02/11/1985 Meeting (2) - -- e- MINUTES Eugene City Council City Council Chamber February 11, 1985 7:30 p.m. COUNCILORS PRESENT: Cynthia Wooten, Richard Hansen, Emily Schue, Freeman Holmer, Debra Ehrman, Ruth Bascom, Roger Rutan, Jeff Mi 11 er. Adjourned meeting of the City Council of the City of Eugene, Oregon was called to order by His Honor Brian B. Obie. I. TRIBUTE TO NILS HULT Mayor Obie announced a memorial service to honor Nils B. Hult will be held at the Hult Center Friday, February 15, 1985, at 5:30 p.m. Mayor Obie encouraged the councilors, the staff, and the public to attend the service and to pay tribute to Mr. Hult who contributed so much to the community. II. PUBLIC FORUM Mayor Obie opened the public forum saying the council scheduled the public forum on the agenda to provide an opportunity for people to address the council about issues not scheduled for a public hearing or a public discussion. The public may bring items to the council's attention or give the council information. The forum will provide an opportunity for the council to learn of the community's needs from its citizens. There being no requests to testify, Mayor Obie closed ~he public forum. III. PUBLIC HEARING: DESIGN REVIEW COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION ON ALIGNMENT FOR 6TH/7TH AVENUES--WASHINGTON TO GARFIELD STREETS (memo, background information distributed) City Manager Micheal Gleason introduced the item. Public Works Director Christine Andersen presented the staff report. She introduced Jim Gix, a regional engineer for the Oregon Highway Division, who was available to answer questions. She said written testimony from Jack W. Loe, Rod Ruhoff, Donald E. Smith, and S. N. Jongeward and Jerry Traweek had been submitted to the councilors. The Public Works staff had prepared a preliminary alignment for the widening of 6th and 7th avenues from Washington to Garfield streets. The alignment preserved as many of the historic trees as possible. Twenty-five trees were identified as meeting the criteria in the charter amendment for historic trees. The staff held a public meeting on January 22, 1985, to present the alignment to the public and receive public comments. MINUTES--Eugene City Council February 11, 1985 Page 1 The 6th/7th Avenue Design Review Committee was appointed and met four times to review the impact of various alignments on trees and property. The Design Review Committe developed an alternative alignment which was presented this ~ evening for public comment and council review. ~ During preparation of the various alignments, letters were delivered to each property owner on the project route prior to the staff public meeting and prior to this public hearing. The staff had met with each property owner whose property would be impacted by right-of-way acquisition in the alignment recommended by the Design Review Committee. Discussing the alignment recommended by the Design Review Committee, Ms. Andersen said the project would widen and reconstruct 6th and 7th avenues to four lanes from Washington to Garfield streets. A preliminary review of the ramps to 1-105 at Washington and Jefferson streets is included in the project. The review indicates that the proposed modifications will improve the air pollution and congestion problems. The modifications have been reviewed by the state and will be probably will be constructed when 6th and 7th avenues are widened. Councilor Hansen, chair of the Design Review Committee, said all members of the committee, as well as State and Federal representatives, attended all meetings. The committee felt its charge was to save as many of the historic trees as possible. The committee addressed the issue as logically as possible although different interests were represented on the committee. Compromises were made, but the committee felt good about its efforts. He asked Tom Hoyt to describe the decision-making process of the committee. Tom Hoyt, 460 Palomino Drive, said the committee met four times. The debate ~ was spirited and the effort was sincere. It was obvious that the loss of even ~ one foot of property would impact businesses. The committee had to balance the needs of the residents, businesses, property owners, traffic flow, and the cost with the longevity, size, shape, aesthetics, and the beauty of the trees. Committee members probably would not say they did a perfect job, but they did their best. Using slides, Mr. Hoyt and Bert Teitzel, City Engineer, illustrated and discussed the proposed alignment. They described the trees that would be saved, those that would be cut down, and the effect of the alignment on businesses and residences. Mr. Hoyt said the decision to save five trees on the south side of 6th Avenue and impact the parking lot at Gray's Feed and Seed, 46-year-old business, was very difficult. The City staff indicated that Gray's parking lot could be redesigned so it would contain the same number of parking spaces. The committee thought about the canopy effect as trees hang over the street throughout the deliberations. The decision to save the large beautiful tree on the north side of 6th Avenue at Van Buren was extremely difficult. The sign at the Skin Diving Shop owned by Don Hollingshead will have to be moved and the business will lose two parking spaces. The business has been there 18 years. - MINUTES--Eugene City Council February 11, 1985 Page 2 e - - The decision to save four trees on the north side of 6th Avenue at Tyler was also difficult because the street will be very close to a residence. There is a beautiful tree in the private parking lot which seems to have a long life. The two trees on the south side of the street that will have to be removed are not especially attractive. Two black walnut trees between Polk and Taylor will be removed so that pedestrians will not be too close to the street. When new trees are planted, committee members believe there will be a positive visual impact. On 7th Avenue, a historic cedar tree that is not in good health will be removed. At Van Buren Street, there are two historic trees on each side of the street. The committee decided to save the trees on the south side of the street. The residences on the north side of the street are set back farther than those on the south side. The committee decided to bring the street quite close to a vacant building on the north side of the street rather than take out a pump island at the Sunny Service Station on the south side of the street. At Monroe and Jefferson, the recommended alignment will save four trees on the north side of 7th Avenue. At Madison, the alignment moves to the south in order to save four trees on the north side. Mr. Hoyt visited with Mr. Fogelson who owns the Texaco Station and the managers of Midas Muffler and Taco Bell. The owners of the Taco Bell indicated they had spent about $25,000 to save two large trees when they constructed the drive-up window. It was a significant commitment to trees in the area. The trees form an attractive gateway to the downtown. They are healthy. The recommended alignment means the Texaco Station will have to be relocated to the back of the lot. Several parking spaces at Midas Muffler will be lost. Mr. Hoyt emphasized that the staff had assured him that no special assessment will be made to compensate the businesses. The funds to acquire the right-of-way will come from the Capital Improvement Program. The committee members felt they should represent all the citizens of Eugene, and in this case, decided to impact the businesses and save the trees. One tree in that area is dead and will be taken out regardless of the alignment of the street. Mr. Obie thanked Mr. Hoyt, the committee, and the staff for the presentation. Replying to a question from Councilor Ehrman about plans to alleviate the congestion at the 1-105 ramps at Washington and Jefferson, Ms. Andersen said committee members considered the concerns of the Lane Regional Air Pollution Authority. A second lane can be added to the on-ramp at Washington and 7th Avenue with slight modifications to the existing ramp. It will address the congestion and air pollution problem now and for the immediate future. It does not address the long-range problem, but reconstruction of the ramps would be a multi-million dollar project. The State has agreed to include the modifications in the project. Mr. Hansen said the modifications to the 1-105 ramps could be made with the alignment recommended by the Design Review Committee. He emphasized that Bill Quinn of the Oregon Department of Transportation indicated the State would accept the recommended alignment. MINUTES--Eugene City Council February 11, 1985 Page 3 Mr. Obie said he wanted the public hearing to be fair and informative. He asked people not indicate their approval or disapproval of testimony. He opened the public hearing. Donald E. Smith, 2221 East Irwin Way, supported the recommended alignment. He said the streets will be safer for driving and pedestrians. The funding available for the widening project is not available for social services. The project will benefit the businesses and industries in the area. Unemployement will continue in the community unless there is progressive planning. - Catherine Burke, 282 North Polk, opposed the project. She had attended Whiteaker Community Council meetings at which many people did not want eight lanes of traffic along the southern boundary of the neighborhood. The livability of the area is in jeopardy. Handicapped and infirm people and those without cars should be considered. The effect of constant noise is detrimental to health. Jim Saul, 111 7th Avenue, chaired "Citizens for Better Streets." The organization urged approval of the project which will be an extention of the approved first phase. Mr. Saul said the effort to save trees had been balanced against impacts on businesses. He regreted losing some trees and he regreted the impact on some businesses, but the project is very important. There are no alternatives to it. The project will enhance and improve the image of Eugene and will be needed by future generations. lone Pierron, 1360 Ferry, represented "Citizens' Alliance for Trees." The organization sponsored the initiative petition which resulted in the passage of Ballot Measure 52, the historic street tree charter amendment. Ms. Pierron ~ said Eugeneans value the friendly, modest human scale, natural features, and cultural resources of the city. Transportation plans must protect the quality of life. The widening is not a cost-effective solution to problems and violates the spirit of the vote on Ballot Measure 52. Four actions should be taken and evaluated before the widening project is approved. The actions are: l} The on/off-ramps at the 1-105/6th/7th intersection should be improved; 2} Through truck traffic should be routed to Beltline Road; 3} Through automobile traffic should be routed on 1-105; and 4} The impact of the Chambers Connector should be assessed. Improvement of the 1-105 on- and off- ramps should received first priority. Ms. Pierron said a vote on the widening project in March is premature. Eugeneans might be better served by reconstruction of the existing roadbed and improved street signals. Through traffic should be outside the core area. Citizens' Alliance for Trees supports planning which emphasizes alternatives to automobile traffic. She could not endorse a project simply to spend Federal funds. She urged an economic development plan which will permit 1 i vabi 1 i ty. Lee Wood, 5430 Donald, supported the project. She had been told Eugene is a town where everyone is running but the town does not know where it is going. She wondered how a project which improves worn-out streets, traffic flow, and the safety of drivers and pedestrians, provides an attractive east-west arterial, and will bring in $7 million for jobs could be opposed. Many people - MINUTES--Eugene City Council February 11, 1985 Page 4 - e - have spent many years on the project to meet the needs of the public and property owners and the current and future transportation needs of the city. She pointed out Eugene has several four lane streets. Many trees will be saved. Jon Silvermoon, 2441 Madison, opposed the project. He said the recommended alignment does not address the issues which led to the passage of Ballot Measure 52. Voters questioned the need for the 6th/7th widening and the removal of the historic streets trees. The 6th/7th widening should be considered during the revision of the T-2000 Plan. The public questions the population and employment projections used to justify the project. The public does not want traffic knifing through the heart of Eugene and is not willing to sacrifice environmental livability for highway construction funds and deference to the automobile. Mr. Silvermoon said City funds for operating expenses and capital improvements are limited. Federal supplements to local revenues will be reduced. The project is not a cost-effective solution to traffic, air pollution, and safety problems. The most serious problems are associated with the ramps at 1-105. The dispute is not between pro-growth and no-growth advocates. It is a conflict between different visions of the Eugene's future. He asked the council to reaffirm the city's commitment to alternatives to the automobile by restoring the urban public transit goal which was decreased recently, retaining the Lane Transit District transfer facility, promoting flex-time employment to decrease demands on the transportation system, and protecting natural and historic resources. John Kahananue, 1710 West 7th, served on the Design Review Committee. He remembered that some people had objected to the Pearl Street extension. He was glad it was constructed, but, because of it, the 126 Connector was defeated. Now, 6th and 7th avenues are the east-west arterials. If they are not widened, the problems will be worse. Modifications to the 1-105 ramps cannot be done without widening 6th and 7th avenues. There is not much through traffic on 6th and 7th avenues. Bob Gray, 86812 McMorott Lane, is owner of Gray's Feed and Seed and opposed the proposed alignment. He had not been contacted about the recommended alignment. He said the slides did not show the northern edge of the sidewalk and the approximately one-third of his parking lot which will be eliminated. If the recommended alignment is approved, Gray's Feed and Seed will not be able to get building permits to reconstruct the business in case of a disaster or to modernize because sufficient parking spaces will not be available. The business has been at the same location for 45 years, but it cannot exist with less parking. He did not think 45 years of effort should "go down the drain" just to save five trees. Ida Jorgensen, 931 West 7th, supported the project. She said the traffic on 7th avenue is "bursting at the seams." People will be better able to cross the street because the traffic will be facilitated. People coming to town will not have to stop about every 100 feet. She felt it was a "grand" project. MINUTES--Eugene City Council February 11, 1985 Page 5 Ron Lovin~er, 1445 East 21st, opposed the project. He said the automobile will contlnue to drain the society of its scarce resources. The automobile is ~ destructive and disruptive. ~ Richard Gold, 4275 Oak, opposed the project. He said the widening might be convenient for people who drive each day, but the automobile is on its way out. As gasoline prices increase, fewer people will be able to afford automobiles. Sixth and seventh avenues will not need to be wider. Citizens should have a chance to vote on a subsidized, free public transportation plan. People would flock to Eugene from other cities which have much concrete and big automobiles. Steve Adey, 1375 Bailey, was the only member of the Design Review Committee to oppose the recommended alignment. He said the Whiteaker neighborhood was concerned about the population projections, the traffic projections, and the 1-105 ramps. There is no plan to improve the on-ramp at Washington street. There is no plan to reroute traffic around downtown. Businesses on 6th and 7th avenues will be severely impacted because of the widening. He did not think all the issues were addressed by the committee in its four meetings. The committee's charge was to save trees. He did not think the charge was adequate because it did not reflect other issues. He thought Phase 1 for widening 6th and 7th avenues from High to Washington streets is complete and ready to go to the voters. He did not think the second and third phases from Washington to Garfield are complete. No provisions have been made for pedestrian crossings or street signals. Jim McCarthy, 474 Brookside, has a business on 6th Avenue which will be impacted by the project, but he supported it. A large tree in front of the 4It business will be saved, but he does not like the tree. It causes the gutters to clog and keeps the grass and plants from growing. The trees which will be planted will make the city more attractive. His payroll is over $250,000 and the business is growing. He was told in 1968 that 6th Avenue would be four lanes. The issue is economic development. He is on the Governor's Small Business Advisory Committee for Economic Development. Efforts to attract new businesses to Eugene are frustrated by the effort to save a few trees. Many log trucks use 6th Avenue and he wondered if they could be rerouted. He thought Ballot Measure 52 would not have passed if the citizens interested in seeing the community grow and thrive had become involved. Carol Clarke, 931 Van Buren, opposed the project because the need had not been proven. She urged reconstruction of 6th and 7th avenues. Don Norris, 1984 Kimberly, supported the project. He said Eugene needs jobs. Many plans have said Eugene needs economic diversification which needs to be supported by the widening of 6th and 7th avenues. He read a 1981 Letter to the Editor of the Register-Guard from Councilor Wooten in which she said the city needs to broaden its economic base and implement the Six-point Economic Diversification Plan. Mr. Norris said the Six-Point plan calls for the widening of 6th and 7th avenues. - MINUTES--Eugene City Council February 11,1985 Page 6 - e e Gary Fogelson, 1365 Josephine, is one of the owners of the Texaco Service Station impacted by the recommended alignment. The business is 35 years old. It will cost a great deal to move it back. He did not think the street needs to be widened. He recommended a center lane for turning left or going ahead. Carole Reinwald, 486 Pinto Way, has a business on 7th Avenue near Polk Street. She supported the project although all the businesses on 7th will be affected by the construction. John Bauguess, 364 East Broadway, opposed the project. He said the council should be concerned about the small businesses on 6th and 7th avenues. The community has lost much of its culture and history. The old courthouse is an example. His distrust of this project was based on other projects such as the widening of 11th Avenue which caused the loss of trees. Jim Hale, 4064 Meredith, said 90 percent of the project will be within the existing right-of-way. There is no disagreement about part. The issue is whether there should be a fourth lane. He thought there should be. Even if all the T-2000 projects are completed, including the 6th and 7th widening, the east-west corridors will be overloaded. He referred to a report by Economic Consultants Northwest for LTD which indicates the best transit goal the community can reach is 2 percent. He submitted a map of Madison, Wisconsin, to the council. He said this generation of Eugeneans will be remembered for the number of trees it plants and six hundred trees will be planted if the project is approved. Alan Stein, 771 West 7th Avenue, owns the Woodchuck Antiques on 7th Avenue. He opposed the project. He had attended previous hearings when people had spoken in opposition to the project. Thirteen business people indicated to him the widening is not needed. Brian Michaels, Box 10785, Eugene, opposed the project. He said councilors are servants of the people and the people have a right to be wrong. John SheaPard, 3815 Monroe, operates Sheppard Motors on 7th Avenue. He supporte the project. He said the street is not attractive and needs to be improved. Approval will demonstrate a progressive environment and invite economic growth. His business will be impacted by the construction, but it will be benefited in the long run. Richard Guske, 278 North Grand, opposed the project. He referred to the perceived need for nuclear power plants several years ago. He wondered if people will be as effective in conserving gasoline in the future as they are at conserving electricity now. Widened streets might not be needed. People in the inner city neighborhood do not want the fourth lane. They are the victims of decisions made by business people and suburbanites. Many people in the neighborhood walk. Businesses in the neighborhood will be adversely impacted. Dan Montgomery, 2355 Wilson, drives to and from work on 6th and 7th avenues. He supported the project. He has lived in the community a long time. He thought Eugene Skinner would approve the project. He pointed out most of the trees in Eugene have been planted. MINUTES--Eugene City Council February 11, 1985 Page 7 Cordy Jensen, 633 Spyglass, owns a business on 6th Avenue. He supported the project. He spoke of the recent unemployment in Eugene and said the widening will be good for economic development. Discussing the recommended alignment, ~ he preferred the removal of trees rather than the impact on Gray's Feed and Seed and the Texaco Station. The street will be beautiful when the new trees are planted. Harold Chapman, 51 Chapman Drive, supported the recommended alignment. He said the quality of life in a city is determined by the visions and decisions of former elected officials. Beltline Road and Delta Highway are examples of good decisions of former officials. If the area is to have jobs for future generations, 6th and 7th avenues must have four lanes. Referring to a report, Mr. Chapman said one-and-a-half percent transit ridership is the best goal LTD can obtain. He did not want traffic rerouted over Beltline bridge because it is dangerous. Traffic projections indicate it will be overloaded even if it is widened to six lanes. He submitted three documents from LTD to the council. Dave Pedersen, 2661 University, is the president of the Eugene Area Chamber of Commerce. He urged approval of the recommended alignment. He also urged voters to approval the project. The widening will make the corridor safer. The fifteen trees which will be removed will be replaced by 600 trees. An improved east-west corridor is necessary now and will become more necessary. Widening 6th and 7th avenues makes more sense than improving 11th or 18th avenues. The traffic problems will not go away. Traffic will spill into residential neighborhoods if corridors are not improved. The Washington/ Jefferson ramp problems are only one part of the problem. Other improvements and the Chambers Connector are keyed to this project. Improvements to the ramps would impact historic trees. Citizens have paid for the widening 4It project by payment of gasoline taxes. The social and economic benefits of the projects justify its construction. Don Ferebee, 1710 West 7th, and Arthur A. Mehas, 1220 Goodpasture Island Road, said the testimony they had intended to give had been covered by others. Michael Simonson, 358 8th Avenue, had left before his name was called. Mr. Hoyt hoped his children will be employed in the industrial developments in the Riverfront Park or the Willow Creek Basin. The 6th/7th widening is a link in the economic diversification at both ends of the community. Mayor Obie thanked the people who testified for their courtesy. There being no additional requests to testify, he closed the public hearing. He recessed the meeting for ten minutes at 9:40 p.m. Mr. Miller asked the staff to comment when the council considers the matter again on alternatives to the recommended alignment at the Texaco Station and Midas Muffler or ways to assist the businesses to minimize the impacts. Ms. Wooten wondered why pedestrian crossings and street level lighting were not included in the recommended alignment. The Westside Neighborhood Quality Project had recommended them. She requested information about the rerouting of trucks. She wondered if the design review for phases two and three is as complete as the design review for Phase 1. She asked for information about right-of-way costs, exact impacts on businesses, the length of the ~ construction phase, and guarantees to protect trees during construction. ~ MINUTES--Eugene City Council February 11, 1985 Page 8 e e - Ms. Wooten pointed out the issue was not whether or not to widen the street. The issue was how and when to refer the issue to the voters. Ms. Ehrman asked about the purpose of funds allocated to maintenance of the historic street trees. She said the tree issue applies to the whole city. Mr. Holmer asked about the cost of saving the trees in the recommended alignment. Mr. Hansen suggested councilors drive along the 6th and 7th avenue before the council considers the matter again. III. PROPOSED REVISIONS TO BUSINESS LICENSE REGULATIONS (memo, background information distributed) City Manager Micheal Gleason introduced the item. Susan Smernoff of the Eugene Development Department gave the staff report. She discussed the existing licensing regulations, the process for streamlining the regulations, and what future regulations might be like. The City has business license regulations that address health and safety concerns. About 70 types of businesses are regulated now. Of those, about half are regulated by the Fire Department under the hazardous materials section of the code. About $88,000 is received by the City for issuing business licenses. The revenue received does not pay the cost of issuing the licenses. The staff has developed a proposal for deleting regulations that are currently regulated through other mechanisms. The proposal is being considered by the Chamber of Commerce and other community groups. The council will consider the proposal in the spring. Most cities have business licenses to regulate activities for health and safety reasons or to generate revenue. The purpose of Eugene's licensing program has been to regulate activities for health and safety reasons. That will continue to be the purpose. Ms. Smernoff reviewed the types of business that will be regulated in the future. She pointed out some business, such as nursing homes, may not need to be licensed by the City because they are inspected by the City and the State four times each year. A fifth inspection for a business license is redundant and not necessary. Some business can be regulated by uniform business practice laws. The City regulates towing services that way now. Answering questions from Mayor Obie and Mr. Holmer, Ms. Smernoff said the staff is drafting Uniform Business Practice laws. A separate ordinance will not be needed for each type of business, as there will be several categories addressed by the laws, such as health and safety and criminal activities. MINUTES--Eugene City Council February 11, 1985 Page 9 The meeting was adjourned at 10:10 p.m. to February 13, 1985, ~especfully submitted, o/~ Miche_l G'e::o~-~ Ci ty Manager (Recorded by Betty Lou Rarick) BLR: cj /1 649C MINUTES--Eugene City Council L February 11, 1985 Page 10 e e - e e e February 8, 1985 MEMORANDUM TO: FROM: Mayor and City Council Public Works and Planning Departments SUBJECT: DESIGN REVIEW COMMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION ON THE ALIGNMENT FOR THE 6TH/7TH WIDENING AND RECONSTRUCTION PROJECT, WASHINGTON TO GARFIELD At its meeting of Thursday, February 7th, the Design Reveiw Committee took final action on a recommended alignment for the 6th/7th Widening and Reconstruction Project between Washington and Garfield Streets. The Committee recommended council adoption of an alignment for this section which retains 16 of the 25 "historic" trees in this portion of the corridor. In arriving at their recommendation, the committee considered the following factors: 1. Health, size, appearance and species of the trees; 2. Visual relationship of tree groupings to one-another; 3. Impacts on traffic flow and safety of shifting the alignment off. centerline (weaving the roadway) to save trees; 4. Impacts on adjacent businesses and residences, and cost of right- of-way acquisition resulting from weaving the roadway; In reaching this recommendation, the Committee recognized that there will be requirements for some additional right-of-way where the roadway is weaving to save significant trees. In most locations where additional right-of-way is required, the impacts on private property will be minor. However, in several locations, impacts will be more significant. Staff will provide information on the right-of-way impacts as part of Monday night's presentation. As part of its recommendation, the Committee urges the City and State to work with adjacent property owners and businesses to fully mitigate those impacts. Because issues have been raised about the congestion at the 1-105 ramps, the Committee reviewed alternatives for improving traffic flow and capacity in that area. The State has agreed that improvements at the on-ramp at 7th and Washington are needed and will be implemented during the coming year. Staff will provide additional information on the nature of those improvements if requested by the Council. Recognizing that the Committee's work to date has dealt with the basic alignment of the roadway and the impact on trees and adjacent property, the Committee further recommends that it continue its work with staff through the final design phase of the project. Following the March election, that work would include determining areas where curb-side walks may be needed to mitigate property impacts, reviewing detailed designs for landscaping, street lighting and signing, and other elements of the project. In summary, the Design Review Committee recommends: 1. Council adoption of the proposed alignment; 2. City committment to work with adjacent property owners and provide funding to mitigate impacts of additional right-of-way acquisition; and 3. Direction to the Design Review Committee to continue the necessary design work following the election. plpd67cc 2 I~ e e e . -",-, .- e e e M E M 0 RAN DUM February 11, 1985 TO: Eugerie City Council FROM: Eugene Development Department SUBJECT: Proposed Revisions to Business License Regulations Background In Spring 1984, the City Council adopted guidelines for reV1Slons to business license regulations. The guidelines spoke to the need to reduce, eliminate, or combine licensing activities; rename the program and to define and standardize appropriate levels of review. A comprehensive review of the regulations began this summer. Council work sessions and hearings will be schedul ed in 1 ate Wi nter and early Spri ng. Thi s report provi des the fi rst briefing on the progress of the review. Currently, the City regulates selected business activities under Chapte r 3 of the Eugene Code. Over the years, various types of businesses have been added to those regulated. Activities are regulated for the purpose of protecting the public health and safety, consumer protection, or prevention of criminal activity. About 70 types .of businesses are regulated. Half of those regulated are reviewed for fire safety reasons. Examples of activities regulated for fire safety include: --Wrecking Yards --Tire Recapping Facilities --Businesses Storing Flammable Liquids Other regulated businesses include: --Weapons Dealers --Merchant Police --Charitable and Commercial Solicitors --Electrical Sales --Taxicab and Limousine Operators --Photographers --Arcades ~, The City licenses or renews licenses for about 2,300 businesses annually, for a total revenue of about $88,000 each year. Forty-six percent of licensing activity is for electrical sales (19 percent) and fire safety permits (27 percent). e Proposed Direction A review of licensing practices in other cities showed that cities license businesses for one of two reasons: 1) to generate revenue, or 2) to regulate the activities of a particular type of business. In Eugene, the history of business licensing is for the purpose of regulating certain types of activity and not to generate revenue. As we began the review and streamlining process, emphasis was placed on whether the activities being licensed were being regulated for reason of public health and safety, consumer protection, or vice. Using these criteria, we are proposing deletion of certain businesses from licensing requirements. Where deletions are recommended, it is because another government process, such as semi-annual fire inspection, provides the necessary review of that business activity. In cases where there is concern about a business activity, we are recommending use of uniform business practice laws. The City' s towing ordinance is an example of such a law. This type of law regulates how a towing business conducts itself, but does not require a business license to tow vehicles. These laws are a more effective means of regulation and eliminate the need to license hundreds of businesses annually. About 51 percent of the business licenses could be handled through uniform business practice laws. In summary, we recommend the following"changes: e 1. Delete about 37 percent of the .presently-licensed business activities because adequate review of the activity is provided through other City processes. 2. Separate fire safety permits (27 percent of present 1 icensing activity) from business license regulations and make them part of the Fire Prevention Program. 3. Regul ate 51 percent of currently regul ated busi ness act i vi ties through uniform business practice laws. 4. Retain licensing regulations for a limited number of activities that have substantial impa~t on the general public health and safety (about 12 percent of the present license activity.). Action Required This item is for your information and discussion. Action on new business licenses and business practices laws will be required in the Spring of 1985. SLS:edsls035 2/85 - -2-