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HomeMy WebLinkAbout07/10/1985 Meeting ~ .' M I NUT E S e Eugene City Council 0lNei11 Room, Eugene Conference Center July 10, 1985 Noon COUNCILORS PRESENT: Cynthia Wooten, Richard Hansen, Emily Schue, Freeman Holmer, Ruth Bascom, Debra Ehrman, Roger Rutan, Jeff Mill er. The adjourned meeting of the City Council of the City of Eugene, Oregon, was called to order by His Honor Mayor Brian B. Obie. I. DISCUSSION OF EUGENE AGENDA A. Introductions and Opening Remarks Mayor Obie welcomed members of the City.s boards, committees, and commis- sions. He said it was the first time all members of City boards, committees, and commissions had been invited to meet with the City Council as a group. In addition, the neighborhood leaders and the Metropolitan Partnership Board of e Directors were present. Mayor Obie said the people in the room affect the lives of Eugeneans daily because of their membership in City organizations. Mayor Obie introduced the City councilors. Mayor Obie said the purpose of the meeting was to provide information and get feedback about the Eugene Agenda. He said those present would help to refine the Eugene Agenda and to formulate the proposal that will probably be pre- sented to the community in November. The City councilors will attend about 40 other meetings during the next month to learn the desires and wisdom of the community. A direct-mail brochure titled liThe Eugene Agenda" and a Eugene Agenda Feedback form had been put at each place. Mayor Obie asked each person to fill out the feedback form and leave it at the table. Reviewing the format that would be followed, Mayor Obie said a City Councilor or City staff member at each table had been designated to lead a discussion of the projects in the Eugene Agenda and methods of financing them. He asked the people at each table to prioritize the projects and recommend a way of financ- ing them by consensus. He noted that individual opinions would be reflected on the feedback forms. A staff member was present at each table to record the decisions. Mayor Obie introduced Barbara Bell amy and Rosemary Pryor who had arranged the lunch and meeting. . MINUTES--Eugene City Council July 10, 1985 Page 1 .' B. Sl i de Show: The Eugene Agenda e A slide show describing the Eugene Agenda was shown. The show will be pre- !...' sented at other meetings during the public information program about the agenda. c. Discussion of Eugene Agenda Projects and Local Income Tax Proposal Mayor Obie commented that the average adjusted gross income in the community is $18,000. A City income tax of three quarters of one percent would fund all the projects in the Eugene Agenda. He then indicated each table would have half an hour to reach consensus on the priorities using the feedback form. The people at each table discussed the projects in the Eugene Agenda and the local income tax proposal. D. Group Information Sharing The consensus of the people at each table was recorded on flip charts by the recording staff member. The results of the discussions were presented by Mayor Obie. Three projects received a top priority rating from a majority of the people at the tables. They were the airport expansion; the Riverfront Research Park; and general street, park and building improvements. The airport expansion received a top priority rating from 16 of the 18 tables reporting. The Riverfront Research Park received a top priority rating from 10 of the tables and a second prior- e ity rating from six tables. Street, park, and building improvements received a top priority rating from nine of the tables and a second priority rating j from eight tables. Mayor Obie said four projects received a second priority rating from a major- ity of the tables. They were the downtown revitalization, the transportation system to key industrial areas, the library expansion, and entrance beautifi- cation. Downtown revitalization received a second priority rating from 13 of the tables and a first priority rating from four tables. The transportation system to key industrial areas received a second priority rating from 11 tables and a first priority rating from six tables. Library expansion received a second priority rating from 10 tables and a first priority rating from six tables. Entrance beautification received a second priority rating from eight tables and a high priority rating from six tables. A central area swimming pool received a low priority rating from ten tables and a second priority rating from five tables, Mayor Obie said. He added that the councilors will have a good indication of the community's desires after they have received comments in 40 meetings. The discussions about ways to finance the Eugene Agenda resulted in eight tables favoring the one half of one percent income tax, Mayor Obie said. Five tables favored the three quarters of one percent income tax. Three tables favored a one quarter of one percent income tax. Some tables suggested that tt MINUTES--Eugene City Council July 10, 1985 Page 2 . people with low incomes should be exempted from any income tax that is e approved. Many other ways of financing the agenda, or part of it, were sug- gested. These included a gas tax, a county-wide port district, a transaction tax, a personal property tax, a local sales tax, a serial levy, user fees, a county-wide income tax, a utility tax, a restaurant tax, a municipally owned cable TV, a TV license fee, and parking fees. Mayor Obie asked someone from each table to report the main points in the discussion. Councilor Ehrman said people at her table thought the income tax should be voted on again in ten years. They also wondered if attendance at the meeting was broad enough to reflect the community. Councilor Miller reported that heople at his table talked about the end of the income tax, but they realized t at operating funds will be needed for the new proj ec ts . They also discussed a low-income shelter. Councilor Bascom reported a discussion about an exemption for people with low incomes and a TV tax. Councilor Schue reported a consensus favoring a three quarters of one percent income tax with no exemptions. Cathy Freedman reported a discussion of a community fund-raising effort for the library expansion and swimming pool and a port district designation "for the airport. People at Councilor Holmer's table were concerned about the operating costs of the Eugene Agenda projects. Councilor Holmer told them the operating costs have been estimated. People at Councilor Wooten's table did not think a local e income tax will pass. They suggested the agenda projects should be presented separately on a ballot. They suggested an airport district be extended to other counties to finance the airport expansion. Some people wondered if a business and corporate income tax should be approved. People at Councilor Rutan's table thought the income tax should be dedicated to speci fi c projects and shoul d "sunset. II Mike Gleason said those at his table thought the projects are a good community investment and should be init- i a ted . They suggested an initial one half of one percent income tax which could be dropped to one quarter of one percent in ten years. Chris Andersen reported a consensus that user fees and other revenues the projects will gen- erate should be used. Bob Shelby said people at his table indicated that more public comment on the agenda is needed and agreed that many of the projects will affect communities other than Eugene. The people at Susan Brody's tabled discussed the "sunsetting" of the income tax. James Meeks said people at his table wondered how the City will tell people who work in the city and live outside it that their income will be taxed. Pat Decker said people discussed the fact that several agenda projects serve other communities and wondered if an income tax will be approved by the citizens. Elaine Stewart reported comments about the importance of projects that will create jobs and private investment in the community and an exclusion from the income tax for people with low incomes. Marge Beck reported comments about the importance of University of Oregon involvement in the Riverfront Research '. MINUTES--Eugene City Council July 10, 1985 Page 3 . , Park. People at that table recommended that the airport, entrance - beautification, street system serving industrial areas, and maintenance of streets, parks, and buildings be presented to the voters as a package. Mayor Obie thanked all the people for their participation at the luncheon. He adjourned the meeting at 1:35 p.m. Respectfully submitted, ~~. Micheal Gleason City Manager (Recorded by Betty Lou Rarick) BLR:pv/1794C - e MINUTES--Eugene City Council July 10, 1985 Page 4