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HomeMy WebLinkAbout01/24/1990 Meeting - .. - M I NUT E S Eugene City Council McNutt Room--City Hall January 24, 1990 11 : 30 a. m. COUNCILORS PRESENT: Ruth Bascom, Rob Bennett, Emily Schue, Debra Ehrman, Bobby Green, Freeman Holmer, Shawn Boles. COUNCILORS ABSENT: Roger Rutan. The adjourned meeting of January 22, 1990, of the Eugene City Council was called to order by His Honor Mayor Jeff Miller. I. ITEMS FROM THE CITY COUNCIL, MAYOR, AND CITY MANAGER A. Grandparent-Grandchild Trips To Seattle Ms. Bascom expressed appreciation to Mr. Gleason for contacting Mike Boggs, Airport Manager, in an attempt to rectify noise problems emanating from early morning airplane flight patterns over Eugene. Because many of the weekend flights from Eugene to Seattle are not filled to capacity, she suggested that Mr. Gleason contact Mr. Boggs about putting together a special weekend grandparent-grandchild service package. Mr. Gleason agreed to contact Mr. Boggs about this. B. Citizens for the Fair Allocation of City Taxes (COFACT) Ms. Ehrman drew council attention to a letter from COFACT regarding previous discussion about a process whereby legal problems with the wording of citizen-generated petitions would be highlighted by the City Attorney's Office. Mr. Boles responded that this issue has been referred to the Citizen Involvement Committee and it is reviewing the issue as a part of its review of the initiative/referendum processes. C. Joint Fund Ms. Ehrman alerted council members about a possible request for change in the composition of the Joint Fund Budget Committee. Although the Intergovernmental Task Force looking at this issue had worked out a compromise, the County Commissioners requested that this agreement be renegotiated. Jim Johnson, Lane County Administrator, clarified that the County Commissioners recommended a 3:2:2 Joint Fund composition with Eugene haVing three votes. Discussion of this issue revolves around partnership and whether each entity should have equal representation regardless of size. MlNUTES--Eugene City Council January 24, 1990 Page 1 e D. League of Oregon Cities Ms. Schue offered her appreciation to staff for the airport tour conducted at the League of Oregon Cities meeting held in Eugene. She also discussed several proposals for funding for education and cautioned that many of these contain a property tax limitation which would impact local governments. II. WORK SESSION: DRAFT GLENWOOD REFlNEMENT PLAN Terry Jones, Planning and Development Department, reviewed changes that have been made to the Glenwood Refinement Plan through a compromise effort. This is a continuation of the work session on the draft Glenwood Refinement Plan which was held on January 10 at which time council reviewed and gave direction to staff on nine of the 24 proposed revisions. While many of the remaining revisions are not controversial, there still are several major issues having to do ~ith the Franklin Boulevard/Willamette River corridor that need to be resolved. Ms. Jones said that since the January 10 work session, staff has met with Robert Moulton, representing Jay Oldham, and has come to agreement on all points. These points have been added to the revisions document that the council reviewed at that work session. e Upon completion of the review process, staff requests that the council initiate the Metro Plan amendment process and offer its tentative approval to the amendment plan. A. Revi sion J Ms. Jones asked for any comments on Revision J. Mr. Holmer suggested that the phrase "or amount" be removed for the following sentence: "under goal definitions, any expansion of an open storage area which increases or expands the area or amount of an existing use is an intensification." The other councilors agreed. B. Rev; sion K Ms. Jones explained what was proposed under the compromise Revision K which would create a more flexible greenway setback. Originally the setback was 35 feet from the top of the bank. Under the compromise it would be between 20 and 35 feet from the top of the bank. The council agreed to this version. C. Revision U Ms. Jones said that Revision U is a combination of recommendations between Mr. Moulton and staff. If Revision U is instituted, then requests for easements for the bike path could be considered when the use of that piece of property is being changed. Revision U also makes is possible for the City to purchase easements at any time. e MlNUTES--Eugene City Council January 24, 1990 Page 2 e e e Mr. Bennett expressed concern with the County Commissioners lack of support for the construction of a bike path in this area. Ms. Jones said that in light of the compromises that have been made, it is unclear whether the County will continue to oppose the concept of a bike path. If the commissioners are firm in their opposition to a bike path, the two jurisdictions may need to go through the MPC process. Ms. Schue also pointed out that both the City and the County must be in agreement before a bike path can be shown in the refinement plan. Mr. Bennett recommended that before a formal MPC process is undertaken, the council approach the commissioners informally to discuss this issue and represent the council's view. Ms. Ehrman said that while the council is by no means mandating bike path construction, it is important to have the bike path as an option. Mr. Holmer suggested that he and Ms. Schue represent the council at an informal meeting with staff and the commissioners to address those places in the plan where there is a distinction between the board and council position. O. Revisions Land M Councilors had no comments on Revisions Land M. E. Revision N Ms. Jones said that Revision N revolves around the issue of replacement rights for existing buildings within the Glenwood Greenway setback. The language in the compromise revision states that as long as the use has not changed in the building that was destroyed, it could be rebuilt on the exact location if the owner goes through the greenway permit process. Mr. Bennett commented that wording should be included in this paragraph suggesting that if a structure were destroyed, and if there were another way to rebuild which was consistent with the plan, this would be encouraged. Mr. Miller expressed concern with the possible differing interpretation that could arise in using the word "encouraged." Bill Gary, City Attorney, commented that the legal right of the property owner to reconstruct on the exact location is not mandated by the Greenway Act and is not required by State law. F. Revisions 0, P, and Q Councilors agreed to these revisions. G. Revisions R, S, and T Ms. Jones indicated that Revision R, Revision S, and Revision T are concerned with the construction of sidewalks along Franklin Boulevard; staff and Mr. Moulton have agreed upon more general wording for both of these implementation strategies. Ms. Jones said that it is important to make it MINUTES--Eugene City Council January 24, 1990 Page 3 e e e clear in the refinement plan that sidewalks along Franklin are a priority in general. In their review of the issue, the County Commissioners had difficulty with the word I/sidewalkl/. A more general term such as I/pedestrian f acil i tyl/ may be more acceptable to them. Mr. Holmer said that he is not comfortable with the compromised language. He felt that sidewalks should not be mandated in the plan because there is not a great deal of pedestrian traffic on Franklin Boulevard. H. Revisions V and W Councilors agreed to these revisions. 1. Revision X Revision X is concerned with making the Willamette River design recommen- dation more acceptable. Ms. Jones said that the concept of the recommendation which encourages property owners to use their river frontage in a more sensitive fashion was retained with this revision but it is also made clear that these changes are not mandatory. Mr. Boles emphasized the importance of having a strong council position with respect to long-term development in this area. He felt that the compromise language weakens the original thrust of this proposal, and without such strength the type of use recognized currently in this area will continue in the future. Ms. Bascom pointed out that the degree of citizen concern over the issue of riverbank usage was not evident in the initial public hearing, and suggested that the County Commissioners be apprised of the steady evolution of citizen involvement that has developed over time with respect to this issue. Ms. Schue moved, seconded by Mr. Bennett, to initiate the Metro Plan amendment process for changes to the Plan Diagram in the Glenwood area and to tentatively accept the Glenwood Refinement Plan. Mr. Boles reiterated his concern that the wording of this proposal is not strong enough to ensure that development in those areas around the Willamette River will proceed as is currently intended. Ms. Ehrman stressed the importance of making compromises so that this plan can move forward; if things change in the future this plan can change. Roll call vote; the motion carried unanimously, 7:0. MlNUTES--Eugene City Council January 24, 1990 Page 4 ~ III. WORK SESSION: COUNTY CORRECTIONS AND HUMAN SERVICES LEVY Jim Johnson, Lane County Administrator, provided information on the proposed three-year serial levy which will be brought before the voters on March 27. In November 1986 and March of 1987, the citizens of Lane County approved serial levies to support expanded police services and corrections and mental health programs. This levy proposal largely represents a continuation of an existing program. The principal program enhancements proposed include expanded sobering and detoxification services and drug and alcohol treatment for juveniles. Mr. Johnson said that the Corrections Levy Policy group, which formed out of discussions surrounding this proposed levy continuation, has established three principal goals in forwarding this levy proposal to the voters: namely, that taxes not be increased, that existing program services not be diminished, and that previously unmet needs for residential drug and alcohol treatment services for juveniles be addressed. Larry Salmony, Lane County Coordinator of Justice Services, apprised the council of specific components contained within this proposed levy. He pointed out that the proposed total for this levy will be approximately $11 million, the same total as last year. e Responding to a question from Ms. Ehrman, Mr. Salmony said that the juvenile program will be operated through the Youth Services Department. Ms. Ehrman pointed out that many patients cannot afford to pay for urinalysis testing, and asked whether this would be one possible component of the Aftercare program. Mr. Salmony responded that urinalysis testing is built into this budget. Ms. Bascom asked how it will be possible to run this program without raising taxes. Mr. Salmony said that this is possible, in part, due to a projected $3 million carryover from unspent moneys. Mr. Boles asked whether the opportunity to provide transition services for persons in the work-release center will be built into the budget. Mr. Salmony said that this type of service would come from Community Corrections Acts dollars. This program, which supports the movement of the population back into the work force, comprises approximately $3 million of the budget per year. Mr. Bennett asked about the type of evaluation that is conducted at the Buckley House to measure the success of the program. Mr. Salmony responded that the County Health and Human Services Division has contract managers who oversee and evaluate the contracts against standards set by both cities and and other private, non-profit organizations. Mr. Gleason added that the success of these programs is particularly evident if offenders are placed in long-term treatment. e MINUTES--Eugene City Council January 24, 1990 Page 5 e e e Responding to a question from Mr. Boles, Mr. Salmony said that although there is no evaluative component in place at this time which will track the movement of citizens from a holding center into a long-term treatment program, this type of information will be available one to two years in the future. Mr. Holmer expressed disappointment that this is being presented as a serial levy rather than a tax levy increase. Responding to a question from Mr. Green, Mr. Salmony said that the cost for the adult alcohol and drug treatment beds includes staffing, maintenance, and operation costs. Mr. Boles commented that the psychiatric treatment beds are substantially more expensive than the alcohol and drug treatment beds, and said that council must consider whether this expense is warranted in light of the limited treatment success with these patients. Mr. Salmony pointed out that the vast majority of funds for psychiatric treatment comes from the State, a relatively small contribution of the total serial levy. The State has assessed this to be cost-effective because of the limited amount of time spent in treatment by these patients. Mr. Boles indicated that there are other treatment alternatives that should be considered that may be superior and less expensive. lV. WORK SESSION: AAA BASEBALL OPPORTUNITIES Bob Beban, General Manager of the Eugene Emerald Baseball Club, made a presentation about Eugene's opportunities for a minor league baseball team at the AAA level and how that relates to Civic Stadium. Over the past several months, City staff, 4J staff, and the Emeralds have met to discuss the future of Civic Stadium and its activities. School District 4J1s decision to reintroduce high school football at Civic Stadium and the apparent opportunity to attract a AAA baseball franchise to Eugene in the near future prompted the discussions. Improvements and renovation of Civic is required if either of these developments are to occur. 4J is proceeding with plans to make certain improvements that address the needs of high school football. Mr. Beban said that the Eugene Emeralds currently compete with teams from eight cities in the Northwest Class A league. Eugene is the training ground for potential major league baseball players; the Emerald players are owned by the Kansas City Royals. Mr. Beban indicated that having the the Emeralds in Eugene results in an additional $590,000 per year in our community through purchase of services and jobs provided. Mr. Beban said that the major leagues are tentatively planning to expand and Eugene has been mentioned as a possible contender for having a AAA team. In order for Eugene to compete within AAA, an expanded stadium would be a necessity. Particular upgrades that would be needed include increased parking, General Admission seating upgrades, and Reserve seating expansion. To make the expansion financially feasible, off-season activities within Civic Stadium would also need to be promoted. Other possibilities for use MINUTES--Eugene City Council January 24, 1990 Page 6 e include high school football games, soccer games, and other recreational activities. Mr. Green asked whether a city like Eugene was large enough to attract major league athletes and whether having athletes of this caliber would force a substantial increase in ticket prices. Mr. Beban said that because these players are owned and paid for by the teams they represent, bringing in better ball players would not cost Eugene any more money. He also emphasized that having better ball players would not reflect in an increased ticket price. Responding to a question from Ms. Schue, Mr. Beban said that while the Emeralds do not pay a large amount of rent to District 4J, they are completely responsible for stadium upkeep. The ball club is looking for a stadium with a 6,500-10,000 seat capacity. Mr. Boles emphasized that importance of integrating these types of facility changes into a larger plan composing other sporting and recreational venues. He added that Eugene should not be put in a place where it is getting into bidding wars with other communities and spending public dollars for franchise bids. e Ms. Ehrman reminded council members of the conflicting-use problems that have already been expressed in accordance with this site and questioned whether facility expansion on the current site is feasible or whether discussion is really focused on building a stadium elsewhere in the community. Mr. Beban said that there is enough room at the present site for the type of facility expansion in question. Mr. Gleason added that there is space there that is as yet unorganized, but committed to public use. Ms. Bascom indicated that discussions of the Council Committee for Economic Diversification (CCED) have indicated that because of its population base, Eugene would have trouble attracting requisite national advertising. Mr. Beban indicated that local businesses would most likely be willing to put forth additional advertising money because of the added benefit they would receive. The meeting adjourned at 1:45 p.m. Respectfull~ subm}ttjd, --~ ~-~4f4 ~~~:~^{;.-- City Manager (Recorded by Traci Northman) mncc 012490 e MINUTES--Eugene City Council January 24, 1990 Page 7