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HomeMy WebLinkAbout02/26/1990 Meeting e M I NUT E S Eugene City Council Quarterly Process Session Oregon Electric Station--27 East 5th Avenue February 26, 1990 5:30 p.m. COUNCILORS PRESENT: Mayor Jeff Miller, Emily Schue, Rob Bennett, Ruth Bascom, Shawn Boles, Debra Ehrman, Bobby Green, Freeman Holmer, Roger Rutan. The adjourned meeting of February 21, 1990, of the Eugene City Council was called to order by His Honor Mayor Jeff Miller. I. QUARTERLY PROCESS SESSION Members of the council formulated an agenda for the quarterly process discussion. In order to make time for more important process issues, Mr. Miller suggested that instead of following the normal process session format of reviewing all committee assignments, councilors have the option of reviewing only those assignments which they feel need to be discussed at this session. The council agreed to proceed in this manner. e Ms. Bascom indicated the important function of the committee reports as a way of keeping informed on community issues, and asked how this might be accomplished without review of the committee reports. Mr. Miller suggested that councilors might use a memorandum to inform other councilors of committee activities. Mr. Boles recommended that committee reports be made on a regular but rotational basis at the Wednesday council sessions. A. Nuclear-Free Zone Mr. Holmer indicated that after substantial review of this issue, he has concluded that the council should offer its opposition to the Charter Amendment on the May ballot. If the Charter Amendment is defeated at the May election, the council should repeal the current nuclear-free zone ordinance and adopt a resolution declaring that because the council believes that a nuclear war would be impossible to win, such a war should never be fought. He said that the current ordinance carries a psychological barrier to many kinds of economic development and growth. If the council is unwilling to repeal the existing ordinance, the final decision should be referred to the voters. Mr. Rutan concurred with Mr. Holmer that the voters should have the final decision whether to repeal the current nuclear-free zone ordinance. Ms. Schue noted that the Legislative Committee has had substantive discussion about the council's relationship to the Charter Amendment and plans to bring a recommendation before the council in the near future on the process for handling this. She noted that she does not want to make any decisions on 4It this issue until after the May election. MINUTES--Eugene City Council February 26, 1990 Quarterly Process Session Page 1 e Mr. Boles pointed out that the concept of a nuclear-free zone is problematic because it wrests economic livelihood at the cost of social and economic responsibility. Regarding the recent controversy concerning Rohr Industries and the nuclear-free zone, Mr. Boles said that apparently Rohr Industries was not informed of the City's nuclear-free ordinance by the Metro Partnership. Ms. Bascom noted that it was rumored in the community that Rohr was a political ploy to spur the community into action regarding the nuclear-free zone. Mr. Boles indicated that it would be useful to know more about the discussions which took place between Rohr Industries and the Metro Partnership, and suggested that the council request a response from the Metro Partnership regarding this issue. He added that since the Metro Partnership is funded with public money, it would be appropriate to consider whether its efforts to recruit industry in the county have been congruent with the City's position on the nuclear-free zone issue. B. Visitors and Convention Bureau Ms. Ehrman informed the council that the Executive Committee met recently to discuss the Visitor and Convention Bureau's need for more space. It was the committee's decision that for the time being the bureau will remain in its current location and expand into the recently vacated copy shop next door. For the long-term, the committee is considering moving the bureau into the Fairground Convention Center. e C. Lane Regional Air Pollution Authority (LRAPA) Ms. Ehrman said that LRAPA is spending a great deal of time discussing field burning issues, and indicated that she will keep the council updated on this in the future. D. Joint Social Service Ms. Ehrman announced that the County Commissioners have voted to change the composition of the Joint Social Service Fund from a 3:2:1 voting structure to a 2:2:2, "equal partners II structure. She noted that Eugene was allowed three votes previously because its contribution to the fund was greater, and stated that as a third voting member, she will remove herself from the committee if the decision is upheld. Ms. Bascom expressed a concern that because the City contributes a greater share of money from its General Fund, it should have greater input. Mr. Gleason pointed out that the County contributes a great deal of money from places other than the Joint Social Service Fund which could be used to justify a 2:2:2 allocation. He said that it would be advantageous for the council to have a better understanding of the roles and contributions of each of the jurisdictions involved. The council expressed a preference for the 3:2:2 fund composition, and agreed that the MPC conflict resolution process should be used if necessary. e E. Eugene Arts Foundation (EAF) MINUTES--Eugene City Council February 26, 1990 Quarterly Process Session Page 2 e Mr. Holmer expressed concern with the recent proposal to eliminate City Council representation on the EAF. He pointed out that the Hult Center receives substantial assistance from the EAF through endowment funds, and urged the council not to sever this beneficial tie. Ms. Ehrman agreed that continued representation is essential to the understanding of fund allocation, and volunteered to serve as this representative. F. Committee Restructure Mr. Rutan indicated that in a recent memo to the council he expressed concern that councilors are required to spend too much of their time serving on various committees, and suggested that councilors might be able to use their time more effectively if the number of committee assignments were reduced. He added that because the council undertakes so many diverse activities, it does not spend enough time working toward achieving its most important goals, such as downtown development. Mr. Rutan recommended that each councilor be appointed to a single focused area of management for which he or she would serve as the council representative and make decisions based on understood council direction. Mr. Rutan noted that he recently had the opportunity to receive assistance with his council assignments from a University of Oregon student, and suggested that this type of program might be formalized and provided to all councilors to assist in this effort. e Mr. Holmer agreed with Mr. Rutan that careful review should be given to the entire committee structure, and said that the council should also give consideration to serving on committees which would best remain as citizen committees. He noted that both students and council could benefit from an internship program, and said that the City should take some responsibility for exposing interested students to the workings of City government. Ms. Bascom also offered her support to an internship program. She pointed out that while investing in a student intern might not save council members time, the important benefit it provides to the student should be taken into account. Mr. Green agreed that an internship program with the university could be an important asset to the council. Ms. Schue emphasized the importance of the committee assignments in exposing the council to a wide variety of information. Ms. Ehrman concurred with Ms. Schue on the important educational value of committee assignments, and said that it also allows councilors to communicate and interact with community members. She suggested that the committee restructure issue might be the sole topic of discussion at the next quarterly process session. Mr. Boles described the nature of assigning multiple councilors to committees as providing a necessary balance of influence on issues. Mr. Bennett agreed with Mr. Boles that multiple councilor participation allows for different perspectives on committees and provides an opportunity for councilors to lobby their individual viewpoints as well. e MINUTES--Eugene City Council Quarterly Process Session February 26, 1990 Page 3 e Mr. Gleason said that the current committee structure attempts to balance the positions between individual councilors and the council. He recommended that the Committee on Committees be given ongoing responsibility for reviewing and updating committee assignments as they relate to council productivity. He noted that staff support is less than it has been in the past, and may also need to be reexamined. The council offered general agreement that the committee structure is in need of review and that this should be on a work session agenda in the near future. G. Metro Wastewater Management Committee Mr. Gleason indicated that attempts have been made previously to restructure the Metro Wastewater Management Committee, and said that if the council chooses, council representation on this committee could be eliminated. The council agreed that the question of continued representation on this committee should be raised when discussion about the entire committee structure is undertaken. I. Council Compensation Ms. Schue said that in the past, many citizens have been excluded from serving on the City Council because their financial needs made it impossible for them to adjust work schedules to correspond with council demands; she said that for these individuals, financial compensation might make council involvement possible. e Mr. Bennett said that while councilors may deserve to be compensated for their time, the amount of money currently being proposed would not be sufficient to attract the quality of official being sought. Mr. Boles suggested that the issue of council compensation should be referred to the voters. Ms. Bascom agreed with Mr. Boles, and stated that she has heard little public support for the concept of council pay. Ms. Ehrman noted that a survey will be distributed around the community in May asking whether councilors should receive monetary compensation. The council discussed several suggestions for alternatives wording of this survey question, but did not reach agreement on the best way to phrase this question. (At 7:15, the council took a IS-minute recess.) J. State of the City Address Mr. Boles expressed concern that at the last State of the City Address, no formal opportunity was provided for individual councilors to share their perceptions of the state of the City. He noted that there are often multiple perspectives on the state of the City, and recommended that the council be allowed this opportunity in the future. Ms. Ehrman pointed out that at previous City addresses, councilors were given the opportunity to voice their opinions in a circulated publication. She ~ suggested that this publication be made available in the future. MINUTES--Eugene City Council Quarterly Process Session February 26, 1990 Page 4 e Mr. Bennett said that as past tradition dictates, the State of the City Address is an opportunity for the Mayor alone to speak, but agreed that the expression of council viewpoints through a publication would be favorable. Mr. Boles said that he would be willing to express his opinion on the state of the City in a written format; the opportunity to express this opinion is especially important if the Mayor is planning to address the City's visions for the future. Mr. Holmer expressed concern with the expense of civic events such as the State of the City Address and with the tendency of such events to exclude citizens from attending. He said that City Hall is a more appropriate place to hold this address. Ms. Schue also recommended that a less formal function be offered at no charge, so that people are not excluded from attending. Ms. Bascom said that public response to the last State of the City address was positive, and felt that the address should continue as it has been in the past. Mr. Miller pointed out that differences in the State of the City address from year to year reflect different needs. This ceremonial function provides the City with an opportunity to express its appreciation to board and commission members for their hard work and effort. The council discussed the concept of holding this address in other locations, such as the lobby of the Hult Center, but did not reach agreement on a single best location or time. e K. Mayor/Council Goals Ms. Schue expressed concern that staff time has been used in the past to research projects which, while they may have been of interest to individual councilors, were not deemed important by the entire council. She said that because funds in the budget are limited, staff time and work should be focused on achieving more prominent council goals. Ms. Bascom agreed that if the council is to use its time effectively, it needs to have a united agreement on issues which will be discussed. Mr. Rutan pointed out that because the Mayor is an elected official he should be able to assume a leadership position on the council in deciding what issues will be discussed. Mr. Holmer agreed that the Mayor is entitled to demonstrate leadership, but said that the City Manager should decide whether staff effort should be invested in something that will require council action. Mr. Green emphasized the importance of council cohesiveness in working toward achieving council goals. Processes undertaken in council work sessions should be directly applicable to primary council goals. e The council discussed what procedures have been used by councilors in the past to determine the degree of council interest on a particular issue, and decided that in the future, council members should make efforts to ensure council interest before directing staff to proceed with research. MINUTES--Eugene City Council Quarterly Process Session February 26, 1990 Page 5 e L. Conflict of Interest Ms. Ehrman expressed concern that in the past, councilors have expressed a conflict of interest and abstained from voting. She said that if a councilor claims that he or she has a conflict of interest, he or she should not have continued contact with staff. Doing so allows the councilor to shape the final outcome of staff work without participating in council discussion. Mr. Gleason said that conflict of interest is recognized legally in two ways: direct pecuniary interest and the appearance of conflict of interest. Direct pecuniary interest is determined by the City Attorney and requires that a councilor physically absent himself from the discussion. In this case, a councilor is denied contact with staff on this issue. The appearance of conflict of interest, on the other hand, is not as easily determined; it is council's responsibility to determine how this will be handled. Legally, staff is not denied staff contact. Mr. Holmer said that he felt this process was being overused. In distancing himself from the discussion, the council loses an important viewpoint. He agreed with Ms. Ehrman that once a councilor has declared conflict of interest, he or she should not participate in the discussion or consult with staff. Ms. Bascom also agreed. e Mr. Bennett said that a councilor should be able to determine whether he or she has a potential conflict of interest. He said that his practice in the past was to ask councilors whether they were comfortable with his participation in the discussion. Mr. Boles agreed that it is an individual councilor's decision to determine whether he or she has the appearance of a conflict of interest. The council discussed this issue at length, but did not reach consensus. M. Council Seniority and Officers Ms. Ehrman noted that past council discussion has revealed that the City Charter regarding council seniority and election of officers is unclear, and suggested the council consider this for future consistency in the election of officers. Mr. Miller pointed out that having a rotation of council officers is important because it ensures that various council committees receive a variety of philosophical positions. N. Library and Willamette Street Design Ms. Bascom reminded councilors that library site selection was one of the council's goals for this year. She noted that the Friends of the Library circulate a memo requesting that the council affirm this committee's first choice site at Charnel ton and Broadway. e Ms. Ehrman said that she felt the council needed to have another work session on this issue before making a final decision. Mr. Bennett agreed with Ms. Ehrman that before a decision is made, some preliminary council discussion MINUTES--Eugene City Council February 26, 1990 Quarterly Process Session Page 6 e e e should take place. He suggested that a committee composed of council members be temporarily formed to review the available information and make a recommendation to the council. Mr. Miller suggested that this issue be referred to the voters through a survey in the May election asking if the public is comfortable with locating the library on this site. Mr. Rutan emphasized the importance of setting site selection goals and moving ahead with this project, but the council needs to conduct further review of this site and put a process in place to accomplish this goal. He also expressed concern that the report from the Friends of the Library Committee did not represent a broad community perspective. Mr. Boles said he is willing to move ahead with this library on the proposed Broadway and Charnel ton site, and is interested in financing this project through a restaurant tax. The council directed staff to return with an update on the council's current level of information for each of the potential library sites. O. Leave of Absence Mr. Boles said that it was his understanding that the council agreed to Mr. Rutan's request for a 90-day assessment of his leave of absence request. He said that it has been difficult being without Mr. Rutan and hoped that this issue would soon be resolved. Mr. Rutan said that it was his belief that the council agreed to his six- month leave of absence. He provided the council with a report in January indicating his need to take the complete six months and noted that this period of time has worked well for him and plans to return May 1. The City Council adjourned its meeting at 9:00 p.m. Respectfully submitte9. ~~7:~ ~}'~ ~ ..- Mi e"a l-..Gl eaeo~ City Manager (Recorded by Traci Northman) mncc 022690 MINUTES--Eugene City Council February 26. 1990 Quarterly Process Session Page 7