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HomeMy WebLinkAbout04/18/1990 Meeting e e e M I NUT E S Eugene City Council McNutt Room--City Hall April 18, 1990 11:30 a.m. eOUNCILORS PRESENT: Mayor u@ff M1ller, Ruth 8ascom, Rob B~nn~tt, Emily Schue, Bobby Green, Freeman Holmer, Debra Ehrman, Shawn Boles. COUNCILORS ABSENT: Roger Rutan. The adjourned meeting of April 11, 1990, of the Eugene City Council was called to order by His Honor Mayor Jeff Miller. I. WORK SESSION: DISCUSSION OF TREE ISSUES WITH TREE COMMISSION Ed Smith, PARCS Department, introduced Tree Commission members. Those present included Greg Alijian, Dennis Lueck, Mary Bentsen, Tony Lum, Bill Friedkin, Jenny Sirnio, and Fran Breen. Mr. Smith said that the Tree Commission, which was formerly the Tree and Beautification Commission, is composed of nine community members. The purpose of this work session is to familiarize the council with Tree Commission activities and provide an opportunity for council input into the Tree Commission's work plan for next year. Mr. Alijian noted that Commissioner Ron Schmaedick was unable to attend this meeting; Mr. Alijian would take responsibility for conveying Mr. Schmadick's comments and concerns. Mr. Alijian introduced David Guadagni, a volunteer Eugene citizen who was in charge of an Arbor Day tree planting project which took place at Patterson School. Mayor Miller presented David Guadagni with a plaque from the City in recognition of Mr. Guadagni's hark work and effort toward the City's beautification. Mr. Guadagni expressed his appreciation to councilors and commissioners for this plaque. He noted that he received a positive community response in this effort and pointed out that school children were also involved in this project through the adopt-a-tree program. Tree commission members gave brief presentations on topics which were identified in a Tree Commission workshop as important activities which will form the foundation of next year's work plan. Mr. Lueck gave a presentation on public education. He indicated that as a part of the commission's commitment to public education, he makes MINUTES--Eugene City Council April 18, 1990 Page 1 e presentations on environmental issues to children in the public schools. He emphasized the need for balanced information in our community on all environmental issues and pointed out that within any urban area, trees provide an array of aesthetic, ecological, and economic values. It is the hope of the Tree Commission that community interest in trees can be fostered through a public education program. Mr. Alijian gave a slide presentation on Eugene's urban forest. He noted that plant diversity and tree compatibility are critical aspects of any healthy urban forest. Mr. Alijian stressed the importance of proper pruning to the structural preservation of trees and spoke about the aesthetic benefits of street trees and planting strips. He pointed out the importance of having a comprehensive tree inventory which could provide the City with an accurate assessment of the composition and health of its urban forest. A management plan based on an analysis of the tree's inventory facilitates a proactive maintenance program, rather than a crisis-response approach. Mr. Alijian stressed that the concepts of urban growth and a well-managed urban forest are not mutually exclusive. Mary Bentsen spoke about the City's need for a comprehensive tree master plan. Such a plan would set forth clear City guidelines for tree management and would help further communication and cooperation between City departments on the maintenance and preservation of our existing tree resources. e Jenny Sirnio discussed the importance of historic and special trees to Eugene. The commission ranked historic preservation as very important in its work plan discussions because of the significant contribution historic trees can make to Eugene's heritage. Ms. 5irnio emphasized the importance of having a tree inventory within the City in order to preserve Eugene's historic trees. Mr. Lum gave a presentation on Eugene Water and Electric Board's (EWEB) involvement in the promotion of Eugene's urban forest. He said that EWEB has recently recognized the value that an urban forest can have in the City and is currently taking steps through employee education and increased communication to ensure the management of a healthy urban forest. Ms. Bentsen presented Councilor Bascom with a plaque in recognition of her dedication to the promotion of environmental issues within our community. Mr. Boles said that he supports the concept of a tree master plan, but noted that an extensive tree inventory would take some time. In light of existing controversy within the community surrounding tree preservation, he asked for suggestions from the commission on actions the council could take in advance of a master plan to assist in urban forest preservation and management. Mr. Alijian stressed the importance of communication between City departments on the issues of tree cutting to prevent unnecessary eradication of our existing tree resources. Responding to a question from Mr. Holmer regarding the estimated cost of constructing and maintaining a tree inventory, Mr. Alijian said that there e MINUTES--Eugene City Council April 18, 1990 Page 2 e are several different types of tree inventories, the cost of which is dependent on the level of inventory desired. The process of selecting the most suitable type of tree inventory is underway; the commission does not yet have a cost estimate. In response to a question from Mr. Miller about potential citizen concerns with mandating planting strips, Mr. Alijian said that a master plan would take into consideration unique qualities of a given site to help determine what types of vegetation are best suited for a given area. The commission plans to use the master plan simply as a guide to effective tree planting. Ms. Schue asked for staff suggestions on actions the council could take to promote the commission's effort. Mr. Smith estimated that a comprehensive master plan, with a tree inventory as a necessary piece of this, would cost between $50,000-$100,000. If the City was to offer financial assistance toward this effort, the money would have to be taken from the existing budget. In light of the demonstrated needs and costs of undertaking a comprehensive tree master plan, Mr. Boles suggested that the City pursue external monetary funding. He added that if the City plans to set and enforce tree development standards, it should first ensure that it is capable of enforcing these standards. Mr. Green expressed his support for the Tree Commission's effort and pointed to public education as the most vital aspect of a viable master plan. He also voiced concerns with the associated cost of undertaking a plan of this magnitude. e Ms. Bascom asked about the possibility of using urban transition moneys for assisting with the master plan. Mr. Gleason said that assistance with planting street trees is not proposed as part of the existing urban transition agreement. The City does not currently treat trees as infrastructure assets and does not have an existing tree inventory maintenance program. If street trees were to be considered as infrastructure assets in order to use road fund moneys for assistance with master planning efforts, the current gas tax allocation would need to be reconfigured. II. ITEMS FROM THE CITY COUNCIL, MAYOR, AND CITY MANAGER A. Voter Information Advertisements Mr. Holmer requested information from staff on the reasons why the recent Register-Guard ballot measure information advertisements were not all the same size. He voiced concern that such differences might be construed as a deviation from staff impartiality on these issues. He also requested information on the cost of each advertisement. Barbara Bellamy, City Manager's Office, indicated that size differences of these information publications was due to different deadline constraints. Information on advertisement cost will be forthcoming. e MINUTES--Eugene City Council April 18, 1990 Page 3 e B. Vendors on 13th Avenue Ms. Bascom said she has recently received complaints from merchants concerned with increasing numbers of vendors on 13th Avenue. Merchants are concerned that sidewalk vendors compete for business, but do not have to pay property taxes. She noted that similar concerns were raised several years ago, at which time the council drafted an ordinance to handle these concerns. Tim Sercombe, City Attorney's Office, indicated that as a result of a recent court decision, the ordinance created by the council governing sidewalk vending was declared to be in violation of a vendor's right to equal protection. This decision was based on the fact that the council minutes regarding this action contained an inadequate explanation of why persons should be denied permit applications. Mr. Sercombe said that City counsel believes that this ruling is wrong, and will be working with the City Manager to identify possible legal options. Because of this ruling, however, there is currently no ordinance in place regulating street vending. Mr. Gleason added that the City is currently working with merchants, vendors, and the University of Oregon to develop a practical solution to this problem. C. Park Block Curb Cuts e Mr. Boles indicated that the southwest corner of the recently renovated park blocks on 8th Avenue does not have curb cuts for wheelchair access. He noted that curb cuts are particularly important for access to Saturday Market and asked about the possibility of installing a temporary ramp at this site until curb cuts can be put in place. Mr. Smith assured Mr. Boles that this oversight will be corrected. D. Returned Peace Corp Volunteers Mr. Boles directed the council's attention to a fund-raising request recently received from the returned Peace Corps volunteers for aid in sponsoring a conference in Eugene. He noted that there are approximately 1,500-2,000 people already registered for this conference and said he would come before the council at its next Wednesday meeting to request a monetary donation from the council for this project. Mr. Bennett voiced concern that the council does not have specific policy guidelines governing monetary contributions and requested council discussion on this issue at some time in the near future. The council offered its support to undertake this type of discussion in the future. E. Global Cities Program Mr. Boles indicated that at a recent council meeting, the council offered its endorsement of the Global Cities project and declared its intention to sponsor an Earth Day-related activity in the community. He proposed that the council join the Global Cities Program. There is a one-time cost to join of $2,000 and annual dues of $100-$200. The City will receive valuable e MINUTES--Eugene City Council April 18, 1990 Page 4 e information, such as draft ordinances from other cities which the City might use to pattern its own legislation. Mr. Boles moved, seconded by Ms. Bascom, to authorize the City Manager to enter into a contract to have Eugene join the Global Cities Project. Mr. Holmer requested that the council receive more information about this organization before giving money to this program. Mr. Bennett agreed that the council should have clear recognition of the issues raised by this project before joining. Ms. Schue voiced concern that the materials received from this organization would not be locally usable. Mr. Boles emphasized the City benefit which could be had should the City join this organization. The motion failed, 1:5; with Councilor Boles voting in favor, and Councilors Bascom, Bennett, Green, Schue, and Holmer voting opposed. e F. Recreational Vehicle (RV) Parking Mr. Green said that he recently received information from the Building and Permit Services Division regarding an issue he raised several months ago about RV parking. At that time, several community members had expressed concern that the parking of these vehicles devalues property and he suggested that the council allow agenda time to discuss this issue. Ms. Bascom noted that discussions on issues such as this are often resolved within the neighborhood without City intervention and said she is most comfortable allowing affected neighbors to work out a solution to the problem. Mr. Bennett expressed a willingness to look at this issue, but suggested that this issue should not be limited to RV.s, but consider other large vehicles as well. The council offered its general support to allow agenda time for examination of the current ordinance design and to undertake discussion of possible new ordinance drafting. III. CONSENT CALENDAR A. Approval of Legislative Committee Meeting Minutes of April 10, 1990. Ms. Schue moved, seconded by Mr. Bennett, to approve the items on the City Council Consent Calendar. e MINUTES--Eugene City Council April 18, 1990 Page 5 e Mr. Holmer noted that the agenda item summary background information for this issue says that council approval of Legislative Committee minutes reflects full council endorsement of committee's actions. He voiced concerns with several of the issues presented in these minutes and requested that in the future when grants are listed in the minutes, information be presented about the continuing costs of grants and information about what will happen when the grant runs out. Roll call vote; the motion to approve the items on the City Council Consent Calendar passed unanimously, (6:0). Ms. Schue commented that Legislative Committee members felt it was inappropriate to make a recommendation to the council on whether the council should support or oppose the nuclear-free zone charter amendment. The council itself may want to take a position on this issue. Mr. Holmer moved, seconded by Mr. Bennett, that the City Council state its opposition to the Nuclear-Free Zone Charter Amendment. Mr. Boles indicated that it is inappropriate for the council to take a position on this issue; such a decision should be taken by councilors on an individual basis. Mr. Green agreed that the council should not take a position on this issue until the voters have made a decision. e Mr. Bennett said that the council1s position on through its support of the existing ordinance. composition of the council has changed since it favor of the existing ordinance. this issue is already evident Mr. Gleason said that the has last taken a position in Mr. Miller said that for the sake of the community, the council should make its position on this issue well known. Mr. Holmer moved, seconded by Ms. Schue that this motion be tabled until next meeting. The motion carried, (4:2); with Councilors Green, Holmer, Schue, and Bennett voting in favor, and Councilors Bascom and Boles voting against. IV. DRAFT SPECIAL EVENTS STRATEGY--UPDATE FROM CCED Councilor Holmer, acting as chair of CCED, updated the council on the committee1s progress with respect to the special events strategy. He noted that the council adopted the City's Economic Development Strategic Plan in May 1988. In the fall of 1989, CCED began working earnestly with members of the Visitors & Convention Bureau to develop special events strategies which would identify a long-range focus for special area activities and promote local events and special events strategies. e MINUTES--Eugene City Council April 18, 1990 Page 6 e e e Mr. Holmer said that CCED feels that special events are a marketing tool and that through cultivation of event marketing, CCED hopes to position and reinforce Eugene's cultural identity. In order to achieve its mission, CCED has identified a list of objectives which should be pursued by the City. These include: Raising Eugene's profile among western American cities; Providing opportunities for citizen access to and enjoyment of cultural, entertainment, and athletic events; Positioning Eugene as a regional cultural, entertainment, and athletic center; Reinforcing a multiple-strategies approach to economic development; and Supporting and enhancing the convention and tourism industry in Eugene. Mr. Holmer circulated a copy of the draft strategic plan which CCED has instituted to aid in meeting its goals. He emphasized the importance of coordinating Eugene1s special events and suggested that such coordination might be best achieved through a special event's tourism and marketing committee. CCED1s next step is to implement an action plan for strategic plan implementation which will be brought before the council in the future. The meeting adjourned at 1:30 p.m. Respectfully submitted, ~~,f~''-' Micheal Gleason City Manager (Recorded by Traci Northman) mncc 041890 MINUTES--Eugene City Council April 18, 1990 Page 7