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HomeMy WebLinkAbout10/17/1990 Meeting e M I NUT E S Eugene City Council McNutt Room--City Hall October 17, 1990 11 :30 a.m. COUNCILORS PRESENT: Emily Schue, Robert Bennett, Freeman Holmer, Ruth Bascom, Debra Ehrman, and Shawn Boles. COUNCILORS ABSENT: Roger Rutan and Bobby Green. The adjourned meeting of October 15, 1990, of the Eugene City Council was called to order by His Honor Mayor Jeff Miller. 1. ITEMS FROM THE MAYOR, CITY COUNCIL, AND CITY MANAGER A. Council Representative at Tree Ordinance Hearing Mr. Boles announced that the Lane County Commissioners had scheduled a hearing on the Tree Ordinance for November 14. He felt that it would be e appropriate for the council to have a representative at that meeting to represent the council's interest for maintaining, at a minimum, the protec- tion offered within the City's current Tree Ordinance. B. The International Physicists' Conference Ms. Bascom said that the University of Oregon faculty and staff publication has commended the City of Eugene for bringing the International Physicists' Conference to Eugene. C. Upcoming Community Activities Ms. Bascom announced that the Hult Center had recently sponsored a cultural diversity dance series which had an enthusiastic turnout. She said that 75 percent of the attendees had never been to the Hult Center before. Ms. Bascom also announced that good progress is being made on the Willamette Institute of Science and Technology's (WISTEC) fall program. D. Planting Strips for Street Trees Ms. Bascom commented that planting strips for street trees have been conspicuously absent in several newly developed lots near Eugene downtown. She voiced concern with this practice and requested a report from staff on e MINUTES--Eugene City Council October 17, 1990 Page 1 e the City's design standards and asked for suggestions about how the City might encourage developers to include planting strips. E. Greetings From Eugene's Sister Cities Ms. Schue said that she recently returned from a trip to Chinju, Korea, and Kakegawa, Japan. She presented Mayor Miller with a decorative Korean mask for his office and a gift from Japan. F. Traffic Safety Urgently Needed at the BargerjBeltline Intersection Mayor Miller offered his sympathy for the recent death of a Eugene student at the intersection of Barger and Beltline. He said that he would be sending a letter on behalf of the City urging the State to rectify immediately the traffic safety problem which exists at this intersection. Responding to a question from Mr. Holmer, Mayor Miller said there there is not presently a traffic monitor at this intersection. G. Meeting at the Washington Park Recreation Center Ms. Ehrman announced that there will be a meeting this evening at the Washington Park Recreation Center regarding its possible use as a day use facility for the homeless population. She invited councilors to attend and hear neighborhood residents' comments and concerns. e H. Concerns for Fire Protection Outside the City Ms. Ehrman asked for council interest in writing a letter to the Lane Regional Air Pollution Authority (LRAPA) and the rural fire district indicating the council's concerns with respect to slash burning in the urban transition area. Responding to a question from from Ms. Schue, Mr. Gleason said that it might be possible for the City to have control over burning in the urban transition area and agreed to examine this possibility. He commented that staff believes that a complete prohibition on slash burning would be an impractical solution to reforestation. Under the confines of the current ordinance, controlled burning is allowed. The council offered its support for Ms. Ehrman's suggestion. II. WORK SESSION: SPECIAL EVENTS STRATEGIC PLAN Mr. Holmer briefed the council on the contents of the draft Special Events Strategic Plan. He noted that this plan was prepared by the Council Committee on Economic Diversification (CCED) and adopted on June 13, 1990, with a recommendation that the full council be briefed on the plan and brought into the process as soon as possible so that the plan could be adopted and resources for its implementation identified. Mr. Holmer noted e MINUTES--Eugene City Council October 17, 1990 Page 2 e that CCED considered a good deal of public input in the process of developing the plan, which has been presented to and discussed by the Cultural Affairs Commission, the Joint Parks Commission, and the Eugene-Springfield Convention and Visitors Bureau. Mr. Holmer said that CCED's objective in developing this plan was to focus City efforts in an attempt to help the local economy through a promotion of special events. Mr. Holmer provided an overview of the five special events strategies: Strategy 1 Finish the development of Cuthbert Amphitheater; Strategy 2 Develop and implement a special-events marketing program which supports nationally or regionally focused events which are already in operation; Strategy 3 Develop a cultural and Special Events Tourism Committee; Strategy 4 Develop a thematic marketing strategy for Eugene; and Strategy 5 Design and launch special events with earned income and sponsorship potential. Mr. Holmer spoke about the possible funding sources anticipated for the strategies. He emphasized that the General Fund is an appropriate source of revenue and noted that most of the Room Tax revenues have been depleted. Mr. Holmer urged the council to direct the manager to identify within the FY92 budget the necessary resources for plan implementation. e Ms. Bascom remarked that CCED members made a deliberate effort in creating this plan to choose those special events strategies which would likely have the greatest opportunity for success. She offered her strong support of this plan. Mr. Bennett concurred. Ms. Ehrman observed that CCED's vision for what the Cuthbert Amphitheater should be has expanded enormously. Neill Roan, PARCS Department, emphasized that the need to develop the amphitheater site correctly is crucial to its future financial success. In order to ensure proper site development, CCED has agreed on the need for a theater consultant to determine such things as how the stage will be sited on the land, and the appropriate types of events for the amphitheater. It is CCED's hope that in the future the amphitheater will serve a broader range of functions such as rock concerts and will attract many visitors from outside the Eugene/Springfield area. Mr. Boles requested a summary of the both the overall and individual costs of each strategy. Referring to phase 2 financing for development of the Cuthbert Amphitheater, Mr. Boles suggested that other revenue sources in addition to a General Obligation (GO) Bond be considered for financing. Mayor Miller noted that outdoor facilities often require more maintenance than indoor facilities. He suggested that the City find some means of recouping these additional capital costs, possibly through increased user e MINUTES--Eugene City Council October 17, 1990 Page 3 ---~ e fees. Mr. Roan said it is possible to develop management strategies in order to keep an outdoor facility in good repair. Noting that the City is being asked to provide funding for the Special Events Strategy plan, Mr. Boles asked what direct financial benefit the City would be receiving. He noted that he supports using public money for cultural events and would favor using this as an economic development strategy, but voiced concern that the City does not have a direct means of recouping its costs. Ms. Bascom spoke about the economic benefits a Special Events Program would provide to the City in terms of marketing Eugene as a unique place to visit. She also noted that it will not be possible to initiate this program without some City support. Mr. Holmer said that the City does not have a specific revenue source to support this plan, but assured Mr. Boles that if this plan were implemented, the economic climate of the City would improve. He also said that in the future, some alternate means of funding for this program would need to be identified. He suggested an increase in user fees or an income tax. Mr. Boles said that it should be made clear on the front end that an alternate source of funding for this program will need to be identified. If this is not made clear up front, he warned, cultural groups will continue to look to City resources for individual project funding. e Responding to a question from Ms. Schue, Bob Schutz, PARCS Department, said that the revenue which will be generated from this type of facility will depend on the types of performances which appear. He pointed out that these types of facilities are rarely self-supporting. Ms. Schue said that she shares Mr. Boles' concern with respect to future plan financing. Mayor Miller pointed out that the City has the option of hiring a theater consultant or operating a rental facility. He also suggested that the council consider what other types of facilities would be competing with this faCility in the future. Mr. Bennett requested an analysis of the anticipated future revenue streams for the amphitheater, assuming that it is in its first year of operation. Ms. Ehrman asked whether the City is obligated to use the money it has earmarked for the amphitheater in the way that has been suggested in this document. Mr. Gleason responded affirmatively. Ms. Ehrman said that she is hesitant to approve this plan through the construction phase; she suggested that the council approve the design instead. Mr. Holmer suggested that the council approve the plan and direct the City Manager, in response to concerns raised today, to incorporate the specific e MINUTES--Eugene City Council October 17, 1990 Page 4 e fiscal proposals for the draft Special Events Strategy plan in the FY92 budget. Mr. Boles expressed his concern with Mr. Holmer's suggestion. Ms. Bascom asked whether there might be economic development money which could be rechanneled for use in this project. Mr. Gleason responded that most economic development moneys are directly connected to the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program for capital construction projects and would not be a likely funding source. Mr. Bennett reiterated his strong support for this plan. Commenting on strategies 2 and 3, Ms. Ehrman noted that the County has a contract with the Eugene Springfield Convention & Visitors Bureau for a similar type of special and cultural events marketing program and asked why Eugene has not joined with the County in this effort. Mr. Holmer said that the focus of the County's plan has been primarily outside of Eugene. Ms. Ehrman asked whether the Cultural and Special Events Tourism Marketing Committee contemplated in Strategy 3 is intended to be temporary. Ms. Bascom responded that this committee would be needed for the duration of the program. Mr. Boles asked whether there might not be an existing citizen body which could incorporate the duties of the marketing committee into its present e duties; he suggested the Cultural Affairs Commission. In response, Ms. Bascom said that the representation needs of this committee would be broader than the Cultural Affairs Commission could serve. Mr. Miller said that it makes sense for the City to initiate support of Strategy 1, but not the other strategies. He asked the council to examine the possibility of turning the responsibility for implementation of the other strategies to another group in the community. Ms. Schue noted that because this program has never been done before it would be difficult to identify which type of group would be capable of this task. Mr. Roan said that the tourism marketing committee would not necessarily have to be staffed by City personnel. He also noted that because of the nature of the Convention & Visitors Bureau's duties and present workload, it would not be feasible to add this program to its work plan without supplying additional resources. Ms. Schue moved, seconded by Mr. Bennett, to adopt the Special Events Strategic Plan as forwarded by the Council Committee on Economic Development and to direct the City Manager to return with additional information on possible funding sources. Mr. Boles clarified that the intent of the motion was to approve the plan contingent on finding revenue sources to pay for it, including the possibili- ty of using new revenue sources. e October 17, 1990 Page 5 MINUTES--Eugene City Council -- e Hr. Bennett said that he hopes the council would also consider possible funding sources from within the existing budget. Hs. Ehrman said that she would not be willing to approve plan adoption until the council receives the additional financial information requested. The motion carried 4:2, with councilors Holmer, Schue, Bascom, and Bennett voting in favor; and councilors Boles and Ehrman voting against. Mr. Bennett noted that conditional plan approval by the council lends support to the plan. II. ORDINANCE DECLARING AN EFFECTIVE DATE FOR ORDINANCE 19179 CONCERNING AN ADMINISTRATIVE CIVIL PENALTY AND THE ADMINISTRATIVE CODE City Hanager Hike Gleason introduced the topic. He explained that the council voted unanimously on October 8, 1990, to approve Ordinance 19179. However, because there were only five councilors present, the ordinance would not become effective for 30 days. This ordinance contains an emergency clause and will provide an immediately effective date for the ordinance. CB 4252--An ordinance declaring an effective date for Ordinance 19719, and declaring an emergency. e Ms. Schue moved, seconded by Hr. Bennett, that the bill, with unanimous consent of the council, be read the second time by council bill number only, and that enactment be considered at this time. Roll call vote; the motion carried unanimously, 6:0. Council Bill 4252 was read the second time by number only. Ms. Schue moved, seconded by Mr. Bennett, that the bill be approved and given final passage. Roll call vote; all councilors present voting aye, the bill was declared passed (and became Ordinance 19722). IV. BRIEFING ON PROPOSED ORDINANCE TO RESTRICT USE OF SOLID-FUEL, SPACE-HEATING DEVICES DURING AIR POLLUTION EPISODES Don Arkell, Lane Regional Air Pollution Authority (LRAPA), reported on this topic. He indicated that on July 1, 1987, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) adopted revisions to the National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Particulate Hatter (PHI0). Since those regulations went into effect, the air quality in the Eugene-Springfield urban growth area has violated Federal 24-hour health standards, particularly during cold, stagnant weather conditions in the winter months. The Federal Clean Air Act requires areas e MINUTES--Eugene City Council October 17, 1990 Page 6 e which exceed the health standards to develop and implement enforceable control measures to ensure that no violations occur. Mr. Arkell explained that the principal source of small particles causing the violations in this area is smoke from wood stoves and fireplaces. In order to correct this violation, LRAPA has adopted a plan that would restrict use of these devices during periods of poor air quality and stagnant air. However, since Oregon State Statutes specifically exempt home heating devices from regulation by LRAPA or the DEQ, this will require the adoption of local ordinances. Mr. Arkell noted that the EPA has approved the balance of the plan, contin- gent on the adoption of enforceable regulations. LRAPA is recommending that households which have only a wood stove as a permanent source of heat and households which demonstrate economic need should be exempted from the ordinance. In addition, the County has asked to see draft language providing for exemptions for DEQ- or EPA-certified stoves as long as the stoves produce no visible emissions. Mr. Arkell said that LRAPA has agreed to this. Ms. Schue commented that the bulk of this proposal was created by a citizen advisory board working with staff and, because the standards have citizen support, they will likely be accepted within the community. She also noted that because the no-vi sible-emissions standard is easily enforceable, the ordinance will not place much of an added burden on staff. Ms. Ehrman pointed out that this proposal represents a compromise in that e much of the public testimony presented during LRAPA's hearing advocated for even more stringent regulatory standards. Responding to a question from Ms. Bascom, Mr. Arkell said that the no-visible- emissions standard would prevent a person from misusing a certified wood stove. Mr. Boles said that he supports this plan, but believes it should contain even more stringent air-quality standards. He said that the community needs to begin to take actions to correct the air-quality problem, rather than being satisfied with standards that simply allow it to get worse at a slower rate. Mr. Boles also voiced concern that particulate matter accounts for only two thirds of the pollution problem and asked about the contribution of auto emissions to the overall pollution problem. Mr. Arkell responded that auto emissions do not contribute substantially to the particulate matter problem; they do, however, contribute highly to carbon monoxide levels in the air. Mr. Holmer noted that the supply of wood fuel is decreasing and asked what impact this might have on the wood stove pollution problem. Noting that the cost of other home heating fuels is also increasing, Mr. Arkell said that it is difficult to predict what impact the decreased wood supply will have. e MINUTES--Eugene City Council October 17, 1990 Page 7 e Mayor Miller thanked Mr. Arkell for the briefing and stated that the council's public hearing on this matter would be on November 5, 1990. Mayor Miller adjourned the meeting of the Eugene City Council and convened the meeting of the Urban Renewal Agency. V. WORK SESSION: USE OF URBAN RENEWAL CASH RESERVES Bob Hibschman, Planning and Development Department, reported on this issue. At the council's September 10 meeting, staff presented a review of the downtown projects that could use the limited financial resources of the renewal district. He noted that there is currently about $5 million in unallocated cash reserves that could be used for projects authorized by the Urban Renewal Plan. Mr. Hibschman indicated that staff was directed to return to the council with a proposed recommendation on how the reserve money could be allocated to the projects. He explained that there are at least three primary gUidelines for resource allocation, including: conformance to and furtherance of adopted policy, the availability of other funding resources, and the extent of public funds to leverage private investment. Staff recommended that $1 million be set aside for the library project while the remaining amount of $4 million be used for other projects. Mr. Hibschman briefly summarized the proposed projects. He warned that if e Ballot Measure 5 passes, the impact could reduce the amount of Urban Renewal Cash Reserves available to the projects to $3 million. He emphasized that all of the projects being considered for the remaining reserves address the goals and objectives of the voter-approved Urban Renewal Plan update. Noting that the Lane Transit District (LTD) transfer station is currently located within the downtown urban renewal boundary, Ms. Ehrman asked whether some of the cash reserves could be used to help with the transfer station relocation. Mr. Hibschman said that he did not think that this would be legal, but that he would check with the City Attorney's Office. Mr. Boles said that a portion of the Retail Task Force's design recommenda- tions for the downtown mall consider the possible uses of the Equitable building which is owned by the Resolution Trust Corporation. Because this property is currently vacant, he suggested that the City attempt to acquire it for future use in the central plaza redesign. Ms. Bascom asked about the potential cost of property acquisition. Mr. Gleason said that it is difficult to predict how much this would cost; depending on the nature of the asbestos problem, he estimated a cost of $.5 million. Mr. Boles moved, seconded by Ms. Schue, to direct the City Manager to take the necessary actions to acquire the property e MINUTES--Eugene City Council October 17, 1990 Page 8 e of the Resolution Trust Corporation. The motion carried unanimously, 6:0. Mayor Miller noted that while it was not necessary to take formal action on the allocation of cash reserves as indicated, there seemed to be consensus on the council to allocate $1 million for the library project. Ms. Ehrman stated that in her experience with Library presentations, it does not appear that library site selection will be controversial; much of the public comment has been in favor of the Sears building site. In light of this, she suggested that the council direct staff to proceed with a financing package for the March election. Ms. Bascom agreed with Ms. Ehrman that citizens seem to favor the Sears building site. However, she voiced concern with placing the two issues on the ballot concurrently, noting that if the measure were not successful, it would be difficult to determine why. Responding to a request from Mr. Boles, Carol Hildebrand, Assistant Eugene Public Librarian, said that approximately 75 percent of the survey respon- dents have advised the council to proceed with a library on the Sears site. Ms. Schue cautioned the council against using survey information to base its siting decision, pointing out that this is not a scientific survey and reflects the position of those persons most interested in the library. e Mr. Gleason indicated that staff could come up with a financing proposal for the March election, but noted that it would be difficult to propose a financing package with anything more unique than a revenue-backed General Obligation (GO) Bond. Mayor Miller suggested that the council put the two questions of site selection and financing as separate measures on the ballot. Ms. Bascom supported this suggestion. Voicing his opposition to placing a financing proposal on the March election ballot, Mr. Boles said that he does not want the council to lose the opportunity to identify creative means of constructing cultural and leisure facilities. Mr. Gleason advised the council not to make a decision on this issue today. He recommended that the council direct staff to bring back the additional information that has been requested. The council agreed. Lew Bowers, Planning and Development Department, provided information on the Tiffany Building project. He said that the Tiffany Building revitalization project is almost ready and will be presented to the council soon as a supplemental budget request. Mr. Bowers explained that the City is being asked to approve a $300,000 commercial revitalization loan for renovation of the Tiffany Building. The loan has been approved by the Loan Advisory Committee, subject to the availability of loan money. The project proposal e MINUTES--Eugene City Council October 17, 1990 Page 9 --- e is for 18 market-rate apartments, with the ground floor being reserved for commercial or restaurant uses. The developer has agreed to proceed with project financing, based on the City's commitment. The council offered general consensus to proceed with this project. Mr. Gleason recommended rescheduling the discussion of the possible sale of the Overpark for the October 31 meeting. Mayor Miller adjourned the meeting of the Urban Renewal Authority and reconvened the meeting of the Eugene City Council. VI. GUIDELINES FOR CITIZEN INVOLVEMENT IN SITE DEVELOPMENT PARTNERSHIPS Mr. Gleason reported that based on council input during its June 25, 1990, work session, the Citizen Involvement Committee has revised it recommenda- tions concerning public-private partnerships in site development. The proposed guidelines now more clearly address concerns about protecting the proprietary interests of private development partners and ensuring that public participation in such development projects occurs effectively and in a timely manner. He said that staff recommends adoption of the guidelines. Ms. Schue moved, seconded by Mr. Bennett, to adopt the proposed guidelines for citizen involvement in public/private site development. Roll call vote; the motion carried unanimously, 6:0. e At 1:40 p.m., the Eugene City Council adjourned its meeting. Respectfully submitted, ~4'. , tf.~Jl:~..f/~,A '~~'i.~Ar~~1- ;1r;,'(~~1'1 Micheal Gleason City Manager (Recorded by Traci Northman) mncc 101790 e MINUTES--Eugene City Council October 17, 1990 Page 10