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HomeMy WebLinkAbout04/10/1991 Meeting e M I NUT E S Eugene City Council McNutt Room--City Hall April 10, 1991 11:30 a.m. COUNCILORS PRESENT: Roger Rutan, Shawn Boles (noon), Ruth Bascom, Randy MacDonald, Kaye Robinette, Paul Nicholson, Debra Ehrman, Bobby Green (until 1 p.m.). The adjourned meeting of April 8, 1991, of the Eugene City Council was called to order by His Honor Mayor Jeff Miller. I. INTERGOVERNMENTAL HUMAN SERVICES FUNDING e Ms. Ehrman said that this is a request to increase the City's annual General Fund contribution to the Intergovernmental Human Services Fund by $120,000. If approved, the City's contribution for FY91 would be increased from $413,400 to $533,400. The additional moneys would cover the costs associated with the Interfaith Shelter Program. While the City is prohibited from ear- marking its contribution for specific programs, the Intergovernmental Human Services Committee which administers the funds has identified the Interfaith Shelter Program as a high priority project. Ms. Ehrman emphasized that in- creasing the City's contribution will be necessary if the City is to maintain its current level of programming and said that it would not be possible to postpone action on this request to the Eugene Decisions process. Lane County Commissioner Jack Roberts announced Lane County's plans for in- creasing its contribution to the Intergovernmental Human Services Fund. He said that the County is considering increasing its share of the fund by $200,000 and noted the significant interjurisdictional teamwork that is re- qUired for the success of the fund. Mr. Gleason stated that the City has been funding the Interfaith Shelter Program for the past four years as a supplemental budget request. If it is the council's intent to fund the shelter program on an on going basis, it would make sense to include it in the annual budgeting process. , Mr. MacDonald said that the County's contribution is a demonstration of its commitment to social service funding and to partnershipping efforts with the City. He noted that the proposed budget increase does not represent a sig- nificant increase in Intergovernmental Human Services Committee (IHSC) fund- ing; rather, it acknowledges current spending levels. e MINUTES--Eugene City Council April 10, 1991 Page 1 e e e Responding to a question from Mr. MacDonald regarding the status of Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds, Greg Rikhoff, Intergovernmental Rela- tions, said that the Community Development Committee (CDC) has discussed the possibility of increasing its existing fund appropriation from $154,050 to $220,000. Mr. Green noted that as evidenced by testimony during the last public hear- ing, the community has communicated the future need for alternative funding mechanisms for social service providers. He offered his support for the request because it provides additional financial security to those social service providers who rely on this fund. Mr. Rutan moved, seconded by Ms. Ehrman, to instruct the City Manager to include in the first Supplemental Budget an in- crease from Contingency Funds in the Intergovernmental Human Services budget, as discussed. In response to a question from Ms. Bascom, Eve Powers, Coordinator for the Night Shelter Program, indicated that based on need, the night shelter compo- nent of the program would be operated from October 15 to June 15. Responding to a question from Mr. Robinette, Mr. Gleason said that the Con- tingency Fund has $525,000 remaining. Mr. Robinette voiced concern with this request, noting that programs which are on going should not be funded with Contingency Funds. He also said that there are other health and safety issues in our community, such as fire and emergency services, which are a citywide concern and which also deserve imme- diate attention. He pointed out that it should be made clear to the public that funding for the Interfaith Shelter Program program will not be immunized from the Eugene Decisions process. Mr. Boles agreed with Mr. Green on the need for review and modification of the social services funding, which should occur in conjunction with the De- partment of Public Safety Long-Range Plan and the Eugene Decisions process. He offered his support for the request because of the immediate need for funds. Mr. MacDonald noted that he is suggesting that IHSC expand its role in the community to include social service policy issues and to track the perfor- mance of social service programs. In light of the Housing Policy Board's explicit goal to provide permanent, affordable housing, Ms. Bascom asked Mr. Roberts how to justify funding short-term housing requests. In response, Mr. Roberts said that the Housing Policy Board recognizes that it cannot ignore the community's emergency hous- ing needs while waiting for the construction of permanent housing. He also noted that the proposed funding contribution is not out of proportion with the need for short-term housing. Roll call vote; the motion carried unanimously, 8:0. MINUTES--Eugene City Council April 10, 1991 Page 2 e II. MINUTES, FINDINGS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS OF HEARINGS OFFICIAL AND ORDINANCE lEVYING ASSESSMENTS FOR REGENCY WEST SUBDIVISION (CONTRACT 90-25) Mr. Gleason noted that this issue was carried over from the last public hear- ing at the council's request to provide an opportunity to clarify some ques- tions. Responding to a question from Ms. Bascom, les lyle, Public Works, explained that sidewalk construction in this subdivision will occur at the time homes are built. , Mr. Nicholson pointed out that local residents have voiced concern with the City's policy of requiring improvements of adjacent properties when the ma- jority of the improvements are a condition of the new development. He said that it is unfair that one property owner can trigger the improvement process .when it is not in the best interest of a majority of the existing residents. He suggested that the City rethink this policy. Mr. Boles suggested that the policy discussion surrounding this issue be raised with the Committee on Infrastructure. (Property owners did not par- ticipate in the previous project public hearings or provide previous corre- spondence.) e Mr. Rutan moved, seconded by Mr. Boles, to approve the Hear- ings Official's minutes, findings, and recommendations of March 18, 1991 (Contract 90-25). Roll call vote; the motion carried unanimously, 8:0. CB 4299--An ordinance levying assessments for paving, and sanitary and storm sewers for Regency West Subdivi- sion, the extension of Martingale Street north and west a distance of 625 feet, and Thornberry Street 350 feet south from Wi11akenzie Road; and declaring an emergency. Mr. Rutan moved, seconded by Mr. Boles, 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, 8:0. Council Bill 4299 was read the second time by number only. Mr. Rutan moved, seconded by Mr. proved and given final passage. ors present voting aye, the bill became Ordinance 19768). Boles that the bill be ap- Roll call vote; all counci1- was declared passed (and e MINUTES--Eugene City Council April 10, 1991 Page 3 e e e III. APPROVAL OF MINUTES OF INTERGOVERNMENTAL RELATIONS COMMITTEE City Manager Mike Gleason introduced the topic and said that Glen Potter, Intergovernmental Relations, was available to answer questions. Responding to a question from Mr. Boles, Mr. Rutan said that SB66 (solid waste) has been modified to respond to several corycerns. The Intergovernmen- tal Relations Committee supports the amended bill. Regarding the City of Gresham's request for support on fire sprinkler issues, Mr. Robinette noted that the problem of fire protection in the urban/rural interface is not unique to any community and should be dealt with on a state- wide basis. He cautioned the council against getting involved in a process that would permit local amendments to the State code. Mr. MacDonald said that he would be willing to reconsider this position and asked for Mr. Robinette's assistance in generating an area-specific type of amendment for those situations statewide. The council agreed by consensus to send this issue back to the Intergovern- mental Relations Committee for further review. Referring to the discussion of HB3037 on page 12 of the March 25, 1991, min- utes, Mr. MacDonald asked that the minutes be revised to reflect that he "questioned staff's characterization of who the anticipated supporters of the bill would be. However, he suggested that supporters would be persons who simply did not wish to wear a helmet." On page 13 of the March 25 minutes, Mr. MacDonald requested that the discus- sion of SB859 be modified to state that "he expressed concern that the Oregon Criminal Defense Lawyers and the American Civil Liberties Union were expected by staff to oppose many of the bills being supported by the Department of Public Safety, and asked if that assessment was realistic." Mr. Rutan moved, seconded by Mr. Boles, to approve of actions taken by the Intergovernmental Relations committee in meetings of March 6 and March 25, 1991, as reflected in the minutes. Roll call vote; the motion carried unanimously, 8:0. IV. SEMIANNUAL UPDATE FROM SOUTHERN WILLAMETTE PRIVATE INDUSTRY COUNCIL (SWPIC) Frank Brazell, SWPIC President, spoke briefly on this issue. He distributed copies of SWPIC's biannual report and reviewed SWPIC's four main operating goals: 1) enhance the employment and training program, 2) implement welfare reform efforts in Lane County, 3) diversify funding strategies, and 4) inten- sify future planning efforts, including work with Congress and the State Legislature. MINUTES--Eugene City Council April 10, 1991 Page 4 e e e Mr. Brazell indicated that SWPIC has been highly successful with its programs statewide and highlighted the dislocated worker program as a model for this success. He noted that in the near future SWPIC will be closely monitoring state legislative proposals for changes affecting many of the programs. He also pointed out that legislation recently introduced by Governor Roberts could potentially create new opportunities for helping disadvantaged workers toward self-sufficiency. He underscored the fact that SWPIC is hoping to maintain local rather than State control for its program. Councilor MacDonald, the City's representative on the SWPIC Board of Direc- tors, noted that major cuts in funding levels have forced some difficult program cutbacks, predominantly in adult services. This has challenged SWPIC's goal of breaking down work force barriers to at-risk populations. He also noted that this is a model job training program in Oregon. Mr. Green also pointed out that SWPIC has received national recognition for its program. Laurie Swanson, Executive Director of SWPIC, reported on the success of SWPIC. She reminded the council that SWPIC was formed three years ago as a means of regulating all Federal Job Training Partnership Act funds for the combined jurisdictions of Eugene, Springfield, and Lane County. However, since that time, SWPIC has diversified 50 percent away from Federal funding. Ms. Swanson provided the council with statistics regarding the percentage of program use by Eugene residents. Ms. Swanson concurred with Mr. Brazell's estimation that this year's legisla- tive session will be very active for those involved in work force issues. With the anticipation of new regulations and responsibilities that will come about as a result of new legislation, Ms. Swanson suggested that rather than forming new groups to deal with the State mandates, the City rely more heavi- ly on SWPIC to handle the responsibilities. Ms. Ehrman noted that in its last presentation before the council, SWPIC was predicting major changes in the definition of at-risk individuals and in- quired about the status of this issue. In response, Ms. Swanson said that the amendments to the Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) that were expected in the last legislative session did not pass. Therefore, the major changes which were anticipated did not take place as predicted. However, SWPIC is anticipating that those amendments will be re-introduced in this legislative session. In addition, the Department of Labor has put forth new regulations governing job training in an attempt to rebuild confidence nation-wide in the system. One of these amendments calls for the sunset of JTPA in 1995. Typi- cally, Federal job training programs run in ten-year cycles. V. UNIVERSITY OF OREGON BUDGET John Moseley, Vice President for Research at the University of Oregon, briefed the council on the Oregon Department of Higher Education's budget process and the University's proposed budget cuts. He noted that due to the MINUTES--Eugene City Council April 10, 1991 Page 5 e e e passage of Ballot Measure 5, the University of Oregon has been directed to reduce its budgetary needs by $10 million. In order to satisfy this require- ment, the University chose to reduce its budget by $5 million and to identify an additional $5 million in new revenue sources. Dr. Moseley described the budget reductions as follows: $850,000 in central administration, $650,000 in enrollment-related reductions, $2.58 million in program cuts, and $650,000 in academic administration cuts. As a source of new revenue, the University will be implementing a system-wide tuition surcharge of $3.5 million and $1.5 million in additional revenue from non-resident students. Dr. Moseley warned that if the assumptions about increased enrollment do not hold, the Universi- ty could be forced to make up the rest of the $5 million through additional program cuts. Dr. Moseley commented on the method the University used to decide on program cuts. The main criteria which governed the decision-making process were the quality of the program, the level of duplication of that program around the State system, and the centrality of the program to the University's mission. He noted that because the University did not have programs of low quality, the decision focused mainly on the last two criteria. . Responding to a question from Ms. Bascom, Dr. Moseley said that teacher edu- cation was cut because of its duplication statewide. Mr. Green noted that the loss of the teacher education program will have a profound impact on our community. Responding to requests for clarification, Dr. Moseley said that each institu- tion in the state was required to make a certain level of budgetary cuts. He acknowledged that the system of higher education might have benefited from a more rational decision-making process in which cooperative decisions could have been made regarding what types of programs should be retained at what institutions. The University is working with members of the Lane County legislative delega- tion, and Dr. Moseley reported that the legislators are interested in cooper- ating to help preserve the level of higher education now available in Oregon. Responding to a question from Mr. Nicholson, Dr. Moseley said that even if the University is not required to make the full $10 million in budgetary cuts this year, the cuts in the future will be dramatic. He warned that if some source of replacement revenue is not identified by 1992, higher education will not be able to survive in the state. Mr. Boles commented that the decision to cut the education program at the University is incompatible with the identified Oregon benchmark goal of having the best educated work force in the U.S. by the year 2000. He sug- gested that this conflict needs to be resolved at the State Legislature. Mr. Boles said that he believes the State Legislature misinterpreted the voters' mandate with respect to Measure 5. In passing Measure 5, voters do not desire less service, rather service from a different funding source. MINUTES--Eugene City Council April 10, 1991 Page 6 e e e In making assumptions about revenue sources and the ability to draw addition- al persons into the University, the University must be cognizant of the im- pact that present and anticipated future budget cuts will have on the faith in the University and its quality. Mr. MacDonald indicated that the depoliticization of higher education and the trend toward increased control by the State Board of Higher Education over curriculum and budgetary issues has had some negative impacts on the system. While the academic system is removed from political debate surrounding cur- riculum issues, legislative constituencies which once had ownership in the system have been lost. Mayor Miller questioned whether Measure 5 would ultimately result in more money for higher education in those areas that supported the measure and less money in those areas that did not support the measure. Mr. Gleason feared that the ultimate result of the measure would be one State educational institution: Portland State University. Mr. MacDonald suggested that a team of councilors be delegated to meet one- on-one with legislators to talk exclusively about this issue. The council offered its support to this suggestion and referred the matter to the Inter- governmental Relations Committee. The council generated a list of specific issues for Councilor Rutan to raise during testimony before the Joint Ways and Means Committee. It agreed that Mr. Rutan should send the following messages to the committee: 1. The importance of adopting a set of policies that are consistent with one another. 2. If replacement revenues are not identified soon, higher education will not survive. 3. By not having a decent higher education program, the State will be encouraging its brightest youth to move out of the State. Higher education has to be considered as a component of the public educa- tion system. At 1:40 p.m., the meeting adjourned. Respectfully submitted, >>L/~~ ~ Mi ~hear-~e;!son -'1 City Manager (Recorded by Traci Northman) mncc 041091-1130 MINUTES--Eugene City Council April 10, 1991 Page 7