HomeMy WebLinkAbout03/04/1992 Meeting
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M I NUT E S
Eugene City Council
McNutt Room--Eugene City Hall
March 4, 1992
11:30 a.m.
COUNCILORS PRESENT: Shawn Boles, Bobby Green, Ruth Bascom, Debra Ehrman,
Randy MacDonald, Kaye Robinette, Roger Rutan.
COUNCILORS ABSENT: Paul Nicholson.
The adjourned meeting of March 2, 1992, 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. Video on Homelessness
Ms. Ehrman asked the council to consider a request for contingency funds to
assist with production and distribution of a local video on homelessness.
Staff was directed to analyze the group's proposal for the council's consid-
eration.
B. Lighting for 24-hour Businesses
Citing a March 3 attack on a woman leaving Kinko's late at night, Ms. Ehrman
wondered if an establishment that is open 24 hours can be required to provide
special lighting. Ms. Bascom suggested the matter be referred to the Public
Safety Advisory Committee (PSAC).
C. Federal LobbYing Trip
Mr. Rutan described the recent Federal lobbying trip as the best ever, noting
that the City has one of the best Federal programs of any city its size in
the country. Mr. Robinette suggested that procedures be written up from this
successful trip. Mr. Boles said that Linda Lynch, Intergovernmental Rela-
tions Division, is distributing a post-meeting briefing. Others involved in
the trip also applauded the effort. Ms. Lynch was congratulated for her
work.
D. Chlorofluorocarbons Issue
Mr. MacDonald circulated a letter supporting a Lane County Board of Commis-
sioner's motion coming up later this month which sets up a pilot program to
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recover chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) from refrigerators and other appliances
upon disposal.
Mayor Miller felt the letter should have been routed through the Intergovern-
mental Relations Committee and suggested the process be discussed in a future
process session. Mr. Robinette agreed. Mr. Boles recalled that the council
had decided that in these instances, the interested councilor raises the
issue and prepares the material. Other councilors then would consider the
matter individually. The process issue was flagged for future discussion.
E. New Fire and Life Safety Equipment
Mr. MacDonald said that staff had taken great care to display new Fire and
Life Safety Equipment in Fire Station 1. The department has extended the
viewing hours to afford councilors a chance to visit the station.
F. Carbon Dioxide Emission Reduction Strategy
Mr. Boles referred the executive summary of Carbon Dioxide Emission Reduction
Strategy for Eugene/Springfield, which offers 50 suggestions, to staff for
analysis. He noted the consequences of global warming and encouraged commit-
ment from councilors and staff. The City Manager will estimate the staff
work load involved in analyzing the suggestions and report back.
G. No Name Neighbors Concerned About Crime
Mr. Green reported that a group of citizens in his area have decided to meet
regularly to discuss proactive approaches in crime prevention. He commended
Bev Collins, Department of Public Safety Community Specialist, for her pre-
sentation to the group. The group is calling itself No Name Neighbors Con-
cerned About Crime.
H. Whiteaker Refinement Plan
Ms. Bascom asked that the Planning Commission be questioned with regard to
its priorities, specifically how the Whiteaker Refinement Plan and Highway 99
project fit. There was consensus to ask the commission to respond via memo-
randum. Ms. Childs noted that the commission is planning a joint meeting
with the council, but cannot get on the council's calendar until May. Part
of the discussion, she said, will be about priorities for next year and how
they fit with the council's goals. Mayor Miller recalled that at its last
session, the council approved going forward with Highway 99 improvements and
the design phase of undergrounding utilities. Les Lyle, Public Works, said
it was his understanding that the City would consult the Eugene Water & Elec-
tric Board about conduit installation without engaging them in a design
project.
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~ II. WORK SESSION: URBAN FOREST MANAGEMENT PLAN
Bob Hammitt, Public Works, said that after almost two years of work and a
lengthy public input process, the Tree Commission has completed the Urban
Forest Management Plan. He said the plan had also been reviewed by the Plan-
ning Commission and the Council Committee on Infrastructure.
Mr. Hammitt said that the purpose of the work session is to familiarize the
council with the plan in preparation for its public hearing scheduled for
April 13, 1992. He said that the policies adopted in the plan will give
direction to staff for ordinance development.
The plan is divided into the following five elements: tree selection, trees
on public property, trees on private property, heritage trees, and education.
It contains 19 policy recommendations. Policy 12 and Policy 17 have drawn
the most attention. Mr. Hammitt specifically mentioned that the public prop-
erty element contains several proposed actions aimed at proactive tree main-
tenance programs which have cost implications in conflict with the council's
Eugene Decisions strategies on "Transportation--Street Trees."
Mr. Hammitt also pointed out two gaps in the plan. One of those is protec-
tion of trees in the urban transition area. He noted that there is a County
interim ordinance in place that sunsets in May 1993. Lane County has said
that it will consider the City's ordinance for adoption in the urban transi-
tion area. If the County decides not to adopt the City's ordinance, it may
opt to revert to the State Forests Practices Act. The other gap has to do
with parcels within the city limits that are not in a development process.
Mr. Hammitt said there is no protection provided on those parcels unless the
council adopts a mandatory approach to heritage trees.
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Mr. MacDonald identified another gap. The issue is whether there is specific
consideration or latitude given to south hills residents or property owners
to take action on their properties to mitigate fire danger. Staff noted that
the Fire Prevention and Education Officer had made language suggestions to
incorporate within the document that address that issue. Staff did not think
a specific policy was needed and the issue could also be addressed in the
ordinance.
Mr. Hammitt noted that the Planning and Tree Commissions had different ver-
sions of Policies 12 and 17. He said that the Council Committee on Infra-
structure (CCI) has also outlined other options in its March 4 memorandum to
the council. Mr. Hammitt said that the question before the council, in mak-
ing the decision regarding the language for Policies 12 and 17, is what level
of tree protection is in the public's best interest on private property. He
said that if the council adopts the "required" approach, staff will develop
ordinances around that policy direction. If the council adopts the "encour-
age" approach, staff will develop educational materials and programs to edu-
cate the community about tree protection.
Mayor Miller noted the lack of a staff recommendation in the plan.
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Mr. Boles said that the Council Committee on Infrastructure, with assistance
from Planning Commissioner Ken Tollenaar, agreed to review the material from
the Tree Commission, provided as a result of council's last request. The
Council Committee on Infrastructure refined the information into the set of
options which is contained in the March 4 memorandum. He said the committee
itself did not take a position because there was disagreement within the
group. This was a direct result, he said, of the council not being clear in
its original charge to the Tree Commission with respect to these issues. He
said that the CCI tried to frame the options around Policy 12 and Policy 17,
but the two additional issues in the CCI's charge to the Tree Commission
were not responded to. Mr. Boles said there are some legitimate reasons for
the lack of responses. One is the urban transition zone and the other is
predevelopment of large lots.
Mayor Miller wondered if the council should favor a direction prior to the
public hearing.
Mr. Boles expressed concern with the absence of Councilor Nicholson, saying a
direction chosen today may not have the full backing of the council.
Mr. Rutan reminded councilors that the spirit of this council has always been
to go into public hearing with the goal of listening to the public. He noted
that the public's opinions could change councilors' minds.
Ms. Bascom saw the council's task as understanding of the basic issues and
conflicts in the plan.
Mr. MacDonald began discussion of Policy 17 by suggesting that a group of
volunteers inventory heritage trees in the community. Mr. Boles said the
Urban Forester had estimated the number of heritage trees at about 2,000. He
expressed concern about the cost of a volunteer inventory group. Staff noted
that the highest cost associated with a volunteer inventory would be soft-
ware, together with staff support, the cost would amount to about $5-10,000 a
year.
Mr. Hammitt added that it would also depend on how the City decided to manage
the inventory. The tagging of trees is fairly inexpensive. However, making
it a part of deed restrictions, would cost more. Mr. Boles said that CCI
favored the less expensive approach.
Ms. Bascom noted that this would be a good opportunity to implement a volun-
teer force as a way of doing things differently as supported by citizens in
the Eugene Decisions process. Mr. Hammitt said a volunteer inventory would
cost less but take longer to accomplish.
Responding to a question from Mr. Rutan, City Attorney Bill Gary said that if
the City does not provide a mechanism by which people can challenge the ex-
pertise of a volunteer, it will go to court. The City will have less control
and more vulnerability. With respect to a contention that designating a tree
a heritage tree is a "taking," Mr. Gary said the US Supreme Court just heard
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an argument on a "takings clause" case and a new law will be enacted. Under
the current state of the law and even the position being advanced by the
property owner, designating a tree a heritage tree will not constitute a
taking. A regulation that leaves a property owner with no useful use of
property constitutes a taking.
Mr. Robinette noted that the adopted policy is subject to the cost implica-
tions of Eugene Decisions, and may not be implemented.
Responding to a question from Mr. Green, City Manager Mike Gleason said costs
will vary depending on how the council directs staff to draft the ordinance.
The more the community is involved, the more expensive the public process.
The extent of the regulations implemented are also a function of the costs
involved.
Mr. Boles reminded the council that the issue is before it because the City
experienced unacceptable acts with respect to large-scale cutting prior to
annexation, and the cutting of heritage trees in conjunction with develop-
ment.
Mr. Rutan said it was incumbent upon the council to pay close attention to
the input given by the public in the Eugene Decisions process. He felt it
was possible to accomplish the desired goal of retaining the tree inventory
within the "encourage II language without having another layer of requirements.
Responding to a question from Mayor Miller, Mr. Hammitt said that offering
the option of a buyout to a property owner who is impacted by strict require-
ments is a costly option.
In response to a question from Mr. MacDonald, Mr. Hammitt said that the cost
to Public Works ($75/$50,000) listed on page 6, paragraph 6, of the staff
memo, is built around the educational component of the plan. It could be
phased over several years, or done with volunteers. The "encourage" language
adds costs to the educational component.
Ms. Bascom said it is important to note that Policy 12.2 has not received any
support, but has significant costs.
Mr. Boles said he hopes that council will consider, and possibly come to
consensus on before the public hearing, that regardless of what the council's
decision is, it expects staff to write the ordinance in a timely manner. He
said he was not interested in the same kind of debacle that the council has
just gone through in the last two years in extending it past the deadline for
the County's moratorium to sunset. He felt it could not be done without a
good response from staff.
III. WORK SESSION: SAFE SCHOOLS PROGRAM
Dave Whitlow, Department of Public Safety (DPS), introduced Elton Sorenson,
Churchill High School Principal; Judy Moseley, 4J School Board Chair; Barbara
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March 4, 1992
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Nichols, 4J School District Superintendent; David Piercey, 4J School District
Assistant Superintendent and member of the Public Safety Advisory Committee
(PSAC); and Bill DeForrest and Jim Hill from DPS.
Mr. Whitlow described the Safe Schools Program as a proposal by the 4J School
District administration and DPS which grew out of a series of security issues
both on and off campus. He said the recommendation is a two-track program.
One is the use of a full-time campus supervisor at each of the four high
schools that would be the financial responsibility of the school board. The
other track is the use of two uniformed police officers, whose cost is shared
equally by the school district and the City. He noted the program is a
short-term, immediate response to a problem rather than a comprehensive,
long-range effort. Mr. Whitlow said he has made it clear that all the City
is prepared to offer at this time is a program to run through the rest of the
school year. He recalled that a closer working relationship with the school
district is a specific policy element of the recently adopted DPS long-range
plan. Mr. Whitlow also assured the council that he had reviewed its recently
adopted policy with respect to the use of General Fund contingency dollars.
He said today's presentation meets the requirement of providing the council
with the description of a program and program need before a funding request
appears in a supplemental budget. He said the supplemental budget will be
forthcoming upon approval of the program.
Ms. Moseley said she hoped to heighten for the council the district's sense
of urgency. Over the course of this school year, there has been a marked
increase in the number of students who choose violence as a way of dealing
with conflict. She said the school board feels like it needs to act immedi-
ately.
Ms. Ehrman noted the lack of a parent component and wondered how parents are
involved. Mr. Sorenson said parents playa great role in reporting incidents
or potential incidents, while students are very reluctant to do so.
In response to another question from Ms. Ehrman, Mr. Hill said that the plan
calls for splitting up the two officers' shifts so that there is a daily
police presence in all the schools.
At Mr. Robinette's request Mr. Sorenson gave a description of the other
changes that had occurred in the community that contributed to the problem.
He said the problem arose two years ago and has accelerated very qUickly.
Mr. Sorenson said there have always been weapons at school, but the differ-
ence is how the weapons are used. Three years ago, weapons were mentioned in
order to intimidate someone. Then, students began showing the weapons, and
now, weapons are actually pointed at, or held up to others. He said the
other significant change is the establishment of the standard that weapons
are an acceptable way to resolve conflict. Mr. Sorenson said a contributing
factor is a closer link to other urban areas such as Salem and Portland,
enabling students to call in friends to assist them with conflicts in Eugene.
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March 4, 1992
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Mr. Boles said there is a perception that this kind of behavior is often
exacerbated by the kind of freedom that is promoted around an open campus.
He wondered to what extent the problem was a function of the open campus.
Ms. Moseley felt strongly that the issues should be separated.
Mr. Sorenson said that schools shared Mr. Boles' concerns. He said there was
no question that the district had to review the present structures, but clos-
ing campuses in the short term was not realistic.
Mr. Boles explained that it was difficult to hear the board's urgency without
any attendant board action that is under its control, such as closing campus-
es.
Responding to a question from Mr. Robinette, Mr. Sorenson said that there is
a significant number of transient young people who hang out at the perimeter
of the schools, causing a significant problem. One never knows what will
occur as you approach one of those cars. He said that new people in the
community have brought with them a different perspective, requiring an ad-
justment to the Eugene perspective or adoption of a new one.
Responding to Ms. Ehrman, Ms. Nichols there is some preventive intervention
happening in middle schools, and this will likely increase.
In response to a question from Mr. MacDonald, Mr. Sorenson said that today's
survival skills for students include the ability to deal with people from
many different socioeconomic backgrounds.
Mr. Boles expressed his willingness to separate the two issues. Responding
to his question, Ms. Nichols said that ESD helps support the use of what used
to be called "truant officers."
Mr. Boles wondered how effective the old "Cops In Schools Program" was.
Mr. Gleason felt it had been very helpful in allowing the City to begin work-
ing directly with principals and teachers, and allowed officers to have di-
rect contact with students. He said it was important for intimidated stu-
dents to have someone in authority to speak to.
Ms. Moseley said she believed today's problems would be lessened had that
program not been terminated.
Mr. Boles moved, seconded by Mr. Green, to authorize $40,000
to underwrite a contract with School District 4J with respect
to a Public Safety presence in the schools. The motion was
unanimously passed; 6:0:1, with Mr. Green abstaining due to a
possible conflict of interest.
There was concern that $40,000 would not be enough to run an effective pro-
gram. Mr. Hill felt confident that the program would have positive results,
given the support of school supervisors and the community.
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March 4, 1992
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Mr. Robinette felt that the problem was communitywide and that community
policing should be a high priority. Ms. Ehrman added that the council needs
to send the message that the City will not tolerate this situation.
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Mr. Boles expressed concern that there was no evaluative mechanism in the
program and made it clear that this is one-time funding.
Ms. Nichols said it was her understanding that Eugene police officers will
not work inside North Eugene High School until it is annexed. She asked the
council to find a way for coverage of that school also.
City Attorney Gary said that the City could legally address the problem
through cross-deputization.
Mayor Miller suggested asking lane County to share in the cost of patrolling
North Eugene High School. He also saw annexation as a solution.
It was determined that if there was no opposition, the property owner of
North Eugene High School {School District 4J} could apply for annexation
directly to the Boundary Commission requesting an expedited procedure, by
passing the City process and having it made effective 26 days after receipt
by the Boundary Commission. If a public hearing were requested, it would not
be heard by the Boundary Commission until June.
Mr. Gleason noted that there was another problem with cross-deputization.
Springfield agreed to change the General Plan to extend sewers beyond the
city limits, but the City had to make the commitment that it would be the
only service that it would provide outside the city limits.
If this is a problem metrowide, Mr. Boles encouraged involving State resourc-
es.
Citing time constraints, the council postponed hearing the BATeam Semiannual
Report.
The council meeting adjourned at 1:30 p.m.
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MINUTES--Eugene City Council
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March 4, 1992
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M I NUT E S
Eugene City Council
McNutt Room--City Hall
April 6, 1992
5:30 p.m.
COUNCILORS PRESENT: Shawn Boles, Bobby Green, Ruth Bascom, Debra Ehrman,
Randy MacDonald, Paul Nicholson, Kaye Robinette,
Roger Rutan.
I. WORK SESSION: FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT GOALS AND POLICIES
Mayor Miller called the meeting to order.
Tony Mounts, Administrative Services Department, summarized the contents of
the draft Financial Management Goals and Policies. He said that the document
was last updated in 1986 and is the basis of the financial management poli-
cies for the City of Eugene. He said that the update reflects changes in the
environment that have occurred since 1986.
Mr. Mounts said that Goal A was amended to reflect Eugene Decisions. In
response to a question from Ms. Bascom, he said that the previous goal was
aimed at establishing a financial base sufficient to maintain, enhance, and
support community service demands and provide for quality City services.
Mr. MacDonald arrived (5:50 p.m.).
Mr. Mounts said that Goal B previously read: "To respond to changes in the
needs, desires, and services requirements of Eugene." This goal has been
incorporated into the new Goal A. In addition, Goal E was added: "To pro-
vide financial and other service information to enable citizens to assess the
costs and results of City services."
In response to a comment from Ms. Bascom, Mr. Boles said that the City organ-
ization sufficiently documents the location and origin of resources, but it
could improve documentation regarding how resources are applied to services.
City Manager Mike Gleason said that documenting the full services costs of an
ordinance is one example of the type of documentation that needs improvement.
In response to a question from Ms. Bascom, Mr. Mounts said that, for example,
performance measures could be established for boards and commissions. In
this case, the City Council as a customer of information developed by boards
and commisions would have an opportunity for input in establishing the per-
formance measures. He said that focusing on results implies a determination
MINUTES--Eugene City Council
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of customer expectations as well as legal mandates. He stated that the turn-
around time for building permits is an example of a customer expectation.
Mr. Mounts said that the second policy, under Resource Planning and Alloca-
tion Policies, has been clarified to ensure that financial systems control
expenditures as well as communicate information. He said that a line-item
budget, as opposed to the program presentation developed for Eugene Deci-
sions, would be appropriated and used for expenditure control.
Mr. Mounts said that Policy B-9 allows unanticipated working capital to be
allocated to the following categories on a priority basis: Unappropriated
Ending Fund Balance, General Fund Contingency, and General Capital Project
Fund.
Mr. Rutan arrived (6 p.m.)
Mr. MacDonald brought up the issue of the Central Services Allocation (CSA).
Mr. Gleason said that the allocation consists of the amount that the City
charges to a Federal grant or to an outside agency to recoup the full costs
of the City's utilization of services provided by these agencies.
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Mr. Mounts said that the City prepares a cost allocation plan every year in
order to spread the cost of central business functions, provided by the Gen-
eral Fund, to all direct services. He stated that to avoid having the Gener-
al Fund subsidize the operation of other funds, the portion of the cost of
central business functions represented by a specific non-General Fund service
is recovered through the CSA. Mr. Gleason pointed out that the Road Fund was
previously included in the General Fund. Through the urban transition and
gas tax increases, much of the funding from the General Fund was not needed.
As a separate fund, the Road Fund now contributes to the cost of Central
Business Functions. Administrative Services Director Warren Wong said that
there are funds from which the City cannot legally recover its share of cen-
tral business functions, such as debt service bonds.
In response to a comment from Mr. Rutan, Mayor Miller said that these Finan-
cial Management Goals and Policies are being set in case the Eugene Decisions
process results in a stalemate. Mr. Rutan expressed reluctance to set ser-
vice priorities before the Eugene Decisions process was completed.
Mr. Nicholson said that some of the goals are policies, such as the goal to
cooperate with other government entities. He added that some policies are
not directly related to goals.
Mayor Miller said that the Council Committee on Eugene Decisions examined the
current goals and concluded that they needed only minor revisions. He said
that these revisions are now brought before the City Council to avoid working
in a panic mode toward the end of the Eugene Decisions process. He explained
that the purpose is to generate policy statements so that the City Manager
will have guiding principals in the event that Eugene Decisions results in a
stalemate.
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April 6, 1992
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Mr. MacDonald requested that the revisions to the goals and policies be pro-
vided in legislative format.
Several councilors expressed concern that there could be a perception that
the City Council is deciding the results of the Eugene Decisions process
prematurely. Mr. Nicholson shared this concern, stating that the City Coun-
cil is establishing goals regarding Eugene Decisions which were not estab-
lished at the beginning of the process.
Mr. Boles said that during Round 2, last November, the City Council provided
the community with examples of what would happen if there were no additional
revenues. The sample strategies were crafted from the existing policy on
service priorities, which was adopted by a previous council. If no addition-
al revenue is authorized, the City Manager is bound by these service priori-
ties in developing a reduction proposal for council consideration. If the
City Council wishes to change the process by which such a reduction proposal
would be developed, a new policy needs to be in place. If no policy is in
place, the council would have to wait until the community expresses its pref-
erence for no additional revenue sources before providing direction on how
service reductions would be approached. He said that by acting now, the
council can respond to questions from the public about what the council would
do if no additional revenue is approved.
Mr. Nicholson agreed that thoughtful consideration on these issues should be
taken.
Mr. Gleason said that the most significant changes in the strategies over the
past four years reflect a desire to develop long-term sustainable service
systems with measurable outputs.
Regarding the service level priorities for General Fund services in attach-
ment 4, Mr. Gleason said that if animal control is included under Priority 1,
less police officer time is needed.
Mayor Miller said that services in service level 1 would be done regardless
of other General Fund service reductions. In response to a question from Ms.
Ehrman, Mr. Gleason said that the City has its own Municipal Court because it
raises enough revenue to support its operations and the City can schedule
police officer appearances to minimize the cost of overtime.
Mr. Boles stated that the committee distributed items included in "economic
diversification," previously identified as service priority 2, among the
various service levels.
Regarding service level 2 policies on capital asset maintenance, Mr.
MacDonald expressed a desire to examine the data on the justification for
allocation of resources to various activities. Mr. Wong said that the cur-
rent capital budget supports health and safety standards. He said that maxi-
mizing preservation of eXisting assets would require a $4 million general
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capital budget. A larger budget would allow for enhancing the quality of
services. He said that currently the City is addressing facility health and
safety needs. He said that maximizing preservation and allowing for enhanc-
ing the quality of services are not included on the current list of policies.
Ms. Bascom asked what budget amount would be needed for a maintenance level.
Mr. Gleason explained that the original $2.5 million figure was based on how
much of the Federal Revenue Sharing funds the council was willing to allo-
cate. He said that subsequent analysis revealed that $4 million is needed
for a maintenance level.
In response to a question from Ms. Bascom regarding Policy 6.5., the proposal
to charge services using City-owned buildings an in-lieu-of-rent charge, Mr.
Gleason said that the City has not been able to establish a system whereby
City-owned buildings receive the maintenance they require to maximize their
life. He said that the General Fund has not been able to support this ex-
pense. He said that in order to maximize asset life, building maintenance
should occur on a regular basis, rather than waiting until a particular
structure needs repair or replacement. In response to a question from Mr.
Nicholson, Mr. Gleason said that staff is preparing an analysis which will
demonstrate the cost savings of such a system. Mr. Nicholson wondered how
long it would take before the savings were realized, since a large investment
is required initially. Mr. Gleason said that savings would most likely be
realized within ten years. He cautioned that the building inventory will
increase over time because the population will increase.
Mr. MacDonald pointed out that the word "incremental" in the description of
service level 2 priorities implies that the services will be improved. As an
example of the implications of this, he said that enhancement to a park would
occur before investment in affordable housing. Mayor Miller stated that the
council must decide on whether it wants maintenance and enhancement of only
those services that are related to health and safety. He wondered whether
the description of service level 2 priorities should conclude after the word
"facilities" in the first sentence. Ms. Bascom said that it is important for
service levels to be flexible, in order to account for the unknown. Mr.
Boles suggested adding the phrase "so as to optimize their life" after the
word "facilities" in the first sentence. Mr. Rutan said that if the council
is faced with reducing the budget by $8 million, the City will be merely
surviving, and will not have adequate funding for improvements. He expressed
hesitance about including the word "enhance.1I Mr. Gleason said that after
the Eugene Decisions process, some services may be eliminated, some services
may remain the same, and some services may be increased. He said that the
council will need to develop a budget that will reflect the adopted outcome
and that the Financial Management Goals and Policies is an instrument which
will guide this process.
Mr. Boles suggested moving the sentence "when required for the preservation
of health, safety, or quality of life in the community or community demand
for incremental services, develop or enhance the fixed asset inventory" to
the end of the description of service level 3 priorities.
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Mayor Miller suggested that the phrase "when required for the preservation of
health, safety, or quality of life in the community" be included at the end
of the first sentence and the rest of the description be deleted.
Mr. Nicholson said that Mr. Boles' suggestion implies that the City is in a
critical situation. He suggested that the word "existing" be replaced by the
word "essential."
The council unanimously agreed to add the phrase "so as to optimize their
life" to the end of the first sentence of the description of service level 2.
The council unanimously agreed to move the second sentence in the description
of service level 2 priorities to the description of service level 5 priori-
ties.
Mr. Nicholson requested a vote on his suggestion to replace "existing" with
"essential." He questioned whether it was more important to maintain servic-
es at the existing levels. Mr. Boles said that he would support Mr.
Nicholson's suggestion only if the council was willing to specifically list
the essential assets. Mr. MacDonald disagreed with Mr. Nicholson's sugges-
tion. He said that if the City has an asset, it should maintain it responsi-
bly. He said that if the City does not have adequate funding, it cannot
maintain it. Mr. Ehrman stated that a listing of essential assets would be
necessary to make the change meaningful. However, she expressed hesitance at
doing so since it would seem to prematurely decide the outcome of the Eugene
Decisions process. Mr. Gleason stressed that this document will change over
time. He emphasized that the council may be transitioning services over a
long period. He stressed the importance of the long-term impacts of the
policy.
Regarding the description of service level 3 priorities, Mr. MacDonand ques-
tioned the inclusion of the words "and enhance." In response to a question
from Mayor Miller, Mr. Wong said that eliminating those words would not pre-
clude the City from engaging in proactive activities. Mr. Robinette suggest-
ed that the word be changed to "improve." Mr. Gleason stated that service
level 3 priorities will most likely receive less of a percentage of the Gen-
eral Fund than it does currently.
Ms. Ehrman stated that metro area planning should remain in service level 3.
Mr. Boles agreed. He stated that orderly community growth requires planning.
Mr. Gleason added that metro area planning is required by State statute. The
council agreed to retain metro area planning in service level 3. Ms. Bascom
and Mr. Rutan disagreed with this decision.
In response to a question from Mr. MacDonald, Mr. Boles said that the servic-
es under service level 4 were chosen based on the council goals and community
input. He added that there was discussion about developing only four service
levels, but that these services seemed to be of a higher priority than the
others.
MINUTES--Eugene City Council
5:30 p.m.
April 6, 1992
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Several councilors expressed a desire to add library services to service
level 4. In response to a question from Mr. Robinette, Mr. Gleason said that
theoretically, business licensing impacts public safety. The council agreed
unanimously to add library services to level 4 and move business licensing to
levelS.
In response to a question from Mayor Miller, the council unanimously agreed
that Bookmobile services should remain in service level 5. Mayor Miller
wondered whether Hult Center services should be moved to level 4, since it
generates income for the community. The council decided that Hult Center
services should remain in level 5 (Mayor Miller, Mr. Nicholson, and Mr. Green
disagreed).
Regarding land use permits, Mr. MacDonald wondered what the implications
would be if the General Fund did not recover the costs of land use permits.
Mr. Gleason said that based on citizen input there is a community desire to
see services done in a different way. He said that some services included in
levelS could be done differently, rather than eliminated.
Ms. Ehrman expressed a desire to move senior center services to level 4. Ms.
Bascom agreed and stated that this service is comparable to specialized
recreation services. Mr. Nicholson said that in general people who use spe-
cialized recreation are also economically disadvantaged. Ms. Bascom said
that if senior center services remain in levelS, senior citizens may per-
ceive that the City is removing all the services it provides for them. Ms.
Ehrman pointed out that those who use specialized recreation may not be eco-
nomically disadvantaged, just as the seniors may not be economically advan-
taged. Mr. Mounts said that services such as specialized recreation and
senior centers provide more intensive services to a certain segment of the
population. This may warrant a different pricing structure than other ser-
vices which serve a wider range of the population. Mr. MacDonald said that
there are solid management techniques which separate services in levels 1,2,
and 3. However, levels 4 and 5 are more difficult to separate. He cautioned
that the council may be trying to respond to a community input process which
is not complete. Mr. Boles emphasized the importance of social responsibili-
ty and making sure facilities are available to everyone in the community.
Mr. Gleason suggested that the council craft language regarding its criteria
for level 4 services. Staff could then adjust the list of services accord-
ingly and provide that information to the council. The council preferred to
decide what services should be in the various levels and retain the existing
descriptive language.
The council decided that senior center services should remain in levelS.
Ms. Ehrman and Mr. Green opposed this decision.
Mr. Nicholson suggested that the word "development" be replaced by "revital-
ization" in the description of Service Level 4 services. The council agreed.
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April 6, 1992
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Mr. Nicholson suggested that in the description of level 2 services, the word
"existing" be eliminated. He said that this allows for reduction or elimina-
tion of assets, if needed. The council agreed, with Mr. Green opposed.
Mr. MacDonald did not support separating services in levels 4 and 5 without a
clear distinction stated in the description. Mr. Boles suggested that the
staff attempt to do this. He said that if that is not possible, the council
may choose to combine the two levels.
Mr. Mounts said that staff hopes to receive council adoption of these service
levels in May.
II. EUGENE DECISIONS UPDATE
Barb Bellamy, City Manager's Office, said that on April 15, the project team
will provide the council with the analysis of the service strategies the
council developed in January and February. She said that the team would like
comments from the council, indicating which service components should be
further discussed or included in the detailed strategies that the council
will present to the community for the final round of public input, by the
following Monday (April 20). She said that a report of the survey and other
public input from workshops and the second tabloid will be presented to the
council at the end of July. The council agreed to recess during most of July
and meet in August to determine a final service and funding strategy for
the City.
The meeting adjourned at 7:45 p.m.
Respectfully Submitted,
-
.....
M;cheal Gleason
City Manager
(Recorded by Kathy Varner)
mncc 040692-530
MINUTES--Eugene City Council
5:30 p.m.
April 6, 1992
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