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HomeMy WebLinkAbout04/08/1992 Meeting . M I NUT E S Eugene City Council McNutt Room--City Hall April 8, 1992 11:30 a.m. COUNCILORS PRESENT: Shawn Boles, Bobby Green, Ruth Bascom, Debra Ehrman, Randy MacDonald, Paul Nicholson, Kaye Robinette, Roger Rutan. The adjourned meeting of April 6, 1992, of the Eugene City Council was called to order by His Honor Mayor Jeff Miller. e I. ITEMS FROM THE CITY COUNCIL, MAYOR, AND CITY MANAGER A. Total Quality Management Mr. Robinette recognized that Total Quality Management is exemplified by the City's staff, especially in work relating to public passenger vehicles, and Eugene Decisions. B. Police in Schools Program Mr. Nicholson said he received a call from Jan Wostmann, School District 4J School Board member, regarding the Police in Schools Program. According to Mr. Wostmann, the school board did not take a position on the program prior to its presentation before the council. Subsequently, it was presented to the school board as a partnership between the school district and the City. Now, the board is upset that the City isn't sharing equally in the program's cost. Mr. Boles said he was under the impression that the district had the backing of its board when it presented its request to the council. He expressed frustration at responding to a school board-initiated request and then being seen as an uncooperative partner. Mr. Robinette noted that the council was aware that the school board had not acted on the issue at the time the request was made. Mr. MacDonald expressed concern that the council had given blanket approval to the program before having seen the budget. He asked for more detail on future special requests such as this. City Manager Mike Gleason explained the need for some of the expenditures and apologized for the inconsistency in policy around police/school issues over the last three years since the last Police in Schools Program. e MINUTES--Eugene City Council 11:30 a.m. April 8, 1992 Page 1 . C. Parking lot Change Mr. Nicholson said a constituent has reported a change in the City parking lot adjacent to City Hall. Parking is now restricted on Saturdays. Ms. Ehrman expressed interest in receiving a progress report on the City's new parking program. Staff will follow up on both of these issues. D. Neighborwoods Program Ms. Ehrman said she attended a volunteer recognition/celebration event for the Neighborwoods Program at the Eugene Clinic. Mr. Boles praised City staff participation in this tree-planting project. E. Graham Crusade e Mr. Green reported that he officially welcomed the Graham Crusade at its week-long program at the Fairgrounds. F. Oregon American Federation of Teachers Mr. Green said he attended the 40th anniversary celebration of the Oregon American Federation of Teachers at the Hilton Hotel on April 3. G. Landlord/Tenant Ordinance Mr. Boles asked that the council direct City staff to study Portland's ordinance that allows for the forfeiture of property by landlords who allow illegal activity in their rental property. There was consensus that staff determine the effectiveness of Portland's ordinance. H. Election Ward Map Mr. Boles noted that the City's election ward map is incorrect. A new ward map will be issued. He said the County's ward map is correct. Mr. Boles also noted that some people have reported receiving notices asking them to go to polling places outside of the ward boundaries. Ms. Bascam added that some interested persons would have declared their intention to run for office had they been notified of precinct changes in a timely manner. Staff was asked to investigate. I. Commercial lands Study Public Hearing Mr. Boles expressed concern with the City Attorney's report on radius clauses, specifically their relationship to land use planning. He said the . MINUTES--Eugene City Council 11 :30 a.m. Apri 1 8, 1992 Page 2 e council may want to put off closure on commercial lands until more information is presented. J. Wetlands Study Mr. Boles said the primary mitigation area has been extended, and property owners in the latest extension have not had an opportunity to become familiar with the process. Testimony may be presented at the public hearing tonight based on misinformation. He said the council may want to provide an opportunity for educating those property owners before it closes on the wetlands study. Mr. Boles said an information table will be set up for that purpose. Mr. Gleason added that an announcement at the beginning of the meeting will direct interested parties to another room for more information to better prepare them for the public hearing portion of the meeting. K. Mobility International Reception Mr. Boles reported on a presentation making Isaac Perlman an honorary citizen of Eugene. L. Public Safety Advisory Committee Ms. Bascom expressed concern at the Public Safety Advisory Committee's (PSAC) request to the University of Oregon that it prohibit alcohol at Autzen Stadium, without first discussing it with the council. She said this is an example of how the council's direction to its boards and commissions has not ~ been as clear as it ought to be. M. Panhandle Lots Ms. Bascom asked that the council follow up on this issue. N. League of Oregon Cities Board Mr. MacDonald reported on the meeting of the League of Oregon Cities Board on March 30-31. He said both the league and the board are going to reengage the State leadership in the discussion of tax reform to lessen the impact of Ballot Measure 5 on cities. He noted that the State is discontinuing many services, placing an even greater burden on cities. O. Liaison to Library Mayor Miller said Ms. Ehrman has agreed to be the council's liaison to the Library. P. Community Spirit Award Nomination Mayor Miller recalled the community's involvement in the 1990 incident that resulted in an eye injury to Colleen Smith. He said Miss Smith's roommate nominated the citizens of Eugene for the Community Spirit Award from the City e MINUTES--Eugene City Council 11:30 a.m. April 8, 1992 Page 3 e of Midland, Texas. Eugene did not win the award, but was highly commended for its effort. Q. Riverfront Research Park City Manager Gleason said that the Institute of Development Associates Incorporated has awarded the bid for construction of the first building at the Riverfront Research Park to lee Construction Company. II. WORK SESSION: REOPENING OLIVE STREET TO VEHICULAR TRAFFIC e Penny Hawkins, Downtown Commissioner, said that the commission has completed the process of developing a design for the reopening of Olive Street to vehicular traffic. She noted that public input favored the design and reopening two to one. She asked for council approval. Allen Lowe, Planning and Development Department, reviewed the information packet including the following: The proposed ordinance--the subject of a public hearing on April 13; The plan view--a schematic drawing of the recommended Olive Street design, which will also be the subject of the April 13 hearing; A communications plan--which describes the process for dissemination of public information; and A time line--giving key dates for implementing the plan. Mr. Lowe noted the schedule calls for construction of the street by fall if the voters approve the measure to reopen the street on May 19. He presented a slideshow that described existing elements in the downtown area that are incorporated in the design. The plan calls for 14-foot traffic lanes with two-way traffic, including left turn lanes at both 8th and 10th Avenues; parallel parking; elimination of vertical obstructions within the pedestrian paths; removal of the fountain; three-globe light fixtures; and "gateway treatment" at the Broadway/Olive intersection. Responding to questions from the council, Mr. Lowe said that the developer for the Atrium project has no preference with regards to a left-hand turn lane at 10th and Olive. The turn lane option was chosen because traffic would otherwise back up into the mall area. Mr. Gleason noted that the revocable permit for the area currently used as a sunken sidewalk at that intersection will be continued. Mr. Boles wondered if the design can be modified to accommodate additional trees at some future date. He also opined that asphalt is more friendly than concrete. Mr. Lowe said that the design set a certain rhythm for vertical elements and adding trees at a later date would be awkward. With regard to - MINUTES--Eugene City Council 11:30 a.m. April 8, 1992 Page 4 . e e concrete, he said the commission considered both initial cost and lifecycle cost. Concrete has a more urban image and is cooler in the summer. Mr. Boles noted that other areas of town focus on asphalt and new processes allow for the reprocessing of asphalt in place, reducing maintenance costs. Ms. Bascom expressed hope that brick can be added to the design if bids come in below the projected budgets. Mr. Nicholson pointed out the distinction between bicycle access and bicycle lanes, saying that riders prefer access, as recommended in the plan. In response to a question from Mr. Rutan, City Attorney Bill Gary said that the question that will be asked of voters is: Should vehicles be allowed on Olive Street? The City Council will then be asked to amend the ordinance to remove certain prohibitions on vehicles. III. BATEAM SEMIANNUAL REPORT lee Beyer, Planning and Development Department, reviewed the BATeam semiannual report previously distributed to councilors. He noted that 1,400 businesses have been served by the team. The loan program made loans to businesses that created 30 jobs, with another 45 jobs projected for the future. Other accomplishments include: creation of a local chapter of Oregon Software Association; recruitment of a Swedish manufactured housing company; replacing the Safeway store in the Whiteaker area with another grocery; and close work with area lenders on the Community Reinvestment Act. Mr. Beyer noted that this was the pilot year for the Business Retention program. The team visited 40 businesses. Over half asked for more information or additional support. The businesses visited were primarily manufacturing concerns at least three years old with at least five employees. Most were unaware of business assistance programs. Mr. Beyer noted that the week of May 11 is Small Business Week, and the BATeam along with other partners in the Business Assistance Network, will be hosting the "Hats-Off-to-Small-Business" event. Mr. Boles said that replacing Safeway in the Whiteaker neighborhood was an appropriate use of economic development funds. He praised the work of Mike Sullivan and NEDCO for their efforts. Mr. MacDonald expressed appreciation for the BATeam's help in establishing a new environmental technology trade association. Responding to a question from Mayor Miller, Mr. Beyer said it is difficult to evaluate the BATeam's effectiveness because it is hard to trace the creation of particular jobs to anyone factor. Responding to an inquiry from Ms. Bascom, Mr. Gleason said that anyone interested in doing business in the area would be referred to the appropriate MINUTES--Eugene City Council 11:30 a.m. April 8, 1992 Page 5 . resource if they contacted anyone member of the Business Assistance Network. He noted that the BATe am was responsible for coordinating the network. IV. LIBRARY PROJECT ISSUES A. Fund-Raising Proposals Carol Hildebrand, Library, reported that the Library Board and Foundation are working together to raise funds for Library projects. The board asked for a City Council liaison and Ms. Ehrman has agreed to participate. B. Sears Building Bob Hibschman, Planning and Development, referred to staff notes by lew Bowers, noting that the option on the Sears building expires on June 30. He said the owner is willing to continue the option provided there are "clear signs" of the City's interest. He reviewed the information contained in his memorandum to the council dated April 2, 1992. e C. Library Design Process Ms. Hildebrand said that different processes for completing the design of the new library are being considered. One suggestion calls for a design competition, a process which was used both for City Hall and The Hult Center. Mr. MacDonald stated that libraries have special load requirements and should be able to withstand earthquakes. Mr. Gleason said the committee should be mindful that often a small firm conceptualizes a design and then merges with another company that affords the capacity to actually build it. Mr. Boles said that the life span of the building and the probability of the event should be taken into consideration when designing an earthquake-proof building. Several councilors expressed concern that the council's direction to staff in this matter was inconsistent with the Eugene Decisions process. Mr. Gleason said he could present inexpensive choices for extending ability to use the Sears building for a later decision at the council's next meeting. The council agreed that it needed more time. The council meeting adjourned at 1:30 p.m. e MINUTES--Eugene City Council 11:30 a.m. April 8, 1992 Page 6 ~ Respectfully submitted, Micheal Gleason City Man ager ?7~;~ ~.__ (Recorded by Yo anda Paule) MNCC 040892-1130 e -e MINUTES--Eugene City Council 11 :30 a.m. April 8, 1992 Page 7