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HomeMy WebLinkAbout06/10/1992 Meeting e e e M I NUT E S Eugene City Council McNutt Room--Eugene City Hall June 10, 1992 11:30 a.m. COUNCILORS PRESENT: Shawn Boles, Bobby Green, Ruth Bascom, Randy MacDonald, Paul Nicholson, Kaye Robinette, Roger Rutan. COUNCILORS ABSENT: Debra Ehrman. The adjourned meeting of June 8, 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. Arts Groups Mr. Robinette said that he and Councilors Boles and Green met with the president of the board of executive directors of local arts groups, recommending that the arts community work together and develop proposals to present to the council. Mr. Green added that they were encouraged to involve themselves in the Eugene Decisions process by completing the tabloid and attending workshops. B. Funding Request Mr. Green presented a funding request from the African-American Community Coalition for the first Juneteenth Celebration on June 13. City Manager Mike Gleason explained that the process involves authorizing the City Manager to develop a service contract that meets public interest needs. Mr. Green moved, seconded by Mr. Boles, that the City Manager be directed to develop a contract that meets the public interests' needs with regard to the Juneteenth Celebration on June 13. The motion passed unanimously, 7:0. C. Lincoln School Project Mr. Boles said that he, Acting Assistant City Manager Linda Norris, and Rhonda Budd (representing the Lincoln School neighborhood) were meeting with Lew Bowers of the Planning and Development Department to discuss how the performance date for Lorig Associates was changed from May 1992 to August. MINUTES--Eugene City Council 11:30 a.m. June 10, 1992 Page 1 - D. Graffiti Mr. Boles reported a substantial increase in graffiti throughout the community over the last few months. He suggested that the Corrections' Community Services program be used to remove it. Mr. Green asked that the graffiti be photographed for the record. E. Red Apple Grocery Store Opening Mr. Boles announced the opening of the Red Apple Grocery Store in the Whiteaker neighborhood. Opening ceremonies were held this morning. F. Council Officers Committee Mr. Boles reported on the Council Officers meeting on June 8. He said the officers decided to make the issue of boards and commissions a priority after completion of the Eugene Decisions process. In the interim, the committee is suggesting that the recruitment process be delayed for a couple of months but that existing vacancies be filled. The committee also asked the City Manager to inform the groups that those who have work plans should follow them and those who do not have work plans should not make additional work demands on the City organization. The committee also agreed that board and commission members may serve two full terms plus a partial term, for a maximum service period of seven years. G. Sponsors, Inc., Housing Dedication ~ Ms. Bascom reported on the dedication of Sponsors, Inc., eight new housing units. H. Metropolitan Policy Committee Ms. Bascom said that the Metropolitan Policy Committee will meet on June 11. There will be a discussion on a yard debris recovery program. She distributed background material on the issue. I. Housing Policy Board Ms. Bascom said she will submit a written report on housing issues. J. League of Oregon Cities Board Mr. MacDonald reported on the League of Oregon Cities Board meeting, saying the group reviewed and approved the budget. He said that the budget committee also recognized the need to focus more directly on lobbying and worked to establish City positions related to tax reform. e MINUTES--Eugene City Council 11:30 a.m. June 10, 1992 Page 2 . e e K. Amazon Appreciation Day Mr. MacDonald said the first annual Amazon Appreciation Day sponsored by KEZI-TV, KZEL-FM, and The Friends of Eugene Habitat was held on June 6. He acknowledged participation by City staff in a volunteer capacity. L. Wayne Morse Ranch Dog-Off-Leash Field Mr. MacDonald said that the dog-off-leash field at the Wayne Morse Ranch continues to be an issue. He will prepare a written report for further council discussion. M. Springfield Sports Facility Mr. Rutan said that at Bill Morrisette's invitation he will attend a meeting of the all-sports facility in Springfield this afternoon. He plans to report back to the council on ways the City might be involved. Mr. Boles expressed concern with the facility extending beyond the urban growth boundary. N. Governor's Task Force Mr. Rutan said he and Linda Norris have discussed providing the council with information on the Governor's Task Force headed by Neil Goldsmidt, in preparation for the upcoming special legislative session. O. Eugene Decisions Tabloid Mr. Rutan reported that he has received positive feedback on the Eugene Decisions tabloid and expressed appreciation to the Council Committee on Eugene Decisions and support staff. P. Bike Thefts Mr. Nicholson expressed concern over bike thefts in the community. Staff will report on options to address this problem. Q. Riverfront Research Park Tax Increment District Mr. Nicholson asked for information on the Riverfront Research Park Tax Increment District, specifically with regard to the State cap. Staff will prepare a report. R. County's Serial Levy Mayor Miller referred to his June 9 memorandum to the council, supporting the County's Serial Levy as an individual, but not as a representative for the City Council. MINUTES--Eugene City Council 11:30 a.m. June 10, 1992 Page 3 e e e At Mr. Boles' suggestion, the council decided to treat this issue as information from the Mayor in the short term, and in the long term, add it to the Intergovernmental Relations Committee agenda for June 15. S. South Hills Issue Mr. Gleason said a written report on the South Hills issue will be distributed to the council on June 12 and asked for time on the council's June 17 agenda to present it. He also asked for council's consent to proceed with some equipment purchases now needed due to the early fire threat this season. There was consensual approval from the council. T. Public Information Officer Mr. Gleason introduced Ke1 Williams as the new Public Information Officer, on loan to the City Manager's Office until January 1993 from the Department of Public Safety. II. ANNUAL REPORT FROM SOLID WASTE AND RECYCLING BOARD George Pernsteiner, Solid Waste and Recycling Board Chair, thanked councilors Green and Nicholson for their work on the Solid Waste Task Team. He reviewed the Solid Waste and Recycling Program work plan for the upcoming year, saying all the elements meet the City's long-term goals and meet or exceed legal mandates. Mr. Pernsteiner described the seven specific projects in the work plan including a timeframe. Mr. Boles suggested that the goal for reducing solid waste be 50 percent. He also suggested that, in planning for the precyc1ing project, the distribution of "green cones" be discussed with haulers. Green cones are food waste composters. Mr. Boles asked that the City be included under the waste reduction legislative platform. He expressed concern with the frequency of rate structure review and suggested that an annual increase be established and the entire rate structure be reviewed every five years for consistency with the council's goal of 100-percent cost recovery. Ms. Bascom gave Mr. Pernsteiner a copy of a memorandum from the Interagency Yard Debris Task Team and asked that he forward feedback in time for the Metropolitan Policy Committee's June 11 meeting. III. EUGENE WATER & ELECTRIC BOARD DRAFT ENERGY MANAGEMENT PLAN Garry Kunkel, Eugene Water & Electric Board (EWEB) Electric Division Director, emphasized that the plan is a draft report that will take the community into the next century in terms of energy production and availability of power. He noted that the first of two public forums was held on June 8 and another is scheduled for June 22. He said that one of the plan's intentions is for the community to be in control of its energy future MINUTES--Eugene City Council 11:30 a.m. June 10, 1992 Page 4 e and that being less reliant on the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) is an important strategy. Paula Fleitell, Energy Resource Planning Analyst, gave an overview of the plan including the following: current and projected energy needs; options; the public comment period; and the citizen involvement committee, including the committee's top-ranked recommendations. The end product is a large, diversified plan that uses conservation, research, and resource development to meet the community's future needs. e- Responding to a question from Mr. Boles, Ms. Fleitell said the utility helps residential customers by auditing and paying most of the cost for energy efficiency in the home. Jim Origliosso, Financial Services Division Director, said that the objective of the financial strategies around the resource plan is to first fund the plan. To do this, he said, there first has to be agreement about the overall objective (less reliance on the BPA) and then agreement on the mix of resources. He said the financial strategy would seek to maximize the financial benefits to the community and minimize the costs, principally by developing partnerships with other utilities or energy providers. Mr. Origliosso said that there are two scenarios describing the scope of all the various contracts that the utility will need to undertake. The optimistic scenario has the underlying assumption that the community would receive payments based on the value of the resources to others, not necessarily the cost of those resources. Mr. Boles expressed concern that the projected net revenue include replacement of assets. He flagged the issue of a sinking fund for asset replacement for further discussion. Continuing his report, Mr. Origliosso said that the conservative scenario assumes reimbursement on a combination of value and cost of the resource. He said that under the conservative scenario the cost to the rate payer would be about ten percent of the total cost over a ten-year period. In the optimistic scenario it would mean a zero-percent increase to the rate payer, while in the conservative scenario, it would translate into a rate increase of about 2.5 percent annually. Responding to a question from Mr. MacDonald, Mr. Origliosso explained that the EWEB Citizen Involvement Committee's discussion of environmental costing was reflected in the analysis and recommendations in the portfolio. Mr. Origliosso explained the in-lieu-of-tax consequence of this strategy, saying that these payments are only attributable to wholesale sales. Mr. Boles thanked EWEB for its presentation and asked that the next planning effort include water as a resource. e MINUTES--Eugene City Council 11:30 a.m. June 10, 1992 Page 5 e e e- Mr. Gleason said he believed that the probability of a net cash-positive return to the community is a likely scenario. He said the council should expect revenue bond requests from EWEB and any concerns should be addressed well in advance to avoid unreasonable withholding. He also said that the payment referred to as an in-lieu-of-tax payment is actually an earned surplus payment. Mr. Boles asked that the council be provided with the distinction in writing between in-lieu-of-tax and earned surplus payments. Citing time constraints, Mayor Miller deferred discussion of Item IV. Mr. Boles asked that the discussion of compensation and benefits include consideration of a 35-percent below-maximum-rate on the pay range. Mr. Nicholson said another approach is to adjust the City's rates to the relative percent of average income in the community. The council meeting adjourned at 1:30 p.m. (Recorded by Yolanda Paule) MNCC 041592-1130 MINUTES--Eugene City Council 11:30 a.m. June 10, 1992 Page 6