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HomeMy WebLinkAbout05/13/1981 Meeting - - - M I NUT E S Eugene City Council City Council Chamber May 13, 1981 11:30 a.m. COUNCILORS PRESENT: D. W. Hamel, Mark Lindberg, Gretchen Miller, Brian Obie, Emily Schue, Betty Smith, Cynthia Wooten, and Eric Haws. Absent: Mayor Gus Keller. Adjourned meeting of the City Council of the City of Eugene, Oregon, was called to order by Her Honor Acting Mayor Gretchen Miller. I. ITEMS FROM MAYOR AND COUNCIL, APPOINTMENTS, ANNOUNCEMENTS, AGENDA ADJUSTMENTS A. Expression of Shock Over Recent News of Shooting of Pope Mr. Lindberg expressed horror in reaction to recent news that the Pope had been shot in an assassination attempt. He said that this was a sorry reflection on the state of things everywhere and that our community should react by a general tightening up. B. Cone-Breeden Settlement Ms. Wooten announced with pleasure that the litigants and property owners have reached settlement regarding development of the Cone-Breeden property. Coun- cilor Wooten was pleased that the issue had finally been put to rest and that the efforts of those involved could now be devoted to other issues. Mr. Obie asked the nature of the settlement. Ms. Wooten responded that all parties had agreed to be bound by the outcome of the public process regarding use of the land and not to appeal the rezonings. C. Oregon Lung Association Award Ms. Schue announced that the City of Eugene had been selected to receive an award from the Oregon Lung Association for its recently adopted ordinance on smoking. Councilor Schue will attend the awards banquet and receive the award in the name of the City. D. Topic for June 8, 1981, Dinner Meeting Ms. Miller announced that the topic for the monthly council dinner meeting of June 8, 1981, would be an informal discussion of the council meeting process. MINUTES--Eugene City Council May 13, 1981 Page 1 e Mr. Obie suggested that in preparation for the discussion councilors review the minutes of last year.s meeting on this topic, especially ground rules which were established at that time and the reasons for them. He noted that at that time Don Murray had audited several council meetings without notifying councilors that this was being done, and had reported on the effectiveness of council- ors. communication during public meetings. He felt that doing such an audit again might be useful for the June 8 discussion. E. Communication with District 4-J School Board Ms. Miller spoke in reaction to news reports of discussion at a recent meeting of the 4-J School Board. She said that the report indicated that school board members are dissatisfied with the Cityls efforts to coordinate annexations and development with the availability of schools. Ms. Miller suggested that the council write a letter to the school board asking if the existing process for communication between the City and the school district is working, or whether the II referral process" needs to be improved. Ms. Wooten supported this suggestion. She understood that the school board and the City Council would be holding a joint meeting prior to the final decision on school closures and felt that this meeting would also be a good arena for discussion of the effectiveness of existing communication between the two bodies. Ms. Miller agreed to determine whether that meeting had been scheduled for the near future and, if this were not the case, to draft a letter. F. Lane County Private Industry Council Study of Recreation and Tourism e Ms. Smith announced that the Lane County Private Industry Council had recently completed its study of recreation and tourism. A presentation on the study will be made at the Valley River Inn at 4:30 p.m. on May 14, 1981. G. Vacancies on Boards and Commissions Mr. Obie said that there was currently a vacancy on the Eugene Urban Renewal Agency and suggested that recruitment be done for the position. Mr. Whitlow responded that he would see that the vacancy is publicized and that applications are solicited. Ms. Miller said that there was also a vacancy on the Economic Development Committee which should be handled at the same time. H. Resolution Regarding El Salvador Councilor Haws distributed a resolution memorializing the US Government to stop economic and military aid to El Salvador. Mr. Obie suggested that staff leave plenty of time on the agenda for discussion of Mr. Haws I resolution. He indi- cated that in the past the council had spent a good deal of time resolving the issue of the appropriateness of such resolutions. Consensus was to place this item on the agenda for consideration in two weeks. I. Councilor Attendance at May 20, 1981, Council Meeting Both Councilors Haws and Smith said they would not be attending next Wednesdayls meeting. e MINUTES--Eugene City Council May 13, 1981 Page 2 II. ROUTINE ITEMS FOR COUNCIL APPROVAL e A. Approval of Council Minutes of February 23, 1981, April 15, 1981, and April 22, 1981 Mr. Obie moved, seconded by Ms. Smith, to approve council minutes of February 23, 1981, April 15, 1981, and April 22, 1981. Motion carried unanimously. B. Segregation of Assessments 1. Located at the southeast corner of Eastwood and Fairway Loop; applicant: Jerry Groesz, Cascade Title for Robert D. Bennett (SE 80-12) Mr. Obie moved, seconded by Ms. Smith, to approve the segregation of assessments as noted. Motion carried unanimously. 2. Located south on Bond Lane, west of Norkenzie; applicant: Donna Slonecker (SE 81-2) Mr. Obie moved, seconded by Ms. Smith, to approve the segregation of assessments as noted. Motion carried unanimously. C. Improvement Petitions 1. Havenwood PUD (affected property on petition--assessable costs: sanitary sewers, 100 percent; City cost, none) e Res. No. 3506--A resolution authorizing sanitary sewer construction within Havenwood PUD (1934). Mr. Obie moved, seconded by Ms. Smith, to adopt the resolution. Roll call vote; motion carried unanimously. 2. Bessie Homes Subdivision (affected property on petition--assessable costs: sanitary sewers, 100 percent; City cost, none) Res. No. 3507--A resolution authorizing sanitary sewer construction within Bessie Homes Subdivision (1886). Mr. Obie moved, seconded by Ms. Smith, to adopt the resolution. Roll call vote; motion carried unanimously. 3. Market Street (affected property on petition--assessable costs: paving, total front footage, and total footage petitioned 1,455.12 feet, 100 percent; City cost, none) Res. No. 3508--A resolution authorizing street paving and storm sewer construction on Market Street from 5th Avenue to 7th Avenue (within Seneca Industrial Park) (1892). Mr. Obie moved, seconded by Ms. Smith, to adopt the resolution. Roll call vote; motion carried unanimously. - MINUTES--Eugene City Council May 13, 1981 Page 3 r\ e e e 4. Royalwood First Addition (affected property on petition--assessable costs: paving, 100 percent; sewers, 100 percent; City cost, none) Res. No. 3509--A resolution authorizing street paving and sanitary sewer construction in Royalwood First Addition and sanitary sewer construction within 160 feet of the south and west boundaries of Royalwood First Addition (1921). Mr. Obie moved, seconded by Ms. Smith, to adopt the resolution. Roll call vote; motion carried unanimously. 5. Wolf Meadows Subdivision (affected property on petition--assessable costs; paving, 100 percent; sewers, 100%; City costs, none) Res. No. 3510--A resolution authorizing street paving, sanitary sewer, and storm sewer construction within and adjacent to Wolf Meadows Subdivision (1771). Mr. Obie moved, seconded by Ms. Smith, to adopt the resolution. Roll call vote; motion carried unanimously. III. PURCHASE OFFER FOR CERTIFICATES OF PARTICIPATION TO FINANCE COMMUNITY CONFERENCE CENTER (memo attached) Mr. Whitlow introduced ,Jeff Tashman of the Department of Housing and Community Conservation. Mr. Tashman presented an update on financing arrangements for the' Conference Center. He said that it had been staffls intent to present a bid on the certificates from E. F. Hutton. He indicated that instead staff would provide information to the council recommending that the matter be postponed for a week. Mr. Tashman introduced Jim Gibbs of E. F. Hutton. Mr. Gibbs explained that he had expected to have bids on the certificates by this meeting, but that due to shifts in interest rates, he had only received orders on 30 percent of the certificates at an 11.75-percent rate. He said that he would recommend that his firm continue marketing the certificates and adjust prices on the unsold por- tion. He said that given the experience on May 12, 1981, of the State of Oregon in its marketing efforts, it was felt that a better rate might be obtained. He cautioned that there was some risk attached to this, as there is always the possibility that the situation could worsen rather than improve. Mr. Gibbs introduced Rebecca Marshall, Loan Department of First National Bank of Oregon. Ms. Marshall said that she had been acting as a financial consultant to many municipalities in their efforts to market certificates. She distributed an article and accompanying graphs from the May 4, 1981, issue of The Weekly Bond Buyer. She said that it appears interest rates will continue to grow, but that no one will predict how much. She discussed several major factors which could be used by councilors in evaluating the decision on post- poning marketing the bonds for another week. Ms. Marshall indicated that if the MINUTES--Eugene City Council May 13~ 1981 Page 4 - council asks that the bonds be placed today, the rate would be too high because there is a charge for the risk involved. Ms. Marshall said she believed that Hutton could do a better job with the bids in a week. At that time, they could try for a rate of 11.75 percent. Mr. Lindberg referred to the statement that bids for 30 percent of the bonds had been received last week. He asked why it would not work to sell that 30 percent and work on marketing the remaining 70 percent. Mr. Gibbs responded that this was in effect what staff proposed and that the question is what to do regarding the remaining 70 percent. Ms. Wooten noted that Ms. Marshall had said that the interest rate is tied to the money supply. Ms. Wooten asked why this was. Ms. Marshall responded that the money supply is the measure the Federal Reserve uses to control the economy, and that interest rates are the tool for this control. She added that a fixed- rate investment is difficult to sell in today's changing market in which investors tend to sit and wait to see what will happen, rather than actively investing. Councilors agreed by consensus to wait a week and consider the resolution at that time. Ms. Wooten asked staff if it were possible for the Eugene Urban Renewal Agency to give council members financial statements indicating the real cash status of that agency. Mr. Tashman agreed to provide this information. 4It IV. HISTORIC PRESERVATION WEEK Mr. Whitlow introduced Deirdre Malarkey, Chairperson of the Historic Review Board. Ms. Malarkey indicated that the focus of events for National Historic Preservation Week this year was on neighborhood preservation. She said that activities for the week included a presentation in conjunction with the Chamber of Commerce on the benefits of historic preservation, and tours of the East Butte and West University neighborhoods. Ms. Malarkey presented to each of the councilors updates for the councilorsl historic preservation notebooks. Councilor Miller thanked Ms. Malarkey for her work in this area and congratu- lated her on the success of the tours. V. JOINT HOUSING COMMITTEE BYLAW REVISION e Mr. Whitlow introduced Greg Byrne of the Department of Housing and Community Conservation. Mr. Byrne said that the Joint Housing Committee was recommending a change in its bylaws to increase its membership from five to seven members, with positions to be filled as follows: one City Councilor, one Planning Commissioner, four citizen-at-large members, and one representative of a recognized neighborhood organization. It was also proposed that the terms of officers on the committee be set for one year and that the bylaws call for adoption of an annual work program in response to council goals and measures adopted by other City bodies working in the area of housing. Councilor Schue serves on the Joint Housing Committee. MINUTES--Eugene City Council May 13, 1981 Page 5 e Ms. Schue said that the committee has been very active of late, with citizen members initiating many worthwhile projects. All members of the committee agreed that an increase in membership would allow more people to share the work load and would allow for a wider variety of input. CB 2294--An ordinance concerning functions and membership of the Joint Housing Committee; amending Sections 2.252 and 2.254 of the Eugene Code, 1971; and declaring an emergency. Mr. Obie moved, seconded by Ms. Smith, that the bill be read the second time by council bill number only, with unanimous consent of the council, and that enactment be considered at this time. Motion carried unanimously. CB 2294 was read the second time by council bill number only. Mr. Obie moved, seconded by Ms. Smith, to adopt the council bill. Roll call vote. All councilors present voting aye, the bill was declared passed and numbered 18788. Res. No. 3512--A resolution approving the restated and amended bylaws of the Joint Housing Committee. Mr. Obie moved, seconded by Ms. Smith, that the resolution be approved and given final passage. Roll call vote; motion carried unanimously. e Mr. Lindberg suggested that these openings be added on to the list of positions for which the City will solicit applications. VI. AMENDMENT TO CITY CODE REGARDING PERSONAL PROPERTY SALE PROCEDURES Mr. Whitlow explained that this item deals with the proposal from the Police Department to authorize use by the City of any stolen or abandoned property for which ownership cannot be traced and which is not needed as evidence. Mr. Whitlow introduced Police Chief Jim Packard. Chief Packard indicated that his department accumulates all types of property, including recovered stolen items. Every effort is made to trace the ownership of these items, but when that is not possible, they are auctioned, often for a fraction of their value. He felt that some of these items could be used by various City departments. The control on the process would involve sending a list of available goods to all City departments. Departments would then indi- cate to the City Managerls Office which items they were interested in acquiring, and would make a statement justifying their need for the items. Chief Packard felt that this system could save the City several thousand dollars per year in equipment purchase costs. Councilor Haws asked where the proceeds from the auctions currently go. Chief Packard answered that some of the proceeds are used to pay the auctioneer's fee, and the rest goes into the Cityls general fund. - MINUTES--Eugene City Council May 13, 1981 Page 6 e Mr. Haws said that the idea sounded good but wondered if it could easily be abused. Chief Packard responded that the practice was not an unusual one for local governments. He indicated that all goods used in connection with a felony are required by law to be destroyed. There is a strict control on the procedure of attempting to trace retrieved stolen goods to their rightful owners, and there is a six-month holding period required by law before unclaimed goods can be disposed of. Mr. Whitlow indicated that he had shared Mr. Hawsl concerns about possible abuses of the plan and had spent a good deal of time considering the matter to make certain that avenues for abuse were not left open. Mr. Lindberg asked what sort of appraisal system would be worked into the process and how items acquired in this manner would be figured into depreciation schedules. Chief Packard responded that the Finance Department would be charged with working out these details. Mr. Lindberg asked how much staff time might be involved in the process. Mr. Whitlow said that he felt the staff time involved would not be significant. He offered to report back to the council in six months on how the process is working. e Mr. Obie asked why the City could not just take the opportunity to bid at the auction on items it wants. This would give the community an opportunity to compete with the City in bidding for the merchandise. Chief Packard responded that councilors would need to ask the City Attorneyls Office whether there might not be a conflict of interest in such a situation. He explained that he does not let his personnel bid on these items, because he personally feels that this would be a conflict of interest. Councilor Miller added that the Cityls current purchasing processes make it impossible for the City to participate in an auction. CB 2295--An ordinance concerning personal property sale procedures; amending Section 2.835 of the Eugene Code, 1971; and declaring an emergency. Mr. Obie moved, seconded by Ms. Smith, that the bill be read the second time by council bill number only, with unanimous consent of the council, and that enactment be considered at this time. Motion carried unanimously. CB 2295 was read the second time by council bill number only. Mr. Obie moved, seconded by Ms. Smith, that the bill be approved and given final passage. Roll call vote. All councilors present voting aye, the bill was declared passed and numbered 18789. e MINUTES--Eugene City Council May 13, 1981 Page 7 VII. CONSIDERATION OF RESOLUTION TO INCREASE MOWING FEES ~ Mr. Whitlow explained that the proposal was to raise the mowing fee from the present $38 per hour to $50 per hour. The increase would establish fees to cover the full cost of the program, including administration, inspection, and mowing. Mr. Whitlow noted that the City of Springfield rate for mowing is $50 per hour. Res. No. 3513--A resolution concerning mowing fees; repealing Resolution No. 2674 adopted May 23, 1977, and establishing new fees. Mr. Obie moved, seconded by Ms. Smith, to adopt the resolution. Ms. Wooten asked if this fee was charged to renters or only to property owners. Mr. Whitlow said that only owners were charged. Ms. Miller indicated that she would support the resolution because she felt a mowing program should be self-supporting. She said she continued to believe that the way in which the ordinance is written represents an attempt to legis- late aesthetics, not an attempt to deal with fire danger or pollen control. She personally felt that the problem of how long a personls grass is should be left to the person and his neighbors to resolve. Mr. Haws responded that he personally had been charged the mowing fees. He shared Ms. Millerls feelings on the subject of the ordinance, but agreed that the issue here is only the fee for mowing, not whether to have the program at all. e Roll call vote; motion carried unanimously. The meeting was adjourned to May 20, 1981. Respectfully submitted, /~. Micheal D. Gleason City Manager (Recorded by Darcy Marentette) MDG:DM:db/CM26b1 e MINUTES--Eugene City Council May 13, 1981 Page 8