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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCC Minutes - 05/27/03 Mtg MINUTES Eugene City Council Regular Meeting Council Chamber--Eugene City Hall May 27, 2003 7:30 p.m. COUNCILORS PRESENT: Gary Pap~, Nancy Nathanson, Scott Meisner, Betty Taylor, David Kelly, Bonny Bettman, George Poling, Jennifer Solomon CITY COUNCIL MEETING Mayor James D. Torrey called the meeting to order. 1.PUBLIC FORUM Dennis Murphy, 88000 Running Springs Road, Springfield, representing Ribbon of Promise, reported that a video and a CD carrying the organization's message of ending school violence was being circulated throughout the country. He distributed written material to the council and thanked Mayor Torrey for "being there for kids" in the community. Jonathan Pinkus, 205 North Adams Street, spoke about an item on the Consent Calendar regarding the purchase of his place of residence. He said there were ways of using the building on site with a Iow-income housing development. He said the building could still serve a number of good community uses and he urged the council to pull the item from the Consent Calendar so staff could be consulted on the site possibilities. Kathy Ging, 2878 Harris Street, reiterated the comments of Mr. Pinkus. She stressed that the inside of the building had been strengthened within the last 10 years. She noted that a variety of community activities could be housed in the building on the site. She cited a permanent location for Saturday Market offices as an example. She urged the council to direct staff to explore alternative uses for the building. Donald Driscol, 2865 Baker Boulevard, urged a slowdown of the nodal overlay process. He said there would be site-specific impacts that did not fit in the standard nodal overlay plan, noting that nodal overlays could be a hindrance to the development process. He said there was no evidence that nodal development would actually help reduce the use of the automobile and that the rush to increase density and disperse commercial areas might actually do harm to the city's development. Misha Seymour, 1313 Lincoln Street, welcomed the new city manager to Eugene. He raised concern over the "Patron Code of Conduct" for the new library, which stated that patrons could be ejected from the library for sleeping. He raised concern that the rule was targeting a certain class of people. He added his concern that there were no benches for pedestrians to sit on in the downtown area. MINUTES--Eugene City Council May 27, 2003 Page 1 Regular Meeting Pearl Wolfe, representing Looking Glass New Roads Program, thanked the council for its funding of programs for at-risk youth. Carmen Urbina, 788 Blackfoot Street, thanked the council for its support of human services. She urged the council to recognize that human services in the city were in a state of disaster. She said third world poverty conditions existed in the community and urged the council to take a leadership position in addressing the problem. Russ Brink, 214 East 30th Avenue, thanked the council for its funding contribution on behalf of Safe & Sound of Eugene. He read a letter of thanks to the council and distributed copies to each councilor. Councilor Kelly thanked those who testified. He particularly thanked Ms. Urbina for her comments. II.CONSENT CALENDAR A. Approval of City Council Minutes -April 23, 2003, Work Session B. Approval of Tentative Working Agenda C. Ratification of Intergovernmental Relations Committee Actions of April 9, April 16, April 23, and April 30, 2003 D. Approval of Acquisition of Landbank Site for Low-Income Housing E. Approval of Eugene-Springfield HOME Investment Partnerships Program Consortium Agreement F. Approval of Expansion of Lindholm Service Center G. Appointment to Lane Workforce Partnership Board Councilor Pap~, seconded by Councilor Nathanson, moved to approve the items on the Consent Calendar. Councilors Kelly and Bettman noted their earlier submission of minutes corrections via e-mail. Mayor Torrey determined there were no objections to the corrections. Councilor Bettman pulled Item D. Councilor Kelly pulled Item F. Roll call vote; the remaining items on the Consent Calendar passed unanimously. In response to a question from Councilor Bettman regarding the property in question in Item D and the outcomes of discussions with parties interested in purchasing the building on the site, Mike Sullivan, Planning and Development Department, said there had been discussions with several interested parties. He explained the City did not have the site currently under option and that the next step staff would take would be to do a site analysis to envision what sort of housing could be developed on the site. MINUTES--Eugene City Council May 27, 2003 Page 2 Regular Meeting In response to a question from Councilor Nathanson regarding the possibilities of redeveloping the site, Mr. Sullivan said the entire parcel was for sale as a unified lot and was not separable. He said the City was seeking an option from Wells Fargo Bank, and once that was secured, would conduct a study of housing possibilities on the site. He said there was no intent to use the existing building in an interim period before redevelopment. In response to a question from Councilor Kelly regarding community organizations that could have uses for the building on the site and whether there were formal requests to use the building, Mr. Sullivan said there was no information from any organization on the financial feasibility of redeveloping the building. He said staff would do a preliminary site study on whether the building could be used before it was demolished. In response to a question from Councilor Taylor regarding whether community groups would have a better chance of being involved with the purchase if the council delayed action, Mr. Sullivan said the best opportunity for any community group interested in the building property was for the City to proceed with getting a purchase option. He said the City was proceeding with the option but noted that this was no guarantee that it would purchase the site. Linda Dawson of the Planning and Development Department added if the City decided to purchase the property with a partner, then the council would have another chance for input. Councilor Pap~ noted that the property could be sold from the land bank to another developer and did not have to be used to develop Iow-income housing for the City. Roll call vote; Item D passed unanimously. Regarding Item F, Councilor Kelly raised a concern that the funds were being used outside of the standard Request for Proposals (RFP) process. He said he like the proposed project but did not favor such a proposal outside of the standard RFP process. Ms. Dawson said there were two RFPs pending, which were for housing and nonprofit capital projects. She said the results of both would be examined to determine where the funds could best be used. Roll call vote; Item F passed, 7:1; Councilor Kelly voting in opposition. III.PUBLIC HEARING: An Ordinance Concerning the Change of Street Name From Centen- nial Boulevard, Located Within the City of Eugene Between Coburg Road and Interstate 5, to Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard; and Adopting a Severability Clause Steve Nystrom, Planning and Development Department, provided the staff report. He said the request regarded only the segment of Centennial Boulevard between Coburg Road and Interstate 5 and would affect 12 properties and 202 addresses. He read the approval criterion contained in Eugene Code Section 9.8485 into the record. He noted that the Eugene Planning Commission had determined that the name change of Centennial Boulevard to Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard met the sole criterion, that the renaming was in the best interest of the community, and had unanimously recommended that the council approve the proposal. He said the meeting packet contained written material supporting the name change as well as all of the written public MINUTES--Eugene City Council May 27, 2003 Page 3 Regular Meeting testimony received before that evening. He noted that there was a letter from the Lane Board of County Commissioners committing to pay the cost of new signage. He added that the 9-1-1 Emergency Center, the United States Post Office, and the University of Oregon all supported the name change. Mayor Torrey opened the public hearing. Bobby Green Sr., Board of County Commissioners, submitted written testimony to the council. He expressed his support for the unanimous recommendation of the Eugene Planning Commission. He said the decision to make the change would be easy because the council had only to follow the will of the community at large. He raised concern that a no vote would divide the community. He urged the council to take action on the matter that evening. Marilyn Mays, 1081 North Pond Road, spoke as president of the local branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). She expressed her support for the street name change and the unanimous recommendation of the Eugene Planning Commission. She said the proposal was in the best interest of the community. She expressed her dismay about the process for the name change and remarked that it had made her reevaluate whether Eugene could ever be called home for her. She said the process had been a lesson that insidious and subtle racism was alive and thriving in the community. Jim Hill, 1388 Barrington Street, spoke in support of renaming Centennial Boulevard in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. He said he had reviewed all of the material regarding the issue. He acknowledged that there would be some inconvenience involved with the change but stressed that the name change was in the best interest of the community. Henry Luvert, 2036 South Shasta Loop, noted that there had been a suggestion to rename the Ferry Street Bridge after Martin Luther King and suggested that the bridge be renamed as well as Centennial Boulevard. He stressed that what Dr. King had done for the country was more important than any single person's inconvenience. He noted that there was nothing yet in the City that recognized Dr. King. Joseph Bradford, 1459 City View Street, reiterated the comments of the previous speakers. He remarked that it was not that difficult to rename a street after Dr. King. He questioned whether Eugene really cared about diversity when it was delaying the renaming of Centennial. He noted that the post office was already prepared for the name change. Betty Snowden, PO Box 5166, Eugene, related that when she had tried to purchase a building to house her business, the owner had asked to keep the transaction a secret because "people would not understand." She said the renaming of Centennial Boulevard would help break down racial barriers. She urged the council to unite the community by moving forward with the renaming process. Carmen Urbina, 988 Blackfoot Street, spoke in support of the name change. She said, in the eight years she had lived in the city, she had dealt with prejudice every day. She said renaming Centennial Boulevard in honor of Dr. King would help address overt and cover racism in the community. She said racism was in the community and she had to deal with it every single day. MINUTES--Eugene City Council May 27, 2003 Page 4 Regular Meeting Hope Marsten, 3110 University Street, said renaming Centennial Boulevard in honor of Dr. King was the right thing to do. Mary Adams, 1940 Harmon Street, spoke in favor of renaming Centennial Boulevard. She noted that Dr. King paid with his life to get the United States to live up to its words of "Liberty and Justice for All." She said Centennial Boulevard was a road with a lot of visibility and noted that there would be signs on Coburg Road and Interstate 5 that would highlight Dr. King's name. She urged the council to take action that evening. Kenneth Raymen, 2150 Laura Street, Springfield, urged the council to rename Centennial Boulevard as well as Ferry Street Bridge for Dr. King and to hold a community event in honor of doing so. He stressed the importance of educating children on the works of Dr. King. He suggested that classes could assemble in Alton Baker Park and do a re-enactment of Dr. King's freedom march, cross the bridge and hold an event at the University of Oregon's Moshofsky Center. Sherry Greening, 880 East 39th Avenue, related a story of meeting Dr. King in Chicago in 1966. She suggested renaming the Ferry Street Bridge after Dr. King and placing a statue of him at the end of the bridge. Bob O'Brian, 3525 Gilham Road, read a portion of the written material he submitted to the council. He urged the council to move forward with the renaming of Centennial Boulevard. He said Dr. King was the recognized leader of civil rights in the country and had won the Nobel Peace Prize. He said Dr. King was of the same stature as Washington and Lincoln and deserved a street named after him as well. Dan Bryant, 1280 Butte Lane, spoke as a representative of First Christian Church. He supported the recommendation to rename Centennial Boulevard. He read quotes by Dr. King to the council and urged them to move forward with the process. Bahati Ansari, 1900 Chambers Street, reiterated the comments of previous speakers. She urged the council to approve the renaming of Centennial Boulevard after Dr. King. She said she was speaking because she wanted to be able to tell her children that she had spoken in favor of the idea. Marc Harris, 1741 West 10th Avenue, urged the council to proceed with the renaming of Centennial Boulevard to Martin Luther King Jr., Boulevard. He acknowledged that there had been an alternative proposal to rename the Ferry Street Bridge after Dr. King but pointed out that a predominately black community living at that site had been forcibly displaced to make way for the construction of the bridge, and added that naming the bridge after Dr. King would be a "slap in the face" to the black community in Eugene. Ruth Koenig, 1204 West 28th Avenue, read written material into the record. She said it was overdue to honor a person of color who had dedicated himself to his country. She noted that buildings, bridges, parks and schools could also be named after Dr. King. She expressed a hope that the renaming would be a start that could lead to better diversity in the community. Dr. Edwin Coleman, 1895 Fillmore Street, submitted written material into the record. He spoke in support of the renaming of Centennial Boulevard and related that he had personally met Dr. King, MINUTES--Eugene City Council May 27, 2003 Page 5 Regular Meeting who urged him to make a positive difference in any community in which he lived. He noted that change, in any form, could be difficult but noted that reconciliation always came after change. He urged the council to show bravery and courage by moving forward with the renaming. Scott Bartlett, 1445 East 21st Avenue, said Dr. King gave voice to that which is valued most in the country. He said it was not too much to ask to rename a street in honor of an American hero. He said no one on Centennial would be negatively impacted by the name change. He urged the council to do the right thing. Kenneth Moore, 1575 Fairmount Boulevard, stated that the debate over what it means to be an American is never over and could never be over. He spoke of the marches that occurred in Birmingham, Alabama 40 years ago and the shame he felt at the time over the actions of the Birmingham authorities and his admiration for the courage of Dr. King and those with him. He said that their actions captured the attention of the country and shamed those watching. Mr. Moore said that the country had come far since that time. It was easy to forget how savage the times had been because they were so long ago. He suggested that was even more reason to affirm the community's support for the work done by Dr. King while recognizing the work still to be done. Matthew Hasek thanked the council for the opportunity to speak on the issue. He questioned the reason why the discussion of the renaming was being had in 2003 when the decision seemed such an easy one to make. Misa Joo, 2327 Jefferson Street, spoke in support of the renaming of Centennial Boulevard after Dr. King. She said renaming Centennial Boulevard would be the right thing to do. She urged the council to act for the sake of the children and name for the community's vision of the future. Marion Malcolm, 110 Mayfair Lane, spoke on behalf of Community and Laity Concerned (CALC). She thanked the NAACP for bringing forward the proposal for renaming Centennial Boulevard. She urged that markers or signs with quotes from Dr. King be placed along the boulevard so citizens could read his message. Yung Soona Geil-Walker, 116 Bauer Lane, spoke in support of moving forward with renaming Centennial Boulevard after Dr. King. Jill Sager, 2945 Friendly Street, raised concern over the level of discussion over something that seemed like a "no brainer." She urged the council to take action to rename Centennial Boulevard after Dr. King. Robin Irish, 2599 Emerald Street, said changes in business letterhead should not be a consideration in deciding to rename Centennial Boulevard after Dr. King. She said it was time for a visual symbol that reflected Eugene's commitment to diversity. Misha Seymour, 1313 Lincoln Street, commented that the history of Oregon was quite racist. He urged the council to help bring healing to the community by renaming Centennial Boulevard after Dr. King. David Sonnichson, 2435 Skyline Boulevard, spoke in support of the renaming of Centennial Boulevard in honor of Dr. King and urged action that evening. MINUTES--Eugene City Council May 27, 2003 Page 6 Regular Meeting Jim Hale, 1715 Linnea Street, recited a poem he had written in support of renaming Centennial Boulevard in honor of Dr. King. Paul Davis, 475 Lindel Street, Springfield, noted that he had seen Eugene listed as one of the ten best places to live in the country. He questioned why, if that was the case, it was so difficult to rename Centennial Boulevard after Dr. King. He applauded those who were in favor of the proposal and said that those who did not vote for the renaming would be remembered by the community. Marl Carter, 2100 Centennial Boulevard, spoke in opposition to renaming Centennial Boulevard in honor of Dr. King. He cited reasons such as the expense of redoing business cards and letterhead. He raised concern over the potential of lost revenue. He noted that no one who had spoken before him that evening would be financially impacted by the renaming. He suggested naming the new federal courthouse or one of the new schools being constructed in the community in honor of Dr. King. Mayor Torrey closed the public hearing. Councilor Taylor thanked those who spoke at the hearing. She said it was important to do something more than celebrate a holiday for one of the greatest people of the 20th century. She acknowledged that there was a park named in honor of Dr. King at 10th Avenue and Garfield Street and that his birthday was celebrated every year but stressed the importance of doing more. She said his concerns and his influence went far beyond his race. She said his name would be honored by working for a living wage, respect for all races and religions, international harmony. She said his name would be dishonored by being unjust to the residents and business owners most directly affected by the name change, by disregarding the wishes of citizens who remembered and respected the reason for naming Centennial Boulevard, by possibly offending the City of Springfield, and by name calling. She believed that renaming the Ferry Street Bridge with a statue of Dr. King nearby would be a wonderful monument. Councilor Kelly thanked those who testified. He said his remarks could not begin to do justice to the powerful testimony given at the hearing. He urged the council to do the right thing and proceed with the renaming as soon as possible. Councilor Pap~ thanked those who testified at the hearing as well as those who testified before the Planning Commission. He said the renaming should not have been limited to just a street but should have included options for alternative ideas. He acknowledged that a committee had been formed but noted that the committee had not solicited feedback from the City of Springfield. He said it would cut shod the renaming of Centennial Boulevard if it ended at the Springfield city limits. He said the direction to the Planning Commission was too narrow. He added his concern that the Eugene Human Rights Commission had not been consulted. Councilor Poling reiterated the comments of Councilor Taylor. He said the business community had not been contacted and noted that the City of Springfield had also not been consulted. He noted that Centennial Boulevard was named in honor of the hundreds of thousands of pioneers who founded Oregon. He reported that the Harlow Neighbors had voted against renaming Centennial Boulevard but were looking for other options. He said he would stand by the decisions of the people of his ward. He believed that there were better ways of honoring Dr. King than MINUTES--Eugene City Council May 27, 2003 Page 7 Regular Meeting renaming Centennial Boulevard and suggested naming the plaza of the new federal courthouse after him as a possible alternative. Councilor Nathanson commented that the process had not gone well in that it had caused divisiveness in the community. She tentatively supported the renaming of Centennial Boulevard in honor of Dr. King but noted that the question put to the council had been to rename Centennial Boulevard with no other alternatives. She raised concern that looking for alternatives would further the divisiveness in the community but said she would support the idea of forming a committee of representatives to examine the best way of honoring Dr. King. Councilor Meisner expressed a hope that renaming Centennial Boulevard would reactivate the meaning of Dr. Kings work in the community. He said the council needed to be a accountable for the question it asked, which was whether to rename Centennial Boulevard. He remarked that the community had a history of racism to undo. Councilor Bettman expressed a desire to take action that evening. She commented that the community had devised a very well thought-out proposal. She said offering alternatives at this late a date was causing divisiveness in the community. Mayor Torrey related an experience he had as a boy regarding the choice his family had made not to eat in a segregated restaurant when he was a child. He said the easy vote would be to approve the renaming of Centennial Boulevard after Dr. King. He added his belief that if public hearings were to mean anything, then the council needed to pay attention to those who testified. He said he believed that the renaming of Ferry Street Bridge was a better idea but acknowledged that he was not an African-American. He said if he was looking for a recommendation on a Holocaust memorial he would ask the Jewish community for one, and he expressed a desire to listen to Eugene's African-American community on the issue. He said he was prepared to go with how the council voted on the issue. He thanked all those who provided testimony. Councilor Taylor said she would carefully consider everything she had heard over the next few weeks before the council took action on the issue. Councilor Pap~ said Dr. King deserved to be much better honored in the local community. He questioned whether renaming Centennial Boulevard was the only right thing to do. Councilor Kelly, seconded by Councilor Bettman, moved that the City Council adopt Council Bill 4834, an ordinance concerning the change of the street name of Centennial Boulevard to Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. City Attorney Glenn Klein noted that the council could entertain the motion only with unanimous consent of the council and suggested that there be a poll to see if any councilor objected to the motion. Mayor Torrey determined that councilors Pap~, Taylor, and Solomon objected. The motion died for lack of a unanimous will to proceed. Mr. Klein noted that the public hearing was a quasi-judicial matter and the hearing had been closed. He said the council could not legally consider any further testimony on the matter before taking action. He said the council was limited to what material was already in the record. Councilor Bettman thanked those who testified at the hearing and those who had supported the proposed renaming. MINUTES--Eugene City Council May 27, 2003 Page 8 Regular Meeting Councilor Pap~, seconded by Councilor Taylor, moved to extend the meeting by five minutes. Roll call vote; the motion failed, 5:3; councilors Pap~, Taylor and Kelly voting in favor. IV. PUBLIC HEARING: Chambers Nodal Development Area; Ordinance A: An Ordinance Concerning the Chambers Nodal Development Area; Amending the Eugene-Springfield Metropolitan Area General Plan Diagram and the Jefferson/Far West Refinement Plan Land Use Diagram and the Westside Neighborhood Plan Land Use Diagram; Adopting A Severability Clause; and Providing an Effective Date; and Ordinance B: An Ordinance Concerning the Chambers Nodal Development Area, Amending the Eugene Overlay Zone Map; Adopting a Severability Clause; and Providing an Effective Date The item was postponed to a future date. V. ACTION: Walnut Street Station Nodal Development Area Ordinance A: An Ordinance Concerning the Walnut Street Station Nodal Development Area; Amending the Eugene-Springfield Metropolitan Area General Plan Diagram and the Fairmount/University of Oregon Special Area Study Land Use Diagram; Adopting a Severability Clause; and Providing an Effective Date; and Ordinance B: An Ordinance Concerning the Walnut Street Station Nodal Development Area, Amending the Eugene Overlay Zone Map; Adopting a Severability Clause; and Providing an Effective Date The item was postponed to a future date. VI.ACTION: Gilbert Nodal Development Area Ordinance A: An Ordinance Concerning the Gilbert Nodal Development Area; Amending the Eugene-Springfield Metropolitan Area General Plan Diagram and the Bethel Danebo Refinement Plan Land Use Map; Adopting a Severability Clause; and Providing an Effective Date; and Ordinance B: An Ordinance Concerning the Gilbert Nodal Development Area, Amending the Eugene Overlay Zone Map; Adopting a Severability Clause; and Providing an Effective Date The item was postponed to a future date. MINUTES--Eugene City Council May 27, 2003 Page 9 Regular Meeting The meeting adjourned at 10 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Dennis M. Taylor City Manager (Recorded by Joe Sams) MINUTES--Eugene City Council May 27, 2003 Page 10 Regular Meeting