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HomeMy WebLinkAbout12.12.2018 City Council Work Session MinutesMINUTES Eugene City Council Harris Hall, 125 East 8�h Avenue Eugene, Oregon 97401 December 12, 2018 12:00 p.m. Councilors Present: Emily Semple, Jennifer Yeh, Claire Syrett (via phone), Alan Zelenka, Mike Clark. Chris Pryor, Betty Taylor Councilors Absent: Greg Evans Mayor Vinis opened the December 12, 2018, Work Session of the Eugene City Council. WORK SESSION: 525 Highway 99 Dusk to Dawn and/or Rest Stop Site Designation Assistant City Manager Kristie Hammitt and City Manager's Office Division Manager Becky DeWitt provided an update on the temporary shelter located at Hwy 99 and outlined a proposal to re -designate the camp as a dusk -to -dawn or rest stop site. Council Discussion • Concerns expressed about who will manage the proposed site(s), who will help triage residents of the current site for transition, and whether there are plans to enforce any illegal camping that results from those who oppose or are banned from St. Vincent DePaul facilities. • The dusk -to -dawn model will not address everyone's needs. While the proposed changeover should provide better oversight, consideration should be given to installing an on-site manager at the current camp. • The establishment of homeless camps and shelters along Hwy 99 may impact the available resources at the Lindholm Center. The City should help to fund some of the additional services needed at that facility. • Questions asked about where the money for the proposed dusk -to -dawn site is coming from, what the anticipated effect on nearby businesses will be, and whether it makes sense to explore the creation of smaller sites to disperse the campers more equitably. It is critical to provide shelter for people with pets. • The City has an obligation to be more responsive to the homeless crisis, but can't be expected to provide ideal spaces that meet every need. Any site must accommodate those who work at night, by providing a place to sleep during the day. • Clarification requested about how a dusk -to -dawn model was chosen, what work is being done to gain State support and resources for the issue, and whether empty jail space could be used for emergency shelter. • The proposal before council is a temporary winter strategy that provides safe, secure shelter. It is not intended to be a permanent solution. Failure to act on the proposed transition will mean that Lane County will be solely responsible for decisions related to the current camp. • Important that council and staff not lose sight of the goal to establish a downtown day center. • Claims that increasing services for the homeless population will draw more homeless to the community are untrue. MOTION AND VOTE: Councilor Clark, seconded by Councilor Taylor, moved to allow the operation of a dusk -to -dawn and/or rest stop at 525 Highway 99. FAILED 1:6, Councilor Syrett in favor. MINUTES — Eugene City Council December 12, 2018 Page 1 Work Session 1. WORK SESSION: Housing Tools and Strategies Mayor Vinis explained that the scope of the work session was to review only the proposed administrative housing tools and strategies and said the other strategies would be brought back for council consideration in early 2019. Planning and Development Director Denny Braud was available for questions. Council Discussion • Lessons learned from this process include the need for more frequent updates about the work group's progress, including projected goals and results. • Several of the proposals will have a negative effect on housing. Eugene has two primary problems: the poverty rate and the inability for people to own a home. Goal of council should be to make it less expensive to build homes that are affordable to more people. • It is important to clarify the percentage of types of housing available. Consider support/assistance for renters. • The proposed Construction Excise Tax amount is too low; consider increasing. Inclusion of the Multiple Unit Property Tax Exemption in the strategies is questionable. • Conversation about "housing" should not assume home ownership; shift focus to bring renters back into the process. The proposed process is not targeted enough to be effective in creating more affordable housing. • Many of the proposed strategies have costs associated with them. • Appreciate effort to break the proposed strategies into manageable chunks that identify actionable items; the approval process should be deliberate and inclusive. • Questions asked about how neighborhood participation would be encouraged and facilitated. • Unsure what problem(s) will be solved by creating a "housing action plans." MOTION AND VOTE: Councilor Clark, seconded by Councilor Taylor, moved to direct the City Manager to move forward the 12 administrative items listed on December 11, 2018, proposed action matrix. PASSED 7:0. • A work session to discuss the Construction Excise Tax will be scheduled early in 2019. The council returned to an issue associated with the Hwy 99 homeless camp discussion. At an earlier meeting, the council approved additional funding to partner with Lane County for transitioning the camp to a dusk -to -dawn facility. Staff now needs clarification if any the approved funds will be used for the camp site, to increase capacity at the Lindholm Center, or both. If the County contracts with St. Vincent DePaul, several of the current residents of the homeless camp will be excluded. The City must have a back-up plan for dealing with the fact that these excluded individuals will need somewhere to go. MOTION AND VOTE (including friendly amendment): Councilor Clark, seconded by Councilor Taylor, moved to authorize the expenditure of up to $100,000 to support Lindholm Center services. PASSED 6:1, Councilor Zelenka opposed. The meeting adjourned at 1:45 p.m. Respectfully submitted, ,ate lkta MINUTES — Eugene City Council December 12, 2018 Page 2 Work Session Beth Forrest City Recorder Link to the webcast of this City Council meeting: here. MINUTES — Eugene City Council December 12, 2018 Page 3 Work Session