HomeMy WebLinkAbout4.8.2019 City Council Meeting MinutesMINUTES
Eugene City Council
Harris Hall, 125 East 8h Avenue
Eugene, Oregon 97401
April 8, 2019
7:30 p.m.
Councilors Present: Emily Semple, Jennifer Yeh, Alan Zelenka, Mike Clark, Chris Pryor, Greg Evans,
Betty Taylor, and Claire Syrett (via phone)
Mayor Vinis opened the March 8, 2019, meeting of the Eugene City Council and reported on the
City's pursuits to work at the federal level to address lack of local control of 5G installation.
1. PUBLIC FORUM
1. Todd Boyle - expressed preference for a more straightforward approach to subsidizing housing.
2. Margaret Thumel - expressed concerns regarding drug activity on River Road.
3. Tim Stuart - voiced concerns about the increase in crime along River Road area.
4. Seth Sadofsky - would like the City to do more to address climate change.
5. David Ivan Piccioni - shared his ideas regarding legalizing drugs.
6. Abraham Likwornik- encouraged the City to take local action on 5G and smart meters.
7. William Collinge - voiced concern about denial of scientific evidence of the dangers of 5G.
8. Pamela Wible - expressed her opposition to the installation of 5G.
9. Kathy Ging - urged a local ordinance banning installation of 5G by April 15.
10. Bekki Bruckner - said 5G towers violate existing telecommunications ordinances.
11. Sabrina Siegel - requested an emergency work session on 5G.
12. Colin Farnsworth - requested a work session on 5G.
13. Adriane Myers - shared information about scientific studies regarding 5G.
14. Robin Bloomgarden - shared information about legal approaches to banning 5G.
15. Krista Rojas - expressed concerns about 5G radiation levels.
16. Roberly Heigh Hearsch - voiced concerns about the impact of 5G on clear thinking.
17. Victor Odlivak- demanded that the City take action to block 5G.
18. Jesse Hubbe - asked the council to take action to put an end to 5G installations.
19. Paul Prince - shared concerns regarding the health effects of 5G.
20. Joshua Korn - urged the council to protect its residents from 5G and avoid liability issues.
21. Joe LaFleur - shared his observations on the bird population in moving from 3G to 4G.
22. Cynthia Kokis - supported a CET program that doesn't use General Fund money.
23. Hope Vaccher - shared the impact of 5G on her family and demanded a work session.
24. Jennifer Frenzer- Knowlton - spoke in favor of a CET for affordable housing.
25. Martha Bryson - demanded timely action on affordable housing.
26. Barb Prentice - expressed her strong opposition to the unlawful transfer ordinance.
27. Michael Carrigan - expressed support for a one percent CET.
28. Darcy Phillips - expressed support for City Manager's original CET proposal.
29. Tiffany Edwards - highlighted the collaborative problem -solving leading to the CET.
30. Ed McMahon - expressed support for the City Manager's original CET proposal.
31. Laura Ohanian - encouraged council to defy any unjust laws that allow 5G.
32. John Thielking - urged council to take fast action on climate change and 5G.
33. Bonnie Souza - expressed strong opposition to the unlawful transfer ordinance.
34. David Fidanque - urged council not to pass the unlawful transfer ordinance.
35. Timothy Morris - spoke in favor of the one percent CET for funding affordable housing.
36. Ryan Moore - expressed his support for a one percent CET for more affordable housing.
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37. Joshua Caraco -supported a one percent CET and other action to increase housing.
38. Daniel Ivy - expressed his support for a one percent CET to fund affordable housing.
39. Katie Hall - spoke in support of a.5 percent CET and its collaborative development.
40. Jane Katra - spoke against installation of 5G; asked council to protect residents.
41. Kaarin Knudson - spoke in support of the City Manager's original CET proposal.
42. Dallas Smith - spoke in support of a CET to create more affordable housing.
43. Susan Klein - shared a video of 5G radiation measurements.
44. Heather Dean - appealed to the City Council to help stop proliferation of 5G.
45. John Van Landingham - spoke in support of the City Manager's original CET proposal.
46. Kimberly Gladen - spoke in opposition to taxing people living on minimum wage.
47. Shaun Winter - supported CET at one -percent level to create funds for more affordable housing.
48. David Hoffman - encouraged the City to defy federal legislation regarding 5G.
49. Zondie Zinke - supported a one -percent CET with no upper limit on projects.
50. Stefan Strek - shared that he is running in a special election and asked for support.
51. Ingrid Edstrom - shared her concerns about the health impacts of 5G.
Council Discussion:
• Councilor Clark- said he would like more proof about the harm of 5G technology; supported
the idea of a work session to get better informed about the negative effects of the technology;
shared plans to circulate a work session poll.
2. CONSENT CALENDAR
A. Approval of City Council Minutes
• January 28, 2019, Work Session
• January 28, 2019, Meeting
• January 30, 2019, Work Session
• February 19, 2019, Joint Work Session
• February 19, 2019, Public Hearing
• February 20, 2019, Work Session
• February 23, 2019, Workshop
• March 6, 2019, Work Session
B. Approval of Tentative Working Agenda
C. Adoption of a Resolution Annexing Land (Assessor's Map 17-04-11-22, Tax Lot 00320;
Located South of Blackfoot Avenue, West of Crocker Road) and a Portion of Blackfoot
Avenue Right -Of -Way to the City of Eugene (City File: Osuna, Morgan and Hannah; A 19-1)
MOTION AND VOTE: Councilor Taylor, seconded by Councilor Semple, moved to
approve the items on the Consent Calendar. PASSED 8:0
3. ACTION: An Ordinance Concerning Imposition of a Construction Excise Tax on Commercial
and Residential Improvements and Adding Sections 3.730, 3.732, 3.734, 3.736, 3.738, 3.740,
3.742, 3.744, 3.746 and 3.748 to the Eugene Code, 1971.
City Manager Jon Ruiz gave a brief introduction to the issue.
MOTION: Councilor Pryor, seconded by Councilor Evans, moved to adopt an
ordinance concerning imposition of a construction excise tax on commercial and
residential improvements consistent with the City Manager's recommendation of
December 2018.
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Council Discussion:
• Councilor Pryor - spoke in support of the original consensus -based solution proposed.
• Mayor Vinis - asked a question of the City Attorney regarding process.
• Councilor Pryor - accepted the City Attorney's clarification of the motion; acknowledged the
collaborative process in determining the City Manager's original recommendation and
emphasized his desire to keep as many partners as possible on board for future housing work
• Councilor Syrett - acknowledged the work of the coalition of people who worked together;
viewed the City Manager's recommendation as a policy designed to ease the building
community into the idea of a CET; preferred to pass a one percent CET and evaluate its impact
in the future rather than compromise too much.
• Councilor Taylor - asked for clarification about whether the ordinance brings in new money;
thought the ordinance was deceptive and opposed the $1 million limit as well as the MUPTE
exemption.
• Councilor Zelenka - expressed doubt that either proposal would show impact or success in a
couple of years; noted that most Oregon communities have adopted a one -percent CET.
• Councilor Clark- argued that the market has worked perfectly and that the central issue was
the cost of land and the need for an Urban Growth Boundary expansion.
• Councilor Semple -preferred to postpone the discussion; listed her concerns about both the
upper and lower limits and the proposed MUPTE exemption; said the proposed CET simply
moves money around rather than generating new funds; supported setting a.5 percent CET
reevaluating after two years.
• Councilor Evans - emphasized that the proposal was community -generated through a coalition
of people with differing views; would like to support their hard work, preferred to evaluate
whether to move to a one percent CET at the end of the first two years.
• Councilor Yeh - expressed support for the motion as a good compromise for all involved.
• Councilor Semple - said she would support the motion with amendments because there were
so many people in the community who supported it; made a motion to amend to start with a
fixed .5 percent rate and remove the $1 million upper limit (motion to amend was not seconded);
• Councilor Clark- asked staff why the $1 million cap was important.
• Councilor Syrett - supported the removal of the cap and asked staff whether other cities had
upper limits in their ordinances.
MOTION TO AMEND: Councilor Semple, seconded by Councilor Syrett, moved to
amend to delete 3.732 (3) and renumber accordingly. PASSED 5:3, councilors Evans,
Pryor, and Clark opposed.
• Councilor Taylor - stated she would vote for one percent, but would like to remove the MUPTE
exception.
• Councilor Semple - did not think paying the CET was an insurmountable amount of money for
developers receiving a MUPTE.
• Councilor Clark- thought the reason both tax exemptions made sense was because there was a
need to provide more incentives for building housing.
• Councilor Syrett - agreed with Councilor Clark that the MUPTE was a prescribed program to
help with certain types of housing and imposing a tax on those properties would disincentivize
the building of multi -family housing.
• Councilor Clark- said a CET disincentivizes building homes.
MOTION TO AMEND: Councilor Taylor, seconded by Councilor Semple, moved to
amend to delete the MUPTE exception. FAILED 3:5, councilors Evans, Pryor, Syrett,
Yeh and Clark opposed.
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VOTE ON MAIN MOTION AS AMENDED: Move to adopt an ordinance concerning
the imposition of a construction excise tax on commercial and residential
improvements consistent with the City Manager's recommendation of December,
2018. That recommendation being the ordinance in council's packet with the
following change: replace "From July 1, 2020 through June 30, 2021:" in EC
3.732(1)(b) and (2)(b) with "Beginning July 1, 2020:" and delete EC 3.732(1)(c) and
(2)(c). PASSED 5:3, councilors Zelenka, Taylor, and Syrett opposed.
4. ACTION: An Ordinance Concerning Nuisances, Amending Sections 6.005 and 6.010 of the
Eugene Code, 1971, and Adding Section 6.116 to that Code.
MOTION AND VOTE: Councilor Taylor, seconded by Councilor Semple, moved to adopt
Council Bill 5200, an ordinance updating the City's Nuisance Code. PASSED: 8:0.
The meeting adjourned at 10:10 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
,Q -a Avt&
Beth Forrest
City Recorder
(Recorded by Cas Casados)
Link to the webcast of this City Council meeting: here.
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Meeting