Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutCC Minutes - 11/13/01 Meeting MINUTES Eugene City Council Regular Meeting Council Chamber-Eugene City Hall November 13, 2001 8p.m. COUNCILORS PRESENT: Betty Taylor, David Kelly, Nancy Nathanson, Scott Meisner, Gary Rayor, Gary Pap~, Bonny Bettman. COUNCILORS ABSENT: Pat Fart. Mayor James D. Torrey called the regular meeting of the Eugene City Council to order. I.CEREMONIAL MATTERS Mayor Torrey recognized an English as a Second Language Class from Lane Community College. Public Works Director Kurt Corey and Ron Colby of the American Public Works Association presented a posthumous American Public Works Association award to late City Engineer Les Lyle. Mr. Corey stressed that the passing of Mr. Lyle had left a void, but his dedication to public service was evident in the many projects in the City that bore his mark. II.PUBLIC FORUM Mayor Torrey reviewed the rules of the public forum. Scott Lanfield, 29 West 31st Avenue, suggested a community read of Ken Kesey's "Sometimes A Great Notion" at Tsunami Books. He said the entire city was invited to the event and noted that he was coordinating with other bookstores and local schools. Elizabeth Stephenson, 2435 Skyline Boulevard, encouraged the council to carefully examine the redistricting issue and raised concern over the potential break-up of neighborhoods. She urged the choice of the "Violet" scenario. There being no further requests to speak, Mayor Torrey called for council comments. Councilor Meisner noted that he was chairing a committee that was examining the possibility of community reads. He encouraged Mr. Lanfield to leave his number so the committee could contact him regarding that subject. Councilor Kelly took an opportunity to compliment the renovation work that had been done in the Council Chamber. MINUTES--Eugene City Council November 13, 2001 Page 1 Regular Meeting Regarding community reads, Councilor Kelly suggested that Mr. Lanfield communicate/cooperate with the Public Library on the project. Councilor Bettman thanked those who had spoken for Les Lyle. She also expressed her support for the idea of a community read. Councilor Bettman said she agreed that the Violet Scenario was the best plan for redistricting. Councilor Pap~ expressed his pleasure in the recognition of Les Lyle's accomplishments. MINUTES--Eugene City Council November 13, 2001 Page 2 Regular Meeting III.CONSENT CALENDAR A. Approval of Minutes October 8, 2001, Work Session October 8, 2001, Regular Meeting October 10 2001 Work Session October 15 2001 Boards and Commissions Interviews October 16 2001 Boards and Commissions Interviews October 17 2001 Work Session October 17 2001 Boards and Commissions Interviews October 22 2001 Work Session October 22 2001 Regular Meeting October 23 2001, Boards and Commissions Interviews B. Approval of Tentative Working Agenda Councilor Taylor, seconded by Councilor Kelly, moved to approve the items on the Consent Calendar. Councilor Bettman offered a correction to page 4 of the minutes of October 17. In the first paragraph she noted that "County and State should be listed together and in the fourth sentence "a TUF Measure" should replace "a measure". Councilor Kelly offered a correction to the October 8, work session, page 8. In the third paragraph from the bottom he suggested that "Mr. Kelly said that drug crime..." should be changed to "Mr. Kelly said that, according to the Eugene Police Department, drug use..." Referring to page 4 the October 17 minutes, Councilor Kelly noted that in the third paragraph "types of use" should be changed to "types of residential use" and "He requested a distinction..." should be changed to "He suggested that possibilities, such as a distinction..." In the minutes of October 17, page 4, in the second paragraph from the bottom of the page, Councilor Nathanson added to her comment by saying that City roads would deteriorate more quickly due to differences in volume and weight of traffic. Roll call vote; the motion passed unanimously. MINUTES--Eugene City Council November 13, 2001 Page 3 Regular Meeting IV. PUBLIC HEARING: An Ordinance Concerning Assessment Procedures; Amending Sections 7.010, 7.100, 7.125, 7.130, 7.150, 7.160, 7.175, 7.250, 7.295, 7.299, 7.400, 7.405, 7.407, 7.410, 7.420, and 7.425 of the Eugene Code, 1971; and Providing an Effective Date Mayor Torrey opened the public hearing. Seeing no one wishing to speak, he closed the public hearing and called for council comments/questions. Councilor Bettman expressed her disappointment that no one wished to testify on the issue. She said she could not support the ordinance since it had many issues that remained, for her, unresolved. She commented that the ordinance was better than the existing language but that better than existing was not good enough. She noted that the nonassessable portions would be costs picked up by the City and stressed the importance of a more equitable plan. Councilor Rayor noted that property owners would only pay for 100 feet of their lot frontage. He commented that there had been a lot of misinformation spread about costs of assessments and stressed that the maximum cost assessment would be approximately $7,000. He said the ordinance was essentially a housekeeping measure. Councilor Kelly expressed his appreciation of the staff work involved in the process. He also expressed his disappointment that there had been no public testimony at the hearing since there had been even more notice of the hearing than was usually provided. He stressed that the assssment proposal resulting from the committee was the best that could be done. Councilor Pap~ thanked staff for its involvement in the process. Councilor Meisner expressed his appreciation for the work done and said he would support the ordinance as it was presented. Councilor Taylor also expressed her disappointment that there had been no public testimony. She raised concern that the proposed ordinance was not equitable and not enough of an improvement over the existing ordinance. Councilor Nathanson believed that the revised policies addressed the fairness issues. In response to a question from Councilor Bettman regarding the use of access fees, Acting City Engineer Fred McVey said access fees were used when there was additional access taken by development to a lot when access had not been taken at the time of street improvement. He said access fees were a response to not having paid an assessment and their amounts were figured with the same formula as an equivalent assessment. MINUTES--Eugene City Council November 13, 2001 Page 4 Regular Meeting V. PUBLIC HEARING AND POSSIBLE ACTION: An Ordinance Concerning Forfeiture, and Amending Sections 4.425, 4.247, 4.251, 4.253, and 4.255 of the Eugene Code, 1971 Assistant City Manager Jim Carlson noted that the hearing was a continuation of a hearing held on October 22, 2001 and requested that action be taken that evening. Mayor Torrey opened the public hearing. Judge Darrell Larson reminded the council that an overwhelming majority of voters had voted for Ballot Measure 3 on the assumption that the money would be used for drug treatment. He urged the council to listen to those voters. He cited the measure language and reiterated his urging that the council stay with the intent of the voters. He stressed that drug treatment could accomplish fantastic results if money from forfeitures were directed towards it as voters intended. Larry Weinerman, 2891 Central Boulevard, stressed that the intent of Ballot Measure 3 was to dedicate forfeiture money toward drug treatment. He urged the council to be honest with voters. He stressed that drug treatment worked and saved money in the long-term. Mr. Weinerman went on to say that there were serious gaps in Eugene's drug treatment system. He stressed the need for detox beds and residential treatment for youth. He thanked the council for the opportunity to be heard. Lucy Zammarelli, 2250 Grant Street, said she voted for measure 3 because she thought forfeiture money would be directed towards drug treatment. She said that girls were the most at- risk population in the City and raised concern that the council was letting the community's youth down. She stressed that Eugene voters intent was for the money to be designated toward drug treatment and opined that the council was trying to derail the intent of the voters. Joella Ewing, 2384 Washington Street, stressed that the people who wrote and voted for measure 3 had intended forfeiture money to be dedicated to drug treatment. She commented that 95 percent of the crime in Lane County was drug-related, and added that the existence of the drug court depended on treatment availability. Robert Hawtree, 580 East 46th Avenue, urged the council to do the right thing and dedicate the forfeiture funds to drug treatment. Jan Mackey, 2502 Lily Avenue, said she had voted for measure 3 thinking that the money would be used for drug treatment. She stressed that drug treatment worked and would save money over time. She stressed the importance of having adolescent detox facilities in the City and urged the council not to hinder a positive impact on the community. Peg Waite, 2415 Del Monte Street, stressed the fact that drug treatment saved the community money in the long-run. There being no other requests to speak, Mayor Torrey closed the public hearing. MINUTES--Eugene City Council November 13, 2001 Page 5 Regular Meeting Councilor Pap~ expressed a desire to see accountability for the funds used toward drug treatment. City Manager Jim Johnson said that accountability could be achieved through the contracts process. Councilor Meisner noted that there was a finite amount of money available for City services. He expressed concern over earmarking funds and then taking the money from other services. Councilor Kelly commented that drug treatment was a public safety strategy. He urged the council to think carefully about the intent of the voters regarding measure 3. He raised concern that Eugene was already paying a larger portion for social services than its jurisdictional partners and suggested that the forfeiture money be specifically used for citizens of Eugene only. Councilor Nathanson stressed that the voters intended the money to go toward drug treatment. She noted that Judge Larson's citation of the measure did not read the same as staff's interpretation and remarked that "some other purpose specifically stated by law" meant some other specific purpose just as special as drug treatment and not just using the money for another purpose. She stressed the importance of working toward the intent of the voters. She added her concern that Eugene was spending more on social services than its intergovernmental partners and expressed support for Councilor Kelly's suggestion of making the drug treatment available to Eugene citizens only. She expressed a desire to see the funding supplement Eugene's share of the support of social services. In response to a question from Councilor Nathanson regarding how the City of Springfield and Lane County had addressed the issue, Mr. Carlson said Springfield had approved an ordinance that did not dedicate forfeiture funds to drug treatment and Lane County had not yet considered the issue. In response to a question from Councilor Nathanson regarding whether the forfeiture money would supplant or supplement Eugene's contribution to social services, Mr. Carlson said it would be a decision of the Budget Committee during the budget process. Councilor Rayor said he would support an amendment that followed the intent of the voters and earmarked the funds toward drug treatment. He commented that less money could be earmarked to social services during the budget process. He said that drug treatment was the most important social service and should come first. Councilor Bettman thanked those who testified. She suggested that the same people testify before the Board of County Commissioners when it considered the issue. Councilor Bettman summarized the issue as a choice between treatment beds and jail beds. She stressed that treatment beds were a much less expensive and more effective way to go. She expressed her support for dedicating the funds to drug treatment for the citizens of Eugene. She remarked that she preferred to dedicate the money through the ordinance process to ensure that it was ongoing. Mayor Torrey noted that everyone agreed that drug treatment worked. He said the difficult choice was to find which programs were going to be cut to allow the dedication of funding to drug treatment. He raised concern that the City was in danger of losing a substantial amount of State funding in January. MINUTES--Eugene City Council November 13, 2001 Page 6 Regular Meeting Addressing Judge Larson, Mayor Torrey posed the question of why there was no State funding when citizens of Oregon were in need of drug treatment. He stressed that Eugene was stepping up to the issue while many areas of the state were not. In response to a question from Councilor Meisner regarding the levels of social service dollars spent by the City of Springfield and Lane County, City Manager Johnson opined that both jurisdictions would spend additional dollars on drug treatment but just preferred to not provide that funding by ordinance. Councilor Meisner stressed the importance of the people who testified returning during the budget process to provide input on the importance of drug treatment. He added that it was very difficult to define voter intent. City Manager Johnson stressed the fact that City staff was not against drug treatment. He noted that past council policy had been not to provide funding through the ordinance process. He said that the staff recommendation for action had taken that into account. Councilor Taylor noted her support for preventive measures as opposed to penalties. She did not want the issue to be characterized as the City Council taking away funding that was previously there, which it was not. She was willing to consider using some of the funds for drug treatment. Councilor Nathanson reiterated that the voters had directed that the funding be dedicated by ordinance. Councilor Kelly noted that the issue was being discussed at the moment. He urged taking action and following up through the Human Services Commission process. Councilor Pap8 expressed his desire to hear from Councilor Farr on the issue. He also reiterated his desire to see performance measures of drug treatment programs as a condition of funding. Councilor Bettman expressed a desire to take action that evening. She stressed that it was a public safety issue. There was general consensus to table the issue until December 10. VI.ACTION: Appointments to Boards, Commissions, and Committees Human Riqhts Commission Councilor Taylor, seconded by Councilor Kelly, moved to appoint Aurendra Subramani to Position 2 on the Human Rights Commission for a three-year term ending October 31, 2004. Roll call vote; the motion passed unanimously. Councilor Taylor, seconded by Councilor Kelly, moved to appoint Dwight Souers to Position 6 on the Human Rights Commission for a three-year term ending October 31, 2004. Roll call vote; the motion passed unanimously. Councilor Taylor, seconded by Councilor Kelly, moved to appoint Melissa Mona to Position 5 on the Human Rights Commission for one year, filling a MINUTES--Eugene City Council November 13, 2001 Page 7 Regular Meeting mid-year term vacancy with the term ending October 31, 2002. Roll call vote; the motion passed 6:1 with Councilor Meisner voting in opposition. East Alton Baker Park Citizen Planninq Committee Councilor Taylor, seconded by Councilor Kelly, moved to reappoint Kate McGee to Position 1, a Eugene representative on the East Alton Baker Park Citizen Planning Committee for a three-year term beginning November 13, 2001 and ending October 31, 2004. Roll call vote; the motion passed unanimously. Councilor Taylor, seconded by Councilor Kelly, moved to reappoint Andy Peara to Position 2, a Eugene representative on the East Alton Baker Park Citizen Planning Committee for a three-year term ending October 31, 2004. Roll call vote; the motion passed unanimously. Councilor Taylor, seconded by Councilor Kelly, moved to reappoint David Sonnichsen to Position 8, a Eugene representative on the East Alton Baker Park Citizen Planning Committee for a three-year term ending October 31, 2004. Roll call vote; the motion passed unanimously. Councilor Taylor, seconded by Councilor Kelly, moved to reappoint James Gent to Position 9, a Eugene representative on the East Alton Baker Park Citizen Planning Committee for a three-year term ending October 31, 2004. Roll call vote; the motion passed unanimously. Councilor Taylor, seconded by Councilor Kelly, moved to appoint Colleen McCaffery to Position 15 on the East Alton Baker Park Citizen Planning Committee for a three year term ending October 31, 2004. The motion passed unanimously. Roll call vote; the motion passed unanimously. Councilor Taylor, seconded by Councilor Kelly, moved to appoint Sue Mandobell to Position 5, a Springfield representative on the East Alton Baker Park Citizen Planning Committee for a three-year term ending October 31, 2004. Roll call vote; the motion passed unanimously. Historic Review Board Councilor Taylor, seconded by Councilor Kelly, moved to reappoint Nancy McFadden to Position 2 on the Historic Review Board, for a four-year term ending October 31, 2005. Roll call vote; the motion passed unanimously. Councilor Taylor, seconded by Councilor Kelly, moved to reappoint Kip Amend to Position 4 on the Historic Review Board for a four-year term ending October 31, 2005. Roll call vote; the motion passed unanimously. The meeting adjourned at 10 p.m. Respectfully submitted, MINUTES--Eugene City Council November 13, 2001 Page 8 Regular Meeting James R. Johnson City Manager (Recorded by Joe Sams) MINUTES--Eugene City Council November 13, 2001 Page 9 Regular Meeting