HomeMy WebLinkAbout06.17.2020 City Council Work Session MinutesMINUTES
Eugene City Council
Virtual Work Session
Eugene, Oregon 97401
June 17, 2020
12:00 p.m.
Councilors Present: Emily Semple, Betty Taylor, Alan Zelenka, Jennifer Yeh, Mike Clark, Greg
Evans, Claire Syrett and Chris Pryor
Mayor Vinis opened the June 17, 2020, work session of the Eugene City Council.
1. WORK SESSION: CAP2.0 Update
Chelsea Clinton provided an update on the Community Climate Action Plan 2.0 and the Mayor's CRO
Ad Hoc Work Group.
Council Discussion:
• Councilor Zelenka - thanked staff for their work; explained the process started without a
definitive path but that path was created as the work continued, with a result of over 300 ideas;
stated this will be a great list from which to achieve goals and maintain momentum, and this
was an excellent work product and process with great ideas from the community.
• Councilor Taylor - stated it was a good idea to have the Sustainability Commission serve as the
group to work on accountability; suggested the Sustainability Commission could offer to speak
to neighborhood groups; stated in her experience, meetings spread around the community are
not as well attended as ones held regularly at the same location.
• Councilor Syrett - thanked staff for their work; stated she likes the idea of the Sustainability
Commission being the body to hold this work, and of the Sustainability Commission members
speaking to neighborhood groups, which will help promote bonds among community members
engaging in this work; appreciated aligning the annual report with the budget cycle and
commended the public engagement for the process.
• Councilor Yeh - thanked staff for the presentation; stated she supports the Sustainability
Commission reaching out to neighborhood groups; stated she is glad to hear of the reconvening
of the Equity Panel and suggested making it an on -going group.
• Councilor Semple - expressed appreciation of the process; stated she looks forward to
implementation and believes the Equity Panel is an essential part of that work; thanked staff for
being inclusive and responsive to the community.
• Mayor Vinis - stated this is difficult work and the fact that 300 ideas were brought forward by a
community survey speaks volumes of this community's potential to make needed changes;
stated this was a positive process and the participants felt heard, and as the City engages in
other equity work and police reform conversations, this would be a great model.
2. WORK SESSION: Parks and Recreation Bond and Levy Update
Parks and Open Space Director Craig Carnagey and Recreation Services Director Craig Smith
provided an update on the work accomplished thus far implementing the parks and recreation
bond and levy measures to renovate parks and recreation facilities, build new parks in underserved
areas, improve public safety in parks, and restore park maintenance activities.
MINUTES - Eugene City Council June 17, 2020 Page 1
Work Session
Council Discussion:
• Councilor Syrett - stated this is a great reminder of the good work the community has asked the
City to undertake; stated in regard to the Riverfront Park, she is happy to see the commitment
to honor the history of this part of the city and its significance to the African American
community; expressed appreciation for creation of the wellness check protocol for seniors;
stated she is very pleased to hear of the energy efficiency measures implemented at Echo
Hollow Pool; stated the projects and work are inspiring and show what can be accomplished
with the support of the community.
• Councilor Zelenka - expressed approval of the carbon footprint and energy savings at Echo
Hollow Pool; asked if the new pool will be yards or meters; expressed appreciation for the
wellness for seniors innovation; stated the across -the -river exhibit at Riverfront Park will be a
good tribute to the community's history; stated these bond projects are stimulus projects and
create jobs in the community; urged staff to keep up the good work and do more.
• Councilor Pryor - expressed deep appreciation for staff being able to keep an eye on the long-
term goals, which is what capital improvement projects are, and do them in a sustainable,
environmentally safe and strategic way; said he is impressed at staffs ability to be adaptable
and flexible to the changing landscape, due to COVID or other situations, looking at short-term
needs and situations and using them to produce something even better.
• Councilor Clark - asked what impacts there would be to the specific projects mentioned in this
presentation if the Parks and Recreation System Development Charge methodology does not
change.
• Councilor Yeh - stated she is impressed with the projects coming out of the City's Parks and
Open Space and Recreation divisions; expressed appreciation for the variety and caliber of the
programs, and staffs creativeness in thinking about how to serve the community.
• Councilor Semple - expressed appreciation for the great work staff is doing and encouraged
them to keep it up.
• Mayor Vinis - stated she is open to having walking meetings with Councilors as part of the City
Manager's Activity Challenge.
• Councilor Clark - congratulated Sarah Medary on her first official meeting as City Manager.
The meeting adjourned at 1:11 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
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Beth Forrest
City Recorder
(Recorded by Jessica Gebb)
Link to the webcast of this City Council meeting here.
MINUTES - Eugene City Council June 17, 2020 Page 2
Work Session