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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCC Minutes - 07/14/99 WS MINUTES Eugene City Council McNutt Room, 777 Pearl Street, Eugene July 14, 1999 5:30 p.m. COUNCILORS PRESENT: Scott Meisner, Pat Farr, David Kelly, Bobby Lee, Nancy Nathanson, Gary PapS, Gary Rayor, Betty Taylor. I. CALL TO ORDER The adjourned July 12, 1999, Eugene City Council meeting was called to order at 5:30 p.m.; City Council President Scott Meisner presiding. Mr. Meisner explained that Mayor James D. Torrey would arrive shortly. II. ITEMS FROM MAYOR AND COUNCIL A. Problem-Oriented Policing (POP) Ms. Nathanson recalled the council's public hearings on July 12 on various ordinances that dealt with problems caused by the activities of young people, which she called "pretty troubling." She had called this situation to the attention of the Police Department as an opportunity for a Problem-Oriented Policing (POP) project, and a report was forthcoming. B. Rail Yard Ms. Nathanson asked staff to research the disposal of the rail yard to see if there is an opportunity for the City to influence the redevelopment of that area. Mr. Meisner asked staff to contact Union Pacific to find out if it intends to retain or sell the property. Mayor Torrey arrived at the meeting. C. Matching LRCS Youth Program Grants Mr. Rayor asked for an update on the Library, Recreation, and Cultural Services (LRCS) matching youth program grants, specifically staff resources involved. City Manager Jim Johnson said his understanding of the council direction was to prepare request for proposals (RFPs) for groups in the community to provide services to young people. He explained that there was no administrative money taken out of the grants for the preparation of the RFP proposal and the staffing for monitoring those grants would have to be absorbed Minutes--Eugene City Council July 14, 1999 Page 1 5:30 p.m. within the department. Mr. Johnson added that the RFP would be released by the end of the month and should have a four- to six-week turnaround. Mr. Rayor requested a copy of the RFP. D. Legal Services Contract Mr. Rayor asked for a work session on renewal of the legal services contract. Mr. Johnson asked for guidance on when to schedule the session, saying there would be no time before the council's summer break but it could be held in September with enough time before the renewal in October. Several councilors expressed interest in holding the work session. Mr. Johnson asked those having suggestions to forward them to him, adding that he would distribute the June 10, 1998, information packet on the item. E. Airport Transit Mr. Kelly indicated that a survey on airport transit had been completed and a report was forthcoming. F. Council Wednesday Meeting Time Mr. Kelly suggested a survey sheet be distributed in the council packet to poll for the preferable Wednesday meeting time. The council agreed to the idea. G. Congratulations Mr. Papd congratulated the City Manager and staff on the new Police Academy facility and the first graduation ceremony. H. Y2K Problem Update Mr. Papd asked for an update on the Y2K problem. Mr. Johnson said updates have been distributed in the council newsletter but a full report was forthcoming no later than the next two council packets. I. Bethel Landscape Mr. Fart pointed out the great changes in the Bethel area and invited everyone out to survey the differences. J. False Allegations/Accusations Mr. Fart read from a letter e-mailed to him which has been distributed to the local news media as well: "It's becoming more and more clear that all but one of our City Council members has been successfully either bribed or blackmailed by Torrey and his Chamber of Commerce growth-at-all-costs henchmen to support his own vision for Eugene." Mr. Fart stated that neither he or anyone he knows of has been bribed and he concluded his remarks by reading the post script: "Pat Fart, Mr. Racist-Chamber of Commerce-growth-at- any-cost hand maiden..." He added that he found the latter to be particularly disturbing. He requested tape cassette copies of the May 18, 1999, Human Rights Commission meeting to check on statements attributed to him at that meeting. Minutes--Eugene City Council July 14, 1999 Page 2 5:30 p.m. K. Contingency Request Ms. Taylor asked for permission to bring before the council on August 11 a $5,000 Contingency Fund request for roofing of the Masonic Cemetery Mausoleum. She declared a potential conflict of interest as she owns a burial plot in the cemetery. The council agreed to consider the request. L. Tree Ordinance Ms. Taylor wondered when the tree ordinance was scheduled for council discussion. Mr. Johnson indicated that the discussion had been scheduled for August 9. M. Legislative Issues Mayor Torrey reported on the following legislative issues: movement on the PERS issue; transportation allocations in the next two days; some positive movement on high-speed rail, Healthy Start, and alcohol/drug programs; juvenile crime bill in question. He indicated that the James Family Trust issue would be raised in about two weeks and he suggested coming to consensus before voting on the issue. N. Livable Oregon Mr. Meisner indicated that this year's Livable Oregon conference will be held in Portland, Oregon jointly with the National Conference of the Congress for the New Urbanism. He said he would keep the council apprized of developments. Mr. Meisner acknowledged today as the Mayor's birthday and those present sang "Happy Birthday" and presented a birthday cake. iii. WORK SESSION: NORTH END SCOPiNG GROUP FOR DOWNTOWN EUGENE Ms. Nathanson expressed appreciation for what she described as "one of those great examples of interdepartmental or multi-departmental and multi-agency work." She indicated that consultants Rick Satre and Philip Farrington assisted the committee for an amazing amount of discussion and were present to entertain questions from the council. Ms. Nathanson acknowledged the presence of committee member Hugh Prichard; Roger Jacobs, U.S. District Court; Amtrak representative Tony Buscemi, who presented the council with a letter from Amtrak President Gil Mallery supporting the committee's recommendation. Ms. Nathanson gave background information and described the group's process. She highlighted the urgency of the work, noting that funding for the train station was jeopardized if not used in a timely manner and adding that the new federal courthouse would be built with or without the City's involvement. Ms. Nathanson reviewed the committee's report and said much of it has to do with what happens in the long-term as much depends on actions that occur in the private sector. Lew Bowers, Planning and Development Department, called attention to the errata sheet at members' seats and said that unless objections are raised these will be considered part of the final report. He reviewed the summary of the next steps, including a new recommendation for signage around the train station, and the council's options. Minutes--Eugene City Council July 14, 1999 Page 3 5:30 p.m. Mr. Meisner said the committee's representation was well-balance and it was a pleasure to work on the project. Mr. Meisner moved, seconded by Ms. Nathanson, to accept the report of the North End Scoping Group. Mr. Kelly thanked the committee for its work, saying that the vision was exactly what he wanted. He asked for clarification of the word "accept" in the motion. Mr. Meisner responded that the motion asks the council to receive the report, but not the approval of the report as a set of policies which are automatically to be implemented. Ms. Nathanson called attention to the summary of next steps, which include work programs for the project that may be modified by the council as it sees fit. Mr. Kelly continued saying he was particularly pleased with 1) the encouragement of downtown housing, 2) implementing design standards, 3) plans for street and public places, and 4) pedestrian connections to the river. He asked if the proposed downtown shuttle would encompass a route that touched the edge of the University campus. Mr. Meisner responded that it would be included in some form or other. Mr. Kelly said he assumed that any structured parking or "public/private projects" mentioned in the report would come before the council for approval. Mr. Johnson confirmed those would come before the council even before the capital improvement project (CIP) process. Mr. Kelly expressed concern about funding for the train station and asked what latitude there was for expenditure of City funds towards the acquisition and the implications of that should the Legislature withdraw its support. Ms. Taylor expressed support for City acquisition of the train station, highlighting the need for loading/unloading zones and long-term parking. She wondered if there had been any discussion about narrowing 6th and 7th avenues and widening the sidewalks. Ms. Nathanson said there had been some discussion about allowing parking in one lane except for two hours in the morning and afternoon during the daily commute. Mr. Farr said he was impressed with the group's work, particularly the report's re-utilization of parts of the community that are not working. He was pleased to see cooperation between the district judge and federal representatives and the local jurisdictions in planning the new courthouse. Mr. Farr said he especially liked the performing arts venues mentioned. Mr. Rayor thanked the group for its work, pointing out some weaknesses: relegating support for "keeping views of the butte open" to the footnote on page 7; including funding mechanisms for structured parking in the document and thus codifying it; including the "story" in the document (Mr. Rayor suggested moving the story to the Appendix); and not emphasizing street trees along with street widening. Mr. Pap~ gave the committee accolades for its work, saying he was particularly excited about street retail and parking. He also cited the need for parking around the station or at minimum a shuttle to nearby parking if high speed rail was realized. He said he believed the City should own the train station but questioned its historic designation. Mr. Pap~ said he preferred pedestrian overpasses for connectivity across 6th and 7th avenues over narrowing. With regard to the federal courthouse, he said he did not see the emphasis on federal cooperation inconsistent with the recommendations for openness and accessibility. Mr. Lee said he appreciated the way Ms. Nathanson and Mr. Meisner were able to capture the opportunity to include the train station in the project. Minutes--Eugene City Council July 14, 1999 Page 4 5:30 p.m. Mr. Meisner emphasized that the Federal General Services Administration (GSA) had been active participants in the group's work and whatever qualms there may have been have been mitigated by Judge Hogan's interest in the local environment. He expressed disappointment that the committee did not address the 3rd and 4th avenues connectors. He cited the need for local jurisdictions to consider intercity as well as intracity transportation. Mr. Meisner said he was contacted by a citizen who wondered why the East Skinner Butte residential area was not included in the study area. He explained that there was no interest on the committee for integrating that residential neighborhood into a downtown plan. Mr. Rayor moved to not accept page 6 of the report. The motion to amend failed for lack of a second. Ms. Nathanson explained that modifications, including deletions, could be made under consideration of the next steps. Mr. Kelly moved, seconded by Mr. Pap6, to amend the motion by adding the phrase: "noting that recommendations with significant expenditures will come back to the council before implementation." The motion failed, 3:5; with councilors Pap~, Kelly, and Rayor voting in favor. Mr. Rayor moved, seconded by Mr. Lee, to remove the story from the report. Mr. Kelly said he was opposed to the amendment, favoring instead a revision to address the concerns raised by Mr. Rayor. Mr. Rayor pointed out that the story had extreme stereotypes. The motion failed, 2:6; with Mr. Rayor and Mr. Lee voting in favor. Mr. Papd reiterated his concern with the train station as it exists, saying a classic, timeless structure could be built in its place. The main motion passed, 7:1; with Mr. Rayor opposed. Mr. Meisner moved, seconded by Ms. Nathanson, to direct the City Manager to take steps for the acquisition of the train station as soon a possible to meet time table constraints imposed by available federal and Amtrak funding, prepare a work plan and contracts for the rehabilitation and possible expansion of the existing historic train station utilizing available federal and other funding, and to proceed with the train station being owned and managed by either a public or appropriate non-profit entity to assure long-term public benefit; and to direct staff to submit a status report to the City Council in September. Public Works Director Chris Andersen clarified that the acquisition and development of the train station is listed in the current CIP, including its budget with the utilization of federal transportation dollars matched by Amtrak dollars. She noted that at this time no Eugene City funds were involved. She explained that the federal money was earmarked for the project, but Amtrak funding was allocated annually and if the project does not move forward, that funding is jeopardized. Minutes--Eugene City Council July 14, 1999 Page 5 5:30 p.m. Addressing a question from Mr. Pap6, Ms. Andersen said the funding may be used for "the Eugene train station," meaning it could be used for another train station. In response to a follow-up question from Mr. Pap6, Ms. Andersen said the southern terminal study from the early TransPlan development considered alternative locations for the train station and discussed the type of facility needed to support this area, but it did not research or compare that to a new facility. The motion passed 7:1; with Mr. Pap6 opposed. Mr. Meisner moved, seconded by Ms. Nathanson, to direct the City Manager to forward the recommendations within the report on the federal courthouse to the General Services Administration and the federal court system as the basis for City input into the courthouse design process, and to maintain an active relationship with the project in order to continue to be involved in the design process. The motion passed unanimously, 8:0. Mr. Meisner moved, seconded by Ms. Nathanson, to direct the City Manager to prepare a work program of the other report recommendations for council consideration. A status report would be made to the City Council in September. Ms. Nathanson said she hoped the City Manager would take into account the concerns raised by the council during this meeting; in particular, those issues raised by Mr. Rayor. She said she assumed that any work plan would come before the council for final approval before it was implemented. Mr. Johnson said that would be the case. Mr. Meisner offered a friendly amendment which would substitute the words "next steps" for "recommendations" in the motion. Ms. Nathanson accepted the friendly amendment. The motion passed unanimously, 8:0. Ms. Nathanson recognized the following people for their work on the project: Cathy Briner, Bob Hibschman, Lew Bowers, Department Director Paul Farmer, Jan Childs, Dave Reinhard, and Jim Croteau in the Planning and Development Department, and the City Manager. Mr. Rayor asked for periodic updates on the EWEB/PERS lawsuit. III.WORK SESSION: ADOPTION OF EVALUATION PROCESS AND CRITERIA FOR CITY MANAGER Mr. Meisner introduced the topic and reviewed the process followed in producing the document before the council. He said the City Manager, executive managers, mayor and councilors will all use the same document for evaluating the City Manager's performance. Mr. Meisner pointed out that a sheet with three questions will be used to guide input from individual employees, the bargaining units, and the executive managers of community agencies. City Human Resources staff will then consolidate the information and organize it for the council's review. The session for discussion of the evaluation will be led by a facilitator, Margot Helphand, and that session will be held in public. Mr. Johnson added that the responses from department heads will be varied as some are in an acting capacity and some have just taken over their departments. Minutes--Eugene City Council July 14, 1999 Page 6 5:30 p.m. Mr. Fart complimented the revised form but expressed concern about taking anecdotal information from employees and including Item 5 under Element E. He suggested Item 5 under Element C: "Provides and demands uniform and fair leadership from all levels of the organization regardless of City employee's membership in protected classes." He also suggested adding the following phrase to Item 1 under Element E: "and provides incentive to division and department heads to demonstrate nondiscriminatory employment practices." Mr. Johnson had no objection to the suggestions. Mr. Meisner responded that anecdotal information will be received whether it is solicited or not and the sheet helps to guide that input, but believed the last suggestion was unnecessary and micromanaging. Mr. Fart suggested changing Item 5 under Element E by alluding to "all protective classes" rather than just the four mentioned. Human Resources and Risk Services Executive Director Lauren Chouinard said that in "the personnel world, discrimination becomes a legalistic term when attached to the 'nine issues'" and he believed "Item 5 was meant more broadly than that--that there are people who are not protected classes that should not be discriminated against in the way they get work assigmnents, and a variety of other reasons in the work place." He described Item 5 as "another overlay on top of the legal framework." Addressing a question from Mr. Kelly, Mr. Chouinard said councilors would receive the form by courier on July 15 and the discussion session would be held on July 26. Mr. Johnson added that his self-evaluation would be available on July 19. Mr. Kelly asked for a better description of Item 1 under Element A and Item 7 under Element E. The council agreed to strike Item 7. Mr. Rayor said he has struggled to find how to address the problem of staf?s "stonewalling" and there is no item for input on that. He suggested Item 4 under Element G: "Encourages senior staff to respond effectively to council goals and action items." Mr. Pap~ identified the manager's evaluation as one of the most important of the council's activities. He asked the City Manager to identify ways in which councilors and the Mayor can assist him, i.e., a council evaluation by the manager. Mr. Pap~ encourage the City Manager to consider an employee survey. Mr. Johnson responded that City staff had recently completed an employee survey. Mr. Fart suggested a formatted e-mail document for the council to fill in for future evaluations. Mr. Kelly said he looked forward to hearing from "frontline staff." Mr. Johnson commented that he saw performance evaluations as a learning experience and encouraged members of the council to be honest and straightforward. The meeting adjourned at 7:33 p.m. Respectfully submitted, James R. Johnson City Manager Minutes--Eugene City Council July 14, 1999 Page 7 5:30 p.m. (Recorded by Yolanda Paule) R:~1998~Admin Services~CIS ~Councfl~cc990 714m l. wpd Minutes--Eugene City Council July 14, 1999 Page 8 5:30 p.m.