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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCC Minutes - 06/15/98 Work Session MINUTES Eugene City Council Hilyard Community Center--2580 Hilyard Street June 15, 1998 5:30 p.m. COUNCILORS PRESENT: Tim Laue, Bobby Lee, Scott Meisner, Nancy Nathanson, Laurie Swanson Gribskov, Betty Taylor, Ken Tollenaar. OTHERS PRESENT: Christine Andersen (Public Works Department Director), Bill Bass (Fire Chief), Cathy Briner (Planning and Development Department Co-Acting Director), Lauren Chouinard (Human Resource and Risk Services Director), Jim Hill (Acting Police Chief), Jim Johnson (Acting City Manager), Terry Smith (Library, Recreation, and Cultural Services Acting Executive Manager), Warren Wong (Administrative Services Department Director) COUNCILOR ABSENT: Pat Farr. Mayor Jim Torrey presiding called joint meeting of the Eugene City Council and the Executive Management Team to order at 5:30 p.m. Mayor Torrey introduced Donald Leslie, who stated that he represented the Alliance for the Mentally III of Lane County (AMI). He expressed appreciation to the council for the availability of the Hilyard Community Center for square dance activities of his organization. He said he believed it was a good partnership providing positive benefit to a special segment of the community. I. WORK SESSION: JOINT MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL AND EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENT TEAM A. Introduction Mayor Torrey stated that the purpose of the joint meeting was to review progress on its 1997-98 Council Goals and discuss priority activities for the remainder of the calendar year. Acting City Manager Jim Johnson said the joint meeting was planned as an informal gathering for the purpose of evaluation and community building. He referred to a collection of documents distributed with the agenda of the meeting entitled "1997-98 City Council Goals--Work Plan-- Progress Report-- Projection." He highlighted information contained in a document listing council goals and action priorities and reviewed an agenda of the work session distributed at the beginning of the meeting. Assistant to the City Manager Jan Bohman referred to her memorandum dated June 12, 1998, providing a tabulation of councilor responses to a survey regarding council goals. She explained MINUTES--Eugene City Council June 15, 1998 Page 1 that staff had recommended allocations of time for discussion of each goal based on council responses. B. Healthy Natural and Build Environment Mr. Johnson reviewed information regarding the work plan and progress report for the Healthy Natural and Build Environment Council Goal distributed with the agenda of the meeting. Mr. Johnson determined there was consensus to proceed as planned with the goal. C. Environmentally Sensitive Transportation System Mr. Johnson reviewed information regarding the work plan and progress report for the Environmentally Sensitive Transportation System Council Goal distributed with the agenda of the meeting. Public Works Director Christine Andersen reported that negotiations with Marist High School representatives regarding the right-of-way for the East Bank bike path had not reached a successful conclusion and that the City would use its condemnation authority to acquire the needed property. She said the process would likely involve a legal challenge which could lead to a jury trial sometime in March 1999. She stated that the City intended to seek permits soon, proceed with issuing contracts for the project before the end of 1998, and that construction would be scheduled to begin in summer 1999. In response to a question from Mr. Meisner, Ms. Andersen explained that beginning the condemnation process now would enable construction to take place in 1999. Ms. Swanson Gribskov requested that staff prepare a memorandum explaining legal and contractual issues related to the condemnation procedure. Mr. Meisner requested that a council work session on the bike path and condemnation procedure be scheduled in the near future. Ms. Nathanson said she would not favor such a work session, if it could be implied that the council was considering changing its direction to staff regarding issues related to the Marist negotiations. Mr. Johnson stated that he would seek counsel from the City Attorney regarding which issues related to the negotiations and development of the project could be considered by the council in public session and which should be assigned to an executive session. Mayor Torrey asked if the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA 21) recently adopted by the US Congress contained provisions to assist in City acquisition of the Eugene Train Station. Ms. Andersen replied that $2 million was provided for the acquisition in the act, but that they would provide leverage for the larger amount of needed funds in a complicated mutual interdependence of the property owner, City, Oregon Department of Transportation, AMTRAK, and Lane Transit District. Mayor Torrey requested a memorandum explaining the legal rights of the City and the acquisition process. Ms. Nathanson suggested that planning for the acquisition be added to activities projected for completion by December 1998. MINUTES--Eugene City Council June 15, 1998 Page 2 C. Cultural and Recreational Opportunities Mr. Johnson reviewed information regarding the work plan and progress report for the Cultural and recreational Opportunities Council Goal distributed with the agenda of the meeting. Mayor Torrey suggested that the Mayor's Committee on Parks and Open Space could propose additional action priorities. Ms. Nathanson added that the committee's recommendations would all relate to property and facilities, not programs. Mr. Johnson determined there was consensus to proceed as planned with the goal. D. Citizen Involvement Mr. Johnson reviewed information regarding the work plan and progress report for the Citizen Involvement Council Goal distributed with the agenda of the meeting. Ms. Nathanson reported that the Council Committee on Citizen Involvement and Organizational Change was preparing to review a staff report and prepare recommendations on the future of the City's Neighborhood Program. She said it would also likely make a recommendation about the continued operation of the committee. Ms. Swanson Gribskov said that she anticipated that the council would choose to participate in consideration of the reorganization of the Neighborhood Program. Mr. Johnson commented that staff anticipated that recommendations about the program would be completed within 60 to 90 days. Mr. Meisner expressed appreciation for improvements made to the Council Newsletter. In response to a question from Ms. Taylor, Mr. Johnson explained that use of the Council Newsletter in conjunction with neighborhood association publications and in other ways were under consideration. E. Intergovernmental Cooperation Mr. Johnson reviewed information regarding the work plan and progress report for the Intergovernmental Cooperation Council Goal distributed with the agenda of the meeting. Mr. Tollenaar requested that a summary of existing intergovernmental agreements such as that related to Urban Transition be provided to council. Ms. Swanson Gribskov suggested that such a summary be also provided to newly elected officials in other local governmental bodies. Ms. Nathanson suggested that such a summary include legislative history and fiscal implications to the governments involved. Mayor Torrey asked if the Lane County safety levy under consideration would be presented to the council before the Board of County Commissioners placed it on the ballot. Mr. Johnson replied that the proposal was scheduled for consideration by the Eugene and Springfield city councils following its approval by the Public Safety Coordinating Council some time in July. F. Affordable Housing MINUTES--Eugene City Council June 15, 1998 Page 3 Planning and Development Department Co-Acting Director Cathy Briner reviewed information regarding the work plan and progress report for the Affordable Housing Council Goal distributed with the agenda of the meeting. Mr. Meisner stated that he was pleased that priorities included action on more than the emergency housing element of affordable housing issues. Mayor Torrey stated that he supported continued search for property which could be included in the City's land bank to be used for affordable housing. Ms. Taylor stated that she believed that development of inclusionary zoning would eliminate the need for the City to be involved in supporting affordable housing through land banking. She said she felt funds required for land banking would be better spent in County-level research on the causes of poverty and homelessness. Mr. Meisner said that he supported land banking techniques because he believed inclusionary zoning was only successful in large housing developments. He said such zoning would eliminate the possibility of affordable housing in existing neighborhoods. Ms. Nathanson asked if there was data regarding whether subdivision of existing properties promoted affordable housing. Ms. Briner said that such information was not available. In response to a question from Ms. Nathanson for absent Councilor Fart, Ms. Briner said she believed the use of park land for camping by homeless persons was complicated and could inhibit other homelessness issues by the City. Mayor Torrey added that he did not favor consideration of park land for such purposes, but supported making other properly zoned publicly held land available. Ms. Swanson Gribskov added that she also did not believe consideration of parks and open space acquisition should be encumbered with such an issue because it could negatively affect its acceptability by citizens. Mr. Lee requested that a council work session be scheduled on affordable housing issues. Ms. Briner said such a session was tentatively scheduled for the fall. Ms. Swanson Gribskov asked if there were one-time financial resources available to add property to the City's affordable housing land bank. Administrative Services Department Director Warren Wong replied that it might be possible to designate a limited amount of such resources in that way. He said a council work session of expenditure of such resources was scheduled for the fall. Mr. Laue said he felt recent concentration on emergency housing issues was positive, but that he was concerned it would result in reduction of resources available for affordable housing programs. He said he supported land banking for affordable housing. G. Community Safety Acting Police Chief Jim Hill reviewed information regarding the work plan and progress report for the Community Safety Council Goal distributed with the agenda of the meeting. Mr. Meisner said he was concerned that expenditures to be used in proposed community surveys of attitudes about policing needs could be better used to provide police services. MINUTES--Eugene City Council June 15, 1998 Page 4 Ms. Nathanson said that she was concerned that southwest Eugene residents could be disheartened by postponing creation of a public safety substation in their area when one was established in the Bethel area. Mr. Johnson suggested that establishment of the Bethel area substation could be used as a model for other pads of the City. Ms. Nathanson added that she hoped southwest area residents could be informed of the process followed. Ms. Nathanson suggested that consideration be given to the use of Community Service Officers in truancy and other school programs. Mr. Hill replied that consideration of such use was included in a comprehensive youth strategy under development. Ms. Swanson Gribskov said that she was concerned that the high level of intergovernmental cooperation which had developed between police agencies continue. She said she was "lukewarm" on the need for citizen surveys about policing needs and suggested that questions regarding such needs be included in the annual City-sponsored citizen survey. Ms. Swanson Gribskov asked for information regarding progress being made in the search for a new Police Chief. Human Resource and Risk Services Director Lauren Chouinard replied that an initial screening of applicants had reduced candidates from 100 to 20 and that interviewing procedures were being developed for the Planning and Development Director, prior to recruiting for a Police Chief. Mayor Torrey reported on the activities of a youth stakeholder task force formed to consider issues related to school truancy. Ms. Taylor said that she believed the council could legitimately be involved in the processes underway to choose a new Police Chief since there was no City Manager in place. She also said she believed police officers could evaluate citizen desires for services when they were pursuing their duties on assigned area beats. Mr. Tollenaar said that land use development in Eugene precluded the extensive use of police foot patrolling practices. He said he believed that youth prevention programs had become a de facto new service of the City. He suggested that youth strategy concerns might be better placed outside the Police Department and in Library, Recreation, and Cultural Services. He also said he believed the police in schools program was highly successful. Mr. Lee said he believed the Police Department should determine whether to undertake a citizen survey. He commented on citizen involvement in community policing. He said he agreed that development of a comprehensive youth strategy could be improved by separating it from the Police Department. He suggested consideration of one-time resources for such a change. Mr. Laue said he was reluctant to support separation of development of a youth delinquency prevention strategy from the Police Department because there was a natural coincidence of interests. He said the importance of intergovernmental cooperation in such programs was also important to emphasize. He said he was concerned that strategies be developed to reduce time required of officers to act on arrest warrants issued for persons who fail to appear at mandated court proceedings. He suggested that creative strategies could be developed with court officials. MINUTES-Eugene City Council June 15, 1998 Page 5 Mr. Hill said that only a limited amount of funds would be spent on surveying citizen opinions, if it were undertaken. Mayor Torrey announced that there would be a ten-minute recess in the meeting. H. Well-Managed Community Growth and Change Ms. Briner reviewed information regarding the work plan and progress report for the Well- Managed Community Growth and Change Council Goal distributed with the agenda of the meeting. Mr. Lee said that he was concerned about alley pothole problems in the west university area. Mr. Meisner said similar problems existed in the Whiteaker area and that he believed assessment practices contributed to the prevalence of such problems in developed neighborhoods. Ms. Taylor asked when the council would learn about upgrading of rental housing in the west university area. Ms. Briner said such concerns would be included in a work session on housing issues. Mr. Lee said that he believed the University of Oregon was prepared to negotiate changes in plans for development of the Riverfront Research Park. Mayor Torrey said that he believed the University would need to take the lead in such changes and suggested that Mr. Lee and appropriate staff approach University staff about such negotiations. Mr. Laue said that he believed the council should develop plans regarding a return on City investments if land north of the railroad tracks is developed in the Riverfront Research Park. Ms. Andersen stated such concerns would be considered during a council work session on Public Works Department issues scheduled in the fall. Ms. Swanson Gribskov said she believed issues related to the Riverfront Research Park had already been decided by the council. Ms. Briner stated that staff would participate in discussions with the University regarding the Riverfront Research Park and keep the council informed. Mr. Tollenaar said that he was concerned that the role of the City in economic development was being downplayed and that he believed it should be re-emphasized with the employment of a new Director of the Planning and Development Department. He said he believed economic development concerns should not be limited to development within the downtown area. I. Financial Stability Mr. Wang reviewed information regarding the work plan and progress report for the Financial Stability Council Goal distributed with the agenda of the meeting. Mr. Wang described consideration being given to establishing an independent City fee collection system because the Eugene Water & Electric Board was considering establishing a higher charge which would make such a City system financially beneficial. MINUTES--Eugene City Council June 15, 1998 Page 6 Ms. Swanson Gribskov said that she did not believe the council should deal with an income tax or other tax redesign proposals until 1999. Mr. Wong said consideration was being given to recommending that such proposals be placed on a ballot early in 1999. Ms. Taylor said she believed the council should consider issues related to tax reform. She asked when the council was scheduled to discuss a transportation utility tax. Mr. Wong replied that the tax would be considered in conjunction with the council's deliberations on TransPlan. Ns. Nathanson said that she hoped the council would be able to discuss issues considered by the Governor's Task Force on Tax Reform. Mr. Wong said a written update could be provided by the City's Legislative Director. In response to an invitation from Mr. Johnson to evaluate the process followed in the work session: · Mr. Meisner said he appreciated the opportunity and said he hoped the council would be able to have similar sessions on a regular basis. · Ms. Nathanson said she also appreciated the opportunity and felt that the informal relationships established with executive managers was positive. · Ms. Swanson Gribskov agreed with Mr. Meisner and Ms. Nathanson. · Mr. Lee said he believed the process was positive, that it required discipline, and gave an opportunity to focus on key areas. I1. ITEMS FROM THE MAYOR, CITY COUNCIL, AND CITY MANAGER Mr. Tollenaar asked that councilors provide direction about whether the Council Committee on Finance should prepare a recommendation on funding levels to be included in a revenue ballot measure proposal which might be submitted by the Mayor's Committee on Parks and Open Space. Following discussion, a straw vote showed that two councilors preferred the Finance Committee to consider the proposal first, three councilors preferred the council to consider the proposal first, and two councilors abstained from expressing an opinion. Mr. Tollenaar suggested there were many unresolved issues related to the recruitment and hiring of a new City Manager--What type of recruitment should be undertaken? What should be the geographic scope of the recruitment? Should the recruitment be conducted by City staff or an outside recruitment firm? What time frame would the recruitment involve? He said he hoped the council could agree to ask staff for a report about options for the recruitment to enable decisions to be made. Ms. Taylor said that she believed a job description for the City Manager should be developed and that the council should discuss the role of the City Manager before it began a recruitment process. She said she also believed that those newly elected to the council should participate in deliberations in the process. Mayor Torrey said there was a multi-page description of the expectations of a City Manager and that profiles of the expectations found in the recruitment process followed two years previously. MINUTES--Eugene City Council June 15, 1998 Page 7 Mr. Wong stated that there was a job description for the position of City Manager, as there was for every position in the City. He said that the profile used in the previous recruitment process had been developed by the council. Ms. Swanson Gribskov said that she did not believe there was adequate time for decisions to be reached on the questions raised by Mr. Tollenaar at the current meeting, but that she supported asking staff to prepare an analysis of the available options. Mr. Lee said that he believed a time frame for the recruitment process should be established and that there needed to be more public involvement in the process than had taken place in the previous process. Mr. Meisner said that he believed the available City Manager job description and position profile were adequate and was more detailed than those provided by other cities. He said that he preferred that the recruitment process be managed by City staff and that he had no preference for a time line. In response to a question from Mr. Tollenaar, Mr. Johnson stated that he intended to be a candidate for the position of City Manager and that he would not participate in any staff-related work on recruitment. Ms. Nathanson stated that she did not believe further discussion was required until after a staff report on options had been received. Library, Recreation, and Cultural Services Acting Executive Manager Terry Smith stated that a council work session on the expectations of the Acting City Manager was scheduled on June 24 and that a time line for recruitment of a new City Manager could be considered at that time. Mr. Wong stated that staff analysis of the options related to a recruitment process would be available to the council within one week. Mr. Lee stated that he believed it was an opportune time for the council to set priorities for the use of one-time revenue resources on youth concerns. Mayor Torrey requested that Mr. Lee prepare a recommendation to do so through the Council Committee on Homelessness and Youth. Ms. Nathanson said that she was reluctant to have the council discuss the use of one-time resources or to earmark their use in advance of consideration of all relevant concerns. Mr. Meisner agreed. Ms. Nathanson said that she believed the Police Department had done a good job of finding available grant funds to support its programs and that she believed the council should have influence on other such grant applications. Ms. Nathanson said she believed having the Fire and Police chiefs as part of the Executive Management Team was a positive change. Ms. Nathanson said that she was concerned that allowing more than 30 minutes for the Public Forum at council meetings was an infringement on previously agreed on guidelines and detracted from the ability of the value of the council to deal with other issues on its agenda. She asked that staff provide an analysis and recommendation of options related to the issue. MINUTES--Eugene City Council June 15, 1998 Page 8 Ms. Nathanson expressed appreciation to Mr. Johnson and City staff for their courtesies in scheduling recent briefings. Ms. Swanson Gribskov said she believed the council should instruct the Intergovernmental Relations Committee to consider placing on the City's Legislative Agenda support for having the State "kicker" statute rescinded and using excess revenue to support programs for youth. Ms. Swanson Gribskov expressed appreciation to the staff and police for their work performed in connection with the visit of President Clinton to the area. Ms. Taylor stated that she agreed with the comments of Ms. Swanson Gribskov. She said she believed that a teen center was needed in Eugene, but that it should be located in the downtown area, not on Coburg Road. She said she also believed that all children were "at risk" and that a full recreation program should be provided for them by the City; that the council should schedule another work session on City legal services, including consideration of options for action which would provide in-house services; that a "City Government Academy" as described by Mr. Johnson would be positive and lead to increased involvement of citizens; and that the staff had too much influence in development of City policy because of the Council/Manager form of government. Mr. Meisner said that he also supported holding an additional council work session on City legal services which could consider specific information about cost. He said he agreed with the comments of Ms. Nathanson regarding the Public Forum and the comments of Ms. Swanson Gribskov regarding the work of staff and police. He requested that a report be prepared on the status of depositing of material excavated from City construction projects in Alton Baker Park. He said he received many citizen comments that indicated it might be time for the council to study the issues related to the Council/Manager form of city government. Mayor Torrey stated that he believed compliments made for recent work of staff was justified. He asked the City Manager to consider special public recognition for the work of the Police Bomb Squad. Mayor Torrey said that he believed the council should deal with issues related to a symbol on Skinner Butte before an initiative petition would set a divisive ballot measure before voters which could eliminate reasoned consideration of the issues. Mayor Torrey invited members of the Executive Management Team and other staff present to comment on the process followed in the work session of the evening. There was agreement that the process had been a positive one. The meeting adjourned at 9:15 p.m. Respectfully submitted, James R. Johnson City Manager Pro Tern MINUTES--Eugene City Council June 15, 1998 Page 9 (Recorded by Dan Lindstrom) MINUTES--Eugene City Council June 15, 1998 Page 10