HomeMy WebLinkAbout231211 WSMINUTES
Eugene City Council
Work Session
Eugene, Oregon 97401
December 11, 2023
5:30 p.m.
Councilors Present: Emily Semple, Matt Keating, Alan Zelenka, Jennifer Yeh, Mike Clark, Greg
Evans, and Randy Groves
Councilors Absent: Lyndsie Leech
Mayor Vinis opened the December 11, 2023, work session of the Eugene City Council in a hybrid
format at 101 W 10th Avenue, Eugene OR 97401.
1. WORK SESSION: Risk Bond Follow Up Discussion
City Manager Medary introduced Ian Penn, Sustainability Manager, who presented on a
Eugene Hazard and Risk Assessment Framework.
Councilor Discussion:
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Councilor Groves -stated the City should communicate with the business and industrial
community about the process and the goals; noted he is concerned about unintended
releases that are immediately dangerous to life and health; stated it is important for the
City to have the ability to mitigate releases and contamination if a company is unable to
pay; noted the importance of balancing industry with public protections.
Councilor Zelenka -stated his appreciation for the planned phased-in approach; asked
about the size of the proposed hazards database; noted starting small and building up is a
good approach; asked if they have considered vulnerability assessments for climate
change; noted the variety of ways to assess climate vulnerabilities and assign risk levels.
Mayor Vin is -stated the importance of engaging with the local business community .
Councilor Zelenka -noted this work will narrow the wide range of hazards and risks to a
discrete data set that will be high impact, high probability, and high vulnerability.
Councilor Keating -asked if the boundaries include rail, the non-profit or government
sector, and public education partners.
Councilor Groves -noted the three basic areas to cover are transportation, storage, and
use; noted the difficulty of addressing the transportation piece from a risk bond
standpoint but that it is important from a risk assessment standpoint; noted the fire
department as a good resource.
Councilor Zelenka -asked about the timeframe from the request for proposal to
completing the first phase of work; stated that spending time to create a thoughtful scope
of work will result in better proposals.
MOTION: Councilor Groves, seconded by Councilor Keating, moved to
direct the City Manager to proceed with Steps 1 and 2 as set out in
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Work Session
December 11, 2023 Page 1
Attachment C to this AIS entitled "Eugene Hazard and Risk Assessment
Framework."
VOTE: PASSED 6:1 (opposed by Councilor Clark)
2. WORK SESSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION: A Resolution Calling for Peace And In
Opposition To War
Mayor Vinis introduced the topic and opened the floor to comments from Council.
Councilor Discussion:
• Councilor Groves -noted his initial hesitations with supporting the resolution, but has
since realized this international issue does affect the local community; noted hate crimes
have risen 300 percent nationally and that is reflected locally; noted one of Council's
primary goals is to ensure the safety, health, and welfare of those who live, work, or
recreate in Eugene; thanked the Mayor for sharing her perspective on the issue.
• Councilor Keating -thanked Councilor Leech and the Human Rights Commission for their
assistance in crafting the resolution; stated the weeks of war in Gaza are easy to abhor and
impossible to ignore; stated Council has a responsibility as an elected body to support
fundamental human rights, to call for peace, and to oppose war; noted that the resolution
is not perfect but it is a strong value statement; urged unanimous support.
• Councilor Zelenka -noted the situation in the Middle East is affecting the local community;
noted the October 7, 2023 attack was horrible and that Israel's response has also been
horrible; stated war should be avoided at all costs; stated this resolution shows where the
Council stands, and they are paying attention to what impacts the community; stated he
will support the resolution.
MOTION: Councilor Groves, seconded by Councilor Keating, moved to
adopt A Resolution Calling for Peace and In Opposition to War as set
forth in Attachment A with the inclusion of E) We have a moment to
stand for peace, with clarity about the depth of pain and the challenge of
compromise that is required.
VOTE: PASSED 7:0
The meeting was adjourned at 6:14 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Katie LaSala
City Recorder
(Recorded by Cherish Bradshaw)
Link to the web cast of this City Council meeting here .
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Work Session
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