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HomeMy WebLinkAbout231113 WSMINUTES Eugene City Council Work Session Eugene, Oregon 97401 November 13, 2023 5:30p.m. Councilors Present: Matt Keating, Alan Zelenka, Jennifer Yeh, Mike Clark, Greg Evans, Lyndsie Leech, and Randy Groves Councilors Absent: Emily Semple Mayor Vinis opened the November 13, 2023, work session of the Eugene City Council in a hybrid format at 101 W 10 th Avenue, Eugene OR 97401. 1. WORK SESSION: Sustainability Commission FY23 Annual Report and FY24 Work Plan City Manager Medary introduced Danielle Klinkebiel, Climate Policy Analyst, Jan Bohman, Chair of the Sustainability Commission, and Devon Mann, Vice-Chair, who presented the annual report and work plan for the Sustainability Commission. Councilor Discussion: • • • • • Mayor Vinis -noted her appreciation for the work of the Sustainability Commission; noted her excitement about their commitment to outreach and education. Councilor Clark -asked about the commission's role in land _use planning . Councilor Groves -asked if the sustainability program has compared their agenda and costs to programs in other similarly sized cities; noted researching the practices of other organizations can lead to increased efficiency and reduced costs; stated he has found other organizations to be receptive to sharing their practices; noted that the City is likely on the cutting edge for sustainability. Councilor Zelenka -stated the commission should focus on maximizing the available funding from federal and state sources; noted another focus should be ensuring well- paying jobs are coming into the City from newly funded renewable energy projects; stated the commission should focus on transportation emissions; asked for clarification on transportation decarbonization; noted the state did not fund the rebate program for electric vehicles and the City should look in to doing that locally; noted the state has a new building performance standard that will need to be handled well at the local level; noted the commission should work towards adopting a home energy scoring system as a strategy for building decarbonization; noted a recent request for a proposal to apply home energy scores to rental properties. Councilor Keating -asked about strengthening the tree canopy preservation standards; asked about the gas-powered leaf blower committee; asked about the commission's foundation for engagement and outreach; asked the commission to elaborate on their recommendations for Climate Friendly and Equitable Communities parking mandates; MINUTES -Eugene City Council Work Session November 13, 2023 Page 1 noted he has done work around gas-powered leaf blowers through his work on Lane Regional Air Protection Agency's Citizen Advisory Committee. •Councilor Yeh -noted the level of detail in the proposed committee descriptions; appreciates the intentional alignment of commission work with Council and staff work; asked about communication between the commission and Council.•Councilor Leech -asked about the commission's role as the "ears" of Council in the community and how that can increase equity and engagement; stated she likes hearing ideas about utilizing different, available resources and that she would like to have that information as well.•Councilor Zelenka -noted the commission should focus on communications around Climate Action Plan 2.0; believes better communications will help with implementation within the community; asked the commission to focus on how the governor's task force on housing may affect the City's tree ordinance; noted the Short Mountain Landfill Gas project with the Emerald People's Utility District creates electricity which reduces greenhouse emissions and brings revenue to the community; asked if the proposed Integrated Material and Energy Recovery Facility (IMERF) at Short Mountain would redirect organic materials from the landfill gas project; noted he hopes that project will focus on non-organic material recycling. MOTION: Councilor Groves, seconded by Councilor Keating, moved to approve the FY 24 Sustainability Commission Work Plan which includes establishment of the following committees: Building Decarbonization, Food Waste Prevention, and Outreach and Education. VOTE: PASSED 7:0 2.WORK SESSION: Human Rights Commission FY 2023 Work Plan Report City Manager Medary introduced Drae Charles, Human Rights and Equity Analyst, and Scott Lemons, Chair of the Human Rights Commission, who presented the annual report for the Human Rights Commission. •Mayor Vinis -noted her appreciation for the presentation and the structure of the commission's two-year plan.•Councilor Leech -noted she is the councilor assigned to the commission; noted she finds celebrating our diverse community and the dedication and passion of the commission members inspiring; noted the importance of the commission's work =-to the community, especially given the recent hate and bias crime report.•Councilor Zelenka -asked how the commission will be handling the current vacancies; suggested the commission work with the Sustainability Commission to direct the incoming federal and state funds towards living wage jobs for the community; noted the commission has an ambitious work plan; asked for the commission's top three priorities; asked if Salem will be part of the best practices committee being formed by the seven cities in Oregon with Human Rights Commissions.•Councilor Keating -asked about the possibility of exploring human rights commission work nationally; asked about the commission's relationship with the Poverty and Homelessness bB_oard; noted his appreciation for Councilor Leech, Chair Lemons, and Drae Charles; noted the difficulty addressing xenophobic or antisemitic rhetoric; asked if MINUTES -Eugene City Council Work Session November 13, 2023 Page 2 addressing hate is a challenge for the commission; asked how the Council or City can support the commission in stopping hateful rhetoric. ■ Councilor Yeh -asked if the commission works with Bethel or 4J school districts; noted that the majority of incidents in schools are likely bias and not hate crimes; asked if the proposed multi-city collaboration will investigate best practices for human rights commissions specifically or if it will have a broader scope; asked if other city commissions and boards could support the tabling and events managed by the Human Rights Commission; asked how mid-year vacancies are filled; asked how work group vacancies are filled. The meeting was adjourned at 6:51 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Katie LaSala City Recorder (Recorded by Cherish Bradshaw) Link to the web cast of this City Council meeting here. MINUTES -Eugene City Council Work Session November 13, 2023 Page 3