HomeMy WebLinkAbout170508.WSMINUTES – Eugene City Council May 8, 2017 Page 1
Work Session
M I N U T E S
Eugene City Council Work Session
Harris Hall, 125 East 8th Avenue
Eugene, Oregon 97401
May 8, 2017
5:30 p.m.
Councilors Present: Emily Semple, Betty Taylor, Mike Clark, Greg Evans, Chris Pryor
Councilors Absent: Claire Syrett, Alan Zelenka
Mayor Vinis opened the May 8, 2017, Work Session of the Eugene City Council.
A. WORKSESSION: Yogi Tea Enterprise Zone Extension
Eugene Economic Prosperity Programs Manager Amanda Nobel Flannery, and Eugene Director
of Planning and Development, Denny Braud, gave a presentation on the Yogi Tea Enterprise
Zone Extension.
Council Discussion
In return for the two extra years of tax exemption, Yogi Tea would have to meet a new
employee compensation requirement of 150% of the national average for the entire five
year tax‐exempt timeframe, and they must abide by previously agreed‐upon youth training
and internship requirements.
If Eugene collected the tax money instead of granting the exemption, the City itself could
pay for workforce development and 4J schools.
The criteria applicable in the two‐year extension, is applicable to the entire five‐year
exemption.
The exemption would be a boon to workforce development.
The exemption accomplishes a larger community good—lower unemployment, and higher
wages.
B. WORK SESSION: Police Auditor Annual Report and Community Engagement Update
Police Auditor Mark Gissiner, Community Engagement Coordinator and Translation Specialist
Beatrice Hernandez, and Deputy Auditor Leia Pitcher offered Council an annual report and
community engagement update.
Council discussion:
Two salient goals of the outreach and engagement program are: 1. Creating greater awareness
with potential system users, of how to use the system, and 2. Creating greater awareness in the
general population of the Auditor's Office and what they do.
Appreciate especially the outreach to students and Spanish‐speaking peoples.
Concerned with the phrase "frequent user," as it implies that some people would have a greater
reason to contact the Auditor's Office.
Publishing information about the Auditor's Office in neighborhood newsletters would be a good
way of disseminating information to the public.
There exists a need for a Public Service Officer who is locally well known.
MINUTES – Eugene City Council May 8, 2017 Page 2
Work Session
C. ACTION: May 8, 2017 Consent Calendar
MOTION AND VOTE: Councilor Clark moved, seconded by Councilor Taylor, to approve the
May 8, 2017, Consent Calendar. PASSED 5:0.
The meeting adjourned at 7:03 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Beth Forrest
City Recorder
(Recorded by Rodney Cimburke, LCOG)