HomeMy WebLinkAbout01-17-2018 City Council Work SessionMINUTES
Eugene City Council
Harris Hall,125 East 8th Avenue
Eugene, Oregon 97401
January 17, 2018
12:00 p.m.
Councilors Present: Emily Semple, Betty Taylor, Alan Zelenka, Jennifer Yeh, Mike Clark, Claire
Syrett
Councilors Absent: Greg Evans, Chris Pryor
Councilor Clark opened the January 17, 2018, Work Session of the Eugene City Council and
announced that Mayor Vinis was in Washington D.0 as part of the annual United Front delegation.
1. WORK SESSION: Follow -Up to City Council January 10 Motion on Performance Auditor
City Attorney Glenn Klein distributed a draft copy of a proposed Charter Amendment crafted in
response to the Council motion made on January 10, 2018, and asked for direction from Council
before next meeting.
MOTION: Councilor Semple, seconded by Councilor Taylor, moved to terminate all work on
this proposal for a second performance auditor measure and that we do not refer a
competing measure to the May ballot.
Council Discussion
• It is a dangerous precedent to take up a proposal from citizens who expect Council to put it
on the ballot for them.
• There has been plenty of time to bring forward a separate measure; this is coming too late.
• Council has a responsibility to listen to constituents and keep the conversation going.
• People can choose not to vote for the current ballot measure if they disagree with it.
• The competition of ideas keeps the conversation robust.
• Council can refer a Charter Amendment to the ballot to change parts of the current ballot
measure that are seen as problematic.
• Council's proposal would be a Charter Amendment to establish an auditor's office.
• Concerned about the need for or efficacy of an auditor in either proposal.
• The concerns and questions raised about the auditor model proposed in the citizen
initiative obligate Council to act and discuss topic to see if majority of Council supports a
separate measure.
VOTE: FAILED 3:3, Councilors Semple, Taylor, and Clark in favor.
Council Discussion
• May be beneficial to look at Police Auditor model and add desired components to alternate
proposal.
• Questions around auditor employees and union representation need to be addressed.
• Council would have the discretion to define "performance auditing."
• Concerned that "relevant certification" is too vague.
MINUTES — Eugene City Council January 17, 2017 Page 1
Work Session
If both measures pass and get a majority, then whichever receives more "Yes" votes would
pass and the other would fail.
City staff is working for the majority of Council who asked staff to come back with this
material; the City Attorney is neither working with nor has shared information with anyone
outside of the City.
Important to establish a minimum budget for an auditor's office so that a future Council
can't restrict their budget so as to make the office inoperable.
2. WORK SESSION: Local Implementation of Legislation Related to secondary Dwellings
Land Use Planning Manager Alissa Hansen gave an overview of a new provision in state law
related to the allowance of secondary dwellings that will require changes to Eugene's land use
code.
Council Discussion
• Siting and design is important when considering livability standards and livable
neighborhoods and that will look different in different parts of town.
• SDUs are already allowed in R-1, but will probably need to allow them in other zones that
are predominantly single-family.
• Phase 1 is to comply with state law to ensure that in Eugene's code, SDUs are allowed in all
areas zoned for detached single-family dwellings, which includes more than R-1.
• Do not want to alter the definition of R-1 to conform to "missing middle' housing,
decreasing quality -of -life. Do not want to see density standards changed.
• Would like to have a full conversation with Council about what R-1 is and ought to be.
The meeting adjourned at 1:27 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Elena Domingo
Deputy City Recorder
MINUTES — Eugene City Council January 17, 2017 Page 2
Work Session