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HomeMy WebLinkAbout250714 WSMINUTES Eugene City Council Work Session Eugene, Oregon 97401 July 14, 2025 5:30p.m. Councilors Present: Eliza Kashinsky, Matt Keating, Alan Zelenka, Jennifer Yeh, Mike Clark, Greg Evans, Lyndsie Leech, and Randy Groves Mayor Knudson opened the July 14, 2025, work session of the Eugene City Council in a hybrid format at 500 E 4th Avenue, North Building, Eugene OR 97401. 1. WORK SESSION: Long Range Financial Stability FrameworkCity Manager, Sarah Medary, introduced Twylla Miller, Chief Financial Officer, to discuss long range financial stability, cost and revenue needs, and standing up an ad hoc committee. Councilor Discussion: • • • • Councilor Groves -noted the ad hoc committee will be a technical advisory committee and include members with particular skillsets; noted during prioritization council would be seeking feedback from a broader cross-section of the community; stated he does not have a preference about who the committee reports to; stated the committee should present the report to Council in a public meeting; noted he expects the committee will find that the City is well-managed. Councilor Clark-noted City Manager Medary will retire at the end of the year; stated the committee should report to the City Manager for continuity and to facilitate a smooth hand off to the incoming City Manager. Councilor Zelenka -stated this should be a two-phase project with the first phase being an investigation into the budget; noted the committee will find that the City is well-managed and efficient; stated the second phase should focus on identifying and funding services and programs that make the city a desirable place to live. Councilor Leech -stated one short-term committee will not be able to address beyond the next six years of strategy; asked if it would be possible to have a second committee focused on long-term policy decisions around economic development; noted the second committee could begin in the spring, after the work of the initial committee; stated the ad hoc committee should report to the City Manager; asked about the feasibility of publicly broadcasting the committee meetings. •Councilor Kashinsky -asked if a City Manager ad hoc committee would be able to start work more quickly than a City Council ad hoc committee; noted past criticism regarding the Revenue Committee's lack of discussion on potentialchanges to service levels or budget cuts; asked if referenced efficiencies were MINUTES -Eugene City Council Work Session July 14, 2025 Page 1 about cuts and prioritization or finding cost efficiencies; stated the ad hoc committee should focus on operations and cost efficiency. ■ Councilor Keating -stated interest in exploring a future Council-drivencommittee focused on long-term sustainability and long-term investment. ■ Councilor Yeh -stated support for both areas of focus and timing for the ad hoc committee; noted there may be more questions after the Council retreat thatcan be addressed by the Budget Committee or perhaps a second ad hoc committee; noted she is in favor of the committee reporting to the City Manager. ■Councilor Groves -is not in favor of multiple committees operating at the same time. ■ Councilor Zelenka -supports a phased approach, with phase one focusing on investigation and form and phase two focusing on priorities and setting budgets; stated this should be a Council-driven process; stated in his experience when Councilors are not involved in a process they end up objecting to the outcomes; stated a Council-driven ad hoc committee is necessary due to the political nature of the work. •Councilor Evans -stated support for a City Manager ad hoc committee; noted the Council retreat will address the broader issues tied to long-term financialchallenges.•Councilor Zelenka -noted Councilors who were not members of the Revenue Advisors team were not engaged in the process. MOTION: Councilor Leech, seconded by Councilor Clark, moved to direct the City Manager to create an ad hoc City Manager committee to act as afinancial technical advisory panel that will begin work in September 2025, and complete work by a date specified by the City Manager. VOTE: 7:1 PASSED IN FAVOR: Kashinsky, Keating, Yeh, Clark, Evans, Leech, and Groves. OPPOSED: Zelenka. 2. WORK SESSION: Continued Discussion of Options regarding Referendum Petition 2025-1 City Attorney, Kathryn Brotherton, introduced the topic and noted the motion to repeal the ordinance had been made but not voted on during the May 21, 2025 Work Session. MOTION (previously introduced on May 21, 2025): Councilor Evans, seconded by Councilor Leech, moved to repeal Ordinance 20171, An Ordinance Establishing a Fire Service Fee and Adding New Sections 6.760, 6.765, 6.770, 6.775, 6.780, 6.785, and 6.790 to the Eugene Code 1971. Councilor Discussion: ■ Councilor Groves -stated he had voted for the stormwater fee as a replacementwith the intent to withdraw the fire service fee. ■ Councilor Clark -noted he is reluctant to repeal the ordinance due to the number of community members who signed the petition to put the ordinance to a public vote. MINUTES -Eugene City Council Work Session July 14, 2025 Page 2 •Councilor Zelenka -noted he would be interested to see the Chamber ofCommerce's campaign argument for the measure; noted moving forward with both fees would be divisive and expensive; noted while he is reluctant to do so, he is ready to repeal the ordinance and move forward.•Councilor Kashinsky -noted the fire service fee went through a long processbefore being approved by Council; noted it was the long-term, permanentfinancial solution the City had been looking for; noted her reluctance to repeal an ordinance she still supports.•Councilor Yeh -stated she is in favor of repealing the fire service fee; thankedthose who worked to create a compromise; stated repealing the fee will free up time better spent focused on the ad hoc committee.•Councilor Keating -stated the stormwater fee compromise was a good faith effort and preserved vital services; noted he supports a repeal of the fire servicefee. •Councilor Zelenka -stated the compromise stormwater fee preserved most desired services; noted sending the fire service fee to the ballot in Novemberwould be confusing; stated he is hopeful the committee process will helpresolve the ongoing financial issues.•Councilor Leech -noted she will be voting to repeal the fire service fee ordinance; stated sending the ordinance to the ballot would not honor the collaborative process behind the compromise; noted her appreciation for thosewho have been a part of this process. VOTE: 7:1 PASSED IN FAVOR: Keating, Zelenka, Yeh, Clark, Evans, Leech, and Groves. OPPOSED: Kashinsky.The meeting was adjourned at 6:29 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Katie LaSala City Recorder (Recorded by Cherish Bradshaw) Link to the webcast of this City Council meeting here. MINUTES -Eugene City Council Work Session July 14, 2025 Page 3