HomeMy WebLinkAbout260121 WSMINUTES
Eugene City Council
Work Session
Eugene, Oregon 97401
January 21, 2026
12:00 p.m.
Councilors Present: Eliza Kashinsky, Matt Keating, Alan Zelenka, Jennifer Yeh, Mike Clark
and Lyndsie Leech
Councilors Absent: Greg Evans and Randy Groves
Mayor Knudson opened the January 21, 2026 Eugene City Council Work Session in a virtual
format.
1. WORK SESSION: Proposed Wastewater Expansion to Serve Goshen, Short
Mountain Landfill and City of Creswell
City Manager Pro Tern, Matt Rodrigues, introduced the topic and provided background
information. Dan Hurley, Lane County Public Works Director and Vincent Martorello,
Creswell City Manager, presented an overview of the proposal including potential service
expansion to Goshen, the Short Mountain Landfill, and Creswell.
Councilor Discussion:
•
•
•
Councilor Zelenka -asked what protections would be added to minimize the impact
for Eugene and Springfield rate payers; asked how guarantees would be structured
to ensure that new users pay full costs of expansion; asked about the surplus
capacity, the buy-in charges and the current amounts to be received from Goshen,
Creswell and Junction City; asked about revenues generated by adding the cities into
the Metropolitan Wastewater Management Commission (MWMC); stated concern
about protecting Eugene ratepayers from financial risk; stated concern that Eugene
could subsidize other communities if accounting is not separate; asked about the
possibility of having a separate accounting system.
Councilor Kashinsky -noted advantages received from regional cooperation and
collaboration; asked if the wastewater infrastructure planned for Clear Lake
includes improvements needed for industrial development; asked if the industrial
land analysis for Goshen has been updated since Eugene added new industrial land
inside the urban growth boundary (UGB); indicated the potential competition
between Goshen and Eugene for industrial development.
Councilor Yeh -stated appreciation for the memo prepared by MWMC; noted
benefits to both Eugene and partner communities for this collaboration; asked about
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Work Session
January 21, 2026 Page 1
the recommendation for a regional project manager and expressed support for
having a dedicated position; stated support for the proposed expansions.
• Councilor Clark -stated his support for regional cooperation; indicated concern
about long-term costs for Eugene; asked about the potential impact to the housing
growth requirements and how it would affect Eugene's need for wastewater
capacity; asked how capacity planning accounts for future state-mandated housing
production; asked for clarification about the analysis, and whether it just shows the
current capacity and not future capacity.
• Councilor Keating -stated his support for regional cooperation; indicated concerns
about protecting Eugene rate payers; asked if Lane Community College (LCC) would
be included in any expansion and how that might impact future student-housing
opportunities; asked about environmental concerns regarding the wetland area in
Goshen; requested an environmental impact study to be performed.
• Councilor Zelenka -asked if System Development Charges (SDC) would match true
buy-in costs or be lower; indicated previous methods created subsidies by
undervaluing capacity; stated Coburg, instead of joining MWMC, bought their own
treatment plant due to cheaper costs; asked that benefits be quantified in
comparison to Eugene's financial risks.
• Councilor Clark -stated a lack of new residential land inside Eugene's urban growth
boundary contributes to growth pressures in surrounding communities; stated
future boundary discussions should consider these regional impacts.
2. WORK SESSION: 1059 Willamette Redevelopment
City Manager Pro Tern, Matt Rodrigues, introduced Amanda D'Souza, the Development
Programs Manager in the Community Development Division who presented an update on
the 1059 Willamette Redevelopment Project.
Councilor Discussion:
•
•
•
Councilor Zelenka -stated his support for the project's mixed-income goals;
asked whether the project remains feasible after several years of increased
costs; stated concern about repeated delays and increasing funding needs;
indicated that affordable housing projects are exempt from prevailing wage
laws; asked about the difference between labor rates and current wage rates.
Councilor Clark -stated the need for a clear policy framework to decide how
much public subsidy is appropriate per housing unit; asked staff to develop
evaluation tools for determining the value of future subsidy requests; stated his
support for extending the timeline; asked for data that identifies the cost of a
subsidized project and its cost per unit basis.
Councilor Yeh -asked for clarification about the limitations on building projects
on the purchased land; stated her support for providing an extension; stated the
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Work Session
January 21, 2026 Page 2
potential challenges if starting with a new developer; indicated the benefit of
filling a long-vac a nt building in the downtown area.
• Councilor Kashinsky -stated the project faces challenges because it combines
both market-rate and income-qualified units; asked for guarantees that
remaining funding would be secured after the six-month extension; stated if no
funding is available then the City may need to approach the project in a different
manner.
• Councilor Zelenka -stated his support for providing an extension; asked about
available urban renewal capacity; asked about the capacity to add additional
funding if needed.
• Mayor Knudson -stated appreciation for the development team's continued
work on this project despite challenges; indicated that mixed-income housing in
the city center supports long-term revitalization goals.
MOTION: Councilor Leech, seconded by Councilor Zelenka, moved to
a pprove the revised terms in Attachment A and to authorize the City
Manager to amend the development agreement consistent with the
revised terms included in Atta chment A to extend the closing date to
August 3, 2026.
VOTE: 6:0 PASSED
IN FAVOR: Kashinsky, Keating, Zelenka, Yeh, Clark, and Leech
OPPOSED: None.
The meeting was adjourned at 1:24 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Katie LaSala
City Recorder
(R ecorded by Rosa Roach)
Link to the web cast of this City Council m ee ting here.
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Work Se ssion
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