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Home My WebLink About260209 WSMINUTES Eugene City Council Work Session Eugene, Oregon 97401 February 9, 2026 5:30 p.m. Councilors Present: Eliza Kashinsky, Matt Keating, Alan Zelenka, Jennifer Yeh, Mike Clark, Greg Evans, Lyndsie Leech, and Randy Groves Mayor Knudson opened the February 9, 2026, work session of the Eugene City Council in a hybrid format at 500 E 4 th Avenue, North Building, Eugene OR 97401. 1. WORK SESSION: Long Range Financial Stability-Technical Advisors Report City Manager Pro Tern Matt Rodrigues introduced Anne Marie Levis, consultant with Funk/Levis, Sarah Emmans with SME Consulting, and Greg Irwin, Samantha Sorenson, Darren Sparks, and Jeff McGillivray, members of the Technical Advisory Group (TAG), to present their final recommendations and report. Councilor Discussion: • • • • • Councilor Groves -stated appreciation for the TAG's work; noted he has long wanted an external review of operations; noted he is concerned by statewide economic stagnation data; stated the need for robust economic development within Eugene; stated his eagerness to engage on the next steps; expressed interest in a clear, phased implementation plan so the work can be approached in manageable portions. Councilor Clark-stated appreciation for the TAG's work; noted Eugene must commit to collective growth rather than stagnation; asked how the Council can best help sustain momentum and maintain intensity as the process moves into later phases; asked about coordination efforts with the incoming city manager. Councilor Leech -thanked the TAG for their work; described the recommendations as intentionally shaping the City's future rather than simply cutting or raising revenue; noted the importance of pursuing economic development in partnership with the wider community; stated the City's essential services are not comparable to private sector products and instead represent fundamental community benefits that require careful stewardship; asked about strategies to share the group's findings with the community. Councilor Kashinsky -noted past discussions often framed efficiency, revenue, and service priorities as competing concepts; stated appreciation for TAG's recognition that all components are needed; noted future deliberations on service prioritization may be challenging because many community members define "essential" differently; stated services sometimes perceived as less fundamental are core to Eugene's identity and widely supported. Councilor Zelenka -stated appreciation for the depth and breadth of recommendations; noted while efficiency efforts are important, they will not MINUTES -Eugene City Council Work Session February 9, 2026 Page 1 LDO_[<X½ <®{qq½7ª¸½7®l½ a¡½Xq¦¦½ <®{qq½R¡q{½+)"½ @qi¡®e¡¸½+½&½ $.!½½ 7®l¡¦½S¡q¦qª/½=¼f½Hf§~§¹½Mf««½Hrf«|½4f½drrf½Grtr¢½cr~ ½Mr½8f¢½C¢r|½ =³f§½J¹o§r½Jrrm~½fo½Vfo¹½C¢³r§½ Mf¹¢½H¯o§½rro½«~r½Arj¢¯f¢¹½,½'½µ¢½§r§§½t½«~r½=¯|rr½8«¹½8¯m½½f½ ~¹j¢o½t¢f«½f«½%½=½#¬½4³r¯r½P¢«~½6¯o|½=¯|rr½V½,*#½ ½aRWI½X<XXDRO/½K{½We{q½@ele½Xªeiª¸ [qlle½5p´¦¡¦½Wq¡ª½ 8«¹½Mff|r¢½T¢½\r¥½Mf««½Vo¢|¯r§½«¢o¯mro½4r½Mf¢r½Jr³§½m§¯«f«½µ«~½ A¯Jr³§½Yf¢f~½=f§½µ«~½YM=½8§¯«|½fo½C¢r|½E¢µ½Yff«~f½Y¢r§½ ;f¢¢r½Yf¢§ ½fo½Gruv½MmC³¢f¹½rjr¢§½t½«~r½\rm~mf½4o³§¢¹½C¢¯½]4C½«½ ¢r§r«½«~r¢½xf½¢rmrof«§½fo½¢r¢«½ 8¯m¢½;§m¯§§0½ 9¯m¢½C¢³r§½§«f«ro½f¢rmf«½t¢½«~r½\4C§½µ¢1½«ro½~r½f§½|½ µf«ro½f½r·«r¢f½¢r³rµ½t½r¢f«§2½«ro½~r½§½mmr¢ro½j¹½§«f«rµor½ rmm½§«f|f«½of«f1½§«f«ro½«~r½rro½t¢½¢j¯§«½rmm½or³rr«½ µ«~½=¯|rr1½§«f«ro½~§½rf|r¢r§§½«½r|f|r½½«~r½r·«½§«r§2½r·£r§§ro½ «r¢r§«½½f½mrf¢½~f§ro½rr«f«½f½§½«~r½µ¢½mf½jr½f¢fm~ro½ ½ff|rfjr½¢«§½ 8¯m¢½8f¢§«f«ro½f¢rmf«½t¢½«~r½\4C§½µ¢1½«ro½=¯|rr½¯§«½ m«½«½mrm«³r½|¢µ«~½¢f«~r¢½«~f½§«f|f«1½f§ro½~µ½«~r½9¯m½mf½ jr§«½~r½§¯§«f½r«¯½fo½f«f½«r§«¹½f§½«~r½¢mr§§½³r§½«½ f«r¢½~f§r§1½f§ro½fj¯«½m¢of«½rtt¢«§½µ«~½«~r½m|½m«¹½ff|r¢½ 9¯m¢½Jrrm~½«~fro½«~r½\4C½t¢½«~r¢½µ¢2½or§m¢jro½«~r½ ¢rmrof«§½f§½«r«f¹½§~f|½«~r½8«¹§½t¯«¯¢r½¢f«~r¢½«~g½§¹½ m¯««|½¢½¢f§|½¢r³r¯r1½«ro½«~r½¢«fmr½t½¯¢§¯|½rmm½ or³rr«½½f¢«r¢§~½µ«~½«~r½µor¢½m¯«¹1½§«f«ro½«~r½8«¹§½ r§§r«f½§r¢³mr§½f¢r½«½mf¢fjr½«½¢³f«r½§rm«¢½¢o¯m«§½fo½§«rfo½ ¢r¢r§r«½x²ofr«f½m¯«¹½jrrt«§½«~f«½¢r ¯¢r½mf¢rt¯½§«rµg¢o§~1½ f§ro½fj¯«½§«¢f«r|r§½«½§~f¢r½«~r½|¢¯§½uo|§½µ«~½«~r½m¯«¹½ 9¯m¢½Hf§~§¹½«ro½f§«½o§m¯§§§½t«r½t¢fro½rymrmº½¢r³r¯r½ fo½§r¢³mr½¢¢«r§½f§½mr«|½mmr«§1½§«f«ro½f¢rmf«½t¢½]4C§½ ¢rm|«½«~f«½f½mr«§½f¢r½rroro1½«ro½t²«¯¢r½orjr¢f«§½½ §r¢³mr½¢¢«¼f«½f¹½jr½m~fr||½jrmf¯§r½f¹½m¯«¹½rjr¢§½ ortr½r§§r«f½ottr¢r«¹1½§«f«ro½§r¢³mr§½§r«r§½r¢mr³ro½f¨½r§§½ t¯ofr«f½f¢r½m¢r½«½=¯|rr§½or««¹½fo½µor¹½§¯¢«ro½ 8¯m¢½drrf½§«f«ro½f¢rmf«½t¢½«~r½or«~½fo½j¢rfo«~½t½ ¢rmrof«§3½«ro½µ~r½rzmrm¹½rtw¢«§½f¢r½¢«f«½«~r¹½¶½«½ NFQ`^>Z½?°}ss½:»½:±n½ b¢½Zs©©½ Bsk¢±h¤»½-½ (½Uh}s½½ resolve the budget gap; stated support for renewed economic development efforts but emphasized that such strategies are long term and will not immediately address structural budget issues; noted defining core services must take into account Eugene's competitive strengths, including livability, arts, natural amenities, and a well-functioning local government. ■ Councilor Yeh -stated appreciation for hearing committee members' perspectives directly; noted agreement with the observation that community attitudes may be shifting, including recognition that city staff are not wasteful; stated the City must invest consistently in long-term work because delaying action prevents long-term progress; noted the report's phased structure makes complex tasks less overwhelming; stated Council cannot complete this work without community partnership and expressed appreciation that TAG members intend to remain engaged. ■ Councilor Evans -asked how the City can better support young families facing rising costs for food, childcare, health care, and housing; noted concern for affordability and the need to create conditions that allow families to build long- term stability in Eugene; stated the importance of creating jobs. • Mayor Knudson -stated gratitude for the collaborative effort between staff and TAG; stated the work reflects strong community leadership and will continue to benefit Eugene into the future; noted interest in how employment benchmarks will shift over time as strategies are implemented; noted an upcoming council work session on housing will continue related discussions about supporting workforce and family stability. The meeting was adjourned at 6:58 p.m. Respectfully submitted, /J/jJL Katie LaSala City Recorder (Recorded by Cherish Bradshaw) Link to the web cast of this City Council meeting here. MINUTES -Eugen e City Council Work Session February 9, 2026 Page 2 resolve the budget gap; stated support for renewed economic development efforts but emphasized that such strategies are long term and will not immediately address structural budget issues; noted defining core services must take into account Eugene's competitive strengths, including livability, arts, natural amenities, and a well-functioning local government. ■ Councilor Yeh -stated appreciation for hearing committee members' perspectives directly; noted agreement with the observation that community attitudes may be shifting, including recognition that city staff are not wasteful; stated the City must invest consistently in long-term work because delaying action prevents long-term progress; noted the report's phased structure makes complex tasks less overwhelming; stated Council cannot complete this work without community partnership and expressed appreciation that TAG members intend to remain engaged. ■ Councilor Evans -asked how the City can better support young families facing rising costs for food, childcare, health care, and housing; noted concern for affordability and the need to create conditions that allow families to build long- term stability in Eugene; stated the importance of creating jobs. • Mayor Knudson -stated gratitude for the collaborative effort between staff and TAG; stated the work reflects strong community leadership and will continue to benefit Eugene into the future; noted interest in how employment benchmarks will shift over time as strategies are implemented; noted an upcoming council work session on housing will continue related discussions about supporting workforce and family stability. The meeting was adjourned at 6:58 p.m. Respectfully submitted, /J/jJL Katie LaSala City Recorder (Recorded by Cherish Bradshaw) Link to the web cast of this City Council meeting here. 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