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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCC Minutes - 01/25/10 Work SessionMINUTES Eugene City Council Work Session and Meeting of the Eugene Urban Renewal Agency McNutt Room — City Hall 777 Pearl Street Eugene, Oregon January 25, 2010 5:30 p.m. COUNCILORS PRESENT: Chris Pryor, Mike Clark, George Brown, Andrea Ortiz, Alan Zelenka, Betty Taylor, George Poling, Jennifer Solomon Mayor Piercy called the work session meeting of the Eugene City Council to order at 5:30 p.m. A. WORK SESSION — Committee Reports and Items of Interest from Mayor, City Council and City Manager Ms. Piercy thanked the members of the Human Rights Commission and the NAACP for their recent participation in a series of events in recognition of t Martin Luther King Jr. Day. She noted she had met with representatives of the Asian community to listen to their concerns regarding a recent tasering incident. Ms. Piercy reported she had spoken with a group of students from Lane Community College to discuss the importance of voting. She noted she had attended the recent Fire/EMS awards event. Ms. Piercy noted she had recently been appointed to the Oregon Commission for Child Care and had attended her first meeting as a member of that group. She commented that the recent walking and biking tour before the council's goal setting meeting had been excellent. Ms. Piercy noted that the Green Home show had taken place in Eugene during the previous week and had been quite well attended. She stated that Police Auditor Mark Gissiner had distributed a report to both her and the council members and was expected to provide supplemental presentation to that report on February 8. Ms. Piercy noted that a member of the City's Civilian Review Board, Snell Fontus, was currently involved in ongoing humanitarian earthquake relief efforts in Haiti and suggested that the council might draft a letter thanking Mr. Fontus for those efforts. She took note of Police Chief Pete Kerns' recent report of a bias crime in the Bethel area. Mr. Zelenka arrived to the meeting at 5:32 p.m. Ms. Taylor commented on her and Mr. Clark's recent meeting with Mr. Gissiner and Assistant Auditor Dawn Reynolds and looked forward to Mr. Gissiner's presentation to the council on February 8. Ms. Taylor reported that she, Ms. Solomon and Mr. Poling had recently met with the street assessment committee. She further reported that the meeting had included Public Works Engineering staff members Mark Schoening and Fred McVay and believed that the meeting to discuss issues such as third assessments and the travel shed had been very productive. MINUTES Eugene City Council January 25, 2010 Page I Work Session Mr. Taylor noted she had attended a meeting of the downtown parking subcommittee earlier that day. She noted that although no significant agreements had been made during the meeting she appreciated the level of discussion and the nature of the ideas that had been presented. Ms. Ortiz commented on a number of events she had attended during the previous week including a meeting at the Bethel School District. Ms. Ortiz commented on recent developments at the Lane Regional Air Pollution Authority (LRAPA) and noted that she had asked that group to investigate certain team building strategies that the Eugene City Council had used with Bob Chadwick. Ms. Ortiz noted that the culinary students at the Serbu Youth Center would be having an open house event on Thursday, January 28, in order to promote their catering services. Mr. Pryor reported he had attended the recent annual dinners of the Eugene and Springfield Chambers of Commerce. He was pleased to see the emphasis on partnership and cooperation that had been demonstrated at those events. Mr. Pryor commented on the recent council goal - setting meetings and believed that significant progress had been made to identify many of the strategic and priority issues to be folded into the City's budget processes. Mr. Pryor noted the City Housing Policy Board's allocations committee had met earlier that day to discuss the granting process for the current year and that a site north of the old Westmoreland School near City View and 18th Avenue had been identified as the next area for development. Mr. Pryor commented on the downtown parking subcommittee's meeting earlier that day and noted that a certain small amount of incremental progress had been made. Mr. Pryor noted he would be attending the Mayor's next community one -on -one event at the Albertson's on Chambers Street on January 26 at 5:00 p.m. Mr. Zelenka noted the significant turnout at the recent Martin Luther King Day celebration events. He believed that the council's recent goal- setting session had indeed been productive. Ms. Solomon noted she had attended the Human Services Commission's (HSC) recent meeting and noted that the HSC had modified certain aspects of its budget processes based on its recent community outreach efforts. She hoped to have further information on the matter after the next HSC meeting. Ms. Solomon believed that the recent street assessment committee meeting she had attended had been highly productive. Ms. Solomon noted that the Public Safety Coordinating Council had recently released a report card which had indicated several areas where public safety efforts could be improved in the community. She reported she had recently met with representatives from the Buford Park Mt. Pisgah Project and noted that it had been highly informative. Mr. Poling commented on the students from schools in the Eugene and Springfield communities who had been recognized for their achievements at the recent Chamber of Commerce dinners. He noted he had received an email from a constituent about traffic and pedestrian problems on Crescent Avenue and asked Assistant City Manager Sarah Medary to investigate the matter. MINUTES Eugene City Council January 25, 2010 Page 2 Work Session Mr. Poling congratulated those who had recently been promoted in the Fire/EMS department and those who had also received the department's civilian awards. He stated that Lane Council of Government's (LCOG) annual awards dinner was scheduled for Thursday, January 28, and that Mr. Pryor would be serving as master of ceremonies for the event. Mr. Brown noted his participation in the recent Martin Luther King Day events. He said he had attended the recent Human Rights Commission meeting and had been pleased to learn more there regarding the Police Auditor's office. Mr. Brown reported he had recently spoken at a town hall meeting of the local Citizens for Public Accountability group at the WOW hall. Mr. Clark noted his attendance at the Police Commission meeting on January 14. He noted the meeting had involved a very productive discussion on police taser policies and a report from Municipal Court Judge Wayne Allen. He noted that Judge Allen had made comments regarding the number of jail beds currently available and had also advocated for increased crisis intervention training (CIT) strategies with respect to current Eugene Police Department (EPD) taser training practices. Mr. Clark noted his participation in the recent Martin Luther King Day events. He congratulated local business owner John Shepherd on his receipt of the Eugene Chamber of Commerce "First Citizen" award in recognition of his work with the Relief Nursery and other local social service agencies. Mr. Clark noted he had also attended the recent Eugene Fire/EMS awards event and had been particularly impressed with the private business partners that the Fire/EMS department used to lower the costs to the taxpayers of the community. He reported he had presented the opening remarks for the recent City boards and commission training sessions. Mr. Clark commented on the recent meeting of the Downtown Parking Subcommittee he had attended and thanked Planning Director Susan Muir for her efforts to help that group develop a set of data to help the council adopt parking strategies for the benefit of the downtown area. Mr. Clark reported that the next meeting of the Cal Young Neighborhood Association had been scheduled for Thursday, January 28, at 7 p.m. at the Sheldon Community Center. Ms. Medary thanked the staff of the Eugene Airport and noted that they had been extremely helpful to her in her recent travels. She commented on the recent council goal- setting session and reminded those present that the session had been televised and was available for public review through the City of Eugene's website. Ms. Ortiz stated she had not received any responses from City staff to her inquiries on current taser policies. She believed that the Police Commission members had felt pressured by the council to complete their reviews and recommendations on the City's taser policies and further recommended that the commission be allowed to work at its own pace regarding the matter. Ms. Ortiz also commented on Dr. Fontus' recent participation in Haitian earthquake relief efforts and suggested that in -lieu of other forms of support the City might choose to make a donation to the Red Cross. MINUTES Eugene City Council January 25, 2010 Page 3 Work Session Mr. Clark agreed with Ms. Ortiz's comments regarding the Police Commission's review of current EPD Laser policies and felt it was unfortunate that it appeared that the commission's review had been rushed. He encouraged the Police Commission members to take the appropriate amount of time to develop taser policy recommendations that would be supported by the public. Ms. Piercy suggested that the council members confer with Ms. Ortiz so that she might be able to communicate any relevant information regarding discussions of taser policies to the Police Commission. Mr. zelenka and Ms. Taylor each noted that they wished for the Police Commission to more quickly with its development of taser policy recommendations. The remainder of the council members generally agreed that the Police Commission should be allowed to proceed at its own pace. Ms. Ortiz noted that the Police Commission needed the opportunity to adequately respond to a variety of unbalanced public comments that had been made regarding taser policies. She further noted that historically the Police Commission had never been subject to a timeframe for its work. Ms. Piercy reported that students from Eugene's sister city Jinju in South Korea had recently visited the area. Ms. Piercy adjourned the work session meeting of the Eugene City Council and convened the meeting of the Eugene Urban Renewal Agency at 5:51 p.m. B. WORD SESSION: Lane Community College Downtown Center Project Ms. Piercy introduced Lane Community College President Mary Spilde. Ms. Spilde thanked Ms. Piercy and the council members for the opportunity to speak regarding Lane Community College's (LCC) development plans for the IOth Avenue and Charnelton Street site. Ms. Spilde provided the council with an overview of LCC's development plans and noted that they corresponded with LCC's commitment to providing its students with excellent instructional resources while at the same time incorporating the college's sustainability values and collaborative partnership strategies. Ms. Spilde commented on LCC's current downtown facilities and expressed that they were insufficient for the current and future needs of LCC. She noted that the downtown facility was used by significant numbers of marginalized students and that an improved facility was essential to providing those students with quality educational opportunities. Ms. Spilde discussed the current enrollment at LCC's main campus and downtown facilities and noted that the development of the IOth and Charnelton site was vital to the continued expansion of LCC. She further noted a number of LCC programs and services that were expected to be expanded into the new facility not only for the benefit of LCC but also for the broader downtown Eugene business community. Ms. Spilde reported that LCC planned to incorporate several elements of its nationally recognized energy management and energy education programs into the new downtown facility. She further maintained that LCC's commitment to energy education would directly benefit the City of Eugene in that it could encourage its graduates from programs such as LCC's Energy Education Institute to continue to live and work in the community. MINUTES Eugene City Council January 25, 2010 Page 4 Work Session Ms. Spilde noted that the planned facility for the 10th Avenue and Charnelton Street site had been planned in accordance with the sustainability principles of the triple bottom line assessment. She proceeded to describe for the benefit of the council, the approximate square footage and layout of the new facility as well as how many students were ultimately expected to be served by the new building. Ms. Spilde reported that a feasibility study commissioned by LCC had demonstrated the need for student housing in the downtown area as part of the new LCC facility. Ms. Spilde noted that a consulting firm from Portland had been commissioned to conduct the first phase of the new facility's project management. Ms. Spilde noted that LCC had contracted the f rm of Robertson - Sherwood to design and develop the new LCC facility. She further noted that a report from Robertson - Sherwood regarding preliminary design and development considerations was expected to be submitted in March of 2014. Ms. Spilde briefly discussed the financing that had been assembled for the LCC development project and noted that $3 million from a recently passed bond measure and $S million in State funding had already been committed. She further noted that an additional $550,000 in federal earmarks had been awarded to LCC's energy programs and that LCC was investigating a number of potential sources for the remainder of the necessary development funding. Ms. Spilde commented that LCC had investigated the use of federal funds from the American Graduation Initiative and noted that certain LCC board members planned to travel to Washington, D.C. to advocate for that funding. Ms. Spilde noted that LCC was also investigating the use of the U.S. Treasury Department's new market tax credits to fund the development project. She further noted that additional federal energy tax credits were also being investigated. Ms. Spilde noted that LCC hoped that the City of Eugene would also provide funding assistance. She described the three -phase timeline for the development project. Ms. Spilde recognized that the planned LCC development project was very complex but recognized that the project represented an enormous opportunity for the continued growth and prosperity of the downtown community. Susan Muir noted that LCC's development plans corresponded well with certain aspects of the four downtown improvement strategies that had been adopted by the council earlier in the year. She noted that staff was seeking support for the selection of the LCC development project for the 1 0th and Charnelton site, direction for staff to enter specific negotiations for the acquisition of the subject property, and direction for staff to return to the council for a final review of the acquisition deal points. She expected that staff would return to council on or around February 22 with further details regarding the development project. Ms. Susan Muir thanked Ms. Spilde and LCC for their openness and cooperation regarding the development of the 10th and Charnelton site. She looked forward to the continued development of the project. Ms. Piercy noted her excitement at the prospect of a new downtown LCC facility and hoped that the planning strategies regarding the same could be matched up with a number of concurrent community discussions regarding local economic development. MINUTES Eugene City Council January 25, 2010 Page 5 Work Session Ms. Piercy was pleased that a downtown LCC facility that included student housing would result in a much larger number of people continuously living and working in downtown Eugene. Mr. Clark strongly supported the LCC development project and felt that it would present a number of opportunities for further downtown redevelopment and revitalization. He was also pleased to learn that Robertson - Sherwood had been selected as the principal designer for the project. Mr. Clark asked how the staff discussions with LCC regarding their development plans had corresponded with the City's plans for a downtown police substation facility and other public safety improvement strategies. Ms. Spilde responded that the preliminary development plans were expected to compliment a variety of public safety improvement strategies including a new downtown police substation. Mr. Clark asked if LCC representatives had had any preliminary conversations with representatives from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs about how LCC's development plans might correspond with the potential development of a downtown Veterans Administration hospital facility. Ms. Spilde responded that while LCC had not had any discussions with local representatives from the Veterans Administration they had been in contact with representatives from the Veterans Administration in Roseburg regarding certain programs that might be expanded concurrent to the development of LCC's new downtown building. Ms: Solomon asked for further information regarding LCC's plans for its current downtown building. Ms. Spilde replied that LCC planned to vacate the current building once the new one had been completed and that the LCC board was considering a number of potential disposal plans to be discussed with Eugene City staff. Ms. Spilde, responding to a question from Mr. Pryor, briefly described how student housing might be implemented at the downtown LCC facility. She noted that LCC's plans to incorporate downtown student housing corresponded to a number of significant demographic changes that LCC expected to face over the next several years. Mr. Pryor was very excited about the effect that increased downtown student residency would have on the downtown area and believed that getting more people to live and work in the downtown area was essential for the continued prosperity of the City. Ms. Spilde, responding to a question from Mr. Pryor regarding the $27 million in funding required for the LCC development project, noted that that figure was from an old estimate for the project and did not account for a number of programs and services that had been subsequently planned for the facility. Ms. Spilde, responding to a question from Ms. Ortiz, noted that property acquisition costs had not been factored into the initial concept for the project since those initial plans had only called for a renovation of the current downtown LCC facility. Mr. Zelenka was particularly excited about the energy management and education aspects of the proposed LCC development project. Ms. Muir, responding to a question from Mr. Zelenka, noted that an additional RFP would not necessarily have to be submitted in order for the LCC development project to proceed. City Attorney Glenn Klein concurred with Ms. Muir's statement. MINUTES Eugene City Council January 25, 2010 Page 6 Work Session Mr. Brown agreed LCD's development project would be a fabulous project for the downtown area but noted he had a problem with the language of the motion that had been suggested by staff and maintained that it should be revised to expressly postpone directing the Agency Director's negotiation of the purchase and sale agreement until after LCC had completed its feasibility study for the development project. He believed that turning over the negotiation authority to the City Manager prematurely, in that regard, would mean that the council would "lose a large part of our voice" with respect to the property acquisition. He believed further information regarding LCD's feasibility study and the subsequent property acquisition was needed. Ms. Muir stated that staff's intention with the suggested motion had been to return to the Eugene Urban Renewal Agency (URA) at the end of February with more detailed information regarding the terms of the property acquisition after further negotiation and discussion with LCC representatives. She reminded Mr. Brown that the motion had expressly stated that the Agency Director would return to the URA Board for final approval of the terms of the property acquisition. Mr. Brown supported the project but believed that more information regarding LCD's offer for the subject property was needed before proceeding. Ms. Piercy commented on previous negotiations for other downtown property development projects. Ms. Muir noted that the current level of information and the current process surrounding the City's consideration of the LCC development project was very similar to that which would have been done in an RFP process. She noted that current considerations had placed the City and LCC in a very favorable position to move forward. Mr. Poling reiterated his support for the LCC development project and noted that LCC remained a very important partner in the community. Ms. Taylor was concerned about LCD's intention to abandon its current downtown facility but noted that such concerns would be addressed later. Ms. Taylor asked for more specific information regarding the nature of the resources that LCC hoped the City would provide with respect to their project development plans. Ms. Spilde replied that such resources would likely come in the form of direct financial assistance or indirectly in the form of waived systems development charges or other strategies. She noted that more specific discussion in that regard would take place in the future. Ms. Taylor indicated she would support a waiver of systems development charges for the LCC development project. Ms. Taylor voiced her support for community colleges in general and hoped she might have the opportunity to teach at LCD's new facility. Mr. Clark referred to Mr. Brown's earlier comment and expressed that the suggested motion did not remove the authority of the URA with respect to LCD's development project but rather allowed the Agency Director to more accurately determine the nature of an agreement with LCC in a manner similar to what had been done with previous development processes. MINUTES Eugene City Council January 25, 2010 Page 7 Work Session Mr. Zelenka briefly summarized his understanding of how the LCC's development project would proceed according to the language of the motion suggested by staff. He noted that a firm plan for the sale of the subject property would be necessary for LCC to acquire funding for the property acquisition and development of the project. Ms. Muir responded to Mr. Zelenka's comment and noted that LCC hoped to have the terms of the sale finalized in April of 2010. Ms. Spilde noted that such a plan would allow adequate time for LCC to locate an appropriate architectural firm for the design of the new facility. Mr. Pryor recognized Mr. Brown's concerns that the authority for the approval of LCC's project development plans might be nebulous if not worded carefully but agreed with Mr. Clark that the motion only granted the Agency Director the authority to investigate and negotiate the terms of the property acquisition. He noted that the authority for final approval of the property acquisition would remain with the URA. Ms. Spilde noted that the LCC Board had granted her the authority to negotiate with the City of Eugene to acquire the subject property at 1 O'' Avenue and Charnelton Street but added she would still be required to return to the LCC board for final approval of the deal. Mr. Brown stated that his concerns regarding the language of the motion were not in any way intended to indicate his opposition to LCC's downtown development project. Ms. Piercy pointed out that LCC's downtown development project had the potential to create a significant number of new jobs in and around the downtown area in addition to the 300 to 400 construction jobs that were expected to be created by the project. Ms. Medary thanked Ms. Spilde for her presentation and comments and noted it was difficult for her to imagine the City of Eugene without Lane Community College. She noted that she had taken many classes at LCC and felt lucky that the City had such an important and beneficial community partner. Ms. Ortiz appreciated the community focus that was integral to LCC's downtown development project. Mr. Clark, seconded by Ms. Taylor, moved to select LCC to redevelop the 1Oth and Charnelton property as the location for its new downtown education facility and to direct the Agency Director to enter into an exclusive negotiation agreement with LCC for a period of six months, negotiate a purchase and sale agreement, and return to the URA Board for final approval of the terms. The motion passed unanimously, 8:0. Ms. Piercy adjourned the meeting of the Eugene Urban Renewal Agency and reconvened the work session meeting of the Eugene City Council at 6:38 p.m. C. WORK SESSION: City Council Goals Ms. Medary briefly recapped the council's recent goal- setting meetings and noted that they had continued their discussion regarding the Eugene Counts efforts and their annual goal- setting efforts. She reiterated from previous council discussions that they were generally agreed in their commitment to provide clarity and focus as they moved through the goal - setting process. MINUTES Eugene City Council January 25, 2010 Page S Work Session Ms. Medary stated that staff would be synthesizing the council's goal - setting discussion over the next several weeks in order to return with a set of desired outcomes that best represented the council's objectives in each of the City's five goal areas. She noted that the staff and council discussions regarding the City's five goal areas and the subsequent objectives and strategies would lead to important budget discussions of how funding would best be applied. Ms. Medary noted items from the council's tentative agenda to be discussed over the next several weeks including the presentation of the results from the Downtown Public Safety Team's "Next Steps" meetings, discussions of downtown projects, and a review of several local transportation issues. Ms. Medary expected that she and City Manager Jon Ruiz would be meeting individually with several of the council members regarding these matters as well. Mr. Zelenka requested that Ms. Medary and City staff, send the council members copies of the data that would be used by staff as they developed their presentations on the council objectives and the "Next Steps" meetings. Ms. Piercy stated that Mr. Clark intended to pull the Appointment to Lane Regional Air Protection Agency item from the consent calendar during the council's regular meeting later that evening. Ms. Piercy adjourned the work session meeting at 6:43 p.m. Respectfully submitted, r f Jon Ruiz City Manager (Recorded by Wade Hicks) MINUTES Eugene City Council January 25, 2010 Page 9 Work Session