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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCC Minutes - 07/26/10 MeetingCity Council McNutt Room Eugene City Hall 777 Pearl Street Eugene, Oregon July 26, 2010 5:30 p.m. PRESENT: Alan Zelenka, Mike Clark, Betty Taylor, Jennifer Solomon, George Poling, Andrea Ortiz, Chris Pryor, George Brown, members. Her Honor Mayor Kitty Piercy called the July 26, 2010, work session of the Eugene City Council to order. A. COMMITTEE REPORTS AND ITEMS OF INTEREST FROM MAYOR, CITY COUNCIL, AND CITY MANAGER Mayor Piercy thanked Mr. Clark for presiding in her stead at the previous week's Wednesday council work session while she participated on a panel at the Oregon Transportation Commission meeting that discussed the roles of various levels of government in local decision - making. She had also attended the quarterly meeting of the Oregon Metropolitan Planning Organization Consortium (OMPOC) in Corvallis. Mayor Piercy reported that she heard and enjoyed a speech by Robert Kennedy Jr. at the McDonald Theater on the topic "Our Environmental Destiny." Continuing, Mayor Piercy reported that she had participated in a "thought leaders" breakfast for School District 4J to discuss solutions to the district's looming budget deficit. She had also attended a celebration commemorating the passage of the American with Disabilities Act (ADA) at the Hilyard Center to recognize the difference the act made to Eugene and the work the community had done in regard to supporting those with disabilities. Mayor Piercy reported that the Track Town Kickoff was scheduled to occur later in the week. Mayor Piercy announced that Sponsors, Inc. would hold a building dedication for its new facility, Roosevelt Crossing, at 4 p.m. on July 29. Mayor Piercy reported that she would participate in a town hall in company with Lane County commissioners Rob Handy and Peter Sorenson on the future of the fairgrounds at 630 p.m. on July 30 at Harris Hall. Mayor Piercy noted that the Oregon Mayors Association Summer Conference was being held in Cottage Grove on July 29 - 31. Mr. Clark reported that he had recently attended one of the Wednesday evening "Summer in the City" events held downtown and thanked Library, Recreation, and Cultural Services staff Billie Moser and Isaac Marquez for their work in facilitating the event. He said they had brought all types of events downtown, including a skateboarding competition that he attended with his son and a dodge ball tournament in which several City employees, including Assistant City Manager Sarah Medary, participated. He had enjoyed those events as well. MINUTES Eugene City Council July 26, 2010 Page 1 Work Session Mr. Clark said he had also attended a recent Ems baseball game as an official witness for a Guinness Book of World Records' attempt for the most people participating in a Moonwalk. He commended City Manager Jon Ruiz for his participation in the event. Mr. Clark reported that he and Mr. Poling as well as City Manager Ruiz attended the July 23 City Club meeting to hear a report from Jean Tate and David Frohnmayer of the ad hoc group Citizen Advocates for Public Safety (CAPS) regarding their findings on regional public safety issues and challenges. Ms. Ortiz said that the Lane Regional Air Protection Agency (LRAPA) had changed its meeting date to the fourth Monday of each month. She had encouraged members of the board of directors to build relations and anticipated the LRAPA board and staff would hold a potluck as one way to accomplish that. She said the board had issued a Request for Proposals for a consultant to work with the board on internal community building. Ms..Ortiz reported that she participated in the free medical clinic held July 24 -25 sponsored by United Way and the Cascade Medical Team that took place at the Monaco RV Health Clinic Building. The clinic was held for those who lacked medical care. Many people received dental care at the event and were provided with referrals for additional service. Ms. Ortiz thanked the Cascade Medical Team for its work at the event. Mr. Zelenka arrived. Ms. Ortiz noted that the organization "Volunteers in Medicine" had moved to Springfield and were no longer located on west 11 th Avenue in Eugene. Ms. Ortiz reported that she attended the recent Envision Eugene workshop at St. Catherine's Hall and the consensus shown by participants made her feel hopeful about the possibility the outcome of the process would have broad community support. Mr. Pryor said he represented the City as both a member of the Housing Policy Board and the City Council at a recent meeting with representatives of the State about the State's implementation of a new process to fund low- income housing projects. He said that meeting participants discussed the Willakenzie low - income housing project and the State representatives were positive about the project. Mr. Brown reported he attended the most recent meeting of the Human Rights Commission. He had also attended a presentation by Alexander Cousteau at the Eugene Public Library, which was very well - attended. He said Ms. Cousteau's organization helped small communities around the world to secure their water sources, as well as funding for water purification. Mr. Brown had also attended the City Club meeting mentioned by Mr. Clark and said while he had not learned much new information at the presentation he was looking forward to CAPS' final report. Mr. Poling said he planned to attend the local kickoff for the "National Night Out" event being held on July 27. Mr. Poling noted that the council had received copies of a letter being sent to residents living adjacent to pavement preservation projects advising them to park somewhere other than the street during the duration of the project and suggested to the City Manager that he arrange for extra patrols to ensure the safety of vehicles and add to residents' sense of comfort. MINUTES Eugene City Council July 26, 2010 Page 2 Work Session Mr. Poling expressed appreciation to the City Manager for the staff response to his inquiries about the Glory Bee project, adding he was glad to hear the project was moving forward. Mr. Poling noted recent letters -to- the - editor as well as comments he heard about the increased noise levels at PIS Park during Erns games and asked the Manager what the City could do to work with the Ems organization and University of Oregon to mitigate the noise levels. City Manager Ruiz said he would follow up. Ms. Solomon said she would also attend the Sponsors, Inc. facility dedication, as well as the National Night Out event scheduled in her ward at Candlelight Park. Ms. Taylor said she recently returned from a meeting of the Human Development Committee of the National League of Cities, which was working on the National workforce Reinvestment Act and also discussed dental care. She reported that other committee members had been impressed when she shared what Eugene was doing in regard to training people for the jobs of the future. She said the committee toured a facility in Hampton, Virginia, that was a one -stop shopping center for employment and also provided college classes that could lead to a PhD. Ms. Taylor reported that she heard from many constituents in favor of naming the new Willamette RiverlI- 5 Bridge the "Whilamut Passage Bridge." She had also heard several complaints and fears expressed about any relaxation of the City rules governing the keeping of chickens. One constituent shared that her neighbor had rushed out to buy more chickens before the council suspended enforcement, and had further pointed out that chicken food could attract mice and chicken manure attracted flies. Others had objected to the noise from chickens. Ms. Taylor also reported that her constituents were concerned that Amazon Pool closed at 5 p.m. during the week when it was most hot and that the pool was closed on weekends. while they were aware they could go to other pools, south Eugene residents had voted to install the pool and paid taxes to support it and were very unhappy. Ms. Solomon noted that a Washington State community planned to hold a tour of chicken coops in an urban environment. Mr. Zelenka said he had attended a symphony in the park and commended the event, which had sold out in hours. He had also attended the most recent meeting of the Sustainability Commission, which reviewed its work program in preparation for discussion with the council. Mr. Zelenka reported that he also heard constituent complaints about the noise created by chickens. City Manager Ruiz noted that the council would discuss the subject of chickens and goats on September S. City Manager Ruiz reported that the community's use of the Library continued to be high. The Eugene Police Department was conducting two sessions of safety camps for kids. He further reported that Mobility International USA was bringing 30 women to Eugene from around the world to participate in its Women's Institute on Leadership and Disability (WILD) and they would be supported by the City's Adaptive Recreation staff at the Hilyard Center. City Manager Ruiz concluded by reporting that he had visited the Fleet crew recently and thanked the MINUTES Eugene City Council July 26, 201 U Page 3 Work Session crew for its hard work. He invited interested councilors to contact hire if they wished to tour the Fleet Shop. Ms. Ortiz noted the passing of former Lane County Commissioner Chuck Ivey. B. EXECUTIVE SESSION (Pursuant to Oregon Revised Statute 192.660(2)(1) The council entered into executive session in accordance with Oregon Revised Statute 192.660(2)(1). Mayor Piercy adjourned the executive session and convened the council in regular session. C. WORD SESSION: City Manager Annual Performance Review City Manager Ruiz said the City had a good year in 2009. The organization had succeeded in correcting some long - standing structural imbalances, had stabilized its core funding, and was now living within its means while continuing to invest in the future. City Manager Ruiz noted the many good discussions the Budget Committee and council had in regard to the latter topic, particularly in areas such as downtown public safety and climate and energy planning. City Manager Ruiz thanked the City's executive team and acknowledged that it was a relatively young team but he believed it was doing outstanding work individually and collectively. He also commended the work of the organization's division Managers, a talented group charged with carrying out the policies developed by the executive team. City Manager Ruiz also commended the many employees throughout the organization who stepped up to the City's financial challenges and sought new and innovative ways to balance the budget. City Manager Ruiz deferred councilors to his self - evaluation, included in the materials provided to the council. City Manager Ruiz thanked the council for its hard work during the previous year and said it provided good guidance to him and the staff, and that was appreciated. He thought the organization was moving the community in the ways the council wanted. Mayor Piercy thanked the Manager for his leadership of City staff and his work with and for the council. She thought he had been very successful in the past year. Mayor Piercy appreciated that City Manager Ruiz had set his own goals as Manager. She also appreciated that he had worked with the council on setting and achieving its goals, which made the council feel more successful in doing what it needed to do. She thanked the Manager for his focus on economic development and the triple bottom line. She wanted the organization to hone in on that work and establish specific benchmarks and partners so the council felt the community was making progress. Mayor Piercy expressed appreciation for the Manager's value of bringing people with different points of view to find a way forward to a solution, which was a value she shared and which she thought critical for the community. Mayor Piercy believed the values that went into the budget process were important and reflective of the community's values. They spoke to the importance the organization placed on its employees and its commitment to providing the community with services even in difficult economic times. MINUTES Eugene City Council July 26, 2010 Page 4 Work Session Mayor Piercy expressed appreciation for the Manager's efforts on behalf of downtown, the arts, and culture. She appreciated that the Manager did not get defensive when criticized or when the council made suggestions. The Manager did not appear to mind taking the heat for his decisions. Mayor Piercy thought there was more work to do. She wanted the Manager to strengthen his relationships with labor. She also called for continued work on public safety and youth issues. Mayor Piercy advocated for more work on the City's relationship with the County and hoped that the two organizations could be better partners. Mayor Piercy said she generally found the Manager good to work with. Mr. Clark agreed with much of what Mayor Piercy said. He thought the Manager did an outstanding job leading the organization over the past year. He said there were frequent opportunities for contentious situations to arise, and he appreciated that the Manager kept the council and community focused on a "best outcomes" point of view. He thought that helped the council to move forward positively. He hoped the Manager could maintain that positive attitude while modeling a service mentality for the organization. He recalled the Manager saying during his interview that he saw himself as a coach with the goal of creating a high - functioning team and Mr. Clark thought that had been accomplished. He thought many of the Manager's hires had been "just right" and helped create a supportive organization. Mr. Clark believed the fact that few amendments had been proposed to the last budget was a testament to the Manager's excellent preparation. Mr. Clark indicated acceptance of the Manager's compensation recommendations. He commended the concept of compensation packages tied to specific performance measures that took the politics out of the process. He did not think a subcommittee was needed. Mr. Zelenka also thanked the Manager and commended the job he had done over the past year, particularly in regard to the budget. He thought the principles used in the preparation of the budget were well thought -out. Mr. Zelenka liked the links the Manager had created between the council's goals and policies and the work plan as he had long thought that such linkages were necessary. Mr. Zelenka said he frequently heard from residents that the Manager was doing a good job and he appreciated the Manager's outreach to the community and thought he had built up community trust. He thought that the Manager had made some great hires at the executive team level and particularly commended the hiring of Assistant Manager Medary, Central Services Director Kristi Hammitt, and Police Chief Pete Kerns. Mr. Zelenka commended the Manager for employing the triple bottom line tool and hoped that further work was done with the tool. Mr. Zelenka expressed particular appreciation for the Manager's communication with the council. Mr. Zelenka recommended that the Manager work on his relationship with the City's unions and the University of Oregon. He appreciated the economic development plan but did not think it adequately captured the shift to the "green economy" and hoped more work was done on that. Mr. Zelenka also indicated acceptance of the Manager's compensation recommendations. Ms. Ortiz agreed with much of what was said by the other councilors. She expressed appreciation for the access the Manager provided to the staff. She said the council had an open door relationship with the Manager and she did not recall a time when Mr. Ruiz had not been responsive to her concerns. - She MINUTES Eugene City Council July 25, 20 10 . Page 5 Work Session appreciated having City Manager Ruiz in the community and liked hearing that community members enjoyed their interactions with the Manager as well. She said it was evident he cared about the whole community. Mr. Pryor believed that the Manager had responsibility for creating a work place environment_ and culture that supported the council. He suggested the evaluation was a credit to the culture the Manager had helped to create. He praised the Manager's evaluation as one of the best he had seen in some time and commended it as thorough, thoughtful, and deliberate. He said the comments in the evaluation were well - directed and effective. Mr. Pryor also indicated acceptance of the Manager's compensation recommendations and commended the Manager for the recommendations, which indicated to him a desire on the part of the Manager to be a part of the larger "City family," which also included the council. Mr. Poling said that City Manager Ruiz had become one of the faces of the community in a short period of time. People look to the Manager for his leadership and guidance and appreciated his ability to move the organization forward in incremental steps. Mr. Poling expressed appreciation for the Manager's sense of humor and his ability to laugh at himself. He found the Manager approachable and open about what he did. He thought that people could trust the Manager. He also appreciated the Manager's hard work and hoped he continued to bring the same work ethic to his job. Mr. Poling commended the manger's compensation proposal and said it demonstrated that the manger was realistic about the tough financial times the City was in. He liked the Manager's suggestion for compensation in coming years because it meant the council knew what to expect. Mr. Poling wanted the Manager to remain with the organization as long as possible. Mr. Brown appreciated the way the Manager and staff had managed the fiscal year 2011 budget. He also appreciated the way the Manager went out in the community and connected to various community organizations. He appreciated and supported the Manager's compensation recommendations. Ms. Solomon agreed with Mr. Pryor's praise of City Manager Ruiz and said the Manager was the right person at the right time. She said the community members she heard from indicated the Manager was approachable and listened to them. She liked the Manager's focus on best outcomes and believed it helped the council achieve its goals. Ms. Solomon suggested that Mr. Ruiz had captured what it took to run Eugene. She thanked Mr. Ruiz for his service. Ms. Taylor said she had little to add to her written comments. Speaking to the comments of other councilors about City Manager Ruiz being out in the community, Ms. Taylor said that she heard from people who wondered why the Manager was not at the City Club more often. She said the Manager had a thick skin and was able to deal with criticism calmly. Ms. Taylor appreciated the Manager's support of the arts. However, she frequently felt that the council was not offered enough choices. Mayor Piercy felt the community was making progress, which was important to her and gave the council energy to do the work that needed to be done. She appreciated the staff sense of "can -do -ness" and thought it served Eugene well. Mayor Piercy said she liked that Mr. Ruiz appeared to like Eugene. She wanted to feel that the person in charge of the City organization appreciated, respected, and liked the community. MINUTES Eugene City Council July 26, 2010 Page 6 Work Session Mayor Piercy also appreciated that the Manager provided the council with more open access to staff. She liked that staff seemed to enjoy the challenges that faced it and perceived those challenges as problems to be solved. She suggested that residents experiencing economic difficulties were given confidence when they believed the City was working to make life better for them and improve their opportunities, and that made her feel the organization was doing the right thing. Mr. Clark, seconded by Ms. Taylor, moved to complete goal- setting for the next year with the City Manager by October 1, 2010, and to approve the suggested compensation adjustment package and process beginning in fiscal year 2012 There was brief discussion of how the motion was most appropriately worded is it regarded the staff and council follow -up to occur. Mr. Clark amended his motion as follows: Mr. Clark, seconded by Ms. Taylor, moved to complete goal- setting for the next year with the City Manager by October 1, 2010, to approve the suggested compensation adjustment package and process beginning in fiscal year 2012, and to bring back to the council for a future work session an agreement based on the e-mail put forward by the Manager. Mr. Ze lenka did not believe the compensation incentives for the Manager to stay on the job were high enough, and thought that subject deserved further council conversation. The motion passed unanimously, 8:0. Mayor Piercy adjourned the meeting at 6:45 p.m. Respectfully submitted, 3 ndio'.,_ q-. Sandra Stubbs, Deputy City Recorder (Recorded by Kimberly Young) MINUTES Eugene City Council July 26, 2010 Page 7 Work Session