HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem C: Envision Eugene
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Work Session: Envision Eugene Update: Economic Prosperity
Meeting Date: December 15, 2010 Agenda Item Number: C
Department: Planning and Development Staff Contact: Lisa Gardner/Mike Sullivan
www.eugene-or.gov Contact Telephone Number: 541-682-5208/541-682-5448
ISSUE STATEMENT
Envision Eugene is a collaborative community-based effort to balance the sustainability triple-bottom-
line framework of social equity, environmental stewardship and economic prosperity in planning for
34,000 new residents anticipated in the next 20 years. This work session provides an opportunity to
learn more about one aspect of the triple-bottom-line, economic prosperity.
BACKGROUND
The City Council Vision embodies a triple-bottom-line framework, balancing social equity,
environmental stewardship and economic prosperity. Specifically, the Vision is to:
Value all people, encouraging respect and appreciation for diversity, equity, justice, and social
well-being, recognizing and appreciating our differences and embracing our common humanity
as the source of our strength.
Be responsible stewards of our physical assets and natural resources, sustaining our clean air
and water, beautiful parks and open spaces, livable and safe neighborhoods, and fostering a
vibrant downtown, including a stable infrastructure.
Encourage a strong, sustainable and vibrant economy, fully utilizing our educational and
cultural assets, so that every person has an opportunity to achieve financial security.
As discussed during the November 22, joint City Council/Planning Commission work session, the triple-
bottom-line framework will anchor the Envision Eugene Council work sessions in December, January
and February, leading up to council decisions in late February.
Legally, the City must provide enough residential, commercial and industrial land to accommodate 20
years of growth, and establish a Eugene-only urban growth boundary (UGB). As important, Envision
Eugene is describing how we want to grow; creating a future picture of what Eugene will look like, and
“moving the dials” on accomplishing council and community goals for social equity, environmental
stewardship and economic prosperity.
In late February, the council will be presented with a “tool box” of strategies and tactics to consider for
accomplishing the work of Envision Eugene. The various strategies will have ranging impact on
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“moving the dials” and the concurrent impact on satisfying a portion of the residential, commercial and
industrial land need.
By state law (which is consistent with community values), land within the current urban growth
boundary must first be used efficiently before the UGB can be recommended for expansion. Practically,
the council will choose a package of strategies that satisfies all or a portion of the land need within the
current UGB, with any unmet residual earmarked for UGB expansion.
Each strategy will be accompanied by one or more tactics, which are the actions that must be taken to
successfully implement a strategy. If tactics are not approved concurrently with a strategy, “phantom
capacity” is created, and the strategy is not a viable means of satisfying the land need within the current
UGB.
Several Envision Eugene work sessions are planned with the council over the next three months. In
December and January, the foundation for each of the triple-bottom-line elements – social equity,
environmental stewardship and economic prosperity – will be presented and discussed. These work
sessions will not include strategies and tactics, but baseline data, goals, frameworks, etc. Work sessions
in January and February will begin to introduce strategies and tactics as the Community Resource Group
(CRG) continues its work. Similar to the joint Council/Planning Commission work session, different
CRG members will be invited to participate in the work sessions to add their perspectives to the
conversations.
Economic Prosperity Foundation
Developing and maintaining a local economy that ensures that every person has an opportunity to
achieve financial security is a part of the City Council Vision, and must be a high priority for the
collective work of the private, public and non-profit communities.
Last year, the Joint Elected Officials of Lane County and the cities of Eugene and Springfield
recognized this with their collective approval of a Regional Prosperity Economic Development Plan.
The Plan includes goals to reduce the local unemployment rate to, or below the state average, and
increase the average wage to or above the state average. Both economic indicators have been
stubbornly entrenched for decades, negatively impacting the achievement of financial security for many
in our community.
Over 40 percent of the children enrolled with Eugene 4J School District are eligible for the free or
reduced lunch program. Nearly 60 percent of Bethel School District children are eligible. Last year, 34
percent of Lane County householders were only able to pay a month or less of bills if the main source of
income stops. Over 20 percent of households received some form of public assistance in the previous 12
months.
18 percent of households are between 100-200 percent of the federal poverty guideline, making them
ineligible for many services, but without adequate income to meet their family’s basic needs per self
sufficiency standards. The percentage of households reporting problems affording utilities increased
from 8.9 percent to 20.2 percent. The last one night homelessness count in January 2010 recorded 3,971
individuals reporting themselves as homeless in Lane County.
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Lane County’s average wage has lagged behind the national and state averages for over 25 years. The
average wage in Lane County in 2009 was $35,475, which is 16 percent below the state average.
Similarly, unemployment rates in Eugene have historically remained about the same or slightly higher
than the state and anywhere from 1-3 percent higher than the nation over the past 15 years.
Not addressing these issues as part of Envision Eugene will be a missed opportunity to improve
individual and family financial security, and may ensure that economic prosperity remains out of reach
for many community members for years. Envision Eugene is not the only avenue to address this
entrenchment, but it is an important opportunity.
The December 15 work session will begin laying the economic prosperity foundation for responding to
this need as a part of Envision Eugene. The council will not be asked to make any decisions during this
work session.
RELATED CITY POLICIES
Most of the Growth Management Policies are related to Envision Eugene, most notably Policy 16
relates to the topic of Economic Prosperity.
Policy 16 – Focus efforts to diversify the local economy and provide family-wage jobs
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principally by supporting local and environmentally-sensitive businesses. Direct available
financial and regulatory incentives to support these efforts.
COUNCIL OPTIONS
For discussion only, no formal action is required
CITY MANAGER’S RECOMMENDATION
No action is required on this item. Therefore, no recommendations are offered by the City Manager.
SUGGESTED MOTION
No action is required on this item. Therefore, no motions are suggested.
ATTACHMENTS
A. CRG Worst and Best Outcomes for Economic Development
B. JEO Regional Prosperity Economic Development Plan
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Staff Contact: Lisa Gardner ,541-682-5208/Mike Sullivan, 541-682-5448
Staff E-Mail: lisa.a.gardner@ci.eugene.or.us; mike.c.sullivan@ci.eugene.or.us
Project Website: www.envisioneugene.org
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ATTACHMENT A
WORST
THE POSSIBLE OUTCOMES IF WE DON’T’ WORK TOGETHER
FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
WHAT WE DON'T WANT
Nothing happens. We do nothing! We do nothing! Nothing happens or things get worse. We keep
spending money and energy and don’t move forward. There is no economic development. No answer
trend continues. Nothing happens.
We develop a terrible reputation in the business relocation world and nothing happens. Nothing
changes and we continue to have lots of small, dispersed, unusable, industrial parcels and no
consolidated parcels in usable desirable locations, so all the new clean tech and green businesses we
want go elsewhere.
There is no economic development plan because we cannot work together. We spend all this time but
when the decision time comes, we still retreat to our old silos and refuse to agree on a solution. We
polarize, set up camps, shout across the abyss and don’t get any economic development plan! . We
become a third world community and are constantly squabbling about how to provide everyone’s needs
for social services.
We don’t do what is necessary to create jobs. There are no jobs. Those who stay in place are an even
greater burden on social services and we spiral into a depressed, desolate community. There is a
downward spiral of fewer jobs, greater strain on support services, less money for support services, those
with money and business leave.
We are not developing economic development policy or action and incentives. If we keep wasting our
time and don’t reach consensus, the City Manager will submit his proposal and the City Council will
make (or not make) a decision.
We end up with no land for businesses and industry to develop or grow into. Local business can’t find
land to grow and thrive. Not enough land for industrial with net results in lost opportunities, jobs. We
will make no provision for the growth and health of our existing businesses and they leave and not a
single new business will ever come to town.
We don’t have any economic development and our community suffers with low wages and poor
health. Wages continue to decline. Low wage jobs prevail. Quality of life can only get you so far. Lower
wages for service work proliferates. Development will occur inefficiently, in the most costly way, and
fewer jobs will result.
We become a community divided by class. Eugene becomes economically gentrified. We fail to be able
to offer a variety of job types to future residents and we become a less diverse community and less able
to expect our children to stay and find jobs.
There will be a widened income gap. Average medium income continues to decline widening the gap
with the state. Our income continues to fall below state and nation. Wage slaves are suffering in a low
pay toxic job while living on the streets and not providing for their families.
Community Resource Group October 12, 2010
WHAT WE DON'T WANT (cont.)
People in our community don’t have living wage jobs and are not able to feed and house their
families. People are increasingly unable to care for their families. We don’t provide family wage jobs
that provide living wages and benefits and which can allow our children to stay and raise a family and
survive economically. Family wages continue to decline and everyone’s quality of life becomes their
worst nightmare.
We don’t attract enough family wage jobs and people can’t afford to live here. They live in outlying
towns and we have air pollution, more traffic and decreased quality of life. We will not have any land
zoned and ready for a job and income producing opportunity when it appears on our doorstep and it
ends up going to some other town. Industry will go other places and it may not be in our region, thus
the wage gap stays in place.
People leave town in search of employment. People leave to find jobs elsewhere. Our kids graduate
and leave for jobs elsewhere with no hope of returning. Our kids leave. None of our children can afford
to live here, so none of us get to see our grandchildren.
We not only don’t have jobs and economic success, we lose what we have. The gap between wages
and jobs increases and existing industry moves, leaving more vacant buildings. People stay or become
unemployed. No economic progress happens.
Our existing businesses can’t grow and expand so they leave, taking jobs and tax revenue with them.
We chase large industry away and do not encourage our local industry.
No new business would locate to Eugene and our average wages continue to fall compared to State
and United States average. Very little growth occurs with present industry and no new industry is
attracted to Eugene. No new industries come to Eugene. We continue to lose ground in total number of
jobs. There are lost opportunities for high tech clean high wage jobs.
I am afraid there will be no innovation to help small businesses that already are good neighbors
because energy instead is spent on attracting large industry. They will be given subsidies that will cost
all other tax payers to provide infrastructure and then leave Eugene when tax subsidies end. As good
businesses grow they have to leave, unemployment and poverty remains a very real problem. Economic
We battle, then settle on a midpoint solution that only “sort of” protects our valued resources and
neighborhoods and fails to offer enticing industrial land opportunities. We are afraid prime farmland
lost will be lost to industry. Industrial uses occur near incompatible other uses. We are afraid industry
will be placed outside residential centers and therefore will not be a responsible neighbor. We will see
the conversion of industrial to other unintended uses.
Development will be driven by lowest common denominator approaches like recruitment of those
who are in for the short term exploitations of community. In our desperation to provide new jobs
through industry we allow the siting of companies that are not interested in long term location here and
do not act as responsible stewards or engaged community partners. We are left with abandoned
buildings.
Community Resource Group October 12, 2010
WHAT WE DON'T WANT (cont.)
Unemployment increases. High unemployment and low wages continue to be a hardship for many in
the community. We create economic polarization of high end “professional” and low paying service or
a/o paying unemployment.
We expand the Urban Growth Boundary and end up with unused brown fields left over in town. We
will see more brown field sites and displaced unemployed workers. Industries will be allowed to locate
and not have proper pollution controls and are allowed to pay low wages. Too much will be
compromised.
We don’t like ourselves as a community. Neighborhood clashes result in growth by lawsuit. Old
enmities will re-emerge. No growth will occur or possibly Eugene will have negative growth.
Eugene is no longer a desirable place to live. We develop a reputation for a city where no one wants to
be. Quality of life decreases because underlying economic/financial base of the community erodes.
Funds to support public investment will wither. We miss opportunities to expand our community
economic wealth and the downward trend continues downward toward failure.
Our community dies a slow death. Eugene falls into a longer recession. Poor planning that would result
in prolonging on increasing effects of the recession. Stagnation or worse, things decline further,
greater unemployment, families struggle more and we lose hope. People get sick and die. Schools fail.
Kids grow up in poverty, there are more homeless folks and ultimately more crime.
Community Resource Group October 12, 2010
BEST
THE POSSIBLE OUTCOME WHEN WE WORK TOGETHER
FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
OUR LONG TERM PURPOSE
We create a near consensus vision resulting in a plan that creates family wage jobs while enhancing
the environment and increasing social equity. There are mixed opportunities for jobs growth, and
industry growth. There are more livable jobs. We will have more and more desirable jobs.
That we develop a vision and plan that acknowledged our best characteristics and specifically recruits
and supports businesses that fit the vision of what we want to be. We will figure out how to improve
our economy in a way that fits our values. We have a plan that provides varying sizes of commercial and
industrial property to meet the needs of growth and new businesses that reflect the community’s
values. We can identify what we do want to have and still provide a predictable outcome for the specific
site.
We finally talk about substance, real general consensus and therefore help inform the city’s process
and contribute to a positive and popular decision. All people’s well being is considered in decision
making. We will make joint decisions for the greater good…sufficient jobs and higher wages, reduced
impacts. We will consider environmental impacts as part of our decisions.
We develop a thoughtful plan that takes into account the entire community’s point of view. We look
for long term solutions that are good for our community as a whole. We define "good" for our
community point system (plan).”
That we solve our dynamic issues, that we collectively build a flexible and diverse workforce to build a
strong economic foundation that meets the challenge of the triple bottom line that will sustain us
through time. We develop an active economic development plan recognizing the growth that is most
likely to occur and our commitment to provide good job opportunities for the younger members of our
families and young professionals we would like to attract to our community.
Policies can be generated which are implemented by the City Council so that planning efforts and
visions have a chance of becoming a reality. Collaborative planning brings healthy mixed use
redevelopment along transit corridors. We develop a path to a better economic condition without
having a negative impact on our quality of life. We generate prosperity so that everyone is better off
and we can afford the things we really want in addition (parks, school and environment).
Reformation of regulatory procedures results in new policies that welcome economic progress,
environmental stewardship and sustainable business practices. This change at the policy level inspires
conversation and action that brings historically adverse groups into enthusiastic agreement about how
Eugene will welcome and grow jobs. Policy makers develop a strong employment strategy and follow
through, always evaluating and changing the strategy.
Community Resource Group October 12, 2010
OUR LONG TERM PURPOSE (cont.)
We are able to show a united community effort to bring in well paying and socially beneficial large
and medium industry while supporting small businesses. New technology and/or large healthcare
facilities want to locate here and we have sites for them. This creates jobs and helps transform our
community to one with a robust economy and salary averages above national average. Economic
Development adds to the aesthetic values of community.
We will have an ample amount of land ready for development when a job/income producing firm
comes to town with an interest in building a facility here. We re-shape parcels of land and economic
policy to make available sites of various sizes shovel ready so that companies vie for a location in Eugene
and we have the pick of the litter of business that stay in Eugene forever.
We move ahead slowly, with flexibility and open up the UGB only if needs require it. That we end up
with sufficient areas of land that are suitably located and can accommodate large, medium and small
industry that will provide living wages for families. We identify a “menu” of industrial sites targeting
specific industry and add land to the UGB to accommodate it. We expand the UGB within a four year
period.
We take a “big picture” look at our options and agree on an approach to designating industrial land
that makes Eugene competitive in attracting new industry while protecting our valued resources and
neighborhoods. There are minimal impacts of industrial uses on neighborhoods. We have clean
industries that are good neighbors. We build smaller homes for encouraging more for less on the
housing lands and keeping them off and away from industrial lands. Our Class 1 farmland is protected.
Recruitment of business minimizes environmental impacts in the long run. Industry that does come
here is compatible to Eugene and does not degrade our lifestyle. Seriously, average wages go up and we
have a balanced mix of industry that is compatible and sustainable with our current and future vision.
That we agree to long term employment and development objectives that help us agree on land use
and help us stick to those agreements long term. We attract new business and support existing
businesses while responsibly using our natural resources. Everyone will have meaningful work near to
where they live and will earn enough to meet basic needs while preserving invaluable resource lands to
produce their food, clothing and shelter. Perhaps their work is on those rescued lands providing their
own needs!
Eugene offers good living wage jobs to a wide spectrum of workers with varied skills. We provide a full
portfolio of job opportunities that allow community members to participate in the job market from
entry level through a career. Eugene would see the value in higher wage manufacturing jobs, especially
for those people without a college degree, and we make sure we had the right mix of available lands to
entice businesses to locate to Eugene.
As a result Eugene is a vibrant thriving community with low unemployment and ample competitive
wages. We are above the national average in median income. We have a diverse, stable economy.
Jobs are more inclusive, including those people living below the poverty level and/or on food stamps in
the process toward a better future. We all say “remember when there was a United Way?”
Community Resource Group October 12, 2010
OUR LONG TERM PURPOSE (cont.)
We have attracted and secured high employment industries that are diverse in size, output and
market sectors. We attract a good mix of jobs that decreases the housing affordability gap (or
eliminates it.). We do this by developing jobs and industries that are consistent with our shared values
and that ensure a high quality of life. They take an active role in the community and provide career
advancement to their employees.
We develop and attract a strong base of clean, green industry employers to raise our economic profile
resulting in better paying jobs with good benefits for more people. Clean and green industries come to
Eugene. This in turn helps to support and fuel other parts of economy. Clean industry flourishes and is
strategically located. The city identifies and cleans up infill brown fields, then markets them to relatively
clean industry. They are then developed by a mix of clean industry commercial.
The community focuses on and attracts and keeps market driven family wage jobs, resulting in
average median income that exceeds state averages. We encourage living wage jobs. New high wage
jobs are created by industries. The community sees significant new jobs. Employment comes from
mostly local businesses.
We create family wage jobs that provide living wages and benefits and which can allow our children
to stay and raise a family and service economically. More people have living wage jobs and are able to
house and feed their families. Living wage jobs improve and we have the capacity to live, work and play
here in our home town.
People in Eugene will have jobs and be able to care for their families…with support infrastructure. We
have a happy and healthy populace doing interesting and rewarding work, while serving the common
good. They are provided ample opportunities to see their families thrive and leaning to an ever
increasing improvement in everyone’s standard of living and providing for the less fortunate or able.
Eugene becomes known as one of the best places to live and work. We keep and foster new talent and
help everyone in our community prosper. We become an inclusive thriving community with ample well
paying jobs for all demographics (age, race, etc.) that provides desirable housing and services for all. We
will be proud.
We keep what we care about. We are sustainable and equitable. Business, government and schools
are supported and job growth is sustained over many years. Not only do we have opportunity for
existing business to grow and new business to arrive, but we have everyone actually working towards
the success of the economy and all the benefits that come from that.
Eugene crafts ingenious strategies to be both internationally renowned (in a good attractive way) and
yet still affordable for all classes. Residents rate quality of life here in the top 10% of the country.
The outcome will provide for the common good. Everyone will get their needs met. The gap between
have’s and have not’s will close. Energies will be focused into new areas rather than channeled into
conflict. We have reduced poverty.
Community Resource Group October 12, 2010