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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCC Minutes - 11/08/10 Work SessionMINUTES Eugene City Council McNutt Room — Eugene City Hall 777 Pearl Street — Eugene, Oregon November 8, 2010 5:30 p.m. COUNCILORS PRESENT: Mike Clark, Betty Taylor, Jennifer Solomon, George Poling, Chris Pryor, Andrea Ortiz, George Brown, Alan Zelenka. Her Honor Mayor Kitty Piercy called the November 8, 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 reported that she met separately with three citizen groups to talk about the proposed West Eugene EmX route; had attended a production of West Side Story at South Eugene High School, which she commended; had attended the 5` Project Green Light rally and art show, which promoted awareness of the needs of homeless youth; had attended a University of Oregon class taught by Otto Poticha that focused on what a new city hall could be like, and she had encouraged Mr. Poticha to share the results with the council; had attended the recent Arts and Business Alliance breakfast; had attended a rail meeting with Bruce Agnew of the Cascadia Institute; had attended the "Eugene Local and Green" event sponsored by the Neighborhood Leaders Council; and had attended the dedication of St. Vincent de Paul's affordable housing project, the Lamb Building, which included four units dedicated to veterans. Mr. Clark reported that he had accompanied Mayor Piercy to a Mayor's One -on -One event at the Market of Choice on Green Acres Road and it had been a good opportunity to connect with residents. He reported on an October 28 Cal Young neighborhood meeting also attended by Mr. Poling, where those present heard from Lane County Jail Commandant Doug Hooley about the challenges of his work. Mr. Clark and Ms. Ortiz had also attended a November 4 Santa Clara Community Organization (SCCO) meeting where neighbors discussed approaching the City about creating a refinement plan for that neighborhood. Neighbors also discussed representation of the area as it related to their concerns about increased neighborhood density. Recognizing that Veterans Day was on November 11, Mr. Poling thanked the veterans who served, particularly those veterans just returning from Afghanistan. He noted that November 10 was the anniversary of the United States Marine Corps and he wished the corps a happy birthday. Mr. Poling reported that he and Mr. Pryor attended a joint meeting of the Lane Transit District (LTD) EmX Steering Committee and the LTD Board of Directors to discuss the West Eugene EmX alternatives analysis. Representatives of other groups were also present. Mr. Poling anticipated the committee would meet again on December 1 after members had time to review the analysis and that it would eventually make a recommendation to the board. He anticipated the council would provide him with feedback on the topic prior to that time. Mr. Brown reported he had been reviewing the West Eugene EmX alternatives analysis. MINUTES —City Council November 8, 2010 Page 1 Work Session Ms. Ortiz reported that the River Road and Santa Clara neighborhood organizations had applied for a Strategic Neighborhood Assessment and Planning (SNAP) grant. She wished the groups success in their efforts. She had attended the last meeting of the Active Bethel Citizens (ABC) where residents heard a presentation from staff of the Eugene Water & Electric Board (EWEB) about EWEB's new headquarters. She noted that the ABC had also applied for a SNAP grant. Ms. Ortiz thanked the Willamalane Parks and Recreation District for hosting the election night results event and suggested the event could go back and forth from Springfield to Eugene. Ms. Ortiz said she had attended EWEB's luncheon in celebration of the utility's 100 -year anniversary. She also attended the recent Lane Regional Air Protection Agency (LRAPA) Board of Directors' meeting, where the board discussed its concerns about the J. H. Baxter permit reapplication. Ms. Ortiz reported she was serving on the Joint Locally Preferred Alternative Committee, which was reviewing the West Eugene EmX alternatives analysis. She anticipated the committee would meet several times before completing its work due to the complexity of the task. Ms. Ortiz said she was asked to ensure the City Council knew that Linda Hamilton and Juan Carlos Valle were leaders of the group that was examining the issue of Disproportionate Minority Contact. Mr. Pryor commended the new Lamb Building and emphasized the capacity it added to the low- income housing system. He reported that he was actively involved in meetings regarding the proposed West Eugene EmX route, and noted that the alternatives analysis was available on the LTD Web site. He said the West Eugene Collaborative had met to discuss the topic and while members did not want to take an advocacy position, they wanted to know what the collaborative could to facilitate discussion. He emphasized the importance of framing EmX in the larger context of transportation and land use, and advocated for a fuller discussion with LTD regarding what the City envisioned would happen in West Eugene. Ms. Taylor announced the November 9 general meeting of the South Eugene Neighbors at the Hilyard Center. She said that residents of Crest Drive had contacted her with concerns that smooth road surfaces in some places of the Crest Drive improvement project had created a safety hazard because they enabled people to drive faster. She hoped that the problems were addressed before something bad happened. Ms. Taylor said she attended a City Club meeting where Ron Chase of Sponsors spoke and regretted to hear Mr. Chase was retiring. Ms. Taylor reported that representatives of Smith Dawson, the City's lobbying firm, recommended the City Council pre- approve grant applications to avoid any delays created by the Council Committee on Intergovernmental Relations ( CCIGR) process. She endorsed the concept and anticipated the CCIGR would discuss it on November 17. Mr. Zelenka arrived. City Manager Jon Ruiz also thanked the community's veterans and veterans working in the City organization and noted that it was the US Marine Corps' 235`" anniversary, and that the United States Army also celebrated its 235` anniversary this year. MINUTES —City Council November 8, 2010 Page 2 Work Session Mr. Clark said a neighbor at the Cal Young neighborhood association meeting shared a concern about ATT's application for a 75 -foot cell tower on or near the Oakway Golf Course. He asked the manager to have staff contact him with information about the application. Mr. Poling asked to be copied on the information. Mayor Piercy announced the November 9 "Lets Talk Transit" event occurring at 7:30 a.m. at the Eugene Hilton Hotel. B. WORK SESSION: Sister City Committee Reports The council was joined by City Manager's Office Division Manager Keli Osborn, who introduced John Simpson of the Eugene Kakegawa Sister City Committee, Dennis Ramsey from the Eugene Katmandu Sister City Committee, Matt Ellsworth from the Eugene Chinju Sister City Committee, and Galena Grotsa from the Eugene Irkutsk Sister City Committee. Ki -Won Rhew and Cindy Hale of the Chinju Sister City Committee were also present. Ms. Osborn provided a brief history of the Sister Cities Program, reporting that the Chinju sister city relationship was established in 1961, the Katmandu relationship was established in 1975, the Kakegawa relationship in 1979, and the Chinju relationship in 1988. She noted the many sister city delegations that had occurred and the activities the sister city committees supported. She said that the City's Web site included information about Eugene's sister cities as well as links to the Web sites of the sister city committees. Each sister city committee representative provided information about the history of their organization and current committee activities and delegation visits. Mayor Piercy thanked the sister city committee representatives and emphasized the importance and value of sister city relationships. She said such relationships allowed students, performers, and every day citizens to travel back and forth and build friendships across the world. She felt fortunate that Eugene had such long -term sister city relationships. Mayor Piercy suggested that the City hold a celebratory event to heighten citizen awareness of the program. Mayor Piercy called for council questions and comments. Mr. Pryor recalled his own positive experience as a sister city delegate. He termed the sister city committees the "keepers of the flame" and commended them for maintaining Eugene's sister city relationships in the face of economic challenge. Mr. Pryor hoped that in the future the City could be more supportive of the program. He wanted to participate in another delegation both to demonstrate the council's support for the program and for the sake of the experience. He thanked the sister city committee representatives for their work. Mayor Piercy suggested that if even if one could not participate in a delegation, technology such as Skype permitted people in different places to communicate. Mr. Simpson.suggested there was also value in single - person delegations. Ms. Taylor said the City owed the representatives a debt of gratitude. She did not think the City had done enough to foster the sister city relationships and instead had depended on volunteers to do so. She MINUTES --City Council November 8, 2010 Page 3 Work Session believed her experience in Katmandu demonstrated that Eugene's sister cities appreciated their relation- ships with Eugene. She said the program enriched the community and was also its contribution to world peace. She thanked the sister city committee representatives. Ms. Ortiz said she had firsthand knowledge of the educational value of the program through her children's experience with the Irkutsk Sister City Committee while students at Fairfield Elementary School, and she thanked the sister city committee representatives for their efforts. Mr. Zelenka also thanked the sister city committee representatives. He said such programs made the world a smaller place by bringing people together and bridging cultural divides. He shared in Mr. Pryor's hope that the City could offer more financial support to the program in the future. Mr. Ramsey shared a proposal for local government officials to share their knowledge with their counterparts in Katmandu. C. WORK SESSION: Ridgeline Acquisition Proposal from Arlie & Company The council was joined by Parks Planning Manager Neil Bjorklund, who provided a brief PowerPoint presentation highlighting the details of a proposal to acquire a property located along the ridgeline in south Eugene owned by Arlie & Company. Ms. Ortiz was not opposed to the purchase but was not convinced of its wisdom. She questioned if it would be better if the City waited for Arlie & Company to go through the bankruptcy process first. Mr. Bjorklund did not know. He said the only sure information the City had was the offer on the table. Ms. Ortiz asked if the property had been evaluated by a third party. Mr. Bjorklund said Arlie & Company provided a 2008 appraisal. Ms. Ortiz acknowledged the City had the money to purchase the site. However, she was concerned about the lack of parks in the Santa Clara area and the fact the City had made promises to Santa Clara residents it had been unable to keep. She was also concerned about the ongoing maintenance costs for a new park. Mr. Clark perceived the proposal as an opportunity to buy parkland that could benefit future generations at a very low price but he shared many of Ms. Ortiz's concerns. He determined from Mr. Medlin that $1 million had been spent to acquire the first 20 acres of the Santa Clara Community Park. Mr. Clark said the City had been clear about its intent to purchase land for a community park when the council referred the 2006 Parks and Open Space (POS) measure to the voters. He did not want to threaten the credibility the City had built with the streets maintenance measure. Mr. Clark wanted to ensure the City held aside at least $1.25 million of the money from the POS bond to acquire the remaining 20 acres needed to complete the Santa Clara community park. Mr. Clark was opposed to using General Fund capital dollars for the purchase at a time when the economy was down. Responding to a question from Mr. Brown about the price differential between the south and north parcels, Mr. Bjorklund said he had not reviewed the appraisal in detail, and speculated the price difference was based on the property's proximity to Lane Community College and the potential the land could be used for residential development. Mr. Brown asked how the property's F -1 (Non- impacted Forest Lands) MINUTES —City Council November 8, 2010 Page 4 Work Session zoning status affected that potential. Mr. Bjorklund believed it was possible the property could be rezoned. Mr. Brown asked how much Lane County was collecting in taxes from the property owner. Mr. Bjorklund did not know. Mr. Brown expressed concern that if the City bought the land and took it off the tax rolls, it would negatively impact Lane County government. He suggested the property was also a candidate for inclusion in an expanded urban growth boundary (UGB). He was concerned about removing the property from that discussion without more analysis. Mr. Pryor believed the City could purchase the property and still have money left over for a community park in Santa Clara. He said the question was whether the purchase was a worthwhile investment. He did not know but thought the acquisition was worth examining at the proposed price. Mr. Zelenka agreed the purchase was a good deal and suggested the council also needed to think about what would happen to the land if the City did not buy it. He agreed with Mr. Clark about the need for a community park in Santa Clara and the importance of reserving money for that purpose. Mr. Zelenka also noted the City had committed to the acquisition of several neighborhood parks through the POS measure. Mr. Bjorklund indicated that goal had been the most challenging to achieve. The City sought out four - acre sites with good street access owned by a willing seller, and to date had found no sites meeting those criteria, forcing staff to consider smaller sites. He said the City had acquired one neighborhood park of about an acre in size. Mr. Bjorklund anticipated the City would start to purchase lots with houses on them to combine for a park in the future. He was unsure the City would ever be able to get neighborhood parks in all the areas identified in the materials associated with the POS measure. Mr. Zelenka speculated it would take decades to achieve the POS measure's goal for neighborhood parks. He suggested the tradeoff before the council was the goal for neighborhood parks, which could take a long time to achieve, and the proposed land purchase. At the request of Mr. Zelenka, Mr. Bjorklund reviewed the council's options regarding the City's naming policy. Mr. Zelenka expressed concern about the long -term maintenance cost of the parcel in question and determined from Mr. Zelenka that no endowment accompanied the property. Mr. Bjorklund referred the council to the meeting packet, which included projected maintenance costs based on different develop- ment scenarios that ranged from $127,000 to more than $900,000 annually. Mr. Poling pointed out that the bond identified south Eugene as an area eligible for bond funding and given the property's location in south Eugene, he did not think purchasing the property would be a misuse of the funds. Speaking to the naming policy, Mr. Poling noted the many charitable and community activities that Suzanne Arlie was involved with. Mr. Poling suggested it could be challenging for a private party to rezone and develop the property given its current zoning, and there was a potential it might lie undisturbed for many years, allowing it to serve the function of natural habitat. Ms. Taylor did not think the City needed to maintain the park if it was left in a natural state. She asked if the City was sure the land would not be available after December 2010. Mr. Bjorklund did not know. MINUTES —City Council November 8, 2010 Page 5 Work Session Responding to a question from Ms. Taylor, Mr. Klein said if the City offered the property owner substantially less money than was under discussion, that figure must be approved by the bankruptcy court. He did not think the naming issue was of concern to the bankruptcy courts. In response to Ms. Taylor's remarks, Mr. Bjorklund said that natural areas also required maintenance, although at a lower cost than required for developed parks. Ms. Ortiz asked if the City had to purchase the land for use as a park or if it could purchase the property and landbank it for another purpose. Mr. Klein said he believed the City could do so, but because the property would be purchased with parks bond money, the City would have to reimburse the bond for the cost. Mr. Brown reiterated his suggestion that the property could be a good place for UGB expansion, particularly given its proximity to infrastructure and services. Mr. Bjorklund said under State law, the City must first look to exception lands, and there were several such areas around Eugene. They did not include the property in question. Such lands generally had a level of existing development and infrastruc- ture and were smaller in size than typical rural developments. Mr. Brown advocated for dropping the 20 acres on the north side of the property because of the higher cost. Parks and Open Space Manager Johnny Medlin explained that staff had negotiated the addition of that acreage, which the City had attempted to purchase when it negotiated the initial ridgeline trail acquisition with the property owners. Mr. Brown noted that City Attorney Glenn Klein had concluded that the proposal was legal even though the property was not mentioned in the bond measure, and suggested that under that reasoning, the City could purchase Civic Stadium because the bond measure materials mentioned a park in south Eugene that included soccer and baseball fields and a park and ride. Mayor Piercy did not think that spending money for parkland and open space was the same as buying and fixing buildings. Mr. Clark suggested the City faced a "take it or leave it deal." He reminded the council that the City missed an opportunity to save money on an earlier south Eugene parks acquisition. He asked how many of the 13 new neighborhood parks mentioned by Mr. Bjorklund were to be located in north Eugene. Mr. Bjorklund said many were in north Eugene. Mr. Medlin concurred with a statement by Mr. Clark that the City was challenged in regard to its ability to maintain existing neighborhood parks, let alone new neighborhood parks. Mr. Clark, seconded by Ms. Taylor, moved to: 1) purchase the approximately 315 acres as shown on Attachment A and as detailed in the letter of intent included as Attachment B, contingent upon the inclusion of $600,000 donation previously agreed to; 2) use the proceeds from the 2006 Parks, Athletic Fields, and Preservation of Open Space bond measure to purchase the property; and 3) initiate the public comment period on the pro- posal to name the park after Suzanne R. Arlie such that there is sufficient time for a final naming decision to allow the acquisition to close on or before December 31, 2010. Responding to a question from Mr. Zelenka, Mr. Klein confirmed that the $600,000 donation must be used for parks purposes, and it could be dedicated to a new Santa Clara park if the council chose. MINUTES - --City Council November 8, 2010 Page 6 Work Session Mr. Zelenka, seconded by Mr. Clark, moved to amend the motion by dedicating the $600,000 donation to the development of the Santa Clark regional park. The amendment to the motion passed, 6:2, Ms. Taylor and Mr. Brown voting no. The motion on the amended motion passed unanimously, 8:0. Mr. Clark, seconded by Mr. Taylor, moved to initiate a public comment period on the Su- zanne R. Arlie park naming proposal beginning November 8, 2010, and ending on De- cember 3, 2010, with action to be scheduled on December 13, 2010. The motion passed unanimously, 8:0. Mayor Piercy adjourned the work session at 7:30 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Beth Forrest City Recorder (Recorded by Kimberly Young) MINUTES —City Council November 8, 2010 Page 7 Work Session