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HomeMy WebLinkAboutResolution No. 4801 RESOLUTION NO. 4801 A RESOLUTION CALLING A CITY ELECTION ON NOVEMBER 2, 2004, FOR THE PURPOSE OF REFERRING TO THE LEGAL ELECTORS OF THE CITY OF EUGENE A MEASURE AUTHORIZING THE ISSUANCE OF A MAXIMUM OF $6,790,000 OF GENERAL OBLIGATION BONDS TO PARTIALLY FUND THE CIVIC CENTER VISION PROJECT. The City Council of the City of Eugene finds that: A. The City's Police Headquarters has been located at the present City Hall since it opened in 1964 As the City has grown, so have the functions and needs of the department B. Concerns about the ability of City Hall to withstand an earthquake were raised in a 1992 City Facilities Condition Report Additional studies and actions between 1995 and 2003 continued to support the need to provide safe and adequate facilities to house Police Department services The Council also created a Council Committee on City Hall Alternatives in 1999 charged with recommending a plan for developing options to relocate functions in City Hall in the event that site was chosen for a new federal courthouse site The Committee's key finding was that the existing City Hall was not an appropriate facility for housing public safety functions due to the seismic vulnerability of its structural systems C. Mayor Torrey appointed the Police and Fire Stations Task Force in 2000 to develop a recommendation for the City Council on providing safe and adequate facilities for Police and Fire services One of the most important recommendations of this Task Force was that a new Police facility should be located within the downtown area to best address functional proximity to courts, the jail, and other City offices, service delivery issues, and growth management goals D. In April 2001 the Council began to consider a long-range downtown city space plan that would include both long-term and short-term actions that would eventually result in replacement of City Hall, and has held numerous work sessions on this topic over the course of the last three years E. Commencing in fiscal year 2001 the Council identified and began to set aside one-time money each year for replacement of downtown City office space In the fiscal year 2003 budget the Council began systematically setting aside funds from department budgets for this purpose Resolution- 1 F. In May 2002 the first step in removing functions from City Hall so that it could be replaced was taken when voters approved a bond measure to relocate Fire Station #1 from City Hall to a new downtown fire station at 13th and Willamette Street The Council also approved using internal funding from the Facility Reserve for a Forensics Evidence Unit and Property Control Unit facility to be built at a site on Roosevelt Boulevard in May 2002 in order to relocate personnel that were working in the basement of City hall into a safer and more suitable working space G. The policies in the Downtown Plan were adopted by the City Council in April 2004, after a four-year process to develop the plan In 2000, the City Council appointed a Committee for Greater Downtown Visioning to explore the future of downtown The vision that emerged promoted downtown as a thriving, active urban center with ties to our rich natural heritage, a variety of intermingled activities, and safe, inviting streets This vision was used as a basis for updating the Downtown Plan, which included the concept of a "Civic Street" that would link a series of existing and planned open spaces, and be the first choice for future civic buildings, including a new city hall or police headquarters H. Mayor Torrey initiated the formation of a Civic Facilities Visioning Committee in January 2004 that was charged with developing a coordinated vision of civic building and infrastructure needs downtown and to submit recommendations to the Council on how to implement that vision I. The Mayor's Civic Facilities Visioning Committee presented its report to the City Council in June 2004 that set out a vision for future development of a Civic Center, policy principles to guide the development, and recommendations on how the vision could be implemented The Council adopted a revised set of policy principles in th July 2004 that included a consolidation of City functions, reinforcement of 8 Avenue as the Great Civic Street, enhancement of open space, development of partnerships, inclusion of public safety services, provision of adequate transportation alternatives, employment of sustainable cost-effective development approaches, and a plan for mixed use development J. During June and July 2004 the City Council considered a number of options for implementation of the Civic Center Vision, and determined that the vision should be implemented in a phased approach with a Community Safety Building being the first step in creating the new Civic Center Vision The first phase would include space for the Police Department's estimated needs for the next 10 years, a back-up 911 center, space for social service agencies to co-locate with the Police Department, expansion of and improvements to the downtown park blocks, and street enhancements to achieve the "Civic Street" concept recommended in the Downtown Plan The City's existing internal resources are sufficient to fund a Community Safety Building with a back-up 911 Center, but are not sufficient to include space for social service agencies to co-locate with the Police Department, provide additional space to meet needs for the next 10 years, or fund expansion of and improvements to the downtown park blocks, or street enhancements to achieve the "Civic Street" concept recommended in the Downtown Resolution - 2 Plan The cost of the entire first phase is estimated to be approximately $35 9 million, and about 81% of that cost would be paid using internal City resources, with about 19% to be requested from the voters in the form of General Obligation Bonds NOW, THEREFORE, based upon the above findings, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF EUGENE, a Municipal Corporation of the State of Oregon, as follows: Section 1. A City election is called for the purpose of submitting to the qualified voters of the City a measure authorizing the issuance of a maximum of $6,790,000 of General Obligation bonds to be used to provide additional funding for the first phase of the Civic Center Vision project The first phase would include not only the Community Safety Building with a back-up 911 Center, but also space for the Police Department's estimated needs for the next 10 years, space for social service agencies to co-locate with the Police Department, expansion of and improvements to the downtown park blocks, and street enhancements to achieve the "Civic Street" concept recommended in the Downtown Plan, with the City's internal resources funding approximately 81% of the total cost Section 2. The City Council orders this City election to be held in the City of Eugene, Oregon, concurrently with the general election on the 2nd day of November, 2004, in accordance with the provisions of Chapter 254 of the Oregon Revised Statutes, and the ballots shall be counted and tabulated and the results certified as provided by law Section 3. The City Recorder is directed to give not less than ten (10) days' notice of the City election by publication of one (1) notice in the Register Guard, a newspaper published in the City and of general circulation within the City Section 4. If approved by the electors, the proceeds from the sale of the bonds will be used only for costs of capital construction and capital improvements related to the purposes described in Section 1 of this Resolution, including payment of bond issuance and interim financing costs Section 5. This Resolution shall become effective immediately upon its adoption The foregoing Resolution adopted the 26th day of July, 2004. /s/Mary H. Feldman City Recorder Resolution - 3