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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCC Minutes - 06/27/11 MeetingMINUTES Eugene City Council Council Chamber —City Hall 777 Pearl Street — Eugene, Oregon June 27, 2011 7:30 p.m. COUNCILORS PRESENT: Betty Taylor, George Brown, Andrea Ortiz, George Poling, Mike Clark, Chris Pryor, Alan Zelenka, Pat Farr. Her Honor Mayor Kitty Piercy called the June 27, 2011, regular meeting of the Eugene City Council to order. 12 9 0 .190010191, 9 1110 - 1 Mayor Piercy reviewed the rules of the Public Forum. Calling for a point of order, Councilor Farr noted the council's earlier action to include the recital of the Pledge of Allegiance at council meetings closest to Memorial Day, Flag Day, Veterans Day, and the Fourth of July, and asked City Attorney Glenn Klein if the meeting counted as the meeting closest to the Fourth of July. City Attorney Klein did not know. Councilor Clark believed that it did but suggested the council postpone the activity at this time and recite the Pledge of Allegiance at the next meeting instead. James Baptiste, a California resident of California who spent six months each year in Eugene, questioned why Eugene wanted the money from the wars when councilors did not want to recite the Pledge of Allegiance. He suggested that the country could bring the soldiers home but there were no jobs for them. While he appreciated the mayor's views, he questioned where her allegiance lay. He believed the country was built around the concept of God. He said there was something wrong with the situation and the councilors should examine themselves. He believed the pledge was important and that God was important. He asked the council to think about what it did. Joseph Newton, PO Box 10334, Eugene, supported Councilor Brown's proposed resolution against the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan because the money being spent on the war was needed at home in Eugene. The police did not have the resources to respond to the small thefts that affected people's lives. He believed the basic elements that made up civilization were crumbling while the nation's resources were going to ill- defined missions that the country should have avoided. He said the United States had stayed in Iraq long after it was not wanted. He believed the wars were affecting the work of the council and the welfare of the residents of Eugene. Mr. Newton said it was within the council's purview to state that it wanted the community's resources to remain in Eugene to help the council create a society that people could feel allegiance to and want to defend. Kimberly Gladen, 361 West Broadway, 44, discussed the Lane County Courthouse and Wayne Morse Free Speech Plaza. She reported that she frequently met visitors to Eugene who were impressed with downtown and amazed by Saturday Market and the Fanners Market. They often expressed a desire to move to Eugene. Then they visited the Wayne Morse Free Speech Plaza and saw how the community honored Wayne Morse by allowing a chaotic free - for -all that included criminal behavior. The scene drew transients and runaways from all around the country to downtown and the Board of County MINUTES— Eugene City Council June 27, 2011 Page 1 Regular Meeting Commissioners allowed it to happen. Ms. Gladen asked what she was to say to visitors when asked why the City did nothing about the situation, adding that she heard that question all the time from visitors. She was frustrated, sad, and ashamed when she saw families with children walking by the plaza. She did not think the plaza honored Wayne Morse. She asked what the council was doing about the plaza and asked when councilors last brought their children downtown to demonstrate their pride in the Wayne Morse Free Speech Plaza at the Lane County Courthouse. Stan Taylor, 1285 McLean Boulevard, represented the Community Alliance for Lane County's Progressive Response Committee, which helped draft the resolution sponsored by Councilor Brown. Mr. Taylor noted his membership on several groups committed to peace and reported that all of them supported the resolution before the council. He further noted that a Pew Research Center poll released recently showed that 56 percent of Americans wanted the United States to withdraw its troops from Afghanistan as soon as possible. He reported that CALC had collected 838 signatures expressing the same sentiment. He presented the council with another 200 signatures of support. Mr. Taylor recalled that in part thanks to Mayor Piercy, the United States Conference of Mayors recently passed a resolution calling for Congress to redirect the funding spent on the wars to domestic priorities. He believed the cost of the wars in terms of loss of life and actual money was more than the country could afford. He asked the council to support the resolution. Chelsea Laws, 1435 Polk Street, "We the People" Steering Committee, supported the resolution sponsored by Councilor Brown. She spoke of her volunteer work for the schools and emphasized their need for funding. She also noted the many nonprofits that provided vital community services that were in need of funding. She said the lack of funding threatened the community's social service net. In addition, the Iraq and Afghan civilian communities were being destroyed by the war, and the United States should not support the destruction of communities anywhere. She believed Eugene's priorities should be adequate funding for its own schools, social service structure, job creation, and support of the environment. Jeff Ewing, 1150 Darlene Lane, 4256, represented the Eugene - Springfield Solidarity Network. He expressed support for the resolution. He said human services existed to serve citizens at their time of need and this was a time of need that could get worse. At the same time, there were voices on the national scene calling for austerity and the country was embroiled in two long, expensive, and unnecessary wars. Mr. Ewing said a bipartisan consensus was growing about the need to end those wars and redirect the funds to services needed at home. He urged the council to support the resolution. Shelley Corteville, 438 C Street, Springfield, represented Veterans for Peace, Chapter 159. She spoke of the many American soldiers killed and wounded in the Iraq and Afghanistan and reported that 18 veterans committed suicide every day. That was the true face of the wars. Ms. Corteville said veterans also come home to another problem, that of a lack of funding to care for them. The Veterans Administration was both underfunded and under- staffed, and the country was making veterans faster than the system could care for them. The cost of making a veteran was high and the cost of caring for one was very high. However, the country continued to have that obligation. She asked the councilors to think of the young people they encountered and consider whether they were willing to put them in harm's way by supporting wars financially. Alex Payne, 1286 Sunny Drive, said while it was true there had been no draft or rationing required by the war, he had seen much self - sacrifice imposed on citizens because of a lack of money to pay for necessary services. He said that School District 4J was facing a budget crisis. Because of the money dedicated to war he seen teachers' positions be eliminated, programs reduced, and health care clinics restricted in terms of who they could serve. He supported the resolution sponsored by Councilor Brown as absolutely MINUTES— Eugene City Council June 27, 2011 Page 2 Regular Meeting necessary. Mr. Payne believed that United States cities needed to send a message to the administration that they needed the money being spent on the wars. He did not think the Taliban represented a threat to the United States. - Any money that went to support war in Afghanistan was strengthening a regime with no real interest in democracy and was not assisting Afghanis. David Ivan Piccioni, 658 Van Buren Street, supported the resolution sponsored by Councilor Brown. He noted his general opposition to United States intervention in the affairs of other nations. He called for drug decriminalization to stop wars in Latin America. Mr. Piccioni recommended the money saved by stopping United States involvement in the conflicts of other countries be directed to single -payer insurance, environmental programs, support for organized labor, hemp legalization, to stop actions against environmentalists and animal rights activists, to fully fund public education, and to support a state bank. John Barofsky, 2010 Hubbard Lane, noted that the council would take action on the budget that night and that councilors planned to propose expenditures to be funded by moneys that would otherwise go to marginal beginning working capital. He noted the City's policy governing the use of those funds, which stipulated the first $900,000 was transferred to capital and the remainder to the Reserve for Revenue Shortfall. He acknowledged the City Manager wanted to see the money go to reserves, but the council felt there were greater needs. Mr. Barofsky recalled the motions passed by the Budget Committee that affected marginal beginning working capital. He asked the council to prioritize those expenditures if the amount of marginal beginning working capital was found to be insufficient. William Moskel, 1166 Oak Street, acknowledged Councilor Clark's advocacy for the recital of the Pledge of Allegiance at council meetings. He agreed with Ms. Gladen about the status of affairs at Wayne Morse Plaza and urged the council to use its influence to change the situation. Mr. Moskel believed that war was necessary at times. He suggested that ending the wars would not mean that money came back to Eugene. He suggested that the community had a reputation that drew deadbeats to the community and advocated for people to give to those that were good. Mayor Piercy closed the Public Forum. She thanked those who spoke in regard to the resolution. She thanked councilors Brown and Poling for their work on the resolution. Councilor Ortiz also thanked those who testified. She asked City Manager Jon Ruiz the status of enforcement activities on Wayne Morse Plaza. City Manager Ruiz agreed to provide an update. Mayor Piercy observed that the City had been working to improve conditions at Wayne Morse Free Speech Plaza for some time. 3. ACTION: Adoption of Resolution 5040 Expressing the City Council's Desire that Funds to Continue the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars be Directed to Domestic Priorities, Including Pressing Needs in the City of Eugene Councilor Brown, seconded by Councilor Taylor, moved to approve Resolution 5040 expressing the City Council's desire that funds to continue the Iraq and Afghanistan wars be directed to domestic priorities, including the pressing needs in the city of Eugene. Councilor Brown explained that CALC had proposed the resolution and asked him to place it before the council. He reported that Councilor Poling had offered some revisions that he had subsequently accepted after consultation with CALC. He reviewed the accepted revisions offered by Councilor Poling. He said he had declined to accept Councilor Poling's suggested revisions to Section 3 of the resolution, which MINUTES— Eugene City Council June 27, 2011 Page 3 Regular Meeting related to how the funds freed by stopping the wars would be used, because he found it overly specific. Section 3 of the proposed resolution currently read as follows: Section 3 . The financial resources used to prosecute the war be redirected, as they become available, to address the urgent needs of the most vulnerable portions of Eugene's population, including education, health, and full benefits for returning veterans, as well as to fund the creation of jobs, frill functioning of schools, rebuilding of our infrastructure, and development of non-carbon-producing alternatives for our energy needs. City Attorney Glenn Klein noted the four versions of the resolution being considered by the council: 1) Resolution —Bring War Funds Home —with Poling's amendments — CLEAN; 2) Resolution —Bring War Funds Home— Brown's Version with amendments —TRACK CHANGES; 3) Resolution —Bring War Funds Home — Brown's with amendments— CLEAN; and 4) Councilor Poling's proposed changes to Councilor Brown's resolution. Councilor Brown clarified that his motion was specific to the resolution labeled Resolution —Bring War Funds Home Brown's with amendments —TRACK CHANGES. Councilor Poling did not object to Section 1 if revised to read "The Council of the City of Eugene, on behalf of the people of Eugene, urge President Obama to speed up the ending of these wars by beginning withdrawal of forces in a safe, rapid, and orderly fashion that fully protects American troops from harm and to support efforts led by international organizations to rebuild both countries." He objected to the use of the word "occupation" in Section 2, suggesting "war" was a more accurate description. While he doubted any additional money would come to Eugene if the wars ended, Councilor Poling said his revisions to Section 3 spoke to his funding priorities. His revised section read as follows: Section 3 . The financial resources used to finance the war be redirected, if they become available to the City of Eugene, to the following priority list: 1) Full benefits for returning veterans and veterans of all wars, 2) Increase and maintain personnel of the Eugene Police Department and the Eugene Fire and Emergency Services Department to meet national staffing standards, 3) Increase workforce development and job creation, 4) Rebuilding of our infrastructure, and 5) Public health and social safety net., which included full benefits for veterans, sufficient funding for police and fire services to meet national standards, workforce development, infrastructure reconstruction, and the public health and safety net. Councilor Poling shared the national standards for fire personnel, reporting the national average was 1.72 firefighters per 1,000 residents; Eugene had 1.07 firefighters per 1,000 residents. The national average for sworn police officers was 2.3 officers per 1,000 residents; Eugene had 1.2 officers per 1,000 residents. Councilor Poling move to substitute the resolution labeled Councilor Poling's proposed changes to Councilor Brown's resolution for the resolution before the council. The motion died for lack of a second. Councilor Zelenka expressed appreciation to CALC for the resolution. He noted the number of solider deaths, injuries, and suicides, as well as the extensive loss of civilian life in Iraq. He said it was long past time to end the country's involvement in Iraq. The war had cost the community $345 million and that money could have been spent on education, job creation, public safety, human services, and veterans care. He believed it was time to redirect the money being spent on the war to domestic priorities. He supported the resolution offered by Councilor Brown. He thought it addressed most of Councilor Poling's concerns and he found it more inclusive in terms of the services it identified for funding. MINUTES— Eugene City Council June 27, 2011 Page 4 Regular Meeting Councilor Clark distributed the resolution proposed by Mayor Piercy to the US Conference of Mayors. He said he found the language in the CALC resolution somewhat incendiary but agreed entirely with its sentiments. He suggested Mayor Piercy's resolution was a middle ground the council could support. Councilor Clark read the resolution. Councilor Clark, seconded by Councilor Poling, moved to substitute the text of Resolution 5040 with the resolution adopted by the US Conference of Mayor with the phrase "City of Eugene" inserted where the "US Conference of Mayors" appeared in the resolution. Councilor Brown did not support the motion because he believed the CALC resolution was more complete. It addressed a broader range of services without being overly specific. He suggested if the council wanted to be "super- specific" it would call out specific actions, such as ending homelessness and opening the Egan Warming Center. His resolution urged the Congressional delegation to bring home the troops and to return funding to the cities in the broad categories mentioned in the resolution. Councilor Farr believed the findings in the resolution were difficult to refute but he opposed the use of the phrase "on behalf of the people of Eugene" because he considered it divisive. He preferred the text in the mayor's resolution. Councilor Farr held out little hope that the federal government would send any money not spent on war to Eugene. Councilor Pryor pointed out all the resolutions wanted the same thing, which was to bring the troops home safely and to redirect the money to a common purpose at home. He agreed with that fully. He suggested the "sticking point" was how to say that and what to do with any money realized by ending the wars. He suggested the council focus on the first question, that of the wars and whether they should be ended. He believed there was strength in numbers, and if the council signed on to the resolution adopted by the US Council of Mayors it might have more of an impact than if it adopted a resolution of its own. He supported Councilor Clark's proposal. Councilor Taylor said Councilor Brown's resolution was a local resolution drafted by local people that represented local voices. She thought the resolution reinforced the message contained in the mayor's resolution. Speaking to Councilor Farr's concerns about the use of the phrase "on behalf of the people of Eugene," Councilor Taylor did not think that implied agreement on the part of all residents, but rather that it was in the interests of the people of Eugene. She supported Councilor Brown's resolution. Councilor Zelenka was impressed with the mayor's resolution and proud that the mayor had sponsored it. He anticipated he would offer the council a motion to support that resolution as well. Councilor Brown believed the mayor's resolution was appropriately addressed through the forum of the US Conference of Mayors and it was time for a local resolution. He suggested that councilors interested in passing the mayor's resolution should have raised the concept when CALC asked him to present the resolution to the council. He thought last- minute substitutions subverted the purity of the original resolution. Councilor Poling objected to how Councilor Brown had characterized amendments to the resolution as last - minute given that he had given the council ample notice of his intention to offer revisions. He intended to support Councilor Clark's motion and said if that failed he would not be able to support the proposed resolution because of his stated objections to the text. MINUTES— Eugene City Council June 27, 2011 Page 5 Regular Meeting Councilor Brown clarified his remarks about last- minute amendments were in regard to Councilor Clark's substitute motion. Roll call vote: The vote on the motion was a 4:4 tie; councilors Pryor, Clark, Poling, and Farr voting yes, and councilors Taylor, Ortiz, Zelenka, and Brown voting no. Mayor Piercy cast a vote in opposition to the motion and it failed on a final vote of 5:4. Councilor Pryor, seconded by Councilor Clark, moved to amend the motion to adopt the text in Councilor Poling's resolution. Councilor Pryor said he preferred Councilor Poling's revised text to the original resolution proposed by Councilor Brown because of what he considered small but significant changes. Councilor Clark reiterated his support for the intent of the resolution but continued to be concerned about what he considered incendiary language as well as the hostility expressed toward those objections. Some in the community found the language in the resolution hard to accept. He wanted to express the same intent in different words. He said residents did not view issues uniformly, and he wanted to find a way to capture their similarities and move forward. Councilor Clark said he supported Councilor Poling's revisions because they addressed his concerns about Councilor Brown's resolution, such as the use of the word "occupation" instead of "war." Councilor Farr suggested that it was more than slightly disingenuous for Councilor Brown to suggest that the resolution was not divisive, particularly after his remarks at the earlier work session about what he considered to be the divisiveness of the Pledge of Allegiance. He was baffled that Councilor Brown did not understand the resolution was divisive to the community. Councilor Zelenka hoped to find a compromise. He preferred what he considered Councilor Brown's more inclusive text for Section 3. He suggested the council accept Councilor Poling's revisions for Section B and D of the preamble and Section 2 and retain Councilor Brown's Section 3. Councilor Brown did not want to make additional revisions to the resolution. He believed that the word "occupation" was correct. The United States had invaded Iraq and Afghanistan without invitation, which was by definition a military occupation. He considered the word to be a statement of fact. Councilor Ortiz supported both resolutions but preferred Councilor Poling's proposed revisions to Section 3. She also supported the inclusion of Councilor Brow's text calling for support for environmental clean- up and alternative energy programs in Section 3. Councilor Clark supported Councilor Poling's revised Section 3. He said Councilor Brown's Section 3 presumed a list of spending priorities he did not agree with. Speaking to Councilor Brown's remarks about last- minute changes, Councilor Clark said he was not attempting to surprise anyone but was offering a compromise knowing the council would be divided. He thought the mayor's resolution would be acceptable to most if not all the councilors. Councilor Brown thought the original text in the resolution was acceptable. He believed the section in question was broad -based in the programs it mentioned for funding. He said the list could be expanded, which was what the motion accomplished. He thought it was a given that more funds would be directed toward the services of concern to Councilor Poling but he did not think the resolution needed to be specific as to that. He saw no reason to expand the resolution further. MINUTES— Eugene City Council June 27, 2011 Page 6 Regular Meeting Councilor Zelenka determined from Councilor Poling that the funding priorities he had laid out in his revised Section 3 were not all equal because the costs would vary so much. Councilor Poling believed the council would have to decide, if it got funding, what amounts went to what priorities. Councilor Zelenka interpreted Councilor Poling's response as calling for full funding to meet national standards for police and fire staffing to the degree that the other priorities could not be funded. Councilor Poling disagreed. He said he had suggested revising the section to read "Increase funding to the Fire and Police departments" without mention of bringing staffing levels up to national standards but Councilor Brown had been unwilling to accept that suggestion. Councilor Zelenka suggested that Councilor Poling eliminate the numbering in Section 3 to eliminate the implied priority order. Councilor Poling was unwilling to do so as he believed the council would only have to debate those priorities later. Councilor Zelenka did not agree with the priority order implied by Councilor Poling's revised Section 3 and reiterated his assumption about the effect of the resolution should any money arrive. He preferred Councilor Brown's Section 3 because it did not assume any priorities. He endorsed Councilor Ortiz's suggestion to add support for environmental clean -up and alternative energy programs to Councilor Poling's revised Section 3. Councilor Pryor said what he feared had happened; instead of talking about ending the war, the council was talking about spending money it did not have. It had substituted a discussion of budget priorities for a discussion of bringing the troops home. He found that unfortunate and urged the council to avoid it. Councilor Clark accepted a friendly amendment from Councilor Pryor to amend the motion to add support for environmental clean -up and alternative energy programs to Section 3 of the revised resolution. Councilor Farr suggested if Councilor Brown had wanted a more inclusive resolution, the mayor's resolution should have been acceptable. He believed the mayor's resolution covered all the needed points without a specific "laundry list" of services. Councilor Brown suggested there was more unanimity between Republicans and Democrats in Washington, DC, about the subject of bringing the troops home and returning the money to the states than there was on the council now. He believed the council had taken a straightforward resolution and made it complicated. He said that when the money arrived, the council could be specific about how to spend it. He could not support the amendment. Councilor Zelenka expressed support for the amendment. Councilor Ortiz expressed support for deleting the numbering in Councilor Poling's revised Section 3. At the request of Councilor Ortiz, City Attorney Klein summarized the revisions to the resolution as follows (italicized text added; struck text deleted): Section 3. The financial resources used to finance the war be redirected, if they become available to the City of Eugene, to the following priority list: 4) Full benefits for returning veterans and veterans of all wars, -2) Increase funding to and maintain perseniiel of the Eugene Police Department and the Eugene Fire and Emergency Services Department to meet national staffi s#andals, 3) Increase workforce development and job creation, 4) Rebuilding of our infrastructure, Public health and social safety net, which included.full benefits for veterans, sufficient funding for police and fire services to meet national standards, workforce development, MINUTES— Eugene City Council June 27, 2011 Page 7 Regular Meeting infrastructure reconstruction, and the public health and safety net, and support for environmental clean -up and alternative energy programs. Councilor Poling agreed with Councilor Pryor about the turn the discussion had taken. Speaking to Councilor Brown's remarks about the degree of unanimity among councilors, Councilor Poling disagreed. He said the council was unanimous in its belief the country needed to end both wars, bring the troops home, and redirect the funding spent on the work to domestic priorities. Roll call vote: The amendment to the motion passed, 7:1; Councilor Taylor voting no. Roll call vote: The amended motion passed, 7:1; Councilor Farr voting no. 4. ACTION: Adoption of Resolution 5036 Adopting a Supplemental Budget; Making Appropriations for the City of Eugene for the Fiscal Year Beginning July 1, 2010, and Ending June 30, 2011 Councilor Taylor, seconded by Councilor Brown, moved to adopt Resolution 5036 adopting the Supplemental Budget; making appropriations for the City of Eugene for the Fiscal Year Beginning July 1, 2010, and ending June 30, 2011. Roll call vote: The motion passed unanimously, 8:0. Mayor Piercy adjourned the meeting of the Eugene City Council and convened a meeting of the Eugene Urban Renewal Agency. 5. ACTION: Adoption of Resolution 1060 Adopting a Supplemental Budget; Making Appropriations for the Urban Renewal Agency for the Fiscal Year Beginning July 1, 2010, and Ending June 30, 2011 Councilor Taylor, seconded by Councilor Brown, moved to adopt Resolution 1060 adopting the FY11 June Supplemental Budget; making appropriations for the Urban Renewal Agency for the Fiscal Year beginning July 1, 2010, and Ending June 30, 2011. Roll call vote: The motion passed unanimously, 8:0. Mayor Piercy adjourned the meeting of the Eugene Urban Renewal Agency and convened a meeting of the Eugene City Council. 6. ACTION: Resolution 5037 Electing to Receive State Revenue Sharing Funds Pursuant to Section 221.770 of Oregon Revised Statutes; Resolution 5038 Certifying that the City of Eugene Provides the Municipal Services Required by the Oregon Revised Statutes Section 221.760 in Order to Receive State Shared Revenues; and Resolution 5039 Adopting the Budget, Making Appropriations, Determining, Levying, and Categorizing the Annual Ad Valorem Property Tax Levy for the City of Eugene for the Fiscal Year Beginning July 1, 2011, and Ending June 30, 2012 MINUTES— Eugene City Council June 27, 2011 Page 8 Regular Meeting Councilor Taylor, seconded by Councilor Brown, moved to adopt Resolution 5037 electing to receive State shared revenue sharing funds pursuant to Section 221.770 of Oregon Revised Statutes. City Manager Ruiz acknowledged the work of the Budget Committee and staff. He believed the budget reflected the organization and community's values. Roll call vote: The motion passed unanimously, 8:0. Councilor Taylor, seconded by Councilor Brown, moved to adopt Resolution 5038 certifying that the City of Eugene provides the municipal services required by Oregon Revised Statutes Section 221.760. Roll call vote: The motion passed unanimously, 8:0. Councilor Clark, seconded by Councilor Poling, moved to direct the City Manager to amend the FY12 City of Eugene budget to fund 10 additional jail beds in FY12 (35 total including 15 and 10 currently funded with Lane County and Springfield respectively) by using unspent FYI I funds in the Police Department budget, and to fund up to (at the City Manager's discretion) a total of $450,000 to be split between FY12 and FY13 budgets for gang prevention initiatives and /or Buckley House. In addition, the City Manager is requested to consider including funding for 25 jail beds (currently 15 with Lane County and 10 with Springfield) in the FY 13 proposed budget. Councilor Clark recalled the action the Budget Committee had taken to fund the items in question out of the Eugene Water & Electric Board Contribution in Lieu of Taxes (CILT). City Manager Ruiz had suggested the shift in funding to preserve the CILT funding and ensure it went to the City's Beginning Marginal Working Capital (BMWC). Councilor Zelenka liked the concept in the motion but was not comfortable with the funding proposed for gang prevention. He did not know what was being proposed and advocated for delay until the council had a comprehensive work session. Councilor Zelenka, seconded by Councilor Taylor, moved to amend the motion by deleting the phrase "and to fund up to (at the City Manager's discretion) a total of $450,000 to be split between FY12 and FY13 budgets for gang prevention activities and /or Buckley House." Councilor Brown supported the amendment, pointing out the council could fund gang prevention at a later time. He did not have enough information at this time to support the expenditure. Councilor Clark said he made the motion at the request of the City Manager. He acknowledged the council had not yet heard a presentation on local gang activities. He had wanted the council to hear a presentation on the topic on June 13 but was asked not to go forward with that. Mayor Piercy asked if Chief Kerns requested the money for gang prevention. City Manager Ruiz deferred to Chief Kerns and recalled discussion of the topic at the Budget Committee. In response to the mayor's question, Chief Kerns said the Eugene Police Department did not have a fully developed plan regarding gang prevention but could draw on other models. The department was meeting with representatives of the schools and other police agencies to discuss more focused strategies. He did not yet have an idea of cost but believed it could be accomplished within the current budget. MINUTES— Eugene City Council June 27, 2011 Page 9 Regular Meeting Councilor Ortiz supported the original motion. She was unhappy the council had yet to hear a presentation on gang activity. She said the Police Commission heard a presentation on the topic and viewed a video filmed in her neighborhood of a gang member "jump in." As the area's councilor she was unhappy not to have heard about such activity occurring in her neighborhood. She wanted to ensure the department had money to implement whatever solution might be needed. Councilor Farr determined from City Manager Ruiz that if the motion did not pass, the City would fund the expenditure in the manner approved by the Budget Committee. Councilor Zelenka did not support the motion because Chief Kerns had not requested funding for gang prevention in the budget process and he was unclear as to what was involved in such an initiative. He wanted to know more before the council funded it. Councilor Zelenka determined that Councilor Taylor did not object to a friendly amendment to the motion to amend that read "As soon as possible, the council will hold a work session on a gang prevention initiative." Roll call vote: The amendment to the motion failed, 5:3; councilors Taylor, Zelenka, and Brown voting yes. Roll call vote: The motion passed, 6:2; councilors Zelenka and Brown voting no. Councilor Clark, seconded by Councilor Poling, moved to direct the City Manager to amend the FYI 2 City of Eugene budget to restore the engine company positions at Fire Station #2 by using $317,000 of unanticipated EWEB CILT moneys and to schedule, within six months, a work session on solving the ambulance transportation problem and to start with the Joint Elected Officials- developed solutions and other proposed staff solutions for that work session. Councilor Clark emphasized the seriousness of the ambulance transportation funding problem and the importance of solving it. He thought the department's proposal was a good start but the loss of the company was too much for him to accept. He wanted to retain the company and find a solution to the ambulance transportation problem this year. Mayor Piercy appreciated the intention of the motion but was concerned that it would not solve the long- term financial issue that existed. Councilor Poling supported the motion because it made it clear the funding was a "band -aid" fix. He supported the use of one -time moneys in this case. He thanked Councilor Clark for his willingness to work with staff and other councilors toward the common good on this and the previous issue. He thought his solution was a good one. Councilor Pryor expressed appreciation to the City Manager for his continual reminders that the council should not use one -time money for ongoing expenses. He agreed that the motion represented a one -time fix that required a future structural discussion. With the expectation of a future work session on the issue, he supported the motion as a way to buy the community more time. Councilor Pryor supported the City Manager in his continued endeavors to find a long -term structural solution to the problem of ambulance transportation funding. MINUTES— Eugene City Council June 27, 2011 Page 10 Regular Meeting Councilor Brown did not support the motion because of the one -time nature of the funding. He felt one- time money should be used for one -time projects, such as rebuilding City Hall and seismic upgrades of publicly owned buildings. He agreed the funding represented a band -aid solution. Councilor Farr also expressed concern about the one -time nature of the expenditure. He determined from Fire Chief Randy Groves that the three positions proposed for elimination were Captain 1 positions. The department planned to shuffle positions to ensure maximum coverage. Councilor Ortiz supported the motion. She said that she and Councilor Clark had spent considerable time working on the issue of ambulance transportation funding. She understood Chief Groves' rationale for how he planned to implement the necessary 1.8 percent reduction mandated by the manager, but she considered that to be a band -aid as well. She said the conversation about ambulance transportation funding needed to be finished, but she was only one person on a council of eight. She thought there needed to be more understanding of the problem that existed, its cost, and its impact on the community. Councilor Zelenka acknowledged the proposed budget did not address the need for ambulances that existed. He asked if the council would be able to realize the savings from the proposed reduction in the future. City Manager Ruiz did not think the savings could come from the same source. Councilor Zelenka asked how the City could solve the ambulance transportation problem. City Manager Ruiz said the funding was a top priority in the City's Multi -Year Financial Plan. The City had to either find the money somewhere in the General Fund or a new revenue source. Chief Groves recalled that the Ambulance Transport Task Force indicated support for another revenue source. Councilor Taylor did not want to spend one -time money and wanted to think more about the CILT money before the council spent it. However, she did not think the department was a good place to make cuts. She determined from Chief Groves that if the funding was not restored the proposed reductions would move forward on July 1. Restoration of the funding meant the City would retain an engine company at Fire Station 2. City Manager Ruiz pointed out there was also the possibility the positions could be restored in the future. Chief Groves confirmed, in response to a follow -up question from Councilor Taylor, that response times would be increased at an unknown rate, and response reliability would decrease. Mayor Piercy supported the motion because of importance of the firefighting service, and pointed out the City Council was talking about an existing service, not a new service. She did not want to spend CILT money on new services given the importance of closing the funding gap. Councilor Farr preferred to pass the manager's recommended budget and do data collection and analysis over the next six months to determine the impact of the reduction and the appropriate Fire Station 2 response structure. He appreciated the hard work it took for the department to achieve a 1.8 percent budget reduction. At Councilor Farr's request, Chief Groves described the different responses made possible by different company and apparatus combinations. Councilor Clark agreed with Mayor Piercy's remarks. He believed the last service the City should cut was first responders. He suggested the result of the manager's recommendation to eliminate an engine company would mean that placing a crew on the fourth ambulance would make that crew unavailable for the other apparatus. He suggested the council needed to consider whether there were other reductions that might be more appropriate than reducing the number of firefighters. MINUTES— Eugene City Council June 27, 2011 Page 11 Regular Meeting At the request of Councilor Zelenka, Chief Groves reviewed the percentage of calls for service in the Whiteaker neighborhood, reporting that 31.9 percent of the engine company's responses were in the neighborhood and 14.2 percent of the truck company's responses were in the neighborhood. Both apparatus would remain if the staff recommendation was adopted but only one three - person fire crew would remain. The ambulance would be staffed by firefighter paramedics. The engine and ladder truck would remain; the fire crew would take one apparatus or the other following policy guidelines now being developed. Councilor Farr indicated support for the manager's original proposal and opposition to the motion. He clarified the details of secondary coverage with Chief Groves. Councilor Ortiz supported the motion because response times across the community would fall if the City adopted the manager's recommendation. She described how the fire response system worked to illustrate that loss of coverage. She advocated for additional discussion of the ambulance transportation funding problem and said it should be a council priority. Councilor Ortiz did not think the council understood the urgency of the challenge facing the department. Roll call vote: The motion passed, 6:2; councilors Brown and Farr voting no. Councilor Taylor, seconded by Councilor Brown, moved to adopt Resolution 5039 adopting the budget, making appropriations, determining, levying, and categorizing the annual ad valorem property tax levy for the City of Eugene for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2011, and ending June 30, 2012, including the following amendments: 1) reduce the Central Services Department budget by $650,000; 2) increase the Fire Department budget by $317,000, and 3) decrease beginning working capital by $333,000. Roll call vote: The motion passed unanimously, 8:0. Mayor Piercy adjourned the meeting of the Eugene City Council and convened a meeting of the Eugene Urban Renewal Agency. 7. ACTION: Adoption of Resolution 1061 of the Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Eugene Adopting the Budget, Making Appropriations, and Declaring the Amount of Tax to be Certified for the Fiscal Year Beginning July 1, 2011, and Ending June 30, 2012 Councilor Taylor, seconded by Councilor Brown, moved to adopt Resolution 1061 of the Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Eugene adopting the budget and making appropriations for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2010, and Ending June 30, 2011. Councilor Brown observed that the financial summary for the Riverfront Research District indicated it held beginning working capital of slightly more than $4 million and anticipated revenues of slightly under $1 million. The budget indicated that $250,000 would be spent on planning and development, which was 20 percent of the district's income. He asked if the City planned on building anything in the district in FY12. Finance Director Sue Cutsogeorge said no. Councilor Brown said the Riverfront Research District exemplified some of his objections to urban renewal. He said the community had many pressing service needs and the district was spending money on what was essentially overhead. He believed the council needed to reconsider the use of urban renewal MINUTES— Eugene City Council June 27, 2011 Page 12 Regular Meeting when the City's two districts sunsetted. He advocated for project - specific urban renewal districts with broad public support demonstrated through the ballot box. Roll call vote: The motion passed unanimously, 8:0. Mayor Piercy adjourned the meeting of the Eugene Urban Renewal Agency and convened a meeting of the Eugene City Council. Councilor Taylor, seconded by Councilor Brown, moved to extend the meeting for 15 minutes. Roll call vote: The motion passed unanimously, 8:0. 8. ACTION: An Ordinance Concerning Amendment of Animal Regulations Regarding Service Animals Councilor Taylor, seconded by Councilor Brown, moved to adopt Council 5051, an ordinance concerning amendment of animal regulations regarding service animals and amending sections 4.330, 4335, 4.340, 4.395, 4.410, 4.427, 4.435, and 4.440 of the Eugene Code, 1971. Roll call vote: The motion passed unanimously, 8:0. 9. ACTION: Appointments to Boards, Commissions, and Committees Budget Committee Councilor Taylor, seconded by Councilor Brown, moved to appoint Ken Beeson to Position 1 on the Budget Committee for a three -year term beginning July 1, 2011, ending on June 30, 2014. Roll call vote: The motion passed unanimously, 8:0. Councilor Taylor, seconded by Councilor Brown, moved to appoint Chelsea Clinton to Position 2 on the Budget Committee for a three -year term beginning July 1, 2011, ending on June 30, 2014. Roll call vote: The motion passed unanimously, 8:0. Councilor Taylor, seconded by Councilor Brown, moved to appoint Laura Illig to Position 5 on the Budget Committee, an unexpired term ending on June 30, 2013. Roll call vote: The motion passed unanimously, 8:0. Councilor Taylor, seconded by Councilor Brown, moved to appoint Mark Rust to Position 7 on the Budget Committee for a three -year term beginning July 1, 2011, ending on June 30, 2014. Roll call vote: The motion passed unanimously, 8:0. Human Rights Commission Councilor Taylor, seconded by Councilor Brown, moved to appoint Richie Weinman to Position 1 on the Human Rights Commission for a three -year term beginning July 1, 2011, and ending on June 30, 2014. Roll call vote: The motion passed unanimously, 8:0. Councilor Taylor, seconded by Councilor Brown, moved to reappoint Martha Fish to Position 2 on the Human Rights Commission for a three -year term beginning July 1, 2011, and ending on June 30, 2014. Roll call vote: The motion passed unanimously, 8:0. MINUTES— Eugene City Council June 27, 2011 Page 13 Regular Meeting Councilor Taylor, seconded by Councilor Brown, moved to reappoint Ken Neubeck to Position 3 on the Human Rights Commission for a three -year term beginning July 1, 2011, and ending on June 30, 2014. Roll call vote: The motion passed unanimously, 8:0. Councilor Taylor, seconded by Councilor Brown, moved to reappoint Ann Marie Lemire to Position 5 on the Human Rights Commission for a three -year term beginning July 1, 2011, and ending on June 30, 2014. Roll call vote: The motion passed unanimously, 8:0. Councilor Taylor, seconded by Councilor Brown, moved to reappoint Elizabeth Andrade to Position 6 on the Human Rights Commission for a three -year term beginning July 1, 2011, and ending on June 30, 2014. Roll call vote: The motion passed unanimously, 8:0. Councilor Taylor, seconded by Councilor Brown, moved to appoint Andrew Thomson to Position 9 on the Human Rights Commission, an unexpired term ending on June 30, 2012. Roll call vote: The motion passed unanimously, 8:0. Councilor Taylor, seconded by Councilor Brown, moved to appoint Rod Buck to Position 11 on the Human Rights Commission, an unexpired term ending on June 30, 2012. Roll call vote: The motion passed unanimously, 8:0. Councilor Taylor, seconded by Councilor Brown, moved to appoint Ron McMillin to Position 13 on the Human Rights Commission, an unexpired term ending on June 30, 2012. Roll call vote: The motion passed unanimously, 8:0. Mayor Piercy adjourned the meeting at 10:10 p.m. Respectfiilly submitted, Beth Forrest City Recorder (Recorded by Kimberly Young) MINUTES— Eugene City Council June 27, 2011 Page 14 Regular Meeting