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HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem 2A: Approval of City Council Minutes ECC UGENE ITY OUNCIL AIS GENDA TEM UMMARY Approval of Council Minutes Meeting Date: January 23, 2012 Agenda Item Number: 2A Department: City Manager’s Office Staff Contact: Kim Young www.eugene-or.gov Contact Telephone Number: 541-682-5232 ISSUE STATEMENT This is a routine item to approve City Council minutes. SUGGESTED MOTION Move to approve the minutes of the October 19, 2011, Work Session, November 14, 2011, Work Session, November 14, 2011, Regular Session, November 16, 2011, Work Session, and January 5, 2012, State of the City. ATTACHMENTS A. October 19, 2011, Work Session B. November 14, 2011, Work Session C. November 14, 2011, Regular Session D. November 16, 2011, Work Session E. January 5, 2012, State of the City FOR MORE INFORMATION Staff Contact: Kim Young Telephone: 541-682-5232 Staff E-Mail: Kim.A.Young@ci.eugene.or.us S:\CMO\2012 Council Agendas\M120123\S1201232A.doc ATTACHMENT A M I N U T E S Eugene City Council McNutt Room—City Hall 777 Pearl Street—Eugene, Oregon October 19, 2011 Noon COUNCILORS PRESENT: Betty Taylor, George Brown, Andrea Ortiz, George Poling, Mike Clark, Chris Pryor, Alan Zelenka, Pat Farr. In the absence of Her Honor Mayor Kitty Piercy, Council President Betty Taylor called the October 19, 2011, work session of the Eugene City Council to order. A. WORK SESSION: Sustainability Commission Work Plan The council was joined by Sustainability Liaison Babe O’Sullivan and Sustainability Commission Chair Josh Skov and Vice Chair Kathi Jaworski. Mr. Skov reviewed a statement from the commission. He said the commission planned to frame its input to the council in terms of its fidelity to a broader sustainability vision and planned to provide input more frequently in the future. It would emphasize the social equity and economic dimensions of policy issues. Mr. Skov said the commission’s work plan reflected a renewed focus on past themes. The commission would focus on how major City transportation and land use initiatives such as the Transportation System Plan (TSP) update and EmX met the council’s adopted sustainability goals. He also noted other planning initiatives of interest to the commission. He also anticipated the commission with partner with other groups such as the Human Rights Commission (HRC) and Planning Commission on issues of mutual interest. He referred the council to the work plan and highlighted some proposed activities. Mr. Skov said the commission had consistently elevated climate change and energy when providing input to the council, particularly as it tried to bring the Triple Bottom Line to transportation and land use decisions. He evaluated the commission’s performance in those areas, suggesting that reports that 2010 tied 2005 as the hottest year on record validated the commission’s efforts related to climate. Speaking to energy, he noted the commission’s early work on energy security and the fact that gas costs had doubled since the commission’s inception. He said the commission worked hard on those issues on the council’s behalf and he believed it had success. Mr. Skov noted the council’s past interest in hearing from the commission on how long-term concerns affected the short-term, and he suggested that in many ways, “the long run is here” and decisions regarding the TSP and EmX would matter to people in both the short- and long-term. He invited questions. Ms. Ortiz thanked the commission for its work. She asked how the commission planned to proceed on a food security plan if that item were funded by the council. Mr. Skov clarified that the item had been referred to staff and moved down in priority on the work plan due to the nature of other decisions the council was facing. He deferred to Sustainability Commissioner Shawn Boles for more information. Mr. Boles said the commission hoped to flesh out the scoping report. That would involve other parties such as the County and City of Springfield. He recommended an interjurisdictional approach to the issue. He MINUTES—Eugene City Council October 19, 2011 Page 1 Work Session also noted a relationship between the subject of food security and expansion of the urban growth boundary to accommodate industrial uses given the value of agricultural land for food production. Ms. Jaworski anticipated the commission’s focus would be on rezoning of agricultural land for expansion purposes. Ms. Ortiz said it would be challenging to fund the plan given the “fuzzy” nature of the item. Mr. Poling believed people generally understood the importance of having a soft impact on the earth and of taking care of it. He asked for more information about the commission’s proposed review of the Rental Housing Code and the work plan item related to revising the Rental Housing Code for energy efficiency. He asked what sustainability goals were involved in that work. Mr. Skov said the commission was considering the Rental Housing Code because the council was considering it. He said the commission believed there was more of a widespread understanding of the economic opportunity created by energy-efficient building as well as recognition that high energy costs disproportionately affected low-income households. The commission hoped to find ways to reduce that economic burden. He said the commission had economic and social equity concerns about the code. Mr. Poling recalled that the council had adopted the Rental Housing Code for health and safety issues. While he supported energy efficiency, he did not think the Rental Housing Code was the appropriate place to attempt to legislate energy efficiency in rental housing. He questioned whether he needed to offer the body a motion that addressed his concerns. Mr. Zelenka agreed with Mr. Poling that the Rental Housing Code was intended to address health and safety issues. He believed the focus of the commission’s work plan item was on those provisions that related to health and safety yet also had a component of energy efficiency. He cited windows as an example. He said it was not the commission’s intent to add energy efficiency measures to the code as something someone could complain about; instead, the commission proposed to find the nexus between the health and safety issues within the code, such as windows, and relating them to energy efficiency and making that nexus clearer. Mr. Zelenka thanked Mr. Skov, Ms. Jaworski, Ms. O’Sullivan, and Climate and Energy Analyst Matt McRae for their staff support. He recommended that Ms. O’Sullivan provide send the council with her regular staff update. Mr. Zelenka endorsed the commission’s work plan priorities. He emphasized the importance of the items related to EmX and the TSP. Mr. Clark expressed appreciation to staff and the commission. He appreciated Mr. Skov’s reminder that the council needed to maintain fidelity to its sustainability goals but reminded the commission that the council also had other goals to consider. He welcomed any additional input from the commission. Referring to the commission’s work plan, included as Attachment A in the packet, Mr. Clark pointed out the first paragraph stated the council had approved the CEAP, when it had accepted the CEAP. He believed that was important because it implied to him the council would have a broader conversation about the plan’s individual recommendations. He anticipated the council would weigh those recommendations against other considerations, such as the effect of current economic conditions on a particular decision. Mr. Skov did not expect the council to accept every CEAP recommendation and emphasized the commission’s focus on the economics of a decision. He did not think the status of CEAP was particularly relevant given the councils adopted goal to reduce community fossil fuel use by 50 percent by 2030. Mr. Clark said the specific policy changes that accomplished such goals needed to be discussed by the council. MINUTES—Eugene City Council October 19, 2011 Page 2 Work Session Mr. Brown referred to the commission’s work plan matrix and asked when the council would receive the commission’s analysis of the West Eugene EmX proposal. Mr. Skov was unsure but thought would happen soon. He noted the commission’s work with the Planning Commission through the Coordinated Land Use and Transportation Action Committee (CLUTAC) on that analysis. Responding to a question from Mr. Brown about the commission’s proposal to issue a joint statement with the HRC on transportation equity, Ms. O’Sullivan confirmed that she was working to schedule a meeting with the commission to discuss the topic. She said the commission hoped to have a stronger partnership with the HRC and its staff. Mr. Brown termed the work plan both ambitious and important and looked forward to the commission’s future reports. Ms. Jaworski hoped the commission and council could have more frequent discussions about how to meet the City’s sustainability goals. She also hoped the council perceived the commission as an advocate for urgency on the long-range goals embedded in the Seven Pillars of Envision Eugene. She acknowledged the commission and council might not always agree but she hoped increased communication would provide the City with more opportunities to turn the community wide values reflected in Envision Eugene into specific actions. Mr. Farr commended the commission’s good work. He spoke to the issue of food security and hoped the commission did not lose track of the local human condition and the work on food security that had been done by local nonprofits such as Food for Lane County and the City Council. He noted that the Lindholm Company recently did a survey about food security and found that 80 percent of respondents supported food security, particularly as it related to community gardens. Mr. Farr sought clarification about Mr. Zelenka’s remarks regarding the Rental Housing Code. He asked if the commission proposed to require weatherization in the Rental Housing Code. Ms. Jaworski said the commission had not discussed the scope of its examination. Mr. Skov agreed that nothing was being proscribed now; the commission was interested in the topic because energy efficiency represented the lowest cost marginal resource for electricity and other energy sources. He acknowledged the scope of the examination was a council decision, but suggested that if there was a high leverage opportunity in this area the commission did not want to miss the opportunity to raise it to the council. Mr. Farr said that weatherization was extremely important to residents, and the City should focus what attention it could on it within the context of the council’s goals. Ms. Taylor believed the commission should discuss anything it thought about it and welcomed the commission’s input on sustainability issues. Mr. Pryor anticipated the council would continue to discuss the degree to which it encouraged sustainability as opposed to the degree it enforced sustainability. He hoped the commission recognized the balance involved. Speaking to the proposed examination of the Rental Housing Code, Mr. Pryor believed the council first needed to determine its approach toward sustainability. He did not think the council would resist commission recommendations to encourage, incentivize, or assist people with weatherization through the Rental Housing Code. However, the regulatory nature of the code made some councilors hesitate to support the work plan item. Mr. Pryor believed it was appropriate to find a nexus as long as the commission clearly understood that did not mean the council would turn to a code enforcement mechanism. Ms. Ortiz said the meeting was an opportunity for the commission to offer its recommendations to the council as well as an opportunity for the council to tell the commission “no.” She said that happened with MINUTES—Eugene City Council October 19, 2011 Page 3 Work Session all City boards and commissions. Ms. Ortiz said she would like to see more details associated with the food security plan item because the Willamette Valley was a great place to grow food and because of the need for food that existed in the community. Ms. Ortiz believed the commission’s work with the Planning Commission on land use and transportation could be a venue for encouraging the development the City wanted to see. Ms. Ortiz suggested that the commission’s Web page include links to related sites such as EWEB’s incentive programs or the Lane Regional Air Protection Agency’s stove replacement program. Ms. O’Sullivan agreed, and indicated that she would follow-up. Mr. Zelenka believed that one of the roles of the commission was “connecting the dots” and that was relevant to its proposed examination of the Rental Housing Code. He pointed out that broken windows could be a safety issue but were also an energy issue, as were a lack of caulking and holes in walls. He suggested what was missing was a linkage between the program and energy efficiency. The council could add energy savings to its rationale for the program and could create a better connection between EWEB’s energy efficiency programs and the code. Speaking to the issue of cost-benefit, Mr. Zelenka discussed the McKinsey Curve, a global greenhouse gas abatement curve that analyzed the measures the United States could take to maintain GHG at 350 parts per million, the threshold for climate change. He said the analysis indicated the goal could be met cost-effectively. Mr. Clark said the council needed to hear about all the implications of the commission’s recommendations, including information about short-term costs. Referring to the Work Plan Matrix provided to the council in the meeting packet, Mr. Clark suggested that the heading in the matrix that read “Articulate economic benefits and implications” be revised to read “Articulate economic impacts, both short-run and long-run.” Mr. Skov suggested to Mr. Clark that the heading be revised by modifying “economic benefits” with the word “net.” He agreed that the commission should not merely be a cheerleader for its recommendations. The commission focused on the long-term because some of the challenges facing the community looked different depending on the time frame being considered. Ms. Taylor believed that sustainability was all about the long-term. She suggested that sometimes cost was not the main driver for a policy. Mr. Brown, seconded by Mr. Poling, moved to approve the Sustainability Commission FY12 work program. Mr. Poling, seconded by Mr. Clark moved to substitute the motion with a motion to request changes to the work plan before approval, specifically the item referencing the Rental Housing Code. Mr. Zelenka suggested as friendly amendment that the council pull the item related to the Rental Housing Code and have that item brought back to the council for review and let the rest of the plan move forward. Mr. Poling declined to accept the amendment and determined from City Manager Ruiz that staff would schedule the item for action on an upcoming agenda. The substitute motion passed, 7:1; Ms. Taylor voting no. MINUTES—Eugene City Council October 19, 2011 Page 4 Work Session The motion as amended by the substitute motion passed unanimously, 8:0. B. WORK SESSION: Cal Young Neighborhood Association Boundary Revision The council was joined by Neighborhood Services Program Manager Michael Kinnison and John Jaworski, chair of the newly formed Northeast Neighbors. Mr. Kinnison led the council through a PowerPoint presentation regarding a staff recommendation to reconfigure the boundaries of the Cal Young Neighborhood into three neighborhood associations, a smaller and reconfigured Cal Young Neighborhood Association and two new associations, the Northeast Neighbors and Goodpasture Island Neighbors. Mr. Clark expressed pride in the process that led to the recommendations before the council and thanked Mr. Jaworski for his leadership throughout the process. Mr. Poling concurred. Mr. Farr commended the work of Mr. Kinnison and expressed appreciation that the process had been documented for use in the future. Mr. Zelenka also recognized Mr. Kinnison for his efforts. He believed the City’s Neighborhood Program was more energized under Mr. Kinnison’s leadership. He was impressed by the hard work done by Mr. Jaworski and other neighborhood residents, and congratulated Mr. Jaworski on the success of the process. Mr. Kinnison indicated he would approach each neighborhood that exceeded the optimum size about the potential of reconfiguring current boundaries. Mr. Brown, seconded by Mr. Poling, moved to schedule action on the resolutions accepting the charter documents for two new neighborhood associations: Goodpasture Island Neighbors and Northeast Neighbors. The motion passed unanimously, 8:0. Ms. Taylor adjourned the meeting at 1:25 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Beth Forrest City Recorder (Recorded by Kimberly Young) MINUTES—Eugene City Council October 19, 2011 Page 5 Work Session ATTACHMENT B M I N U T E S Eugene City Council McNutt Room—City Hall 777 Pearl Street—Eugene, Oregon November 14, 2011 5:30 p.m. COUNCILORS PRESENT: Betty Taylor, George Brown, Andrea Ortiz, Mike Clark, Chris Pryor, Alan Zelenka, Pat Farr. COUNCILORS ABSENT: George Poling. Her Honor Mayor Kitty Piercy called the November 14, 2011, work session of the Eugene City Council to order. A. WORK SESSION: Envision Eugene The council was joined by Planning Director Lisa Gardner, Metropolitan Community Planning Manager Carolyn Weiss, Senior Planner Alissa Hansen, and Associate Planner Heather O’Donnell. They provided a PowerPoint presentation entitled Envision Eugene: Project Update for City Council Work Session, November 14, 2011. The presentation highlighted areas of the community where expansion of the urban growth boundary (UGB) might occur to accommodate residential development. Mayor Piercy solicited questions and comments. Ms. Taylor asked why the council was contemplating expansion of the UGB for single-family housing when it had not reached a decision on a ratio. She understood no expansion would be needed if the council selected a 50:50 or 40:60 ratio. Ms. Weiss indicated staff was presenting analysis that did not lock the council into a decision. City Manager Jon Ruiz said the council would receive his recommendation for the ratio on December 14. Ms. Taylor asked if the council had adopted the Seven Pillars of Envision Eugene. Ms. Gardner recalled that the council had agreed unanimously to forward the Seven Pillars to the public as the framework for Envision Eugene. Mr. Zelenka referred to maps 6 and 7 (Crest Drive and Dillard/Fox Hollow) and suggested those areas were largely residential already. Ms. Hansen concurred they were residentially developed but the current development patterns reflected rural densities rather than urban densities. She conceded that in the case of the Dillard/Fox Hollow area it was difficult to see how the existing development patterns could transition to a more urban area. Mr. Clark wanted to ensure that any land brought inside the UGB was actually urbanizable. He determined from City Manager Ruiz that the graph reflected on slide 1 would change as a result of the vacant land analysis. Ms. Weiss indicated that analysis would be complete prior to December 14. Responding to a follow-up question from Mr. Clark, Ms. Hansen confirmed that Public Works stormwater staff had been involved in the vacant land analysis. MINUTES—Eugene City Council November 14, 2011 Page 1 Work Session Mr. Farr asked what it meant for a street to be transportation-constrained. Ms. Hansen said that referred to already congested areas where congestion would be worsened past acceptable levels by the addition of more residential development. It was possible the City could choose to accept a higher level of congestion. Mr. Farr was concerned that developable land would be left undeveloped because the City lacked the appropriate transportation infrastructure. He asked why the State mandated an examination of non-contiguous lands. Ms. Hansen said the State mandated that the City examine already developed nearby non-resource lands with the intent to preserve farm and forest lands. Staff had chosen the areas to be examined. City Attorney Emily Jerome clarified that staff had identified areas already acknowledged as developed and committed land by Lane County. There was little “wiggle room” in the State criteria governing what lands the City could look to because the examination was based on existing County zoning. Mayor Piercy suggested that the Oregon Department of Transportation’s revision of its highway mobility standards would give the community more flexibility in regard to acceptable levels of congestion so the community could achieve the residential density the council wanted it to have. Mr. Brown said the Dillard area did not appear to be constrained by farmland or wetlands; it appeared the main constraint was the limitations of Dillard Road. Ms. Hansen said that was one constraint. Two other constraints regarded the provision of wastewater and stormwater service, which were problematic. Mr. Brown observed that most of the areas under consideration had traffic constraints and he believed the City would have to expand capacity in those areas. Mr. Brown asked staff to discuss Eugene Water & Electric Board (EWEB) service issues. Ms. Hansen said EWEB staff was asked to review each area and determine if service could be provided. A number of factors went into that analysis, which was very preliminary at this time. Mr. Brown determined from Ms. Hansen that the some of the areas in question had service from EWEB or a water district but many of the developed lots had wells. Ms. Ortiz suggested it was possible to serve any area with enough money but she thought it was important to consider the impact of that on housing affordability. She appreciated the cautions staff offered about the Dillard area. She asked Ms. Hansen if staff had identified lands currently zoned for industrial purposes that could be used for other purposes. Ms. Hansen suggested the potential that industrially zoned land in the Awbrey Lane area and the area north of Lane Community College along Interstate 5 could be converted to other uses. Responding to a question from Mr. Clark, Ms. Hansen said the Envision Eugene process was occurring in coordination with the Transportation System Plan update and staff hoped that the council would adopt them at about the same time. If that could not happen, staff would recommend the council make amendments to TransPlan to reflect new projects and service levels in the interim. Mr. Clark asked if the City was legally required to have a transportation plan that could be funded within the 20-year planning horizon to service the new areas brought inside the UGB. City Attorney Jerome said the City must demonstrate to the State that it could feasibly expect those lands to develop within the next 20 years. That evidence did not have to rise to the level of a project in the Capital Improvement Program. She indicated she would provide more specific information about the legal requirements related to transportation planning. Mr. Clark reiterated his desire that the lands identified for expansion could actually be developed. City Manager Ruiz emphasized his intent was to present the council with a realistic and achievable plan. MINUTES—Eugene City Council November 14, 2011 Page 2 Work Session Constraints would be accounted for and land that could not be developed within 20 years would not be counted toward the need. B. WORK SESSION: Eugene Pedestrian and Bicycle Master Plan Rights Project Recommendations The council was joined by Transportation Planning Manager Rob Inerfeld and Associate Planner Reed Dunbar, who provided a PowerPoint presentation on the City’s draft Pedestrian and Bicycle Master Plan. The presentation included information about the types of projects contemplated in the plan and the City’s best practices guide. Mr. Dunbar anticipated staff would ask the council to accept the plan in February 2012 and that the plan would ultimately be adopted as part of the Transportation System Plan update in 2013. He shared the web site for the plan: www.eugenepedbikeplan.org. He invited questions. Mayor Piercy expressed concern about the costs of maintaining added infrastructure. She encouraged the City to hold more “Sunday Streets” events. She appreciated the City was being clear about its intentions in regard to bicycle and pedestrian improvements. Mayor Piercy solicited council questions and comments. Speaking to the subject of infilling the sidewalk network, Ms. Ortiz encouraged staff to reach out to the community on the topic because she would not support a local improvement district (LID) for an unwilling neighborhood given the challenging economic times. Ms. Ortiz asked if staff had neighborhood buy-in regarding the proposed Rasor Park bicycle path. Mr. Inerfeld said the path was included in the Rasor Park Master Plan, which had considerable public input. Ms. Ortiz continued to be concerned about safety conditions for pedestrians and bicyclists using Highway 99. While the road had been improved, it continued to lack amenities to serve those who lacked choice in their transportation mode. Mr. Inerfeld reported that the City and the Oregon Department of Transportation had partnered on a grant application to underwrite the costs of sidewalks on one side of the highway. Mr. Farr commended the presentation and said it made him enthusiastic about the future of Eugene. He suggested that the City partner with Lane Transit District to make it easier for riders to use their bicycles at the end of the bus trip. He suggested that might include the provision of bicycle garages downtown. Mr. Inerfeld reported that LTD’s Point2Point program received funding for a bicycle parking study that would include downtown. In addition, staff had discussed creating a bicycle sharing program so that people did not have to take their bicycles along on the bus. Ms. Taylor commended the plan and anticipated she would accept it enthusiastically. She advocated for more separated bicycle paths. Ms. Taylor reported that she and Mr. Brown had recently attended a National League of Cities workshop that included information about The Bike Cellar, a bicycle commuting support station/membership facility located on the Arizona State University main campus that provided members with secure bicycle parking and showers and had bicycles available for rent. MINUTES—Eugene City Council November 14, 2011 Page 3 Work Session Responding to a question from Ms. Taylor about the City’s approach to sidewalk infill, Mr. Inerfeld said staff had not yet developed a strategy. There were some federal grant moneys available for sidewalk infill and in some cases sidewalks were constructed as part of a street improvement project. He acknowledged that many residential areas did not qualify for any grant program and the City would need a funding mechanism to construct sidewalks in them. Ms. Taylor emphasized the importance of sidewalks for safe pedestrian travel. Mr. Clark was concerned about the inadequacy of funding for sidewalks and advocated for more work in that area. He believed the effort to infill the sidewalk system would be doomed to failure if the council depended on the creation of a series of LIDs, which he anticipated would result in a “series of small fights.” He asked the timeframe for the proposed sidewalk infill project along County Farm Road. Mr. Inerfeld anticipated the project would be included in the next six-year Capital Improvement Program. Mr. Zelenka perceived the BPMP as increasing livability, choice, and mobility. He said transportation systems must be convenient in order to work, which required the appropriate infrastructure; otherwise, no one would use an alternate mode. Responding to a question from Mr. Zelenka, Mr. Inerfeld confirmed the City had no dedicated funding sources for pedestrian and bicycle projects. The City used systems development charges (SDCs) to enhance the system, often using SDC revenues as the local match for grants. He said one of the challenges of using grants for project funding was that grants did not always support the highest priority project but rather the project that best qualified for the funding in question. He estimated that the City averaged about $1.5 million annually in grant funding. Mr. Zelenka requested the total cost of all the projects in the plan. Mr. Reed offered a preliminary estimate of $93 million, with more than half of that cost being sidewalk projects. Mayor Piercy hoped staff was taking the input from GEARS and resident Sue Wolling into consideration. She reported that she served on ODOT’s flexible funding committee and its major focus was on multi- modal, non-auto modes and the creation of a system to serve them. She said the Metropolitan Policy Committee’s Citizen Advisory Committee also advocated for more separated lanes and increased safety for alternate modes. She believed that was necessary to encourage more use of alternate modes. Mr. Farr was happy to hear sidewalks were planned for County Farm Road and suggested that a temporary path be considered to help facilitate pedestrian travel. Mr. Zelenka believed Eugene had a great bicycle/pedestrian system but it could be better. He encouraged the council to consider a dedicated source of funding to build the projects list. He also encouraged councilors to tour their wards by bike. Mayor Piercy adjourned the meeting at 7:10 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Beth Forrest City Recorder (Recorded by Kimberly Young) MINUTES—Eugene City Council November 14, 2011 Page 4 Work Session ATTACHMENT C M I N U T E S Eugene City Council Council Chamber—City Hall 777 Pearl Street—Eugene, Oregon November 14, 2011 7:30 p.m. COUNCILORS PRESENT: Betty Taylor, George Brown, Andrea Ortiz, Mike Clark, Chris Pryor, Alan Zelenka, Pat Farr. COUNCILORS ABSENT: George Poling. Her Honor Mayor Kitty Piercy called the November 14, 2011, regular meeting of the Eugene City Council to order. 1. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE Mayor Piercy shared a reading from President Woodrow Wilson in commemoration of the First Armistice Day. Councilor Farr dedicated the recital of the Pledge of Allegiance to his father-in-law, a veteran of World War II. Councilor Zelenka noted his own service at the Air Force Academy. He thanked all veterans and all those currently serving for their service to the United States. Councilors Zelenka and Farr led the council through the Pledge of Allegiance. 2. PUBLIC FORUM Stan Taylor , 1285 McLean Boulevard, “We the People of Eugene,” asked the council to adopt a resolution prepared by his organization opposing the impact of corporate money on democracy. He reviewed the resolution. Mr. Taylor believed the mix of corporate money and elections resulted in attacks on local government sovereignty and its ability to regulate destructive corporate behavior. Charlie Swanson , 2010 Fairmount Boulevard, “We the People of Eugene,” provided the petition mentioned by Mr. Taylor, signed by 5,000 people, to City Recorder Beth Forrest. Mr. Swanson noted widespread support for an amendment to the United States Constitution to abolish the concept of corporate personhood. Several cities had already passed or were contemplating resolutions advocating for such an amendment while others had passed ordinances declaring corporations did not have constitutional rights in their communities. He believed Eugene residents either supported the resolution or would support it if they knew more about the topic. Eugene Wanderer , a homeless person living in the Whiteaker neighborhood, said it “brought him down” that some councilors were not supportive of Occupy Eugene because he believed the council and Occupy MINUTES—Eugene City Council November 14, 2011 Page 1 Regular Meeting Eugene were fighting for the same thing. He supported the resolution offered by We the People of Eugene. nd Chris Calef , 865 East 32 Avenue, Occupy Eugene, took issue with Councilor Farr’s opposition to Occupy Eugene and the remarks Councilor Farr posted on his blog, Lane Forum, about the Occupy encampment. He thought any concerns about the impact of the encampment on the Willamette Greenway paled in comparison to the critical issues he believed that the Occupy movement brought to the public’s view. He questioned the City’s accounting of the costs attributed to Occupy Eugene. He objected that Councilor Farr had mentioned the needs of the homeless and hungry in his blog while he denied them the right to call Washington-Jefferson Park their own, which he considered hypocritical. He maintained that Occupy Eugene was providing services to the homeless that the City refused to provide. Anya Dobrowolski , 2244 Alder Street, a member of the City’s Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee (BPAC), encouraged the council to accept the Bicycle-Pedestrian Master Plan (BPMP) and incorporate it into the Transportation System Plan (TSP). She emphasized the relationship between good infrastructure for alternative modes and a sustainable community. She believed a better transportation system was directly related to the goals of the City’s Climate and Energy Action Plan and the Envision Eugene planning effort. th Judy Horstmann , 1835 East 28 Avenue, expressed support for the BPMP. The plan would increase walking and bicycling through the creation of a safe, connected, convenient bicycle-pedestrian network. It was important to promote walking and bicycling so citizens could chose a lifestyle of active transportation. The proposed bicycle boulevards would attract families to cycling and the sidewalk projects and access ways would make it easier for pedestrians and transit users to get where they needed to go. Ms. Horstmann acknowledged the challenge of funding sidewalk construction and maintenance and encouraged the council to modify current funding sources or establish new funding sources to pay for BPMP projects. David Gizara , 3550 West Amazon Drive, Apartment 7, a member of the BPAC, believed that bicycle and walking were legitimate transportation modes that needed to be treated as equal elements in the City’s transportation funding mix. He spoke of the many benefits of increased bicycling and walking and suggested the BPMP would help the community weather future economic and ecological changes. Zachary Vishanoff , Ward 3, believed the City should publicize and explain the proposed Moss Street vacation. He questioned the City’s planning for bicycles and criticized the use of bike cycle tracks. He believed the BPAC should have held a hearing on the projects it had endorsed and whether they were successful. He advocated for toxic waste mitigation and historic preservation on the riverfront property owned by Eugene Water & Electric Board rather than planning for bicycle paths. He called for public hearings about whether the public wanted green condominiums for rich people on that site. He asked the council to end “bike pork” and investigate the impact of recent bicycle improvements he considered dangerous, such as the improvements on Alder Street. Alley Valkyrie , Ward 1, believed that finding solutions to the problems of the homeless and disenfranchised should be a top priority of City government but the council had expressed concern while making no changes to the status quo. She said that was because councilors had never been homeless. She denied that homelessness was ever a choice that one made. She did not think councilors could justify opposition to the Occupy Eugene encampment by pointing to the availability of the car camping program because most homeless do no own cars. She wanted the council to educate itself about homelessness and challenged councilors to spend a night at the Eugene Mission so they could understand what it was like to “be stripped of your dignity, treated with a disrespect like you have never known, and to experience the MINUTES—Eugene City Council November 14, 2011 Page 2 Regular Meeting wounds to your pride that come with being at the mercy of an organization that prioritizes rules over humanity.” She cited the mission’s refusal to allow Thomas Egan to stay there in support of her criticism. She said after the councilors learned why so many people refused to stay at the mission she challenged them to stay at a City park to have that experience. Otherwise, councilors’ judgments about Occupy Eugene were suspect. Randy Prince , 2990 Onyx Street, was happy to see the sidewalks downtown reopened. He acknowledged that sometimes sidewalk closures were necessary to accommodate construction but averred that other cities “got to great extents” to keep public sidewalks open in such instances. He hoped to see more sidewalk maintenance downtown and suggested design changes might also be in order. He advocated for newer technology for the downtown lighting fixtures. Mr. Prince supported the broadcasting of classical music downtown and suggested that local radio station KWAX be used as a source for programming. th Howard Bonnett , 1835 East 28 Avenue, provided written testimony regarding the BPMP to the council. He recalled his first week in Eugene in 1965, when he could not find a bicycle rack to park his bicycle at the University of Oregon without a considerable search. Since then much progress had been made in the community’s active transportation efforts. He commended the council for its earlier discussion about the BPMP at the work session and encouraged the council to accept the plan. Sue Wolling , 108 High Street, said the projects in the BPMP were a key element in the implementation of Envision Eugene. She encouraged staff to review the performance measures in the plan to ensure they were aligned with the plan goals to increase alternate modes use. She suggested the City might need to invest in technology to better count alternate mode trips. Ms. Wolling also recommended another examination of the project priorities because in many cases the source of the project was not clear. She also advocated for development of criteria to guide the prioritization process. She agreed with testimony calling for dedicated project funding. Dennis Cassady , PO Box 4028, Eugene, contrasted the higher fees and staffing levels of Eugene’s Rental Housing Program to Corvallis’s program. He believed that if the revenues collected in Eugene had not been sequestered they would have already been used by other City departments for purposes not related to the program. He questioned the accounting for the program, noting he had been billed by the program for two houses for which he did not even yet have an occupancy permit. He attended meetings of the department advisory committee (DAC) overseeing the program and found accounting discrepancies in the information presented to the DAC. Mr. Cassady said staff advertised the program extensively to students to attempt to get tenant involvement, but none showed interest. A former member of the DAC, Daniel Prince, told The Register-Guard that the program had come close to outliving its usefulness. Mr. Cassady recommended the program be ended and the excess funds returned to the landlords. Scott Sanders , 4195 Berrywood Drive, asked the council to terminate the Rental Housing Code. He questioned what benefit the community gained from the program when weighed against its costs. The program was redundant of other government programs. Tenants could seek remedies through small claims courts or avoid poor landlords. In five years, the program had 150 complaints that led to City action at an average cost of $11,600 per complaint. The majority of funds went to collect more funds. He believed the program should be ended for because it could not be justified on a cost-benefit basis. Misha Seymour , 1313 Lincoln Street, #307, expressed concern about the music broadcast at Kesey Square. He suggested that the City could support local musicians at the site, which was one of the few public spaces available in Eugene. He said that similar tactics were being used around the country, and it was not right, because the public square belonged to the people, who would not stand for any more. MINUTES—Eugene City Council November 14, 2011 Page 3 Regular Meeting Eric Hall , 116 Highway 99, observed that the same staff responsible for Building Code violations were also were responsible for overseeing the correction of Rental Housing Code violations. He said the sections of the Rental Housing Code were redundant of the Building Code with the exception of security. He believed that there were ways for tenants to address such violations other than through a code or by hiring a lawyer. He thought such tenants could still call the City for assistance as they could still have access to the same staff. He suggested the City could develop a land use provision to address security. Dennis Chappa , 999 Lorane Highway, opposed the continuation of the Rental Housing Code and questioned how it could be considered a cost-effective program given the low number of incidents investigated and the high cost. He said there were already laws in place that allowed tenants to seek redress. He said the program reflected a lack of transparency in government because staff time was not being tracked and there was no way to know if the dedicated funds were being used appropriately. That did not instill trust in government. th Amanda Ellis , 346 East 16 Avenue, representing the Oregon Student Public Interest Research Group (OSPIRG) Protect Our Oceans Campaign advocated for a local ban on single-use plastic grocery bags because of the damage that such bags caused to animals, humans, and coastal economies. It was difficult to eliminate such pollution. She maintained that plastic bags were rarely recycled and never biodegraded. th Julia Reins , 1475 East 15 Avenue, representing ORPIRG’s Protect Our Oceans Campaign, was also present to advocate for a local ban on plastic bags. Her organization had gathered many signatures of support for a local ban from students, residents, and small businesses and continued to gather signatures. She shared a copy of the five media hits her organization received and a list of businesses that supported the ban. Dave Matthews , 3805 SE Cesar E. Chavez Boulevard, Portland, OSPIRG, also advocated for a local ban on plastic bags. He believed such bags were unnecessary as they were used for only a few minutes but lasted for many years. Fourteen communities had taken action to ban such bags. Bans were contemplated in Corvallis, Newport, Milwaukie, and Portland had passed such a ban. He believed such a ban was practical and simple and pointed out that since no one in Oregon made plastic bags no one would be hurt by the ban and ocean wildlife would be saved. Pauline Hutson , 1025 Taylor Street, questioned the moral compasses of councilors who supported th sending EmX down West 11 Avenue. She said they seemed to lack the normal human emotions of th empathy and sympathy and seemed to be obsessed with sending EmX down West 11 Avenue in spite of opposition from the neighborhood. She asked how they could ignore the tragic consequences of their decision. People affected by the decision felt helpless. She speculated on the possibility of a hidden agenda. She asked if the project was about money or planners justifying their jobs. She asked if EmX was payback for failure of the West Eugene Parkway. She asked the council to reconsider and place humans first. She believed there were better options. She criticized Lane Transit District’s plans to th remove trees on West 11 Avenue. Ashley Miller , 2675 Norkenzie Road, representing the Oregon League of Conservation Voters, also supported a ban on plastic bags. She believed a local ban was appropriate. She agreed with previous speakers about the harm from plastic bag pollution. Mayor Piercy closed the Public Forum. She thanked everyone who attended to express their views and gave special recognition to those who spoke in support of the BPMP, those who supported the resolution MINUTES—Eugene City Council November 14, 2011 Page 4 Regular Meeting against corporate contributions to elections, and those who advocated for a plastic bag ban. She said they were all doing important community work. Councilor Clark thanked the representatives of the Protect Our Oceans Campaign and said while he did not yet know his position on the topic he was interested in further discussion. He questioned why no one was talking about the materials from Japan that was heading toward the west coast of the United States as a result of the 2011 earthquake. Councilor Ortiz also thanked those who testified. She determined from City Manager Jon Ruiz that the council would hold a public hearing on the Rental Housing Code on November 21 and action on the proposed extension of the code was on November 28. Councilor Ortiz understood the City was banking the revenues collected and suggested that the fee be reduced or the money be used to offset landlords’ repair costs. Councilor Ortiz observed that she was always challenged by comments about councilors’ moral compasses or personal experiences. She said those commenting did not know the councilors, their origins, or their experiences. She believed the council had done a great deal to address homelessness, although she believed it could do more. She believed that councilors were all serving for the right reasons. Speaking to those who challenged his sincerity in regard to the homeless, Councilor Farr said he had spent years with Food for Lane County and was instrumental in the formation of the Council Committee on Homelessness and Youth. He had worked on the issue of homelessness for years and suggested if there was hypocrisy displayed it was displayed by the person who did not do their research before calling someone else a hypocrite. Councilor Zelenka announced that the public hearing on the Moss Street vacation was scheduled for November 21 and added that the hearing had been noticed for several weeks. Action was scheduled for December 12. Those dates could be found on the council’s calendar. Councilor Zelenka thanked those who spoke on behalf of the BPMP and agreed the council needed to find a way to fund it. He supported a plastic bag ban and planned to request a work session on the topic. He expressed support for the resolution put forth by We the People of Eugene. 3. CONSENT CALENDAR A. Approval of City Council Minutes - October 10, 2011, Work Session - October 10, 2011, Regular Meeting - October 12, 2011, Work Session - October 31, 2011, Special Meeting B. Approval of Tentative Working Agenda Councilor Taylor, seconded by Councilor Brown, moved to approve the items on the Consent Calendar. Roll call vote: The motion passed unanimously, 7:0. MINUTES—Eugene City Council November 14, 2011 Page 5 Regular Meeting 4. ACTION: An Ordinance Concerning Dogs on Alder Street and Repealing Section 4.427 of the Eugene Code, 1971 City Manager Ruiz introduced an ordinance repealing an ordinance adopted in 1996 that banned dogs on Alder Street. He said Councilor Taylor requested the council reconsider the ban. He recalled the public hearing held on the ordinance during which no one spoke in favor of lifting the ban. He further recalled that it was suggested at that time the ban be extended to downtown; the ordinance before the council did not address that issue and the council would discuss the subject at a work session to be scheduled later. Lt. Doug Mozan of the Eugene Police Department was present to answer questions. Councilor Taylor, seconded by Councilor Brown, moved to approve Council Bill 5053 concerning dogs on Alder Street and repealing Section 4.427 of the Eugene Code, 1971. Councilor Taylor believed there were already laws in place to address the problems the ordinance was designed to address. She thought that those who supported the ordinance believed the absence of dogs made their businesses better when the real reason for their success was the presence of students and the support they received from the Eugene Police Department. She recalled that many female professors had opposed the ordinance in 1996 because they could not have their dogs with them in the area late at night to add to their safety. In addition, people with friends in the area could not visit those friends and take their dogs. Councilor Zelenka did not support the motion. He noted that the area in question was in his ward and he had talked to many business owners and none expressed support for removing the ban. Many had contrasted the environment before and after the ban and attributed much of the change to the ban. It was a very small area and Councilor Zelenka did not think the City was punishing anyone by precluding dogs from being there. Councilor Farr had served on the council when the ordinance was initially passed and he recalled that there had been considerable public testimony in support of the ordinance. He did not support the motion. Councilor Clark had been a student at the University of Oregon before the ban was in place and recalled th the atmosphere on East 13 Avenue at that time. He thought the ban made a difference in the area and believed that it might also make a difference if applied downtown. He did not support the motion. Councilor Taylor reiterated that there were other ways to address the problems the ban was designed to address. She did not see why responsible dog owners should be punished for the actions of others. She did not think the council should consider only the views of the business owners as there were others using the area in question. She had frequently traveled the area prior to the ban without having a problem. Councilor Taylor suggested that nuisance dogs were generally unlicensed and additional enforcement of licensing laws could address the problems created by such dogs. Roll call vote: The motion failed, 5:2; councilors Taylor and Brown voting no. . MINUTES—Eugene City Council November 14, 2011 Page 6 Regular Meeting 5. ACTION: Appointment to Planning Commission Councilor Taylor, seconded by Councilor Brown, moved to appoint John Jaworski to Position 5 on the Planning Commission for the unexpired term ending on June 30, 2014. Councilor Clark spoke in support of Mr. Jaworski and reminded the council of Mr. Jaworski’s role in leading the separation of the Cal Young Neighborhood Association into three associations. Roll call vote: The motion passed unanimously, 7:0. 6. COMMITTEE REPORTS: Housing Policy Board, Lane Regional Air Protection Agency, Metropolitan Wastewater Management Commission, Public Safety Coordinating Council (Juvenile) Councilor Pryor reported that the Housing Policy Board (HPB) held two public hearings and a forum on Bascom Village and subsequently forwarded a positive recommendation to the council with the acknowledgment the council would require further discussion of some of the policy issues involved. He encouraged the council to review the materials submitted by the HPB prior to that discussion. Councilor Clark asked the council to hold a public hearing on Bascom Village. Councilor Ortiz reported that Director Merlin Hough of the Lane Regional Air Protection Agency (LRAPA) was serving on the State Air Advisory Board. Mr. Hough had also created a committee in Oakridge to oversee wood stove change outs. As result, 700 Oakridge residents had received new heating systems. Councilor Ortiz also reported that the Public Safety Coordinating Council’s Juvenile Justice Committee heard a presentation on street gangs at its most recent meeting and discussed doing a community scan to assess the scope of the problem. She said the council also had a subcommittee working on gang prevention. Councilor Brown reported that the Metropolitan Wastewater Management Commission continued to study the use of gray water. He said he had attended the recent National League of Cities convention in Phoenix and visited the nearby City of Peoria’s wastewater treatment plant and learned that all its discharge was clean water placed directly back into the aquifer. Mayor Piercy thanked City Manager Ruiz for his work on the Welcome Home Vet Build Project. Mayor Piercy adjourned the meeting at 9 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Beth Forrest City Recorder (Recorded by Kimberly Young) MINUTES—Eugene City Council November 14, 2011 Page 7 Regular Meeting ATTACHMENT D M I N U T E S Eugene City Council McNutt Room—City Hall 777 Pearl Street—Eugene, Oregon November 16, 2011 Noon COUNCILORS PRESENT: Betty Taylor, George Brown, Andrea Ortiz, Mike Clark, Chris Pryor, Alan Zelenka, Pat Farr. COUNCILORS ABSENT: George Poling. Her Honor Mayor Kitty Piercy called the November 16, 2011, work session of the Eugene City Council to order. A. WORK SESSION: Human Rights Commission FY12/13 Work Plan The council was joined by Eugene Human Rights Commission (HRC) Chair Toni Gyatso and Vice Chair Ken Neubeck. Central Services Director Kristi Hammitt and Equity and Human Manager Raquel Wells were also present for the item. Mr. Neubeck and Ms. Gyatso reviewed the goals and objectives in the HRC’s work plan. Ms. Gyatso said that the HRC’s work plan reflected the community input the commission received as a result of its recent Listening Project. Ms. Hammitt, the executive liaison to the City’s Human Rights and Equity Board, reviewed some action items from the City’s Diversity and Equity Plan and noted their relationship to the HRC work plan. Mayor Piercy thanked the commissioners. She looked forward to International Human Rights Day. She recommended the HRC take advantage of the current community focus on economic inequity to disseminate the commission’s message and involve people in the event. She appreciated the work plan’s focus on the unhoused and suggested it was timely given the discussions generated by Occupy Eugene, particularly about the need for the homeless to have a safe place to be during the day. She encouraged the HRC to help move that discussion along. She said the plan’s emphasis on youth had a connection to homelessness and presented another opportunity for partnering. Mayor Piercy suggested the HRC could also work on bias against the homeless. Ms. Ortiz determined from Ms. Wells that the Eugene Disability Advisory Committee would be a department advisory committee that advised Central Services. Ms. Ortiz looked forward to the upcoming Hate Crimes Conference and suggested that the HRC invite Morris Dees to speak. She was happy to hear about the proposed Youth Committee and hoped the commission sought out people who had not been involved before as members. Ms. Ortiz suggested the council spend some time at its retreat discussing where it envisioned the City was going in terms of human rights and human services. MINUTES—Eugene City Council November 16, 2011 Page 1 Work Session Mr. Pryor commended the work plan. He was pleased that the HRC was able to see the connections between the work it did and the work of other groups and organizations. That approach created a much stronger network and helped the City make progress toward its goals. He looked forward to seeing how the HRC could make that network and its collaborations even more effective. Mr. Farr believed the HRC could accomplish what Mr. Pryor desired through its coordination with other entities and its focus on the third leg of the Triple Bottom Line, social equity. He suggested that other commissions consider scheduling a regular agenda item regarding social equity. Mr. Zelenka commended the work plan as exactly what he wanted to see and recognized that it reflected the council’s listening session with the HRC. He asked how other listening sessions had affected the work plan. Ms. Gyatso said the work plan reflected many of the major themes the HRC had been able to identify as a result of the listening sessions. Mr. Neubeck agreed. He described the scope of the HRC’s outreach, which involved more than 600 people. He said as a result of the project the HRC’s work program was more flexible and responsive to the community and the concerns expressed by the council. He said the HRC’s main challenge had been organizational, and commissioners had agreed to restructure the meeting format so more time was spent on the individual work groups. Ms. Wells added that staff had interviewed present and past commissioners and heard about the issues they had struggled with. The HRC also heard heart-breaking stories from the community about people’s lives. Those stories gave the commission and staff a sense of the scope and interconnectedness of the problems people were facing. That required the commission to consider its allies and how to be more intentional with its resources and time. The HRC had solicited solutions from the community as well as issues, and approached the work plan by thinking about it could be achieved and how the commission could be accountable to the work plan. Mr. Zelenka endorsed the proposed meeting structure, the work plan’s focus on homelessness, and the commission’s liaison system. He determined from Ms. Wells that the former members of the Accessibility Committee would serve on the new Eugene Disability Advisory Committee to assist with the transition. Ms. Taylor asked if the commission was doing anything to prevent homelessness for those who became homeless because they could not pay large utility bills. Ms. Gyatso said that utility bills resulting in homelessness had not been raised as a topic but it was something that the HRC could consider. Ms. Taylor recalled that a former commissioner suggested to her the HRC did not care about human rights for those who were not part of a protected class. Ms. Wells said the HRC listened to everyone, including people who did not support the HRC’s existence. Human Rights staff attempted to assist all those who came to the City with concerns, not just those in protected classes. Ms. Taylor was happy to hear that. Mr. Clark commended the commission’s work plan. Referring to Objective 3.3, Respond to and advocate for the removal of impediments to immigrant integration within the Eugene community, Mr. Clark asked what was envisioned in that regard. Mr. Neubeck anticipated the HRC would work with community groups who worked with immigrants, such as Centro Latino Americano. The focus of the effort would be on how to make immigrants feel welcome, safe, secure, and included in the community. He said the HRC would make connections with those groups and lend a hand to work already in progress. MINUTES—Eugene City Council November 16, 2011 Page 2 Work Session Mr. Brown also commended the work plan and its emphasis on homelessness. He was happy to have more people working on the problem. He commended the HRC’s intention to reach out to the schools because that was where negative attitudes were often established. Mr. Neubeck reported that Ajamu Baraka, the key note speaker for International Human Rights Day, would visit area schools during his visit and network with local youth. Ms. Taylor, seconded by Mr. Brown, moved to approve the Human Rights Commission’s fiscal year 2012-13 Work Plan. The motion passed unanimously, 7:0. B. WORK SESSION: Bascom Village The council was joined by Grants Manager Stephanie Jennings and Housing Financial Analyst Becky Wheeler. Ms. Jennings and Ms. Wheeler provided a PowerPoint presentation on the results of the 2011 Affordable Housing Request for Proposals (RFP) as well as related affordable housing funding policies and processes. Ms. Jennings summarized the City’s guiding plans for affordable housing, the annual Housing RFP process, and the Eugene Landbanking Program for Affordable Housing and Housing Dispersal Policy. Ms. Wheeler then provided an overview of the County Farm landbank site. She noted the zone change process that preceded the RFP process, the release of the RFP, and the subsequent evaluation and public input processes. Ms. Wheeler reported that the Housing Poling Board (HPB) recommended that the City Council approve funding for the development of Bascom Village, a 101-unit development affordable to those at or below 50 percent Area Median Income. She described the proposed development and noted that St. Vincent de Paul proposed to construct 53 units in Phase 1 and the Housing and Community Services Agency of Lane County proposed to construct 48 units in Phase 2. Ms. Wheeler acknowledged the concerns expressed by neighbors regarding the proposal and directed the council to Attachment E of the Agenda Item Summary (AIS), which included responses to those concerns. Those concerns included traffic, the City’s Housing Dispersal Policy, and schools. She noted the letter attached to the AIS from Barb Bellamy of Eugene School District 4J in response to concerns about schools. The letter supported Bascom Village. Ms. Wheeler noted the options before the council, which included approval of Bascom Village, issuance of a modified RFP, or exploration of another site. The council was scheduled to take action on November 28. Mr. Pryor, a City’s representative to the HPB, said the HPB acknowledged the community’s concerns and slowed the process by building in additional steps to ensure those concerns were heard and accommodated to the degree possible. He had reminded the HPB of the need to consider the proposal in the context of the City’s work on Envision Eugene. The HPB’s recommendation for approval came after consideration of all testimony and its own review of the conditions and criteria and the board recognized the council might need to consider policy issues that went beyond its mandate. He thanked the members of the HPB for their work. Mayor Piercy also thanked the HPB. She said affordable housing was a long-standing priority in Eugene and was even more so today. MINUTES—Eugene City Council November 16, 2011 Page 3 Work Session Mr. Clark said he would like to see Envision Eugene do a more effective job in addressing the market for affordable land that resulted in affordable housing for all rather than subsidized housing for a few. He thought affordable housing was directly related to the availability of land. Mr. Clark referred to Policy 2 of the Housing Dispersal Policy, which discouraged the creation of large areas characterized by low-income families, and pointed out there was already low-income housing in the area in question. In addition, the City had a guideline that no development should be larger than 60 units. Bascom Village would be constructed right next to an existing multi-family housing development that was also densely built and had a shallow setback. That development also took access onto County Farm Road, and he was concerned about the impact of adding more traffic to the street. Mr. Farr advocated for a deliberative approach that took into account the legitimate concerns of nearby residents. His overarching concern was the community’s lack of affordable housing, both subsidized and nonsubsidized. He agreed the decision needed to be kept in context of the Envision Eugene process. He hoped to see more low-income housing in south Eugene. Mr. Zelenka agreed about the need for more affordable housing. He believed the Housing Dispersal Policy had worked well. He pointed out Policy 2 was aspirational rather than binding. He determined from Ms. Jennings that a previous council had changed the policy to be aspirational to reserve for itself the flexibility to balance Policy 2 against other City goals. Ms. Jennings pointed out the density being proposed at the site was less than other sites because of its size. Mr. Zelenka asked questions clarifying the site’s designation and zoning, the school district’s response to inquiries about the impact of the development of district schools, and the proposed development’s access. Mayor Piercy pointed out to Mr. Farr that there was a considerable amount of low-income development south of the Willamette River. Mr. Pryor acknowledged that the proposal raised a collision of values and interests, specifically a collision between neighborhood character and livability and the need for affordable housing. There was far more need for housing than available housing and the City would make no progress if it was able to subsidize only 100 units per year. Other approaches were needed. He said that the conversation about neighborhood livability was a big one and it was happening throughout the community. He thought it important to place it in the context of other goals. Mr. Pryor pointed out to Mr. Clark that the existing unattractive housing Mr. Clark had mentioned was privately built and the City would have the ability to influence the appearance of Bascom Village because of the size of the site and the fact the proposed densities were lower than allowed. He said a private developer could develop the site much more densely. Mr. Pryor reiterated that the decision was representative of the collision between neighborhood livability and character and the council’s larger conversation about how to provide housing and the housing mix ratio. He hoped future higher density developments more closely resembled the proposed Bascom Village development than the existing development along County Farm Road. Ms. Ortiz cautioned the council that neighborhood character and livability meant different things to different people. She said that livability meant security in the Trainsong neighborhood. She believed that neighborhood would welcome such a project as the ones she had toured were all attractive and well- managed. She looked forward to more discussion as the council continued its work on Envision Eugene. MINUTES—Eugene City Council November 16, 2011 Page 4 Work Session Mr. Brown also believed the Housing Dispersal Policy was working and pointed out to Mr. Farr that south Eugene had 15 affordable housing developments south of Willamette Street. There were 17 such developments in Ward 1 and 7 in the Bethel neighborhood. He said he would like to see social services more widely dispersed. He believed the area in question was right for such a development. Mr. Brown said that St. Vincent de Paul’s projects were well-constructed, attractive, and occupied by residents who were employed but rent-burdened. He was sympathetic to the neighbors’ concerns but believed they had been addressed. Mr. Brown was enthusiastic about and supportive of the project. Mr. Clark agreed with Mr. Pryor that the issue concerned a clash of values. He supported the Housing Dispersal Policy but did not think the City was following it. He suggested Policy 2 was contrary to the goals of Envision Eugene in that it created higher densities at the periphery. He continued to be concerned about the development’s impact on area schools and questioned the numbers provided by the school district. He called for additional public input before the council made a decision. Mr. Clark, seconded by Mr. Farr, moved to postpone the decision scheduled for November 28 until the council has a public hearing in order to accommodate people being heard on the matter at the council level, where the decision is to be made, and for the council to have a good informed decision. Mr. Pryor, seconded by Mr. Zelenka, moved to extend the meeting for ten minutes. The motion passed, 6:1; Ms. Taylor voting no. Ms. Ortiz regretted that the City lacked a map similar to the map showing the dispersal of low-income housing that could illustrate the relative concentration of social service providers along Highway 99, which created a challenge for the neighborhood. Councilors briefly discussed the timing of a public hearing in relationship to the scheduled decision date and the State of Oregon’s funding cycle for such projects. City Manager Jon Ruiz indicated a public hearing on the Bascom Village proposal could be scheduled for November 21. Mayor Piercy determined from City Attorney Glenn Klein that the proposed public hearing would not be considered a land use hearing. Councilors were generally supportive of holding a public hearing. The motion passed unanimously, 7:0. Mayor Piercy adjourned the work session at 1:40 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Beth Forrest City Recorder (Recorded by Kimberly Young) MINUTES—Eugene City Council November 16, 2011 Page 5 Work Session ATTACHMENT E M I N U T E S City Council Eugene Hult Center Lobby Eugene, Oregon January 5, 2012 5:30 p.m. PRESENT: George Brown, George Poling, Andrea Ortiz, Mike Clark, Alan Zelenka, Chris Pryor, Pat Farr. ABSENT: Betty Taylor. Her Honor Mayor Kitty Piercy called the January 5, 2012, Eugene City Council meeting to order. I. WELCOME AND INTRODUCTIONS Council Vice President George Brown opened the meeting and welcomed those present to the 2012 State of the City event. He introduced other council members present and recognized elected and appointed officials from other local government agencies. He also introduced the City’s executive management team. Mayor Piercy offered a brief tribute to Officer Chris Kilcullen, who was slain in the line of duty in April 2010. She remembered his service and sacrifice and asked for moment of silence to remember him. II. MUSICAL SELECTION Under the direction of Al Villanueva, the Churchill High School Downing Street Singers performed the musical selection “The Voice” with solo performances by Jacob Searl and Brooke Young. III. AWARDS AND RECOGNITION Community Awards Mayor Piercy recognized the following outstanding community volunteers: Eugene Sister Cities  Matt Aylworth, President, Jinjui Sister City Committee  Dennis Ramsey, President, Kathmandu Sister City Committee  Jim Knepler, President, Kakegawa Sister City Committee  Galina Groza, President, Irkutsk Sister City Committee Arts and Business Alliance of Eugene MINUTES—State of the City January 5, 2012 Page 1  Kari Westlund, Vice Chair Employee Recognition Awards Mayor Piercy recognized the following employee/employee teams for their work in 2010:  Steve Auferoth, Health and Fitness Director  Human Rights Listening Project Team—Raquel Wells, Michelle Mortensen, Craig Smith, Leisha McParland, Kevin Finney, Francisca Levya-Johnson  Human Rights Commission—Ken Neubeck, Toni Gyatso, Elizabeth Andrade, Raydeen Cuffe  Eugene Fire Department 2011 Eugene Fire Camp—Captain Jean Woodrich, Shannon Clawson, Carolyn McCann, Amy Kline, Anna Reid, Matt Ennis, Carly Schmidt IV. MUSICAL SELECTION The Downing Street Singers performed the musical selection “Up the Ladder to the Roof” with solo performances by Josh King, Callie Perlman, and Karina Braden. VII. STATE OF THE CITY ADDRESS Mayor Piercy delivered the following address: Good evening. Thank you all for being here. Thanks to City staff who organized this special event and who work daily to ensure high quality services for the people of Eugene. We are indeed fortunate. I’m so pleased to have the Downing Street Singers from Churchill High School performing tonight. Let’s give them a special round of applause to show our appreciation. There are always events and changes in the city. How about that Rose Bowl and our Ducks? We’re very proud. The icing on the cake is I won my wager with Mayor Soglin of Madison, Wisconsin and our local Habitat for Humanity program can expect $500 worth of new tools. As we celebrate the football team, let's take a moment to also acknowledge the leadership team at the University of Oregon. Richard Lariviere, 16th president of the University, was a terrific partner for the city. He has been much in my thoughts during this past month. The time he spent at the university made it better. I am pleased to welcome interim president Bob Berdahl back to Eugene, a community that was his home for nearly 20 years when he taught at UO and served as dean. Bob agreed to come out of retirement while the search is on for a new university president. Bob Berdahl was the top official for the Association of American Universities, University of California-Berkeley, and University of Texas-Austin and he served as dean of the University of Oregon College of Arts and Sciences earlier in his career. We value our town and gown partnership with the University of Oregon, and are pleased with its academic MINUTES—State of the City January 5, 2012 Page 2 success and economic and cultural contributions to the Eugene community. We also welcome new leaders in our community this year—Lane County Administrator Liane Richardson and Lane Transit District General Manager Ron Kilcoyne—and we wish them well. This evening I’m going to speak very frankly with you about the current status of our city and how we will move forward. As you know, things aren’t easy for a lot of people. Our task is to continue to be steady at the helm and focus on getting where we want to go. I’d like to be here tonight telling you that things will be much in better in 2012. But, in truth, the uncertain financial forecast continues to impact every government and every household. No matter what I read or who I listen to, the news isn’t very good. Congress appears to be immobilized and the recovery from the recession is predicted to be slow. Econo- mists tell us that by 2020, we still will not be back to where we were before the recession. In Eugene our unemployment numbers—10.5 percent—may be slightly better than the nation—10.8 percent--the state— 12.7 percent—or the county—12.8 percent—but they still are way too high. We live in a state and county with shrinking revenues and growing needs. As the second largest city in the state of Oregon, much of the need and its impacts are ours to address. We simply have no choice but to help each other through these tough times. It’s up to us to keep our city moving. They say when the going gets tough, the tough get going. That’s what we have been doing and will continue to do. We’ve provided services and balanced our budget. We’ve been accountable. We’ve shrunk our footprint by tightening our belt, just like you. You can give big kudos to our City Council, City Manager Jon Ruiz and City staff for their extraordinary efforts on behalf of us all. We’ve worked to keep our city safe, to protect and develop jobs, to build affordable housing, to keep our neighborhoods livable, our parks and library accessible, recreation and cultural activities available, our roads repaired, our water and air clean, and our social services intact. We know these services are particularly essential in these tough times. As an organization, we’ve made over $20 million in cuts thus far and the end may not yet be in sight. We’ve been smart and innovative. We’ve done this with the help of many volunteers and partners. This is exactly what we’ll have to continue to do together. I’m not saying it will be easy. I am saying it’s the work of each and every one of us. Let’s take a moment to enjoy what we’ve gotten done since last year. Our library earned one of the highest ratings in the country and usage has increased. We had great cultural events like the Bach Festival and production of Wicked that attracted people from both far and near. We’ve added to our Rivers to Ridges trail system. We’ve made $43 million in road repairs over the last three years. That’s more repairs than ever in the history of Eugene, providing 495 well-paying jobs. We did that by supporting the gas tax and road bond. MINUTES—State of the City January 5, 2012 Page 3 We worked together. We have well over $100 million in development occurring right now in our downtown. You can see it in the Broadway Commerce building (formerly Centre Court), the Woolworth building (formerly the Aster pit), the th LCC Green Learning Center and 200 units of student housing (formerly the Sears pit), the Inn at 5, the renovation of the Taco Time building and more to come. That’s 450 construction jobs and 350 permanent jobs, even before counting the newest development. That took investing as a partner in these projects. To remove those pits took some real working together. With our partners in Springfield, Lane County, Chambers of Commerce, Travel Lane County, Lane Metro Partnership, Lane Workforce Partnership, University of Oregon and Lane Community College, we developed a Regional Prosperity Plan. We know it’s all about jobs, jobs, jobs. This plan includes new University of Oregon business spin-offs (going from 2 to 17); business incubator opportunities being available; the Chamber of Commerce encouraging local financial investment; the cities and county providing small business loans and planning expertise to help businesses stay and grow; and Lane Community College and Lane Workforce Partnership providing worker training and the development of a new virtual one-stop shop for business. As Dave Hauser of the Chamber of Commerce recently stated, everyone is working harder together than at any time in memory to increase job opportunities in our area. We’re better together. There have been other notable areas of accomplishment in public safety, neighborhood livability, transportation gains, and social services. We’ve kept our city safe. This next year our police department will move into renovated, seismically appropriate facilities that will enable them to better meet the needs of the public every day and in unexpected emergencies. I had the opportunity to serve on the Police Commission and to attend the Civilian Police Academy this year. This has given me a much more complete understanding of the breadth of services EPD provides and their commitment to apprehending criminals using the most advanced practices available. EPD takes great pride in providing our officers with considerably more training than the state requires. We see their work very positively reflected in the actual high level of public safety in Eugene. Under Chief Pete Kern’s able leadership, our city fostered good communications, cooperation and peacekeeping throughout the Occupy Eugene demonstrations and protests. We’re proud of our police department for this accomplishment that prevented conflict and saved resources. And, as the camp was taken down, individual officers showed great compassion in helping some of our unhoused community members with their transitions, sending one individual home for Christmas and paying for a motel room for another. Working together for the well-being of everyone is a worthy city goal. We take great pride in our excellent fire department and have carefully monitored the partial mergers of the Eugene and Springfield fire departments under Chief Randy Groves. This partial merger has thus far gone very well and to the apparent satisfaction of firefighters and the public from both cities. Chief Groves tells us we can expect $876,239 in savings this fiscal year. Working together with Springfield helps us both. MINUTES—State of the City January 5, 2012 Page 4 We have improved neighborhood livability and Town and Gown relations. Healthy neighborhoods are important to our way of life as a city. Neighborhood Services staff and volunteers do important work. There are new farmers markets spreading throughout the city and gardening efforts underway everywhere. There are emergency preparedness programs. There’s keen interest in food security and food resilience. Neighborhood roads, bike access, bike racks and safe routes to school are improving. Close to campus, neighborhoods and the University are working together to maintain neighbor- hood character, to reduce student housing impacts, and to ensure that our older Eugene neighborhoods survive and thrive well into the future. Parks are being adopted and new water features invite kids to play. Working hand in hand with our neighborhoods ensures a good future for Eugene. Transportation gains have been made. I’ve told you about the amazing number of road repairs that have been completed. That story is incomplete without telling you that there’s still a substantial backlog. It is likely we’ll be asking you to support another road bond in the future. We’ve gone about this work in the right way, informing the public of the list of roads to be fixed and putting in place a community oversight committee to monitor that the dollars are spent the way they were intended. With construction costs down we’ve been able to add additional roads to the list for repair. Our public works department has gotten an amazing amount of work done but it’s your votes that made it possible. Lane Transit District has completed two very successful segments of our bus rapid transit system. The third segment has been going through a required federal environmental analysis and we are beginning to assess, with Springfield, a fourth segment linking Lane Community College. With 200 new housing units and the new downtown LCC Green Learning Center, this connection would just seem to make good sense. Both communities benefit from a robust transit system. State transportation dollars are scarce and, thus, much attention is being paid to preservation, connectivity and multi-modal capacity. Our city bike and pedestrian plan envisions making it easier for people to walk and cycle. There’s strong interest in developing bike lanes that are completely separated from traffic so that all riders can feel safer moving around the community. In Envision Eugene, transportation corridors are planned that support mixed-use development so that people th travel less and carbon emissions can be reduced. Just this week we’ve seen plans emerging along West 11 for such development in the Rexius mixed-use proposal. The Department of Land Conservation and Development's Citizen Involvement Advisory Committee (CIAC) recently awarded the Envision Eugene planning process the STAR Award, the state's highest honor for citizen involvement in land use. Our city planners have led this amazing effort. Our climate and energy plan responds to peak oil, finite resources, and climate change. It came about as a result of community work and its implementation requires a lot of action by each and every one of us. This plan, as well as our staff lead, Matt McRae, were recognized at both the state and national levels. All our transportation/land use-planning documents are being updated to reflect our community goals and the concrete steps we need to achieve them. These include accessible and attractive transportation choices that reduce carbon emissions, set us on the path to the future, and continue to keep our road infrastructure safe and efficient for all modes to move people and goods. Our Sustainability Commission has been active MINUTES—State of the City January 5, 2012 Page 5 in leading in these efforts. Again, we depend on our community and all our volunteers to work on plans that ensure the best outcome for Eugene. We are part of the Cascade Rail Corridor that extends all the way to British Columbia. When President Obama invested substantial resources in higher speed rail, Oregon wasn’t prepared and received little of the money. We need efficient, frequent and reliable passenger and freight rail in this state. That is both north and south, east and west. I’m co-chairing the state committee to improve our rail line between here and Portland. We’ll be ready to go when funding opportunities come our way again. In terms of economic opportunity, this is a big issue for our state and region. Improved rail provides jobs in building, servicing, in products, and in support businesses such as intermodal distribution centers. This is an exciting possibility that requires us to work together as a region to position ourselves for economic advantage. Strong social services remain critical to our community. Eugene continued to build a stock of affordable housing with its partners. This year, our city manager led an effort to rebuild some foreclosed housing to help returning veterans. We supported social services, the Buckley House and an additional Cahoots vehicle. A council subcommittee has examined the growing social service needs in our community and will be making recommendations to the council. The council responded to Occupy Eugene’s focus on unhoused members of our community by adding camping sites, working on providing wet beds and setting up a task force to make recommendations for how to better provide additional services for the homeless. There’s much need for innovative solutions and I’m confident they can be found when we all work together. Our goal is to be a human rights city, a city that is safe, inclusive, just and hospitable to all. The Human Rights Commission has done a great job of listening to community members regarding community needs and this information will help guide us to a stronger, better community - one that is in keeping with our values. Our future begins now. I have spoken to you about the work of the city, and our many challenges and successes. This is a special place, where community members are compassionate and give generously of their time and energy. We have a lot to build on, a lot of friends and colleagues, a lot of natural wealth, a lot of innovative and exciting entrepreneurs, and a lot of possibilities. We must step beyond the national political rancor, step beyond the confines of difficulty and pettiness, to stay focused on having a community that’s good for all of us - left, right and all points in between. That’s what I’ve been personally and steadily working toward. We must offer a hand to help a neighbor. We must offer a hand to someone who is without any hope. We must be smart but generous, kind but accountable, and work to prepare our children, to create jobs, and to be certain our community is prepared for the future. We can do this. We must be bold, focused and steady at the helm. MINUTES—State of the City January 5, 2012 Page 6 th We aren’t just any community. We’ll be celebrating our 150 birthday. We’ll be hosting the Olympic Track and Field Trials. We’re on the move. We are Eugene. VIII. Adjourn Mayor Piercy adjourned the meeting at 6:20 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Beth Forrest City Recorder (Recorded by Kimberly Young) MINUTES—State of the City January 5, 2012 Page 7