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HomeMy WebLinkAbout09/29/1999 Regular . . . , . . . ~1. ' \, APPROVED MINUTES & NOTICE OF BOARD ACTION LANE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS This document, upon approval in a public meeting by the Board of County Commissioners, serves as official minutes of such meetings as required under the Open Meetings Law, ORS 192.650. Pursuant to notice made by mailing agendas to news media, a selected list of jurisdictions and individuals in Lane County, a meeting of the Board of Commissioners was held. Questions should be directed to the Board Office Specialist 3, ext. 4203. September 29, 1999 6:00 p.m. JOINT ELECTED OFFICIALS MEETING Lane County Fairgrounds Meeting Room # 1 CALL TO ORDER & INTRODUCTIONS Commissioner Bobby Green presided. He called the meeting to order for the Board of County Commissioners. Present from the Board of Commissioners: Bill Dwyer, Cindy Weeldreyer, Anna Morrison, Peter Sorenson and Recording Secretary, Melissa Zimmer. Mayor Jim Torrey called the meeting to order for the City of Eugene. Present from the Eugene City Council: David Kelly, Bobby Lee, Nancy Nathanson, Gary Pape, Gary Rayor and Betty Taylor. Pat Farr and Scott Meisner were absent. Mayor Maureen Maine called the meeting to order for the City of Springfield: Present from the Springfield City Council: Anne Ballew, Tammy Fitch, Lyle Hatfield, Sid Leiken, Christine Lundberg and Fred Simmons. Hilary Wylie opened the meeting for the Lane Transit District. Present from the LTD Board: Pat Hocken, Dave Kleger, Dean Kortge, and Virginia Lauritsen. Rob Bennett was absent. 1. SECOND READING AND PUBLIC HEARING/Ordinance P A 1136/In the Matter of Repealing the 1986 Alton Baker Park Master Plan, a Refinement Plan to the Lane County Parks Master Plan and the Eugene-Springfield Metropolitan Area General Plan. J an Childs, City of Eugene, reported the City of Eugene is requesting that the 1986 Alton Baker Park Master Plan (adopted by Eugene, Springfield and Lane County as a refinement plan to the Metro Plan) be repealed. She noted the 1986 Alton Baker Park plan had been updated through two subsequent planning efforts, for east and west Alton Baker Park. She said since the plan was Page 1 -- Joint Elected Officials' Meeting -- September 29, 1999 WP bc/m/99122/T . . . \ . originally adopted by the three elected bodies, the repeal must be approved by all of the jurisdictions. She noted on July 6, 1999, the Eugene, Lane County and Springfield Planning Commissions held a public hearing on the matter, and each commission voted unanimously to recommend the repeal to their elected officials. She added notice ofthe public hearing was sent to the people who submitted testimony to the planning commissions. Childs reported the criteria the elected officials will apply to the action are listed in the staff report and findings. She noted that the criteria had been forwarded to each jurisdiction by the respective planning commissions and are attached to the ordinance in the packet. She noted at the Eugene City Council work session, council asked if the 1992 vote to maintain the east Alton Baker Park area in passive use would still be in force if the 1986 master plan were repealed. She noted a memorandum from the Eugene City Attorney confirming that fact was correct, and is part of the record for this proceeding. She added there will be follow-up meetings with regard to this matter: for Eugene, Monday, October 25, 1999; for Springfield, Monday, November 1, 1999 and for Lane County, Wednesday, November 3, 1999. Commissioner Green opened up the Public Hearing. Mayor Torrey opened up the Public Hearing for the City of Eugene. Mayor Maine opened up the Public Hearing for the Springfield City Council. Greg Mott, City of Springfield, reported the City of Springfield will be conducting their first reading and a joint public hearing with the City of Eugene and the Lane County Board of Commissioners on "Ordinance Repealing the 1986 Alton Baker Park Master Plan and Refinement Plan to the Eugene/Springfield Metropolitan Area General Plan." He noted a second reading is scheduled for November 1. Green read into the record Ordinance 1136. Andrea Riner, Parks Planning Manager, City of Eugene, Public Works Maintenance Division, stated she read the staff report and concurred with the recommendations of the Eugene, Lane County and Springfield Planning Commissions, to repeal the 1986 Alton Baker Park Master Plan. She noted it will allow them to implement the more recent and relevant 1996 East Alton Baker Park Plan and 1997 West Alton Baker Park Development Plan. There being no one else signed up to speak, Commissioner Green closed the Public Hearing. Mike Copely, Land Management, Lane County, stated the Board should take action following the City of Eugene and recommended the Board move this to a third reading and deliberation on November 3, atHarris Hall. Page 2 -- Joint Elected Officials' Meeting -- September 29, 1999 WP bc/m/99122/T . . . MOTION: to move to a Third Reading and Deliberation of Ordinance P A 1136 to November 3, at Harris Hall. Weeldreyer MOVED, Morrison SECONDED. VOTE: 5-0. Mayor Torrey closed the Public Hearing for the City of Eugene. Mayor Maine closed the Public Hearing for the Springfield City Council and stated they will take action on this item on November 1, 1999. 2. SECOND READING AND PUBLIC HEARING/Ordinance PA 1132/In the Matter of Amending the Eugene-Springfield Metropolitan Area General Plan to Adopt a New "Transportation Element" and Related Changes to the Plan Test; Adopting aNew Transplan; Adopting Exceptions to Statewide Planning Goals #3 and #5; and Adopting a Severability Clause. Green reported the public record will remain open until October 29, 1999. Torrey noted there were 100 speakers signed up, equating to five hours of testimony. He asked the elected officials if they wanted to hear all comments or reduce the length of time each speaker gets. Green responded they could hear everyone or prepare for a second individual meeting with the jurisdictions. He explained each jurisdiction would hold their own meeting. David Kelly, City of Eugene, stated that given the nature of the document and the amount oftime people had prepared for this and the added difficulty of getting everyone coordinated schedulewise to reconvene, he suggested to hear everyone at three minutes per speaker. Betty Taylor, City of Eugene, concurred with Kelly. Nancy Nathanson, City of Eugene, stated she wanted to hear from everyone, but after three or four hours, the effectiveness of what is being spoken is not taken in as well. Mayor Maine suggested to have a continuation and stated it was LTD's wishes to continue the hearing at another date. Cindy Weeldreyer, Lane County Commissioner, agreed with the two previous speakers. Anna Morrison, Lane County Commissioner, she concurred with going forward and Page 3 -- Joint Elected Officials' Meeting -- September 29, 1999 WP bc/m/99122/T . . . reconvemng. Gary Pape, City of Eugene, stated he agreed with the City of Springfield and LTD to continue the hearing at another date. Peter Sorenson, Lane County Commissioner, stated he agreed to continue with the meeting and asked that a date be chosen. Pat Hocken, LTD, said that given the Transplan process had gone on for five years, a delay to allow time to schedule another joint meeting would be best so everyone is fresh to listen to the testimony. Dave Kleger, LTD, noted that if each jurisdiction had subsequent hearings, that all information needed to be shared among everyone. Bill Dwyer, Lane County Commissioner, stated everyone should have an opportunity to speak and he is willing to go to another hearing. Green stated the meeting will go to 10:30 p.m. and he suggested the rest of the speakers be continued to Wednesday, October 20, 1999. Tom Schwetz, Lane Council of Governments, reported the public hearing is the formal beginning ofthe deliberations on Transplan that will lead to the adoption ofthe plan in some form. He noted one ofthe underlying objectives ofthe planning process has been to develop a plan that is adoptable by all four agencies. He added a critical part of adoptability in a long range planning process is understanding where the community is at with the future of the transportation system. He noted over the past six years there had been extensive public involvement on the process including a series of workshops, intensive stakeholder efforts, community surveys and the initial public review of the February 1998 draft with the planning commissions. He said they had received input from over 10,000 people. He noted there had been research and analysis on a wide variety of issues and ideas over the course of the planning process. He said the first symposium was in 1993, where the Transplan stakeholder group put in time, effort and creativity in exploring strategies for the region to consider in addressing the challenge of growth and change over the next 20 years. Schwetz reported that over the next planning period, it is projected there will be 45,000 jobs within the existing urban growth boundary, increasing congestion. He noted to meet federal requirements, the plan's costs must be limited to revenues available. He noted analysis suggests to build the way out of congestion, there would need to be added 140 lane miles to the roadway. He said the draft plan proposes 26 new lane miles. He reported the major roadway projects proposed in the plan focus on strategic investments, safety capacity and regional connectivity, including the addition of bike lanes and sidewalks. Page 4 -- Joint Elected Officials' Meeting -- September 29, 1999 WP bc/m/99122/T . Schwetz said that Transp1an improves the region's transportation choices. He said the proposed investments reduce reliance on the automobile and the plan proposes to add 100% to the bike system, resulting in a more interconnected system and 50% more transit service per person. He noted the plan calls for adding 20% to the sidewalk system. He added the proposed projects represent a conscious effort to invest proportionately more in alternative modes, and Transplan takes care of what is already there. He noted the plan assumes that for Springfield and Eugene, all flexible dollars are used for operations, maintenance and preservation. He said the city dollars for new construction are system development charges and assessments for capital purposes. He said beyond the adoption of Transplan, the two cities will have to consider additional resources or reduce operations and maintenance standards for their systems. Schwetz said the plan gives a land use strategy with nodal development, innovative transit strategy with bus rapid transit, and strategies that can be expanded to fit the needs of individual jurisdictions. He added it gives investments in the road system, and safety capacity and connectivity issues. He said with regard to finances, the plan provides a solid foundation of ongoing financial support to ensure the transportation system investments can be operated and maintained over the planning period. . Schwetz reported that relative to continuing trends, Transplan is estimated to provide a reduction of 46,000,000 vehicle miles traveled in congestion related delay for the planning period, a savings of over 750,000,000 vehicle miles traveled, a reduction of carbon monoxide and a forecasted fuel savings of 19,000,000 gallons. He added the Transplan land strategy use will need to be implemented by the two cities, and the plan does not set design standards for roads or development. He added a project level analysis will be required before any roadway or bike project is implemented. He said the cities will have to set up design standards for nodal development as Transplan does not include the final routing and design for bus rapid transit, and LTD will need to continue to work with the other agencies and the corpmunities as a whole in working out the details of bus rapid transit district. Schwetz noted that one of the underlying objectives of the process has been to develop a document that is adoptable by everyone, and Transplan has been structured to provide flexibility in its implementation. He added the future ofthe draft will be determined by each jurisdiction in subsequent work sessions and the written record will remain open until October 29. He said after October 29, staff will prepare a summary of public input as a basis for continued deliberations and ultimate direction to staff on the changes to the draft. Commissioner Green opened the Public Hearing. Mayor Torrey opened the Public Hearing for the City of Eugene. Mayor Maine opened the Public Hearing for the Springfield City Council for the purpose of . Page 5 -- Joint Elected Officials' Meeting -- September 29, 1999 WP bc/rn/99122/T . conducting a first reading and joint public hearing with the elected officials of Eugene, Lane County and Lane Transit District on the Ordinance Amending the Eugene/Springfield Metropolitan Area General Plan to adopt a revised transportation element and related changes to the plan text adopting revisions to the Eugene/Springfield transportation system plan and adopting a severability clause. Hilary Wylie opened the Public Hearing forthe Lane Transit District Board. David Wilde, 87016 Greenridge Drive, Veneta, stated he is the chair ofVeneta's Economic Development Commission, a member on the Veneta Comprehensive Land Use Evaluation Committee and is a member of the Fern Ridge Community Response Team. He stated he wanted to help provide his assistance in being able to create a healthy community. He said the Transplan is the underpinning for how the community will look for the future. He said he recognizes the plan as being driven by pots of money where the only funding available is for automobile usage, and there is little for alternative modes. He said he didn't think the plan achieves any of the stated goals that had been provided by the state. He said he hopes that through this meeting there could be a process created where there is more involvement. . Rob Zako, 1280 B E. 28th Avenue, Eugene, stated he was the President of Friends of Eugene. He said the Transplan serves the interest of drivers poorly as it delivers more congestion, potholes, taxes and sprawl. He added it fails to meet the state mandate to reduce the reliance on the automobile. He said there needs to be a better process for a better plan and that is why the Friends of Eugene is proposing a community process for improving Transplan. He passed out a copy ofthe process (Copy attached as Exhibit "A.") He asked the elected officials and the Lane Transit Board of Directors to look at the public's ideas and to see how they can be implemented. He said the Friends of Eugene (or a similar proposal) is the best way for the community to get a better transportation plan in a timely fashion. Greg McLauchlan, 2401 W. 22nd Avenue, Eugene, said there needs to be a balanced transportation system where multiple realistic transport options exist for the majority of residents for the majority of trips that they take in Eugene/Springfield area. He said the most important thing to do is to change the budgetary priority. He added by scaling road proj ects back, it would boost the funding for bicyclists. He noted the more attractive alternative transportation is, the more effective the roadway system becomes for drivers. He asked the elected officials to think about Friends of Eugene's proposal for a community process to revise the Transplan. Sue Wolling, 85219 S. Willamette, Eugene, read her letter into the record. Please see Exhibit "B" attached. Evelyn McConnaughey, 1653 Fairmount Blvd., Eugene, submitted a letter from Nathan Tublitz, President, Eugene Natural History Society. Please see Exhibit "C." She read her own letter into the record. Please see Exhibit "D". I . Page 6 -- Joint Elected Officials' Meeting --September 29, 1999 WP bc/m/99122/T . . . Paul Nicholson, 1855 E. 28th, Eugene, stated he participated in the Transplan portion of the citizen involvement process and said there were good things in the goal section ofthe document, but that there is a disconnect between the goals and implementation. He urged the Board to send the document back and to adopt a process like the one Friends of Eugene has proposed. Shawn Boles. 105 N. Adams, Eugene, read his letter into the record. Please see Exhibit "E". Tonie Nathan, 3065 Delta Pines, Dr., Eugene, read her letter into the record. Please see Exhibit "F. " Charlie Magee, 2679 University St., Eugene, stated there will be less oil in ten years and every future gallon of oil will continue to cost more to find, produce, refine and deliver. He stated the draft Transplan continues the community's dependence on domestic and imported oil. He said the Transplan will make it harder in the year 2015 for this community to be benevolent. He encouraged the Board to listen to what the Friends of Eugene had to say. Anastasia Sandowl, 123 Fir Lane, Eugene, stated she was against the project of an auto bridge that would connect River Road to Goodpasture Island Road. Dennis Sandowl, 123 Fir Lane, Eugene, stated the plan is obsolete and it doesn't reflect the values around green space, pedestrian malls and alternative transportation. He said he didn't want a Valley River Bridge. He suggested to cut losses by opening up the process and learn from leaders in the world. Martin Champion., 1280 Jackson, Eugene, suggested to help little businesses that want to do things in the right way that help make a better community. Kari Westlund, 87909 Misty Lane, Veneta, stated she is the President of CV ALCO. She read her letter into the record. Please see Exhibit "G." Kim Messler, 1010 Main St., Springfield - read comments for Barbara Cole, the Director ofthe Lane Regional Air Pollution Authority into the record. Please see Exhibit "H." Terry Connoly, 1401 Willamette, Eugene, stated he was present on behalf of the Eugene area Chamber of Commerce. He said the Chamber of Commerce supports a transportation system that provides access to all modes oftransportation, encourages the use of alternative modes and accommodates increased capacity for automobiles. He reported the Chamber has endorsed the draft Transplan because it is a realistic strategy to address the transportation needs. He said it was important that the elected officials understand the financial resources that are allocated in Transplan. He added the Chamber is concerned by the limited resources to meet the transportation problems. He said to spend less than $250 million over 20 years on roadway capacity improvements would be irresponsible. He added the Chamber supports nodal Page 7 -- Joint Elected Officials' Meeting -- September 29, 1999 WP bc/m/99122/T . development, the implementation ofthe pilot program for bus rapid transit, the analysis of the process and voluntarily transportation demand management. He said they oppose any mandatory transportation demand management planning program action like those on page 83, Chapter 3. He said they believe that mandatory transportation demand management is expensive, difficult to implement and ineffective because it does not address the mass majority of trips that are generated. He added the Chamber of Commerce supports the direction of Transplan in developing a transportation system that adds roadway capacity in a responsible manner and encourages use of alternative modes oftransportation. Dave Hauser, 2168 Elk Horn, Eugene, reported he was disappointed that three of the first four program actions in the TDM Section require employers and other organizations to implement some sort ofTDM. He said as a community it would be better to explore innovative approaches to encourage voluntarily TDM efforts. He suggested to review, process and revisit the recommendations ofthe Ferry Street Bridge Corridor Citizen Advisory Committee. He said he supports the Eugene Planning Commission's recommendation to move the Franklin Boulevard/I- S Interchange into the list of funded projects. Gary Wildish, 2424 Quince, Eugene, read his letter into the record. Please see Exhibit "1." . Kathy Wiltz, 35260 Dillard, Rd., Eugene, noted that Transplan is full of alternative transportation opportunities and are innovated. She encouraged the elected officials to approve Transplan as it is balanced. Jennifer Solomon, 2005 Lemuria, West Eugene, stated she supports Transplan as it is a good start and reflects the needs ofthe growing community. She encouraged the elected officials to give it a chance. Lee Beyer, 1439 Longridge, Springfield, reported this plan started in 1992 and it had not been a rushed job. He noted it ~as taken many years and thousands of hours of citizen's time to work on the plan that is front of everyone. He added it doesn't meet everyone's needs but it is a compromise that the community came together on. He urged the elected officials to adopt the plan as delaying it will not improve it. Margarite Waite, 34152 Del Monte Avenue, stated regarding her neighborhood around Seavey Loop, she suggested a short road from the east end of Twin Views, that comes offofthe south end of Franklin Boulevard to Seavey Loop. She said it would get all ofthe traffic to Goshen off ofthe :freeway and would access Lane Community College in an easier and safer way. She said the Transplan should deal more with the quality oflife through greater support of mass transit, bicycling and walking. Steve Cornacchia, 4464 Jessica, Springfield, stated he doesn't share the opinion that he has read in papers and in editorial comments, that the document is bad and needs to be redone. He said . Page 8 -- Joint Elected Officials' Meeting -- September 29, 1999 WP bc/m/99l22/T '. . he understands that this is a planning document and it does not implement anything. He said the reality of the document is that the elected officials through the public hearing process (over the next 20 years) will be making important decisions on what gets funded. Bob Moulton, 294 Sterling Dr., Eugene, reported he had been working on transportation issues for a long time and remembered when this started in 1992. He noted an iss~ue that needs to be considered for Springfield and Eugene is nodal development. He added it will require work on ordinances so there are appropriate mixes of zones in the nodals. He said he is in favor of nodal development and alternative modes of transportation. Nick Ardis, ODOT, 3620 Gateway, stated that ODOT supports the adoption of the Transplan because there is a broad public participation included, the coordination between local and state government. He said it is a framework containing ODOT projects, (they support a bridge crossing over the Willamette) it is innovative and it does reduce vehicle miles traveled to a flat rate of growth. He added they also support the plan because it does reduce the drive alone trips and improves the transit district and bicycle choices. . Tom Bowerman, 33707 McKenzie View Drive, Springfield, said the document has a serious disconnect between the environmental and efficiency policy goals. He said this policy document is the most important opportunity for an elected official. He suggested to appoint a citizen advisory group to examine and propose meaningful demand management, such as free bus fares. He said to integrate the Transplan and Metro Plan more effectively including revision of the Metro Plan to incorporate effective growth management strategies. He added new development should pay significantly higher SDC's than redevelopment, including the adoption of jurisdictionally identical SDC's. Neil Deyo, 270 Ash St., Eugene, stated that areas of open space should be considered. He added free space is important and a bridge in the area ofthe park would be a serious detriment to open space. Connie Berglund, 2577 Harris St., Eugene, asked how new construction projects could be proposed when the cities, county and state refuse to budget for the maintenance of what is already in place. She stated the bike paths along the river have cracks and sections in bad shape and there is no money for the ongoing maintenance ofthe alternative transportation. She added transportation in Eugene should not be about getting awards for expensive ideas, it should be about prioritizing the safety and maintenance of all of the roads and bike paths. Bonnie Bettman, 2192 Friendly St., read into the record a letter on behalf of the Friends of Eugene. Please see Exhibit "J." Barbara Sutton. 2432 Friendly St., stated she supported the Friends of Eugene's suggestions and thinks the Valley River Bridge is a poor idea. . Page 9 -- Joint Elected Officials' Meeting -- September 29, 1999 WP bc/m/99122/T . . . " Leslie Scott, 3977 Dillard, Eugene, said the reality is that people in this community are smart, innovative and want to live healthy, less stressful lives and want to spend time in creative and productive ways. She said there needs to be viable, efficient transportation options. She added that nothing in the plan promotes that viability or the options. Mary 0' Brien, 3525 Gilliam, Eugene, commented that the six month community process proposed by the Friends of Eugene is essential. She said the Friends of Eugene plan allows planners and citizens three months to have a mutual dialogue to examine the benefits of these proposals, and incorporate the ones feasible into a new draft. John Corliss, 2998 Washington St., stated he supports the five proposals that have been put forward by the Friends of Eugene regarding revising the Transplan document. Jane Corliss, 2998 Washington St., reported there is no air quality left to support Transplan, She said the plan is a dead issue one way or the other. She said she was holding the elected officials totally responsible for the Transpll:ln. She stated that public input should come first and it represents the final recommendation that comes up for a vote. Bob 0' Brien; 3525 Gilliam, commented that it is an overwhelming document. He stated that the Valley River Bridge is a terrible project and he would like to see it taken out of the document. He said he is disappointed that the VMT's are staying the same and supports the Friends of Eugene's proposal. Lloyd Walker, 48 Corliss Lane, Eugene, stated he was interested in the Valley River Bridge. He said it will take out Rasor Park and wanted to know exactly where the bridge was going to go. He said a better plan needs to be made. Green suggested to tag this question so there can be a response. Pamela Carpenter, 2163 Lawrence St., Eugene suggested changes to the draft Transplan' s bicycle policy as it relates to on street parking: require that the striping of bike lanes not remove existing on-street parking, and provide bicycle transportation parallel to artierials and collectors. She said without the amendment, businesses will be uprooted from arterial and collector streets, She said documentation supports on-street parking as it slows down traffic for better business and safer streets. She said it is a convenience for shoppers and visitors as it buffers pedestrians from traffic. She added that on street parking should be a goal of Trans plan for a livable community, She said on street parking should be the largest need as it fosters community. Donald McRae, 84535 Thomas Judson Road, Eugene, requested the elected officials approve the Transplan as it is a good plan. He added it is not a perfect plan but it is well balanced. He noted the Transplan is only a planning document and takes a long view on what options can be used effectively to improve the transportation system. He added there is a current shortage of Page 10 -- Joint Elected Officials' Meeting -- September 29, 1999 WP bc/m/99122/T '. . local and state money available to maintain the current transportation system. He said the Transplan will help reduce congestion, improvements to the bus system will increase, and there will be increase in bike path miles. He noted there is performance and implementation monitoring in the plan to track its progress and make adjustments as needed. He said there was no reason to extend the review period because Transplan has in it an update every three years. Tom Slocum, 1950 Graham, Eugene, stated he was in favor of the passage ofthe Transplan. He said he was concerned about downtown Eugene and Springfield as they were not built to spread out and cover the areas they are now covering. He said he likes this plan because he can see the projects that are lined out. He said he was in favor ofthe Valley River Bridge. Rob Handy, 455 12 River Rd:, Eugene, stated getting rid of cars is not what this discussion is about. He said it is not known yet if a Valley River auto bridge is needed. He said Eugene deserves better and requested that Transplan go back to the drawing board. He added he endorses the Friends of Eugene's proposal. Green clarified that there will be another joint elected officials meeting and the date has been identified as Wednesday, October 20 at 6:30 p.m. He noted that for people who had signed up but did not speak, those people will be taken in numerical order and those who have already spoken will not be speaking. He said the time certain tonight is no later than 10:30 p.m. He added the written testimony will be able to be submitted until October 29. . Julie Hume, 455 12 River Road, Eugene said this meeting could have the possibility of unifying the community and creating a shared vision ofthe future. She supports nodal development and alternative modes of transportation.. She said she was against the Valley River bridge and instead putting forth the idea of a sanctuary. She encouraged the Transplan committee to expand their vision to a better future for the community. John Bianco, 82741 Clayton Road, Creswsell, stated Transplan is a flawed vision for the future of the area and must be revised to meet the needs of the community. He said it should work in harmony with better land use planning to reduce dependency on the automobile. He added the transportation utility fee is not the best way to pay for road maintenance as taxing utility customers does not have anything to do with transportation. He said a systems development charge needs to be enacted based on transportation impacts of new development and the people who benefit from new development should bear the full costs. He noted the best way to increase bus ridership is to meet people's transportation needs and the proposed rapid transit system will not increase mass transit use because the speed ofthe bus travels is secondary to the convenience of using a bus. He said by improving the roads and interchanges on the urban boundary, developers are encouraged to develop in areas that are further away. He said he supports the Friends of Eugene proposal. . Page 11 -- Joint Elected Officials' Meeting -- September 29, 1999 WP bc/m/99122/T . . . Howard Bonnett, 1835 E. 28th, he stated it is a lengthy plan and agrees there needs to be an alternative and supports the Friends of Eugene proposal. He said nodal development should be taken out of the figures unless funding is provided for the implementation. Lizzy Hughes. 953 W. 8th, Eugene, said her main concern is the proposed Valley River Bridge as it is a bad idea to put a car bridge in one of the nicest areas of Eugene where people can bicycle. She added ifthings are made convenient for people, they will use it. She suggested to eliminate the Valley River Bridge. Helen Vidal, 1560 Jefferson, Eugene, suggested a gas tax rather than a transportation utility fee. She added that there is no commitment to slowing down traffic and widening the streets. Mary Bentgen, 950 W. 15th, Eugene, said the livability ofthe community should be stressed in ways that will accommodate children, pedestrians and to provide mass transportation for as much of the population as possible. She said she was in support of a greater portion of money going towards L TD and giving free bus tickets for all who ask for them, as a way of moving the community in a way that seeks a solution. She said Transplan has no future and leads to gridlock. Michael James Long, 620 Horn Lane, Eugene, stated there was no inclusion for motorcycles and alternative modes oftravel. He said a motorcycle burns less fuel and causes less pollution. He said he would like to see a citywide implementation of shuttle buses. He said if a bridge needs to be built to Valley River, then limit it to buses, pedestrians, bicycles and motorcycles. He suggested to think of the growing senior population and their transportation needs without automobiles. Bill Sokol, 240 Sunnyside Dr, Eugene, stated with regard to the bike bridge at Valley River, there is no demonstrated need for it. He added the only time the shopping center is busy is at Christmas time. Alice Pueschner, 1512 Barber Drive, agreed with the Friends of Eugene and is opposed to the Valley River Bridge. She said she is interested in promoting bicycling for business people and school children. She said more funds are needed to reduce the use of automobiles and for educating the public on the need to do so. Margaret Zolman, 1174 Sheraton Dr., stated she is a two month resident of Eugene, moving from California. She suggested the elected officials be careful as it is easy to make Eugene's problems worse. Ruth Duemler, 1745 Fircrest, Eugene, stated until the wages in Lane County become a living wage, she will not support any new spending. She said the only fair tax is a progressive income tax, where the ones who could afford it, pay the most. She said she wanted to eliminate dollars Page 12 -- Joint Elected Officials' Meeting -- September 29, 1999 WP bc/m/99122/T . . . for roads, the Valley River Bridge and the West Eugene Parkway. She added she supported the rapid transit line, but ifit takes out the center line of Franklin Boulevard, she does not support it. She suggested to focus on bike, bus and pedestrian improvements. Bayard McConnaughey, 1653 Fairmount Blvd, Eugene, read his letter into the record. Please see Exhibit "K." Dean Huber, 1126 S. 44th, Springfield, stated he is representing the Springfield Chamber of Commerce and they are in favor of adopting the Transplan as it is now written. He stated the plan is well balanced between maintaining the infrastructure of what is in place now and over the next 20 years. He encouraged the elected officials to support the plan as it is now laid out. Christian Kaylou, 4840 Mahalo Dr., Eugene, stated that Transplan needs to make Eugene a nice town. Carl Watkins, 2055 W. 25th Avenue, stated most people want the convenience of having their own vehicles and the savings and efficiency to go directly to their de~tination. He said there needs to be a different form of alternative transportation that allows the convenience of automobiles without the social and environmental impact of full size automobiles. He suggested a smaller, neighborhood electric vehicle. He noted 75% ofthe people in Eugene drive less than 25 miles per day and 60% of the people work within five miles of where they live, and most drive alone. He said the electric vehicles would count toward vehicle miles traveled reduction. He said a small amount of money could go a long way toward promoting the use of these vehicles. He said another mode of transportation needs to take place or there will be more problems. Green announced that the time and place ofthe next meeting is in the same building and will be at 6:30 p.m. He added that testimony will be limited to those people who have signed up tonight, but were not able to speak due to the time limitation. Yuri Samer, 1790 Brewer, Eugene, asked that the document be re-written. He said that public health has been ignored. He said no one will meet the VMT mandates ofthe state. He said the plan does not honor diversity as it doesn't allow for electronic and alternative devices. David Hirikley, 1308 Jefferson, stated the plan falls short of what is needed. He said it doesn't address the automobile based system that is currently being used. He added the economy is tied to the automobile and no community has ever made the transition from an automobile based system to one based on any other mode. He said the land does not exist within the urban growth boundary to physically accommodate an increasing number of cars. He noted the car is a key component in economic, educational and recreational systems. He said the draft plan does contain some good policies and goals that would be the start of necessary transition, but there is no binding implementation proposal or funding. He added the Transplan is either legally not Page 13 -- Joint Elected Officials' Meeting -- September 29, 1999 WP bc/m/99122/T . . . adoptable or it is grossly incomplete. Marie Gray. 252 Knoop Way, said the proposed Valley River Bridge should be removed from all plans. Wanda Simmons, 1183 Skipper Ave, asked to delete the Valley River Bridge from the River Road area as it is not needed and it would save the wildlife and traffic in the area. Betty Donelson, 398 Hawthorne, Eugene, read her letter into the record. Please see Exhibit "L." Robert Bolman, 888 Almaden, Eugene, stated he supported the Friends of Eugene. He added that nodal development should be prioritized and funded. He said Eugene needs leaders with the vision to see where the human family needs to go. Phyllis Haddock, 106 Hollman Avenue, echoed what Bowman had stated. She said putting in a bridge to Valley River does not make any sense. Shan Ambika, 126 Elkay Dr., River Road, said she owns a home and business close to the proposed Valley River Bridge. She said her neighbors and clients are opposed to the bridge because of the traffic and air pollution that are already excessive. She added property values in the area would decrease noticeably. She said access by car, bicycle and car is already adequate in the area. She noted the bridge is in opposition to Transplan's goal of reducing use of the automobile as it would encourage more car use. She urged the elected officials to remove the bridge from the Transplan. Jean Murphy, 585 W. 16th, read her letter into the record. Please see Exhibit "M." Denise Burns, 1390 W. 10th Avenue, agreed with the Friends of Eugene. She wondered about the accountability of the Transplan. She added adjustments need to be made to the Transplan. Dan Smellow, 1049 Elkay, River Road, noted when he wants to get to Valley River fast, he drives his car to the footbridge and walks across the footbridge. He said that money should be evenly distributed through the plan. He said he supported the Friends of Eugene proposal or a modification of it to change the process. Green repeated the meeting will be on October 20, 1999 at 6:30 p.m. at the Fairgrounds for Transplan, and the meeting will be a continuation of the public hearing from those who left earlier and then those that did not get a chance to speak. He added the people who signed up for this hearing will have an opportunity to speak that night. MOTION to continue the public hearing to move it to a Third Reading. Page 14 -- Joint Elected Officials' Meeting -- September 29, 1999 WP bc/m/99122/T . . . Morrison MOVED, Dwyer SECONDED. VOTE: 5-0. Green noted the public hearing would be continued for the Board of Commissioners to October . 20, 1999 at 6:30 p.m. Mayor Torrey stated the City of Eugene will continue the Public Hearing to October 20 at 6:30 p.m. Mayor Maine continued the Public Hearing to October 20 for the Springfield City Council at 6:30 p.m. Commissioner Green adjourned the Joint Elected Officials meeting at 10:26 p.m. Melissa Zimmer Recording Secretary Adopted by the Springfield City Council this UL day of October, 1999. ~1A~. aureen M. Ma~ne Mayor ~' OQq~J~ Ju ie Wilson Ci y Recorder Page 15 -- Joint Elected Officials' Meeting -- September 29, 1999 WP bc/m/99122/T