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~ <br /> _ <br /> ~w~~ ~ ~ <br /> September 18, 2007 <br /> Ms. Angel Jones, City Manager Pro Tem <br /> City of Eugene <br /> 777 Pearl Street, Room 105 <br /> Eugene, OR 97401 <br /> Dear Angel: <br /> Re: Request for Board Reconsideration for Expansion of the EWEB-City Billing Agreement <br /> The Eugene Water & Electric Board of Commissioners received and discussed your request <br /> of August 13, 2007 for reconsideration of the expansion of the EWEB-City Billing <br /> agreement. EWEB's General Manager recommended that the Board allow EWEB staff to <br /> work with City staff to identify options that might provide for a synergistic approach to both <br /> EWEB interests and the City interests. The Board of Commissioners agreed to allow staff to <br /> explore opportunities for additional cooperation with the City on the expansion of the billing <br /> agreement. <br /> It is important to note, however, that such an agreement on the part of the Board does not <br /> diminish previous concerns of the Board about continuing customer confusion and loss of <br /> staff productivity associated with the billing of Ciry charges on the EWEB bill. Additionally, <br /> the Board's decision to allow staff to explore an expansion of the agreement should not be <br /> interpreted as a representation that the Board will, in the end, agree to such an expansion. <br /> Absent identification of some creative or innovative solutions that address the confusion and <br /> lost productively EWEB currently experiences with such billing, the Board will not agree to <br /> an expansion of the current billing relationship with the City. While the value of cooperation <br /> in finding joint solutions to certain issues is well understood by the Board, agreement for <br /> additional billing of other City charges,, beyond that required by the charter cannot be <br /> reached if it only exaggerates the customer confusion about who the real billing party is <br /> causing the increased loss of customer service productivity due to addressing that confusion. <br /> We sincerely hope there may be an alternative which can not only allow the City to make <br /> progress on it's need' to expand fee collection. for transportation infrastructure but that also <br /> provides substantial mitigation of standing concerns that the Board has with the August 13, <br /> 2007 request. <br /> Sincerely, <br /> d~ <br /> Mel Menegat, sident <br /> <br /> EWEB Board of Commissioners <br /> <br /> cc: EWEB Board of Commissioners <br /> Randy L. Berggren <br /> <br />