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Infrastructure and Planning Services <br />Service Issues and, Accomplishments <br />L Balancing stability of the Construction Permit Fund with adequate staffing levels to meet <br />service demand and an ability to respond in a timely manner to major fluctuations in activity is <br />an on-going challenge in this service area. An in-depth rate analysis, and a companion rate <br />model, is proving to be successful in maintaining fund stability and forecasting resource needs. <br />In FY06 and FY07, .19.25 FTE were added in response to a continued increase in service demand <br />and to meet the goal of increasing public information counter services from 20 to 40 hours per <br />week. <br />2. The increasing technical skills necessary to staff the permitting functions mean 6-12 months <br />of training is needed for newly hired staff to be fully functional in performing the duties of their <br />position. Recent job recruitments for inspection staff have not been successful in finding <br />individuals with required state certifications to meet minimum job requirements. The applicant <br />pool for these positions also lacks diversity in terms of gender, ethnicity and race. <br />3. Eugene's downtown faces significant opportunities and challenges for redevelopment. In the <br />fall of 2006, the City negotiated purchase options on a number of properties along West <br />Broadway between Charnelton and Willamette. The City released a Request for Qualifications <br />to identify a developer or development team with the. capacity and vision to reinvigorate this key <br />stretch of Broadway, and increase activity and density in the core area. The City is working to . <br />select the preferred development approach and move forward with concept development during <br />2007. <br />4. Efforts are in process to bring new uses to Eugene's downtown riverfront and the emerging <br />Courthouse District. The City continues to work closely with Eugene Water and Electric Board <br />toward the development of a master plan for the EWEB riverfront property pursuant to the <br />downtown plan. In addition, the City is currently implementing significant transportation <br />improvements to better connect the core of downtown to the Courthouse District and riverfront. <br />The city is also engaged in discussions with private property owners in this area to encourage <br />redevelopment away from industrial uses toward commercial and/or mixed uses. <br />5. Demand for subsidized low-income housing is increasing. Rental vacancy rates are near an <br />all time low. Housing rental costs continue to climb at a more rapid rate than household <br />incomes. Construction costs have also increased. considerably due to escalation of the price of <br />building materials, labor and land. In addition, there is existing City policy that states we <br />support infill and redevelopment of land within our existing Urban Growth Boundary. That type <br />of development can be more costly than Greenfield development. Meanwhile, federal and state <br />support for housing and anti-poverty programs has been static or declining and Lane County <br />resources are facing ignificant reductions due to severe budget cutbacks: <br />In the midst of these .challenges, construction of the WestTown on 8th project is underway and <br />anticipated to be complete in December,. 2007. This development will create 102 new affordable <br />apartments and 9market-rate,, live/work units in the downtown area.. <br />53 <br />