FY 2008 Proposed Budget Summary - Laserfiche WebLink

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Infrastructure and Planning Services 6. The City Council sets priorities for the Planning Division's work program. This process successfully focuses resources on the highest priority projects. Planning staff focus their efforts on Council prioritized items such as natural resource protection, mixed use centers, minor code amendments, downtown development and opportunity siting and Infill standards. While this approach has improved progress on high priority items, there still remains varying degrees of Council interest for other lower priority projects. 7. Staff continues to assist the efforts to locate a hospital within the City of Eugene, consistent with council direction. Over the past couple of years, the City assisted McKenzie Willamette Medical Center in their consideration of the EWEB .site. More recently, the City Council has directed staff to work with McKenzie Willamette Medical Center on a Memorandum of Understanding for the Delta Ridge site in north Eugene. During this time, the City has continued to look for other downtown opportunities. The City is currently reviewing the plan amendment proposal for the Delta Ridge site which is expected to go before the Planning Commission this spring, and the City Council later this year. 8. The City Council's 19 growth management policies guide future decisions related to development, protection of open spaces, transportation, public safety, and municipal spending. One of the key policy issues facing the city is the need to accommodate Infill while preserving neighborhood character. Planning for Mixed-Use Centers has been a high priority on the Planning Commission's work plan for several years. In July 2005, the Council directed staff to use a new process called Opportunity Siting as the primary method of implementing the mixed- use strategy and to explore new ways of accommodating planned growth citywide. Opportunity Siting will be complemented by a parallel program, Infill Compatibility Standards, which will provide better protections for sensitive neighborhood character as growth occurs in established areas. Coupled with Opportunity Siting, Infill Compatibility Standards and planning for individual Mixed-Use Centers will help achieve the balance between growth and preservation envisioned by the city's Growth Management Policies. While the Opportunity Siting and Infill Standards work programs are still being defined, the program will involve all 21 neighborhood associations in an effort to redirect growth patterns in a manner that better protects existing neighborhood character. 9. Since the adoption of the Land Use Code Update in 2001, staff has assembled a list of suggested amendments intended. to improve the administration of the code. In order to effectively leverage limited staff resources, atwo-phased approached was initiated. In November 2005; phase 1 of this process was completed with Council adoption of more than 70 minor code amendments. The second phase of this process is underway with a focus on addressing issues, as identified by the community. 10. Capital funding for City facilities provides for critical building preservation and maintenance activities. While the costs of facility preservation is subject to inflation and changes in state and federal laws dealing with construction techniques and hazardous materials, the major factor affecting facility maintenance and preservation are the increased square footage of City facilities and the age of the remaining facilities. In the past seven years, the new fire complex, four new fire stations, the 9.11. Center, the new Downtown Library and a number of park restrooms and 54