River Road/Santa Clara Urban Services Committees Final Report and Recommendations

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- _ _ _ _ _ 'i CONIlVIl'~I'EE STATEMENTS 4. i i ~ ~ - _ ' When I volunteered for the Santa Clara/River Road Urban Services Committee I was puzzled about the role and purpose of the group. I knew the problems spawned by the policy of noncontiguous annexation were very complicated and defied simple solutions. No committee, no matter how informed or creative, would be able to solve these problems by recommending reorganization of services or a shift in policy. As annexation has created a population deserving of City services there is no going back to the way it was 15 years ago. As a vocal reactionary group berated our committee for selling out to the City, I even ' had fears this myopic fringe might have it right -that our committee was formed as a ploy to subvert the ' self-determination of Santa Clara and River Road and set up a vehicle to expedite an annexation plan. (This wouldn't be the first time such a strategy was attempted.) By and large I was able to repress this.. paranoia as our work proceeded and it became clear our final report would truly be our own, without a spin on it that would facilitate early annexation. I give much credit for this to our staff facilitator, Jim Croteau. His unbiased suggestions and respect for all of our opinions encouraged trust and helped us move forward in a purposeful way to overcome some of the early concerns that our task was too formidable to make any headway. As each service area was presented it was enlightening to some of our members who are just beginning to understand the absurdities of our service delivery; and a useful reminder to many of us who have for years been involved in our community. I was especially pleased, as a member of the Santa Clara Community Organization, to have several members in our group who live in Santa Clara and are incorporated. Their voices have not been heard before this time as they are new to the community. Our neighborhood group has struggled to reach this population but have not been successful up to this point. I'm happy that the final report of the Urban Services Study reflects not only the traditional views in Santa Clara when it comes to the City, but also the views of this new population. i As we strove for solutions to the entanglements among our myriad of service providers it became apparent that the long term solution is inevitably annexation as the political position of Santa Clara and River Road presupposes this. It was the short term solutions that baffled us (or what we called the ' "transition phase"). As we early suspected, we could not agree on recommendations for this transition i outside of the suggestion that strong resistance to the City would continue unless. citizens of this area have a voice in their own destiny. This committee was a good beginning toward that end. We recognized - that the City of Eugene will ultimately be the logical provider of services to this area, but only if this dialogue continues will this end finally be achieved amicably. ' f i f`-~` 59