============================================================ Health Options Digest January 12, 2003 Coalition for Health Options In Central Eugene-Springfield ============================================================ * EDITOR'S LETTER * NEWS SUMMARY * PEOPLE SPEAK OUT ON NEW HOSPITAL 1.rg - New hospital an asset 2.rg - Support Sacred Heart 3.rg - John Musumeci: PeaceHealth, Arlie dealings were legitimate * STATE OF THE CITIES, COUNTY 4.rg - Mayor has much to cover in address 5.sn - Springfield cements the foundation of its house in 2002 6.rg - Dwyer says planning has county prepared 7.sn - County celebrates achievements 8.rg - Road fund, retirement issue head mayor's list * TRANSPORTATION ISSUES 9.rg - Road review 10.sn - Residents want street project completed earlier 11.rg - BRT is coming * OTHER NEWS 12.rg - Sorenson wins contentious vote 13.sn - Sorenson wins fight for chairman 14.rg - Grimaldi moving on to Ashland 15.sn - Grimaldi accepts city position in Ashland * KEY, CREDITS, MORE INFO ===================== Editor's Letter ==================== The Springfield Planning Commission could decide on the PeaceHealth proposal as early as Wednesday, January 22. While their decision is only a recommendation to the Springfield City Council, whatever they decide will have a strong influence on what the council ultimately decides. In recent weeks, we have seen quite a few letters in favor of allowing PeaceHealth to build a regional hospital and commercial uses in an area that is currently planned for housing. Many of the letters say pretty much the same thing: PeaceHealth needs space and a new hospital would be an asset to the community. CHOICES agrees that PeaceHealth needs space and that it is an asset to the community. We just don't think PeaceHealth needs to put McKenzie-Willemette out of business, create even more traffic problems in a part of town that is already congested, and have so much land that it is forced to go into the business of developing housing and retail buildings. If you have concerns about what is happening in our community, THE TIME TO SPEAK OUT IS NOW! If you don't speak up now, not only you but the next five generations may have to live with the consequences. Write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper TODAY: Springfield News Letters to the Editor Email: news@springfieldnews.com Fax: 746-0633 1887 Laura St. Springfield, OR 97477 746-1671 The Register-Guard Letters to the Editor Email: RGLetters@guardnet.com Fax: 338-2828 P.O. Box 10188 Eugene, OR 97440-2188 485-1234 x2351 Eugene Weekly Letters to the Editor Email: editor@eugeneweekly.com Fax: 484-4044 1251 Lincoln St. Eugene 97401 484-0519 Unlike some organizations, CHOICES isn't going to tell you what to write. Just write what you feel, what is important to you, what you want for our community. But here's a suggestion. Pick a letter to the editor or news story that either makes your heart glow or makes your blood boil -- something that excites your passions. Then write in response to that. You will feel better for having done so, and our community will be better for your participation. Rob Zako, Editor 343-5201 rzako@efn.org ====================== News Summary ====================== In the past week, we've seen two letters to the editor in favor of plans to build at PeaceHealth hospital in the Gateway area (#1-2). In an op-ed, John Musumeci, Arlie & Co.'s director of operations, explains that dealings between Arlie and PeaceHealth were legitimate (#3). Springfield Mayor Leiken, Lane County Commissioners Chair Bill Dwyer and Eugene Mayor Torrey all gave state of the city or state of the county addresses. Both mayors stressed the importance of new roads -- Beltline from I-5 to west Eugene and the West Eugene Parkway -- and road maintenance (#4-8). Officials and residents will meet Tuesday to plot a new road in the Gateway area (#9). The need for safety improvements on 42nd Street near Jasper Road became especially personal Thursday evening as state transportation officials heard from concerned community members about the busy state highway (#10). Groundbreaking for an initial east-west Bus Rapid Transit route through Eugene will be sometime between February and April of this year (#11). On a 3-2 vote, the county commissioners picked Peter Sorenson over Bobby Green as board chairman. Green then declined a nomination to serve as vice chairman, and Anna Morrison won unanimous approval, 5-0 (#12-13). Gino Grimaldi, assistant city manager in Springfield for the past 14 years, announced this week he has accepted the position of city administrator in Ashland, beginning Feb. 18 (#14-15). ============ People Speak Out on New Hospital ============ ------------------------------------------------------------ 1.rg - New hospital an asset ------------------------------------------------------------ By Jeff Robinson, Eugene Letter to The Register-Guard, 1/7/03 There is no doubt that PeaceHealth's proposed hospital at RiverBend will truly be an asset to our community and will help meet the region's health care needs for decades to come. As the area's major employer, PeaceHealth is already an important contributor to our local economy. This new regional hospital will do even more to stimulate the economy by providing more high-quality family jobs for our community. My family has personally benefited from the nationally rated cardiac care and the neonatal intensive care units at PeaceHealth. Anyone who has spent time in the hospital will recognize its commitment to quality in the face of very cramped quarters! And now PeaceHealth is proposing a new family-based, healing-focused hospital model in a beautiful campus setting. Yet there are some who would prefer to see a private party develop this gorgeous area into tracts of apartment buildings. It's a no-brainer! Modifying the land-use plan to allow PeaceHealth's development will provide for plenty of natural beauty, housing, financing to fix the transportation mess in the Pioneer Parkway area and much-needed stimulus to our local economy. And it will enhance the health care of our community for decades to come! Unless you're committed to a recessive anti-growth future, PeaceHealth at RiverBend is a logical goal for our community. http://www.registerguard.com/news/2003/01/07/ed.letters.0107.html ------------------------------------------------------------ 2.rg - Support Sacred Heart ------------------------------------------------------------ By Guy Justice, Eugene Letter to The Register-Guard, 1/10/03 Sacred Heart Medical Center is often completely full with patients. In less than a few years, this situation will reach crisis proportions if it's not addressed today. I know, because I work at Sacred Heart. The RiverBend site offers a wonderful solution. RiverBend is close to Interstate 5, which actually makes access easier for a majority of the people who need care at Sacred Heart. It is close to areas that are growing in both Springfield and Eugene, and the RiverBend site will allow the hospital to expand in the coming years as our population grows and gets older. Sacred Heart is nationally recognized for medical excellence because of its outstanding physicians and medical technology. And there is a good reason why Sacred Heart's immediate past chief of staff, Dr. Phyllis Brown, the current chief of staff, Dr. Gary LeClair, and the incoming chief of staff, Dr. Vern Katz, all strongly support RiverBend -- because it would allow Sacred Heart to offer the best care possible to those in need in the years ahead. Sacred Heart is a tremendous asset to all of us who live in the region. Let's get together and support Sacred Heart and high quality medical care for everyone in our community. http://www.registerguard.com/news/2003/01/10/ed.letters.0110.html ------------------------------------------------------------ 3.rg - John Musumeci: PeaceHealth, Arlie dealings were legitimate ------------------------------------------------------------ By John Musumeci Commentary in The Register-Guard, 1/12/03 From the beginning, PeaceHealth's new hospital made a good story. The plot included plans that would affect the community for 100 years and the Eugene City Council's fight to influence those plans. It even had a surprise ending. There has been so much speculation around why PeaceHealth decided to move to Springfield that it's no wonder intrigue has been added to the plot. However, the persistent implication -- repeated as recently as last month in a letter to The Register-Guard from Eugene City Councilor David Kelly -- that PeaceHealth's move was a conspiracy involving a $4.2 million loan to Arlie & Co. is a baseless accusation that deserves to be put to rest. In August of 2000, more than six months before I had met anyone on the PeaceHealth management team, Arlie agreed to purchase 35 acres along the McKenzie River. The property's zoning and beautiful setting gave it great development potential, although its best use was unclear to us. In early 2001, PeaceHealth announced that it would build its new hospital in north Eugene on Crescent Avenue. With a new hospital planned about a mile away from our property, we began plans to build a medical office park at Gateway. The city of Springfield and the doctors that Arlie spoke with were enthusiastic about our vision, so the company sought more property there. Shortly thereafter, a real estate broker representing PeaceHealth called Arlie and said the hospital was running into problems with the Eugene City Council. He indicated that in private meetings with the hospital management team, the council was sending a clear message that the hospital would not be able to build on the Crescent site. He asked me for an appointment to meet with PeaceHealth CEO Alan Yordy. The following week, I met Yordy for the first time. We discussed Arlie's purchases in the Gateway area. Yordy said he would like an option from Arlie to purchase 55 acres of our land. He indicated that the land would be potentially useful as a satellite campus to the Crescent site or as a backup site in the event "things did not work out at Crescent." Yordy asked me to make a proposal, and we scheduled another meeting to discuss it. PeaceHealth's request presented an opportunity. Because large institutions commonly invest in real estate mortgages, we proposed a mutually beneficial arrangement: Arlie offered PeaceHealth an option to buy 55 acres at Arlie's cost. Arlie would make a profit from developing the adjoining property. PeaceHealth would provide financing for additional property Arlie was about to purchase. Conspiracy theorists point to this loan as the strongest evidence of collusion between PeaceHealth and Arlie, but the theory collapses under the weight of the facts. Yordy liked the proposal, but said he needed two approvals for the deal. PeaceHealth's Oregon Region Governing Board in Eugene had to approve the option agreement, and the authorization for the loan had to come from PeaceHealth's head office in Bellevue, Wash. PeaceHealth in Bellevue authorized a $4.2 million loan to Arlie because it was a superb investment. It was a one-year secured loan at 7.75 percent interest that earned PeaceHealth nearly $200,000 more than its portfolio average at that time -- and it came with a free option to purchase the 55 acres at our cost. However, the governing board in Eugene refused to approve the option because it opposed moving any part of the hospital out of Eugene. Without board approval, there was never any legal and binding option agreement; therefore there was no deal to purchase land from Arlie. The loan was simply a good investment. There was no conspiracy, no back-room deal. In fact, the drama that resulted in PeaceHealth's decision was all very public. Beginning in April of 2001, Eugene City Councilors Kelly, Bonny Bettman and Betty Taylor began a course of conduct intended to compel PeaceHealth to stay downtown. On June 18, Kelly and Bettman proposed that the city condemn six downtown blocks for the hospital's expansion. The proposal would have destroyed some 400 homes and businesses at a cost to the taxpayers of up to $60 million. The council refused, however, to give the hospital any assurance that it would be permitted to build at Crescent should the council's proposal not work out. At that same meeting, Taylor asked if PeaceHealth's Crescent property could be condemned or if there was any other way the city could legally prevent the hospital from building there. Following a hostile public meeting about the condemnation plan, the council decided on June 27 to end those negotiations. The council then directed the city manager to begin the process of removing hospitals as a permitted use on the Crescent property. Kelly told The Register-Guard that he hoped PeaceHealth would realize "the council means it when they say they don't want the hospital in north Eugene." In terms of building in Eugene, Yordy told The Register-Guard, "So as far as we can tell, there is no option." And he said PeaceHealth would begin looking at sites elsewhere. That's when Yordy called me with governing board authority to rekindle our discussion. On Aug. 8, the council voted to rescind its action to downzone the Crescent property, and authorized discussions with PeaceHealth about building in north Eugene. The council's support for the Crescent site rang hollow, however, when it failed to act on land use issues PeaceHealth had requested. On Sept. 7, PeaceHealth announced it would build the new hospital at RiverBend in Springfield. Any councilor wishing to point fingers over PeaceHealth leaving Eugene should take a good hard look in the mirror. PeaceHealth ultimately chose to move to Springfield because the council's rhetoric made it clear that building a new hospital in Eugene would be difficult, time consuming and expensive. In its zeal to implement growth management policies, the Eugene City Council lost sight of other valuable community assets, including an existing neighborhood and a publicly adopted land use plan. John Musumeci is the director of operations for Arlie & Co. http://www.registerguard.com/news/2003/01/12/ed.col.musumeci.0112.html =============== State of the Cities, County ============== ------------------------------------------------------------ 4.rg - Mayor has much to cover in address ------------------------------------------------------------ By Matt Cooper The Register-Guard, 1/7/03, Page 1D Springfield -- Mayor Sid Leiken, in his third state of the city address, reiterated his support for the controversial PeaceHealth project Monday and said road fees approved last month could be repealed. Speaking to a crowd of about 200 packed into Council Chambers, Leiken referred to the proposed $350 million regional medical center in the same breath as massive road projects planned in the Gateway area around the hospital site. "I-5/Belt Line, PeaceHealth RiverBend, Pioneer Parkway -- it is all coming together," Leiken said. The mayor has voiced support for the PeaceHealth project before, but his words Monday came as public comments on the contentious land use issue are building to a head. In two weeks the city Planning Commission will decide whether to recommend that the City Council adopt land use changes to accommodate the project, perhaps at the expense of the city's longtime community hospital, McKenzie-Willamette. "If (PeaceHealth meets) the land use criteria, I would welcome them," Leiken said, following his address. "Should we try to stop it based on what may or may not happen with McKenzie-Willamette? I'm not sure that's a debate City Council should be involved in." PeaceHealth Chief Executive Officer Alan Yordy, in attendance Monday, said Leiken's support is "welcome and helpful" but stressed, "It doesn't negate any work we have to do to make the case." Jan Wilson, coordinator for a group that opposes the site between Game Farm Road and the McKenzie River, said the mayor's failure to stand behind McKenzie-Willamette is troublesome. "Everybody else in the city has said, 'We put a lot of time and energy and money into McKenzie-Willamette,' and for the mayor to say, 'I don't think council should be concerned' is pretty strong," Wilson said. During his address, Leiken also stoked the debate on controversial road fees that Eugene and Springfield passed last month. Due to stagnancy in funding received from Lane County and the state, both cities' councils voted to charge residents and businesses for the use of roads. But Lane County Commissioners Bobby Green and Bill Dwyer have objected; Green began a petition drive to refer Eugene's measure to voters and Dwyer has said he plans to start one in Springfield by the end of February. During his address, Leiken invited Eugene and Lane County officials to meet with him on new ways to divvy up road money. He said afterward that the Springfield council would possibly repeal the road fees if an alternative emerges. Despite Leiken's invitation, Green said Monday he's moving forward with his petition in Eugene; he has until 5 p.m. today to collect 3,722 signatures to refer the road fee to the ballot in either a May or September special election. Dwyer said he would abandon a petition drive in Springfield if the road fee is rescinded there. Prior to the mayor's address, a swearing-in ceremony was held for Councilor John Woodrow, who succeeds retiring Councilor Fred Simmons in Ward 5, which covers central Springfield from 42nd Street to 59th Place. Leiken also recognized incoming Councilor Stu Burge, who was unable to attend Monday. Burge replaces retiring Councilor Christine Lundberg in Ward 1, which covers the Gateway area east to 17th Street. During his address, Leiken thanked citizens for November's passage of police and fire levies and noted some city milestones of 2002: It was the first year since Leiken's childhood that homeowners outnumbered renters, he said, and the city's 460-plus building permit and related applications set a record. "Because we balance economic development with the preservation of natural assets, Springfield has an excellent quality of life and is a desired location," Leiken said. Continued support of the city's Latinos and other minorities is key for the future, as are partnerships such as the one expected to culminate in a new sports center in midtown, Leiken said. With the Gateway area booming, he said, officials will now focus on development in downtown, southeast Springfield and Glenwood. The mayor drew a laugh when he suggested that the latter might be the right place for a new University of Oregon basketball arena. Leiken also got sympathetic smiles during his opening remarks. As he tried to thank his wife, Debbie, for her support, the mayor stepped away from the microphone, visibly choked up and struggling to control his emotions. "I do that every year," he said shaking his head and smiling before he launched into his address. http://www.registerguard.com/news/2003/01/07/1d.cr.cityaddress.0107.html ------------------------------------------------------------ 5.sn - Springfield cements the foundation of its house in 2002 ------------------------------------------------------------ By Jaime Sherman The Springfield News, 1/8/03 The city of Springfield is a house under construction, Mayor Sid Leiken told nearly 200 people gathered Monday morning for the annual state of the city address. "If you can imagine with me a moment, think of our city as a house, a house that we build with a strong foundation supporting numerous rooms," Leiken said. "A house that is secure but is flexible and constantly improved as we meet the needs of our community." Leiken said 2002 was a year of "tremendous gains cementing the foundation for Springfield to continue building" the house. A standing-room-only audience filled the Springfield City Council chambers Monday at Leiken's State of the City address. Sam Karp photo The gains included the passage of two public safety levies, the addition of jobs and companies in Springfield, development of the Gateway area and plans to rework specific roadways. "Springfield is the place of choice in central Lane County for industrial location and expansion," Leiken said. "Springfield has indeed done its share of good work to assure our citizens a bright economic future, but we will not rest. There is more to come." The coming year will be spent building the four cornerstones of the house -- people, partnerships, economy and roads -- despite inevitable budget cuts and service reductions, Leiken said. "We have started a strong foundation, and now it is time to continue this success for the future," he said. The cornerstone of people will be built in the coming year as City Hall becomes more accessible to community members and customer service improves, Leiken said. The city of Springfield will work with public, private, nonprofit and corporate organizations to build partnerships. Leiken mentioned existing partnerships that serve as examples, such as the six-way agreement on the Springfield Sports Complex to be built at 32nd and Main streets; the four-agency partnership in TEAM Springfield, which works toward common goals; the Springfield Renaissance Development Corp., which is working to create a downtown cultural district; and the partnership with the University of Oregon to increase the ability to bring technology-based research and knowledge-based job growth to Springfield. In the area of economic development, Leiken said the city will continue to work with the Springfield Chamber of Commerce and the Lane Metro Partnership to recruit, locate or relocate corporate partners. Development of Glenwood, downtown and Jasper-Natron in southeast Springfield will continue in 2003, Leiken said. The final building block of traffic and transportation will remain a topic of interest in the early months of 2003 as the cities of Springfield and Eugene debate with Lane County commissioners about how to finance street funds. In December, the city councils of Springfield and Eugene passed road fee ordinances to raise street funds through taxing residents and commercial road users. Lane County Commissioners Bobby Green and Bill Dwyer attacked the fee and are trying to put it before voters. "Lately, there has been some discussion regarding our stewardship of our $50-million local street system," Leiken said during his address. "Some folks have disagreed with the Springfield City Council's recent action to provide stable funding for our roadways. As elected officials, I believe we must find creative solutions to public policy dilemmas." Leiken went on to explain financial assistance from the state of Oregon in the next four will provide enough money for the two cities and the county to maintain the street funds. He asked officials in Eugene and Lane County to meet with him during the month of January to find "creative allocation methods" for the street funds. "Let's take this step before involving other costly and time-consuming alternatives to resolve our differences," he said. Before the state of the city address, John Woodrow was sworn in as councilor representing Ward 5. Woodrow replaces out-going Councilor Fred Simmons. Stu Burge, who will replace Christine Lundberg in Ward 1, was out of town and unable to attend the swearing-in ceremony. The City Council will meet for its first regular meeting on Jan. 21 at 7 p.m. at City Hall. http://www.springfieldnews.com/articles/2003/01/08/local/news1.txt ------------------------------------------------------------ 6.rg - Dwyer says planning has county prepared ------------------------------------------------------------ By Randi Bjornstad The Register-Guard, 1/7/03, Page 2D Facing its budget woes head-on has put Lane County in a better position than many other local governments, but the greatest challenges may still lie ahead, Commissioner Bill Dwyer warned in a state of the county address Monday in the Hult Center lobby. "It is a lean operation we're running here," said Dwyer, who served for the past year as chairman of the five-member elected board. "And, most notably, Lane County has maintained financial stability ... That is a direct result of looking forward strategically -- of action, not reaction. That is one of our biggest achievements of 2002." However, within the next several years the county will face the uncertainty of congressional reauthorization of payments that the federal government has traditionally made to the local area in lieu of taxes on local forest land. Forest acreage owned by the federal government makes up 54 percent of the county's land area. Dwyer said the county has enjoyed "legendary support" from its local delegates in Congress -- Sens. Gordon Smith and Ron Wyden and Rep. Peter DeFazio -- in securing millions of dollars in replacement revenue, "(and) we will be working with them again to make our case. This is perhaps the most critical thing we can do for the future of Lane County." Beyond that, the county also faces rapidly escalating costs to meet its obligations to the Public Employees Retirement System, or PERS, and the escalating health care and medical benefits of those retiring from public jobs, he said. The total rate paid to PERS by Lane County and its employees will rise almost 43 percent next year, Dwyer said. PERS, health care and retiree medical benefits expenses "are blowing a hole in the county's general fund budget." It will take careful planning to bring those costs under control in order to "have a better chance of meeting the public safety and (other) needs of citizens," he said. To counteract the gloomy financial outlook, Dwyer ticked off a list of achievements accomplished by county government during the past year, including providing better services for more than 2,000 adults and children in a new mental health building; making restrooms on all floors of the county's Public Service Building more accessible to people with disabilities; and improving services to military veterans. The county also beefed up its anti-terrorism and local disaster plans; supported local cities, school districts and low-income housing developments with more than $4 million in county road funds; joined with 10 other public agencies to form a Diversity and Human Rights Consortium; and created a task force to address animal welfare issues. Peppering his address with nautical anecdotes, Dwyer said the county must seek creative solutions to problems, even if it means changing course from time to time -- unlike the captain of a warship who received word that the ship had approached a large, unknown obstacle yet refused to change course. "'We are a warship. I am the captain. We change course for no one,'" he recited. "The reply came over the radio: 'I am only a boatswain's mate. But this is a lighthouse. Your call.'" In contrast, Lane County has its ship "pointed toward fiscal solvency, self-sufficiency, good stewardship and public trust," Dwyer said. "So damn the torpedoes, and full speed ahead." http://www.registerguard.com/news/2003/01/07/2d.cr.rg.stateofcounty.0107.html ------------------------------------------------------------ 7.sn - County celebrates achievements ------------------------------------------------------------ By Jonni Gratton The Springfield News, 1/8/03 Lane County celebrated the new year with a swearing-in ceremony of elected officials, unveiling of a restored 1930s painting and the annual State of the County address at the Hult Center Monday afternoon. Likening the county government to a ship and its crew, Board of Commissioners Chairman Bill Dwyer said the past year was full of accomplishments, but challenges lie ahead. "I've simply been the captain, setting a course ... a ship may belong to her captain, but the lifeboats belong to the crew. Our navigator, Bill Van Vector, is steering us toward efficient, accountable government, while all chiefs, mates and hands are on deck to stay a solid course," Dwyer said. He said the biggest achievement of the year was maintaining fiscal responsibility by running a "lean machine." Lane County is in better shape than many other county governments due to it taking action, instead of reacting to the problems it faces, he said. Successes of last year included the first full year of Secure Rural Schools funding, which has aided law enforcement patrol, the environment, roads and schools. The county was successful in its initial lawsuit with other public partners to gain a judgment to contain Public Employees Retirement System costs. A new mental health building opened its doors this summer to serve more than 2,000 adults and children. Veterans Services moved to a better location and increased programs. Dwyer said the county is in a good position to build the economy this year due to work last year of increased investments, partnerships, increased training and jobs and high-speed broadband access. The county gave more than $4 million to cities, affordable housing developments and school districts to help maintain its road system. Public security and safety was improved with bioterrorism and local disaster plans, as well as implementing the Amber Alert Plan. Improved services came in forming a Land Management Task Force to help stabilize the department. Online services provided the community better access, such as the establishment of the Lane County Animal Regulation Authority Task Force and other online services. Human Rights and cultural projects were also advanced this year. In the coming year, the county will follow its Strategic Plan to guide it through challenges, such as the current budget shortfall. The county will fight to keep federal timber dollars from falling and will try to contain rising PERS and health care costs. Dwyer said this year is a "blank slate" and the county will try new ways to improve fiscal solvency, self-sufficiency, good stewardship and public trust. "So, damn the torpedoes and full speed ahead," Dwyer concluded. http://www.springfieldnews.com/articles/2003/01/08/local/news3.txt ------------------------------------------------------------ 8.rg - Road fund, retirement issue head mayor's list ------------------------------------------------------------ By Joe Mosley The Register-Guard, 1/9/03, Page 1C His speech was filled with challenges -- to the Oregon Legislature, the Lane County Board of Commissioners and all of the city governments within the county. But the most deft may have been one delivered to Eugene Mayor Jim Torrey himself, just before he launched into his annual State of the City address on Wednesday. Torrey had just finished presenting awards to a community volunteer, three city employees and a pair of high school seniors. The mayor spent several minutes congratulating the final recipient, South Eugene High School senior Quinn Wilhelmi, for his academic honors, civic-mindedness and budding political acumen. Wilhelmi then took the microphone and posed a couple of questions to Torrey. "How do you like being mayor?" he asked. To which Torrey replied that he was having a good time at the moment. "Your term ends in 2005, right?" Wilhelmi said tongue-in-cheek, stopping somewhere short of announcing his own candidacy. A full house at the Eugene Hilton Conference Center erupted in laughter and applause -- the lightest moment in a mostly dead-serious gathering in which Torrey recounted the city's accomplishments of the past year and then laid a grueling course for what he said must be accomplished in 2003. His top three priorities? Only to help find a solution to the state's public employee pension crisis, which has caused ballooning payroll costs among local governments across the state. And to extend privileges at the new Eugene Public Library to all children in the city's two school districts, regardless of whether they live within the city limits. And finally, to form a coalition with Lane County and all of its cities to pool and redistribute all road repair funding currently received by each jurisdiction -- possibly even forming a single road maintenance department that he said could be modeled after the regional Metropolitan Wastewater Management Commission. His road maintenance suggestion came a day after the failure of a referendum petition drive headed by County Commissioner Bobby Green and aimed at forcing a public vote on a "transportation system maintenance fee" approved last month by the Eugene City Council. With the petition drive coming up well short of the required number of voter signatures, the new fee could be levied against all residents, businesses and agencies in Eugene as early as July. But Torrey said Wednesday he will ask councilors to reconsider the fee if a more collaborative approach to street and road repairs can be worked out. "We need to discuss and agree, as a county and cities, on the formula for distributing road funds," Torrey said, calling on the county commissioners in attendance to reconsider policies that have reduced the amount of road maintenance funds flowing from the county to Eugene and Springfield by more than half in the past five years. Eugene Public Works Department officials have identified a backlog of $90 million in repairs on the city's overall infrastructure of streets that Torrey said has been valued at half a billion dollars. "I propose a discussion of a countywide road maintenance plan," he said, asking new county board Chairman Peter Sorenson to schedule an intergovernmental meeting before the end of February. The mayor urged the 2003 Legislature to adopt an increase in the statewide gasoline tax that has been unchanged for a decade and to impose an additional fee on those who drive with studded snow tires. And to all local governments, he suggested an end to provincialism and a pooling of resources and staff under a single road repair department. "You want efficiency in government?" Torrey said, alluding again to regional governments' cooperative and successful approach to wastewater management. "We can do the same thing here if we put our effort behind it." Sorenson, the county board chairman, said after the speech that he sees no reason why the mayor's ideas on teaming up to tackle a shared road repair problem couldn't at least be explored. "I think the suggestion that we have the meeting and start dealing with the serious maintenance problems is a great one," Sorenson said. "The efficiency we might be able to achieve -- that's a great suggestion." Torrey's remarks on Wednesday didn't stop with his top three priorities: he also suggested that it's time for the city and the state Department of Transportation to get together and fix an accident-plagued stretch of Belt Line Road between Gateway Street and River Road; state legislators need to amend land use regulations that have prevented the city from fulfilling its promise to build a regional park on land just outside the urban growth boundary in Santa Clara; city leaders must convince their counterparts at the University of Oregon to help rejuvenate Eugene's downtown core by finding space there for a replacement to McArthur Court; and every civic leader in the state must insist that legislators address the problem of declining funding for public education during their upcoming session. "The quality of education in Oregon is the determining factor of the quality of the state of Oregon," Torrey said. "I'm prepared, starting next week, to travel to every county seat in the state of Oregon and talk to school administrators and elected officials, and urge them to put pressure on the Legislature." Among the highlights of the past year that were noted by the mayor were last month's completion of the downtown library; the reopening last fall of Broadway through the former downtown mall; completion of the East Bank Bike Path, which is set for a grand opening late this month; construction of a skatepark in the Bethel area; and voters' approval of funding for a new downtown fire station. Also during Wednesday's two-hour session, re-elected city councilors David Kelly and Gary Pape were sworn in for new four-year terms, and newly elected councilors George Poling and Jennifer Solomon took the oath of office to begin their service. In addition to Wilhelmi, the South Eugene High School student, those receiving awards from the mayor were Willamette High School senior Maria Montes; Beverly Farfan, coordinator of Whiteaker School's annual Free Community Thanksgiving Dinner; Jon Carson of the city's Central Services Department; Jennifer Curry of the police department; and Scott Olmos of the Department of Fire & Emergency Services. A second annual counterpoint to the mayor's address, cosponsored by Citizens for Public Accountability and Friends of Eugene, is scheduled for noon Wednesday at St. Mary's Episcopal Church, 13th Avenue and Pearl Street. Organizer Jan Spencer said the program is likely to touch on many of the same issues addressed in Torrey's speech, but the focus will be on responsible planning, public transportation alternatives and environmental concerns. "The Citizens' State of the City Address will certainly cover a lot of the same topics, but from a different perspective on a good deal of that," he said. http://www.registerguard.com/news/2003/01/09/1c.cr.stateofthecity.0109.html ================== Transportation Issues ================= ------------------------------------------------------------ 9.rg - Road review ------------------------------------------------------------ By Matt Cooper The Register-Guard, 1/11/03, Page 1B Officials and residents will meet Tuesday to plot a new road in the Gateway area. Once Pioneer Parkway has been extended from Harlow Road to Belt Line, the city wants a link to Sony, Symantec and the rest of the industrial campuses off International Way. But where to put it? One route would take out historic trees, another would displace a homeowner, and neither is appealing to residents near Game Farm Road, said Bonnie Ullmann, a neighborhood spokeswoman. The third option would send motorists through the part of Game Farm Road that serves as the only entrance to the 82-unit Patrician Mobile Home park -- and that's no good for manager Sue Kline. "These are elderly people we are talking about," she said. "It causes increased traffic at our entrance." City Transportation Manager Nick Arnis said that, with the council's direction, he'll try to soften the impact of whichever route is selected. But the real work, Arnis said, will be done Tuesday by the 20 residents and other community members who must settle on one option. The meeting starts at 7 p.m. in the McKenzie Room of the Courtyard by Marriott, 3443 Hutton St. Springfield reporter Matt Cooper can be reached at 338-2317 or by e-mail at mcooper@guardnet.com http://www.registerguard.com/news/2003/01/11/1b.cr.spcitybeat.0111.html ------------------------------------------------------------ 10.sn - Residents want street project completed earlier ------------------------------------------------------------ By Jaime Sherman The Springfield News, 1/11/03 The need for safety improvements on 42nd Street near Jasper Road became especially personal Thursday evening as state transportation officials heard from concerned community members about the busy state highway. Many of the people who testified at the Oregon Department of Transportation hearing spoke of the tragic death of a small boy nearly a year ago on the dangerous stretch of road. The meeting was one of many held throughout the state to gather input about projects outlined in the 2004-2007 Statewide Transportation Improvement Program. Jeannine Crane said safety improvements could have saved the 7-year-old boy's life, and she urged ODOT officials to make work on the street a priority. "I will not be stopping until we have things taken care of," she said as her eyes watered and she fought back tears. Daniel Ryan Lindsey died after he rode his bicycle into a 20-foot trailer being pulled by a pickup truck on South 42nd Street near Jasper Road. Crane told ODOT officials how she held the boy in her arms as he died. "I will not get over this," she said. Of the 17 people who spoke at the meeting, nearly half expressed support for upgrading the roadway to current city standards. ODOT plans to begin the construction in 2007, but the people who spoke asked for an earlier starting date. In addition to the 42nd Street project, people expressed desire to see priority put on the 32nd and Main intersection, the I-5/Belt Line interchange, the Coburg Road/Belt Line interchange, the West Eugene Parkway and passing lanes on Highway 126 headed toward the coast. Officials from the city of Springfield, Willamalane Park and Recreation District, Broad Base Programs Inc. and Arlie & Co. testified concerning 32nd and Main streets, which will be improved in part by the city for the planned Sports Complex and commercial uses. The city would like to work with ODOT to make improvements to the intersection and 32nd Street at the same time to save tax dollars and hassle. ODOT officials will gather public input through Jan. 31 and then adjust the STIP programs in response to the comments. The entire STIP is available at www.odot.state.or.us /stip. Lane County projects are listed in the document from pages 44 to 52. Written input can be provided through the Web site, by e-mailing Debbie.L.COREY@ odot.state.or.us, or mailing to Debbie Corey, ODOT, 455 Airport Road SE, Building B, Salem, OR 97301. http://www.springfieldnews.com/articles/2003/01/10/local/news5.txt ------------------------------------------------------------ 11.rg - BRT is coming ------------------------------------------------------------ By Joe Mosley The Register-Guard, 1/12/03, Page 1C In reaction to yet another letter from Kelly, Lane Transit District General Manager Ken Hamm has notified the City Council that groundbreaking for an initial east-west Bus Rapid Transit route through Eugene will be sometime between February and April of this year. But Wildish Construction Co., the project's general contractor, has recommended moving toward the latter end of the time frame to avoid "open ground during the winter months," according to Hamm's letter. The route -- along exclusive rights-of-way and designated lanes of existing roadways -- is expected to be completed by summer of 2004. Meanwhile, LTD is neg- otiating with a company in the Netherlands for the purchase of its first BRT car. The Phileas, which will run along the route much like a commuter train without tracks, is a hybrid electric vehicle made of composite materials, with low floors and doors on both sides. "We heard clearly from elected officials and business people that BRT should be implemented only with a futuristic-looking, environmentally green vehicle," Hamm wrote. Reporter Joe Mosley can be reached at 338-2384 or by e-mail at jmosley@guardnet.com http://www.registerguard.com/news/2003/01/12/1c.cr.citybeat.0112.html ======================= Other News ======================= ------------------------------------------------------------ 12.rg - Sorenson wins contentious vote ------------------------------------------------------------ By Randi Bjornstad The Register-Guard, 1/7/03, Page 1D Civility ruled -- but just barely -- as Lane County's commissioners chose their leaders Monday for the coming year. On a 3-2 vote, the elected officials picked Peter Sorenson over Bobby Green as board chairman. Green then declined a nomination to serve as vice chairman, and Anna Morrison won unanimous approval, 5-0. Most of the friction came between Green and the new East Lane commissioner, Tom Lininger, who had indicated in a memorandum last week that once he took office on Monday -- replacing Cindy Weeldreyer, who did not run for re-election -- he would support Sorenson over Green for the post because Green already had served as chairman twice, and Sorenson only once. But Green and Sorenson also clearly rubbed each other the wrong way. Green said the board could benefit from his greater experience as chairman in a year sure to be fraught with budgetary problems. Sorenson countered that his South Eugene district has been underrepresented in the chairmanship in the past. As soon as outgoing Chairman Bill Dwyer called for the election, Morrison jumped in to nominate Green, who seconded her motion. Just as quickly, Lininger said he'd "done his best to consider the rotation rule," and on that basis moved to nominate Sorenson, which Dwyer seconded. Clearly irked, Green said he'd seconded Morrison's motion "because I realized if I didn't, it probably wouldn't get one." Referring to Lininger's memo, Green said he "got the impression that letter was written by an aspiring attorney, not an aspiring county commissioner" -- an apparent reference to Lininger's recent announcement that he has accepted a position on the faculty of the University of Oregon Law School and will resign his commissioner's job in August, after eight months in office, to make the switch. "In reality, I should be chairman. I stepped up when it wasn't my turn -- when other people didn't want to serve -- and now it's my turn," Green said. "In fact, Tom, to be frank, I took your letter as an insult to my leadership. If it comes down to your wanting Peter to be chairman so I don't have more time than he does as chairman, I don't think that's a good reason." Perhaps trying to lighten the mood, Lininger responded, "Here I am, three hours into my tenure on the board, and I can officially say the honeymoon is already over." Lininger added that his only goal "is to maintain a system that fairly distributes the chairmanship ... I'm making my decision solely on the basis of the best distribution of the chairmanship. I'm sorry if you view that as an insult." Besides the frequency of serving, Sorenson and Green parted ways over the role of the chairman in setting the commissioners' agenda. Sorenson said he believes the chairman and vice chairman should represent "different philosophical viewpoints, to make sure issues come to the full board with some exposure to all the views represented by the commissioners, not just those who sit in the agenda-setting meetings." Not so, Green said. "When you talk about philosophical viewpoints, you're getting down to partisanship, and this is supposed to be a nonpartisan board -- the agenda process is not where you start showing your viewpoint," he said. In the end, Dwyer declared himself "lucky to be able to work with so many people with different points of view without animosity," before joining Lininger and Sorenson in deciding the chairmanship in Sorenson's favor. "This discussion is like (getting) a bad haircut," Dwyer predicted. "In two or three days, it will be over, and we'll all be working together again." http://www.registerguard.com/news/2003/01/07/1d.cr.chairman.0107.html ------------------------------------------------------------ 13.sn - Sorenson wins fight for chairman ------------------------------------------------------------ Commissioner Tom Lininger speaks after taking his oath during the swearing-in ceremony at the Hult Center lobby Monday afternoon. Sam Karp/The Springfield News By Jonni Gratton The Springfield News, 1/8/03 On his first official day on the job and the first order of business of the new year, East Lane Commissioner Tom Lininger received a tongue-lashing from fellow Commissioner Bobby Green over who should serve as chairman of the Board of Commissioners for 2003. The battle between Green and Commissioner Peter Sorenson to lead the board ended with Sorenson getting the chair, Commissioner Anna Morrison being chosen as vice chairperson -- and Green losing out. Posturing for the leadership role began between Green and Sorenson before the new year, with the decisive vote falling on "the new guy." The board has often used a rotation system in selecting a chairman since 1975, when the board went from three to five commissioners, to create fair representation of the five districts. While it was Green's turn to serve on the rotation basis, Sorenson won based on fair representation of districts. "In the year ahead, we face large challenges and we need a leadership style that will get us there," said Morrison, who made the initial nomination for Green. "I don't totally believe in rotation. And, some (commissioners) haven't taken it. But with PERS and union contracts ... I think he's more qualified." Green, who represents North Eugene, has served as chairman twice since he started office in January 1995. "This is the reality. He (Sorenson) has stepped up to be chair. He's in the position and just as qualified" said Lininger after Green seconded the nomination for himself. With the pressure on, Lininger sent a letter to each commissioner last week explaining his decision. He noted that Green chaired in 1996 and 1999, while Sorenson chaired in 2000. Since Dwyer just finished his seat and Morrison served in 2001, the decision came down to Green and Sorenson. "If Bobby were chair in 2003, he would have served as chair three times during nine years in office, while Peter would have served as chair once during seven years in office. Bobby would have served as chair three times before Peter served as chair twice. That seems inconsistent with the principle that all districts should be equally represented in the chair position," Lininger stated in his letter. Lininger said he supported Sorenson as chairman and Green as vice chairman this year, upon the commissioners' commitment that Green would serve as chairman in 2004. "I take this letter as an insult -- to leadership. There are no even decisions," Green snapped, after Lininger explained the rationale behind his decision. "The honeymoon is officially over," Lininger responded, who was taken aback. "I didn't mean it as an insult. I want to maintain an equal turn of district representatives." In a 3-2 vote, a motion to select Green as chairman failed with Dwyer, Lininger and Sorenson joining forces in the vote against it. Lininger followed by nominating Sorenson with Dwyer seconding the motion. "I won't support a motion to appoint Pete," Green said. Green said he took offense to comments Sorenson made in the press recently concerning Sorenson's merit and philosophical viewpoint in office. "When you talk about a philosophical viewpoint, that is partisanship. This is a non-partisan board," Green stressed. Lininger said he spent a week trying to broker a deal for Sorenson as chairman and Green as vice chairman in 2003 and Green as chairman in 2004. "With my deal, I think I tried hard to achieve balance," he said. "The bottom line is the agenda process. Your impression will change," Green warned. "This commitment is for a year ahead. Things may change for me to be chair in 2004." Sorenson said, "I think the rotation rule has been bent in the past, and I think we need to have a rotation that is real. And second, we need to have a philosophical balance on the board, whether it's geographical, partisan, non-partisan or liberal. That's why I thought Tom's idea was so good." In another 3-2 vote Sorenson was chosen as chairman, with Green and Morrison voting against. Lininger attempted to carry out his deal by nominating Green as vice chairman, with a second by Dwyer. "I appreciate it, but I respectfully decline," Green said. Lininger withdrew the nomination and Green nominated Morrison as vice chairwoman. "The yin and yang have worked together before," Dwyer commented before the board voted unanimously in favor of Morrison. "Anna and I are currently tied for 4-1 votes," Sorenson said concerning board decisions. "But 90 percent of the votes are unanimous because we come to a consensus on most things." http://www.springfieldnews.com/articles/2003/01/08/local/news4.txt ------------------------------------------------------------ 14.rg - Grimaldi moving on to Ashland ------------------------------------------------------------ By Matt Cooper The Register-Guard, 1/10/03, Page 3D Springfield -- After almost 15 years with the city, Assistant City Manager Gino Grimaldi is headed south to take the top administrative post in Ashland. Grimaldi, 47, starts Feb. 18 as city administrator. He'll make $111,184, up from $96,000 as Springfield's No. 2 at City Hall. Ashland's gain is Springfield's loss because Springfield City Manager Mike Kelly, who plans to retire in the next two to three years, said Grimaldi would have been an excellent successor. "We're losing a dedicated, 15-year employee who is very skilled," Kelly said. "(Grimaldi is) a person I felt very comfortable with, turning over the reins of city manager. If circumstances were different and Gino was more patient and I was a little bit older, he would be a great candidate as a future city manager of Springfield." Despite that possibility, Grimaldi said Thursday that he didn't want to pass on this opening. "It's an opportunity that presents itself right now, today," he said. "That's kind of hard to pass up." Grimaldi's last day here is likely to be near the end of the month or in early February. Low-key and unflappable, Grimaldi supervises the managers of the city's information technology, human resources and finance departments. He has been the point person for the city's federal agenda and a key member of local intergovernmental relations, Kelly said. Kelly and his management team will meet next week to discuss whether to fill the post -- and if so, how -- in light of budget reductions. In Ashland, Grimaldi succeeds Greg Scoles, who resigned in October to work for Santa Rosa, Calif. Grimaldi lived in Ashland for 5 1/2 years in the 1980s while working as a senior administrative assistant for Jackson County. His wife, Anita, is a native of Ashland with relatives in the area. Grimaldi, who lives with his family in west Springfield, said he's excited to take on the challenges in Ashland, an aging community that wants to improve its affordable housing. But he'll also miss what he leaves in Springfield: "The biggest thing is the people -- in the city organization, the people in the community," Grimaldi said. "It is a great location. You have access to so many things right here -- skiing, the mountains, the ocean, the rivers." Although the Ashland City Council must confirm Grimaldi's hire, he was one of three finalists and is expected to breeze through, Mayor Alan DeBoer said. "My goal is to have him retire here," DeBoer added. The Associated Press contributed to this report. http://www.registerguard.com/news/2003/01/10/3d.cr.grimaldi.0110.html ------------------------------------------------------------ 15.sn - Grimaldi accepts city position in Ashland ------------------------------------------------------------ By Jaime Sherman The Springfield News, 1/11/03 Gino Grimaldi, assistant city manager in Springfield for the past 14 years, announced this week he has accepted the position of city administrator in Ashland, beginning Feb. 18. Grimaldi, 47, will replace Greg Scoles, who took a position as public works director in Santa Rosa, Calif. The city of Ashland received 150 applications for the position, and Grimaldi was the top choice, interim city manager Brian Almquist said. "We are very happy to see him become our next city administrator," Almquist said. "I think he is going to relate well to our community." Grimaldi said when he arrived in Springfield in 1988 he planned to stay three years, but he grew to love the city and the variety of issues he faced each day. "Each year presented a variety of issues, and I think that's what kept me here as long as 14 years," he said. Grimaldi said he also stayed in Springfield as long as he did because of his mentor, Springfield City Manager Mike Kelly. "I can't think of a better person to work for and to have as a mentor, somebody who let me learn and test things," Grimaldi said. "I don't think I could have worked 14 years under another manager." He is fulfilling his long-held dream to become a city manager with his move to Ashland. Grimaldi, a Maine native, graduated in public management from the University of Maine and completed a master's degree in public administration at the university in 1980. His first job out of college was a one-year internship with the city of Phoenix, Ariz., from 1980 to 1981. He then took a newly created assistant county administrator position with Jackson County in southern Oregon. He left in 1987 for the city of Portland, Maine. He was deputy city manager there until 1988 when he began his 14-year stint with the city of Springfield on Oct. 31, 1988. Grimaldi's wife, Anita, is originally from Ashland and still has family there. The couple have three children: Alex, 16; Brendan, 14; and Alyssa, 9. As he leaves the city, Grimaldi said he will remember several things. "The biggest thing that stands out to me is the Springfield Tomorrow project. That's when many people sat down and articulated what the vision of Springfield is," he said. He said he will also remember the tragedy at Thurston High School. "I will never forget the shooting at Thurston High School and the community response to it," he said. "So many people did so many things right after that event, and it's almost overwhelming to think about it." Grimaldi's last day with the city has yet to be set but probably will come sometime at the end of January. http://www.springfieldnews.com/articles/2003/01/10/local/news2.txt =========================== Key ========================== "Health Options Digest" is best read with an email program that recognizes links to web pages. It includes leads from and links to stories and opinions from the following publications: rg = The Register-Guard sn = Springfield News ew = Eugene Weekly cn = Comic News ode = Oregon Daily Emerald cce = City Club of Eugene Newsletter or = Oregonian For some stories, two links are given. Use the first link if the story is still current; use the second if another issue has since been published. ========================= Credits ======================== "Health Options Digest" is published once every week or so by the Coalition for Health Options In Central Eugene-Springfield (CHOICES) as a service to the community. 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