Health Options Digest
November 28, 2004
Coalition for Health Options In Central Eugene-Springfield (CHOICES)
In This Issue
From the Editor
Week In Review
We've heard before that Springfield is open for business. Indeed, Springfield City Councilor Christine Lundberg is reported to have said, "The bottom line is PeaceHealth's bottom line."
But small local businesses in Springfield think city leaders are turning a blind eye to struggling downtown Springfield, which is attracting strip joints.
Meanwhile, Eugene Mayor Torrey was quoted in a national planning journal saying that Eugene is a hard place to do business -- sort of a mixed message coming from the former president of the Eugene Area Chamber of Commerce.
An early report that PeaceHealth had agreed to guarantee $15 million in funding for the Interstate-5/Beltline interchange turns out to be untrue, at least so far. Rather, the Oregon Department of Transportation is asking PeaceHealth to pony up cold hard cash if it is so anxious for work on that interchange so that it can open a new hospital.
Meanwhile, on the Eugene side of the river, some voice skepticism that a new McKenzie-Willamette hospital on the current EWEB site is such a good idea.
While the two hospitals compete to see who can open a new hospital faster and for market share, they have struck a deal to at least partially settle McKenzie-Willamette's successful antitrust lawsuit against PeaceHealth. Starting next year, McKenzie-Willamette Medical Center will join PeaceHealth as a participating preferred provider on the Regence BlueCross/BlueShield Preferred Provider Plan.
The Register-Guard editorializes that the deal is "908 days late and better than $20 million short, give or take a few million." We wonder if in another year or two, PeaceHealth will reach a deal, say, to expand their hospital somewhere in Eugene and we will read another editorial about the agreement being years late and millions short.
And to wrap up hospital news, we hear that PeaceHealth CEO Alan Yordy will soon start phasing out of his current local role and into his new role in Bellevue, Washington, heading up the PeaceHealth system. Plans for a smooth transition are underway.
Roughly 30 community members attended a Glenwood Urban Renewal Plan informational meeting held last Monday. A second informational meeting is scheduled for this Thursday.
The city of Coburg is facing severe budget cuts. It appears that they have been spending beyond their means for years -- and no one at the helm questioned budgets that included spending reserve money. We'd hope that leaders of larger cities would be more careful in looking after the public interest, but unfortunately that isn't always the case.
Lastly, our good friend Governor Schwarzenegger continues to shine in the Golden State to the south. So perhaps their experiment in a new kind of government is working out.
Here in Oregon, we are also engaged in an experiment in a new kind of government. It is too early to tell what effect Measure 37 will have on Oregon's land use planning program, on what Oregon looks like, and on how we think about who we are as a state. The Measure appears to drastically shift power away from state and local governments to private property owners, in what could be termed a return to the Wild West. We continue to offer a selection of news and views from around the state and the country on this important issue.
Looking Ahead
On Monday, the Springfield City Council will hold a public hearing on their proposed ordinance for property owners to file claims under Measure 37.
On Wednesday in Salem, a joint subcommittee of the Oregon Land Conservation and Development Commission (LCDC) and the Oregon Transportation Commission (OTC) will consider ideas for changing the rules governing new developments and their traffic impacts. The discussion arises out of the case of Jaqua v. City of Springfield, in which the Oregon Court of Appeals ruled that Springfield had incorrectly analyzed the traffic impacts of a new PeaceHealth hospital. In keeping with their strategy, look for PeaceHealth's lobbyists to ask for the rules to be relaxed to allow more development in more places, even if such development leads to traffic jams we can't afford to fix.
On Thursday, Springfield will hold a second informational meeting on the proposed Glenwood Urban Renewal Plan.
We are still waiting to hear from the Court of Appeals in the Eugene hospital zoning case.
Rob Zako, Editor
343-5201
rzako@efn.org
Calendar
Monday, November 29 -- Springfield City Council
City Hall, 225 Fifth St., Springfield
Contact: Amy Sowa, City Manager's Office, 726-3700
6:00 pm, Work Session, Jesse Maine Room
1. South 42nd Street Reconstruction Project, Phase 1.
2. Martin Luther King Jr. Parkway.
7:00 pm, Public Hearing, Council Meeting Room
1. Utility Tax.
2. Ballot Measure 37 Ordinance.
Wednesday, December 1 -- Joint OTC/LCDC TPR Subcommittee
1:00 pm, Work Session, ODOT's Human Resources Center, Suite C, 2775 19th St. SE, Salem
Contact: Bob Cortright, DLCD, (503) 373-0050 x241, bob.cortright@state.or.us
A joint subcommittee of the Oregon Transportation Commission and the Land Conservation and Development Commission will continue reviewing options for improving how transportation and land use planning are coordinated. Their effort is a response to the court decisions in the case of Jaqua v. City of Springfield.
Thursday, December 2 -- Glenwood Urban Renewal Plan Informational Meeting
4:00-8:00 pm, Lane Transit District Board Room, 3500 East 17th Ave., Glenwood
Springfield city staff will be available to discuss the Glenwood Urban Renewal Plan that the City Council and Lane County Commissioners are considering approving. This will be a drop-in meeting for questions and answers on the Plan, the financing methods, possible projects, possible impact on businesses and residential areas in Glenwood and the timing of when some of the projects may occur.
Should you have questions regarding the meeting, please contact John Tamulonis at 726-3656.
Thursday, December 9 -- Springfield Planning Commission
City Hall, 225 Fifth St., Springfield, 726-3753
Regular Meeting
A. PeaceHealth Plan Amendments
Monday, January 10 -- Springfield City Council
City Hall, 225 Fifth St., Springfield
Contact: Amy Sowa, City Manager's Office, 726-3700
Regular Meeting
A. PeaceHealth Plan Amendments
PeaceHealth
City officials put hospital on fast track to approval
By Bob Keefer
The Register-Guard | November 23, 2004 |
SPRINGFIELD -- The city is pushing the controversial PeaceHealth project through its planning procedures with unprecedented speed in an effort to save the corporation money.
"I have been involved with the city for about 20 years," planning commission member and former City Councilor Greg Shaver said. "I have never seen this kind of thing done for anybody else."
The Bellevue, Wash.-based corporation, which runs Sacred Heart Medical Center in Eugene, wants to move its hospital from downtown Eugene to largely undeveloped rural land on the McKenzie River north of Springfield, an area it has dubbed RiverBend.
Last week, the council held an unusual joint public hearing with the planning commission to take public testimony on proposed policy changes needed by PeaceHealth.
Normally the commission would hold a hearing and present the council with a recommendation before the council held its own full hearing.
City leaders defend the treatment given to PeaceHealth.
"The bottom line is PeaceHealth's bottom line," Councilor Christine Lundberg said. "They need to open (the hospital) so they stop losing money. And we are trying to facilitate that occurring so they can open up as soon as possible." (more...)
Transportation Commissioners Want Hospital to Pay Up
What started as a simple offer has turned into mass confusion. Last week, PeaceHealth Hospital offered to guarantee $15 million dollars for road construction at I-5 and Belt Line Road. Now, ODOT appears to be asking for more. This surprised a lot of people, including the hospital, Springfield's Mayor, even Congressman Peter DeFazio. They all want to understand what ODOT is trying to do, but most say they still don't have a clear answer.
Federal funding for improving part of the intersection at Belt Line and I-5 is still stalled in D.C. In response, PeaceHealth Hospital said last week it would loan the state $15 million dollars to keep the project moving forward. That's when two members of ODOT's policy board, the Oregon Transportation Commission, got an idea. "Yes, that did start some discussion over the participation levels and how they should participate," explains Transportation Commissioner Randy Pape, who was one of the board members who suggested PeaceHealth shouldn't loan the state $15 million, but instead give the state an undisclosed dollar amount, with no plan for reimbursement.
"PeaceHealth Hospital, along with being a hospital, is a major developer in the area. Their development will have a significant impact on the transportation facilities in the area; therefore, we feel it's appropriate to ask them to step forward and participate beyond the levels they have agreed to participate," says Pape.
PeaceHealth is already offering up close to $20 million dollars for road improvements around the RiverBend site. It says it's willing to consider a public/private partnership with ODOT, but only if ODOT is going to ask other developers to participate as well. "The one thing that we would ask is not to let that responsibility land on one set of shoulders, it really needs to be something shared by the entire community," says PeaceHealth Spokesperson Brian Terrett.
The decision regarding the interchange sparked immediate confusion from Springfield's Mayor and Oregon Congressman Peter DeFazio. Both fear the commissioners might be trying to change the rules mid-stream. DeFazio plans to meet with the Governor and the head of ODOT next week. He says, this move by members of the Oregon Transportation Commission will come up during those meetings.
Letter -- Neighbors support RiverBend
By Cynthia Hart, Springfield
The Register-Guard | November 24, 2004 |
Attorney Al Johnson represents some organized landowners in opposition to PeaceHealth's RiverBend project, and he testified at a recent Springfield City Council/Planning Commission meeting. But he does not represent me or the majority of my neighbors.
Because my residence is on Game Farm Road, directly across from the project site, I'm also a stakeholder as well as a landowner. Not all landowners are stakeholders, and I'm continuing my support for the project and look forward to its completion.
Although I can't speak for them individually, many other residents I've spoken to in the North Springfield, Hayden Bridge and Game Bird Village neighborhoods are also in favor of the project, although most don't bother to get involved by going to meetings or writing letters.
Most everyone I've talked to says it's a good thing, and everyone speculates that their property values will go up. One close neighbor even said, "Bring it on!" and I second that.
Letter -- RiverBend desperately needed
By Julie Brown, Eugene
The Register-Guard | November 27, 2004 |
I urge the Springfield City Council to amend the Metro Plan so that a new hospital can be built at the RiverBend site in Springfield.
A new hospital at this location would provide for the ongoing medical needs of the people of not only Eugene and Springfield, but much of Southwest Oregon. Plus, a larger hospital would provide more employment and advanced technology, as well as contribute to the economy of Lane County.
At the current Sacred Heart Medical Center, getting from the parking garage to your destination is not only stressful but exhausting and time consuming. Yet this maze is traveled daily by patients, their families, hospital employees, physicians, hospital volunteers and others.
In the past 35 years I have been a patient, a visitor, an employee and now am a hospital volunteer. I've seen the facility explode as it attempts to provide medical care to the people of Lane County and surrounding areas.
At one time, as an employee, my office space was a broom closet shared with another employee. That was 13 years ago. My husband has been hospitalized four times in the past two years. I have learned how to take the folding chair off the wall in his room to visit him, how to hang it back up and leave his room while medical staff care for his needs.
There is not enough room at the present site to provide adequate care for the patients. A new and larger hospital is desperately needed.
University to partner with OHSU, PeaceHealth
OHSU medical students will receive some instruction at the University, possibly by fall 2006
By Moriah Balingit, News Reporter
Oregon Daily Emerald | November 22, 2004 |
University President Dave Frohnmayer signed a letter of intent Friday that would establish a partnership with Oregon Health and Science University and PeaceHealth Oregon Region to train medical students at the University and at the PeaceHealth hospital Sacred Heart Medical Center.
The plan is part of an effort to double the number of physicians OHSU graduates in the next 10 years to address the impending physician shortage in Oregon. OHSU is currently the only institution that trains doctors in the state. (more...)
Editorial -- OHSU, Eugene branch: Physicians could train at UO, PeaceHealth
| The Register-Guard | November 24, 2004 |
What a break for Eugene: Oregon's only medical school needs to double the number of doctors it trains, but its Portland campus doesn't have the space to accommodate expanded enrollment.
The University of Oregon and PeaceHealth can fill the gap, establishing a local branch of Oregon Health & Science University and shifting a portion of the state's medical education enterprise 110 miles to the south. Doctors could begin training in Eugene as early as 2006.
Each of the three partners in the branch campus would benefit. OHSU would gain the expanded capacity it needs without having to launch a capital campaign for construction. The UO would gain medical research and education programs that would supplement and strengthen its existing programs in the biological sciences. PeaceHealth would gain a medical education center that would create the opportunities for teaching and research that attract first-rate physicians.
The details haven't been settled and a business plan still must be prepared, but the elements for success are in place. The need is real: OHSU's projections show that even if it doubles its first-year medical school enrollment to 200, Oregon can still expect a shortage of physicians. (more...)
McKenzie-Willamette/Triad
Dorothy Anderson -- Skepticism appropriate on Triad-EWEB deal
By Dorothy Anderson
The Register-Guard | November 26, 2004 |
Since a Nov. 18 Register-Guard editorial attacked me for my opposition to the purchase of Eugene Water & Electric Board's property by Triad Hospitals Inc., some clarification is in order.
First, my opposition was based on both planning and financial grounds. After more than 35 years of involvement in land use planning, I find it difficult to totally remove my planning hat.
In most cases, I would agree with the editors' assertion that planning is within the city's purview, not EWEB's. However, in this case the City Council is riding roughshod over the results of past planning processes and of earlier positions concerning EWEB's property.
In the 1990s, I served as EWEB's representative on two city-sponsored planning committees. The first one, before EWEB contemplated any move, focused on improving transportation access to the downtown and pedestrian access from downtown to the river through EWEB's property. EWEB agreed to open up several areas to public access, with little result.
Several years later, with the federal courthouse in the offing, a larger committee was formed to address broader issues -- how to improve both downtown and Franklin Boulevard and possible ways of reusing EWEB's property if EWEB decided a move would be necessary. This committee went through a number of visioning exercises and culminated its work with a daylong open house. More than 200 people came to add their visions.
In all of these deliberations, a hospital surrounded by a sea of asphalt for parking was never envisioned. What the participants wanted was a variety of uses to draw a number of people down to the river. In no way would a hospital on EWEB's site do that!
As to the financial issues, I agree that many of them will be addressed in the negotiations with Triad. But not all of them will be. (more...)
Letter -- EWEB site sale is irresponsible
By Marcy Cauthorn, Eugene
The Register-Guard | November 28, 2004 |
Three lone board members without factual data or public input are railroading through the sale of all the Eugene Water & Electric Board riverfront property to Triad Hospitals Inc. A decision of this magnitude cannot be made without public involvement and hard data.
What is happening is that EWEB ratepayers, who paid $25 million 15 years ago for an administrative building to last 50 years (but would now cost $50 million to build), will throw in the building and all the riverfront land to Triad for a mere $24 million. Triad's offer doesn't come close to covering the cost of relocation. There is neither proven need nor cost-savings data available for a move. It doesn't add up for ratepayers.
The board intends to spend $1 million for feasibility studies regarding this offer. If the board truly has cost saving and efficiency in mind, then the first priority is sponsoring energy conservation.
The biggest expense for the utility is purchasing energy. If we raise rates 1 percent, the utility raises $1 million. But if we save 1 percent, the savings is $5 million. Let's put our money where it counts.
Act by writing to the EWEB Board of Commissioners at P.O. Box 10148, Eugene, OR 97440 or calling 484-2411. Simply let them know that you will not subsidize a new building or increased rates. There is no financial gain to selling at this time.
Giving away our public asset is irresponsible.
Rosie Pryor -- Joint Press Release on Antitrust Settlement
By Rosie Pryor
McKenzie-Willamette Medical Center and PeaceHealth | November 24, 2004 |
The following was jointly released today by McKenzie-Willamette and PeaceHealth:
McKenzie-Willamette Medical Center, PeaceHealth, and Willamette Community Health Solutions today reached agreement to dismiss all injunctive relief claims in McKenzie-Willamette's federal antitrust lawsuit against PeaceHealth, including dismissal of the former requests to force divestiture of the PeaceHealth Medical Group and prohibitions against construction of the RiverBend campus.
Effective January 1, 2005 McKenzie-Willamette Medical Center joins PeaceHealth as a participating preferred provider on the Regence BlueCross/BlueShield Preferred Provider Plan.
Willamette Community Health Solutions, community non-profit owner of 20% interest in McKenzie-Willamette, continues to discuss resolution of financial claims with PeaceHealth.
Terms of the settlement among the three parties are confidential. No further details are available.
Roy J. Orr, CEO of McKenzie-Willamette Medical Center, said "I want to thank McKenzie-Willamette employees for their unwavering focus on our highest priority: our patients. This settlement means physicians and patients who prefer to come to McKenzie-Willamette will be able to return, beginning in January. We look forward to welcoming them back."
"We are very pleased that this part of the case has been resolved," said PeaceHealth CEO Alan Yordy. "Now we can get back to doing what we do best -- providing the community with the best healthcare possible."
Mark Knudsen, CEO of Willamette Community Health Solutions, said "This is a great positive step toward resolving this issue between the two organizations."
Rosie Pryor, Director, Marketing and Planning
McKenzie-Willamette Medical Center
1460 G Street, Springfield, OR 97477-4197
744-6164
rospry@mckweb.com
Hospitals bury the hatchet
Lane County's two biggest hospitals have patched up their legal differences.
It appears Mckenzie-Willamette Hospital and PeaceHealth are now focusing on what both sides say they do best-- treating patients.
McKenzie-Willamette, PeaceHealth and Willamette Community Health Solutions have reached an agreement, dismissing all relief claims in McKenzie-Willamette's federal antitrust lawsuit against PeaceHealth. The issue was access to patients insured by Regence Blue Cross/Blue Shield.
A federal jury had earlier decided PeaceHealth had engaged in anti-competitive conduct. McKenzie-Willamette then asked a judge to break up the PeaceHealth group.
Terms of the settlement are confidential.
Hospitals settle some antitrust issues
By Tim Christie
The Register-Guard | November 25, 2004 |
McKenzie-Willamette Medical Center and PeaceHealth on Wednesday settled part of their long-running antitrust battle in which a federal jury found that PeaceHealth tried to monopolize the local health care market.
A joint statement released Wednesday laid out the key elements of the settlement:
* McKenzie-Willamette will be allowed to join PeaceHealth as a provider in Regence BlueCross/Blue Shield's Preferred Provider Plan, starting in January.
* McKenzie-Willamette will dismiss all claims for court-ordered remedies intended to keep PeaceHealth from repeating its monopolistic behavior, including a request that would have forced PeaceHealth to divest itself of its 110-doctor medical practice, PeaceHealth Medical Group.
PeaceHealth operates Sacred Heart Medical Center in Eugene.
Hospital representatives would not discuss further details of the settlement. (more...)
Hospitals settle insurance fight: McKenzie-Willamette will join Blue Cross preferred list
By Amber Fossen
The Springfield News | November 26, 2004 |
In a joint statement released Wednesday afternoon, McKenzie-Willamette Medical Center, PeaceHealth, and Willamette Community Health Solutions announced an agreement to dismiss all injunctive-relief claims in McKenzie-Willamette's federal antitrust lawsuit against PeaceHealth.
The agreement includes dismissal of the former requests to force divestiture of the PeaceHealth Medical Group and prohibitions against construction of the RiverBend campus.
Effective Jan. 1, 2005, McKenzie-Willamette Medical Center joins PeaceHealth as a participating preferred provider on the Regence BlueCross/BlueShield Preferred Provider Plan. (more...)
Editorial -- Perhaps it's a start: Hospitals agree to settlement in antitrust case
| The Register-Guard | November 28, 2004 |
One way to characterize last Wednesday's settlement of an important part of McKenzie-Willamette Medical Center's federal antitrust suit against PeaceHealth is "a day late and a dollar short." Make that 908 days late and better than $20 million short, give or take a few million.
Roll the tape back to May 30, 2002. Two federal judges, one an expert in mediation, spent two full days trying to persuade executives from McKen- zie-Willamette and Sacred Heart Medical Center to settle their differences and avoid a costly, divisive trial. U.S. Magistrate Thomas Coffin ordered both sides to bring their big guns to the table, the people with the authority to immediately approve a settlement.
Coffin required each side to write confidential letters to him outlining two settlement proposals: one that they believed was the most fair, and one that they would have been willing to accept to resolve the issue and avoid the expense of litigation. Then Coffin and U.S. District Judge Ann Aiken did their best to bring the two sides together.
It's hard to believe that the brain trust engaged in those 2002 negotiations failed to consider the common-sense settlement that emerged last week enabling McKenzie-Willamette to join PeaceHealth as a provider in Regence BlueCross/Blue Shield's Preferred Provider Plan. What else was in those confidential 2 1/2 -year-old letters that derailed a deal? (more...)
Health Care
Ann Penny -- Many helpful hands give White Bird clinic its wings
By Ann Penny
The Register-Guard | November 25, 2004 |
It is that time of year when we should give thanks, and I find I have a great need to do this on behalf of White Bird Medical Clinic.
The clinic serves people who are homeless, poor and uninsured. It tries to provide a professional and comprehensive level of care to anyone in need. But it has been a difficult year in many respects; we are overwhelmed, and our resources are seriously stretched. To keep our doors open, we rely heavily on the generosity of others.
The Eugene Emergency Physicians group sends volunteer doctors to take some of the load off of our staff practitioner. When we have an extra doctor in the house, we can schedule more patients and access more outside resources. These doctors have been a blessing for some of our more complicated clients, as well as a great asset to our clinic.
Our other doctors, nurses and nurse practitioners have regular volunteer days with us and have become part of our White Bird family. They are amazing. Many medical professionals think true service to the needy involves a plane ticket to distant locale, when they actually need travel no farther than the alleyway behind their house. (more...)
Urologists develop one-stop clinic
By Tim Christie
The Register-Guard | November 26, 2004 |
Local urologists have banded together to establish the Oregon Urology Institute to provide comprehensive care at a single clinic.
The 12 urologists in Oregon Urology Specialists and Urology Healthcare, as well as the Oregon SurgiCenter, are jointly operating the new facility but will remain separate practices, said Dr. Olof Sohlberg of Urology Healthcare. (more...)
Health Plan's poorest may receive help
The Emergency Board will vote on dropping some premiums, designed to cut participation
By Don Colburn
The Oregonian | November 17, 2004 |
Health officials on Tuesday asked the Legislature for a go-ahead to stop making the state's poorest residents pay premiums for Oregon Health Plan coverage.
The issue goes before the legislative Emergency Board on Thursday.
The change would reverse a 20-month-old policy. The state imposed premiums of $6 to $20 a month last year for coverage under OHP Standard, which handles single adults and couples with incomes below the federal poverty line. Enrollment plummeted from nearly 100,000 to a little more than 50,000.
Falling enrollment is a mixed blessing: It helps the Oregon Health Plan keep within a tightening budget, but it also cuts off the state's poorest residents from health care coverage. (more...)
Letter -- Malpractice system is broken
By Caroline Forell, Eugene
The Register-Guard | November 26, 2004 |
The headline, "Malpractice caps won't fix problem," on William Brody's Nov. 21 Commentary article echoes what I teach law students in torts. It also echoes Oregon voters' recent rejection of limits on damages in medical malpractice lawsuits.
What Brody failed to note is that caps are the cruelest way to unsuccessfully attack the broken medical justice system: They only limit the recoveries of the most seriously injured. Caps mean that patients with devastating injuries get the smallest percentage of their desperately needed damages awards.
Brody is president of Johns Hopkins University. He notes that nine out of 10 victims of medical malpractice go uncompensated but fails to mention the raw numbers of injured patients.
According to the Healthgrades 2004 study, an average of 195,000 Americans died due to in-hospital errors each year from 2000 through 2002. Extrapolating from this, the number of patients seriously injured due to medical errors is mind-boggling.
Brody concludes that torts lawyers are the only persons benefiting from the current, admittedly broken medical malpractice system. What about the medical practitioners who negligently injure the nine out of 10 patients who go uncompensated?
I advocate junking the entire malpractice system and going to a no-fault medical injury plan comparable to workers' compensation. Until this kind of radical change occurs, the current system without caps assures that at least some negligently injured patients receive compensation.
Nearby Developments
Trouble in paradise? Business owners say city not so friendly
By Ben Raymond Lode
The Springfield News | November 24, 2004 |
The future for business in Springfield looks bright -- for big businesses.
A new $380 million PeaceHealth regional medical facility is expected to pop up in the Gateway area in a few years.
Glenwood could also be getting a facelift soon, as voters recently approved moving forward with the Glenwood urban renewal district.
And then there's the recent announcement that Royal Caribbean Cruise Ltd. has chosen Sports Way in the Gateway area for their new $60 million call center.
So it's hard to argue that the future isn't looking bright for business in Springfield.
Just not for those who run a small business in downtown Springfield.
Empty storefronts and run-down properties intermingled with trashy strip joints, porn shops, bars and taverns add up to an environment that many store owners would hesitate to call "business-friendly" in many parts of downtown.
For those who have been there for a while -- or those brave enough to have opened up a business downtown in recent years -- the situation seems less than ideal.
And some of the business owners are openly critical of the way a city starved for business and development is conducting itself by not doing more to create a downtown better suited for serious small businesses. (more...)
Slant: Does Mayor Torrey think Eugene is business friendly?
| Eugene Weekly | November 25, 2004 |
Mayor Torrey is always talking about how Eugene needs to grow and prosper, and his voting record consistently favors development, but is he actually giving Eugene a bad reputation nationwide by criticizing our planning process? Torrey is quoted in an article in the October Planning magazine by R-G reporter Scott Maben saying, "We are harder to do business with than a lot of other communities. É We don't roll out the red carpet for anything that comes down the line. We don't allow all of our open space to be used up for development." It's a peculiar mixed message for the mayor to send out to 30,000 members of the American Planning Association. If Torrey really wants Eugene to attract new investment, he shouldn't be bad-mouthing our planning process. Instead he should be touting the city as a great place to do business, which it is. The story is in the archives at www.planning.org
City talks about Glenwood plan
| The Springfield News | November 26, 2004 |
Roughly 30 community members attended a Glenwood Urban Renewal Plan informational meeting held on Monday from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Community members filtered in and out of the four-hour informational session, which was held after Glenwood community members expressed concerns about the plan before the Springfield City Council last week.
Much of the initial discussion centered on the possibility of eminent domain ("condemnation") being used to clear land for development, with many mobile home owners questioning what will happen if development occurs in their neighborhoods.
City officials said they hope to get information on manufactured and mobile home owners' rights for the next informational meeting, scheduled for 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., Thursday, Dec. 2 at the Lane Transit District Board Room, 3500 E. 17th Ave.
The second meeting will also be a drop-in meeting for questions and answers related to the Glenwood Urban Renewal Plan, the financing methods, possible projects, possible impact on businesses and residential areas in Glenwood and the timing of when some of the projects may occur.
Any questions regarding the meetings can be directed to John Tamulonis at 726-3656.
Panel buoys cruise line's road request
By Sherri Buri McDonald
The Register-Guard | November 24, 2004 |
SPRINGFIELD -- The Springfield Planning Commission on Tuesday unanimously endorsed Royal Caribbean's request to vacate -- or eliminate as a public road -- a stretch of Sports Way that divides the Gateway area site where the cruise line plans to build a $60 million customer service center.
The 435-foot section of road must be vacated before the Miami-based cruise line can break ground on a 180,000-square-foot call center that the company hopes to open next fall. The center would initially employ 250, and could grow to 1,000 employees by 2009, company officials have said.
Next, Royal Caribbean's request -- with the planning commission's recommendation to approve -- will go to the City Council on Dec. 6.
The request is on the fast track because Royal Caribbean is eager to break ground in January. (more...)
Planning commission clears way for cruise line
By Amber Fossen
The Springfield News | November 26, 2004 |
On Tuesday, the Springfield Planning Commission unanimously approved vacating a 435-foot section of Sports Way to allow Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. to develop its new $60 million West Coast service center in the Gateway area.
The commission's decision will be forwarded to the Springfield City Council for consideration on Dec. 6. A public hearing is also scheduled.
Royal Caribbean sought an expedited vacation of the public road to start developing the 23-acre site, which is bisected by Sports Way. The company hopes to break ground on its new 180,000-square-foot center by January. Establishing a call center here will mean a boost in the job market by 250 positions next fall, with up to 1,000 jobs in the next four to five years. Royal Caribbean officials project the payroll at $26 million annually once it's fully staffed.
Royal Caribbean submitted an application to vacate the road on Oct. 22. (more...)
Plans to proceed for building new police station
| The Register-Guard | November 23, 2004 |
The Eugene City Council on Monday, heeding the advice of the city manager, decided to keep pressing forward with the planning of a future police station and city hall.
Councilors on a 7-1 vote approved City Manager Dennis Taylor's recommendation to set aside $15.4 million in a designated building fund in anticipation of constructing a new police station.
Councilors also expressed support for Taylor to develop a master plan for a new city hall, but want to see more details before they approve money for that.
Even though voters on Nov. 2 rejected a police station-related bond issue, Taylor urged councilors to keep the planning process moving so police eventually can move out of pillar-supported City Hall, which officials fear is particularly vulnerable to an earthquake.
The council's action doesn't mean a police station will be constructed soon, just that the money -- part of the estimated $28 million price tag for a new station -- will be set aside for that purpose. The next council and mayor will continue to wrestle with the questions of what will be built, where and when.
In spite of the unanswered questions, only Councilor Betty Taylor voted against the city manager's proposal. (more...)
City Council approves housing ordinance
By Meghann Cuniff, News Reporter
Oregon Daily Emerald | November 23, 2004 |
After years of debate between area landlords, renters and City Councilors, Eugene finally has enforceable housing standards.
The Eugene City Council approved the housing standards ordinance during a work session Monday evening after debate over the inclusion of several amendments.
The Eugene Citizens for Housing Standards formed last year to work with the city to draft a suitable housing standards ordinance. The City Council unanimously approved a motion to create the ordinance last May.
At a public hearing Nov. 8 many area landlords voiced concerns about justification for the ordinance and its unnecessary costs.
All Councilors supported the housing standards ordinance, but many were concerned that the fee landlords have to pay is too high. (more...)
Team targets downtown safety
By Edward Russo
The Register-Guard | November 28, 2004 |
Downtown Eugene can be thought of as the city's living room, and more can be done to make it inviting to residents.
That's the conclusion of a citizens committee that recently came up with ideas to improve the safety of residents downtown, as well as perceptions about safety.
The 13-member "Action Plan Team" organized by the Eugene Police Commission said that in spite of downtown revitalization and a new focus on promoting the core as an arts and entertainment center, "significant challenges exist" that are thwarting attempts to make downtown a thriving urban center. (more...)
Coburg power plant issue goes before public
By Joe Harwood
The Register-Guard | November 22, 2004 |
Lane County commissioners will hold a public hearing tonight on a controversial power plant proposed on farmland two miles north of Coburg.
The evening hearing will have limited scope. Commission members will take testimony only on the land use rules state officials will use to approve or deny the project.
The county officials will use public comment from the hearing to develop a list of criteria for the state to consider in its decision. (more...)
Power plant's danger to farms cited at hearing
By Joe Harwood
The Register-Guard | November 23, 2004 |
With state law against them at nearly every turn, opponents of a 900-megawatt power-generating facility north of Coburg used the few avenues to relief available to them Monday night by focusing on the plant's impact on high-value farmland.
A public hearing called by the Lane County Board of Commissioners over the controversial West Cascade Energy LLC natural gas-fired power plant drew more than three dozen opponents and no supporters. (more...)
Transportation
Courthouse Roads Money
EUGENE -- Five million dollars in federal funding is on it's way for street improvements in downtown Eugene. It's all part of the revitalization effort around the new federal courthouse.
Officials with the general services administration say the courthouse construction is now about 15% complete. And with this money dedicated to build the roads, local back-up plan dollars can pay for further progress in the area. (more...)
Area projects get $51 million boost
By Jeff Wright
The Register-Guard | November 23, 2004 |
A $5 million federal appropriation for street improvements around the new U.S. federal courthouse means that the city can save urban renewal funds for other development priorities, Eugene Mayor Jim Torrey said Monday.
The courthouse is the big-ticket item among local projects funded in an omnibus spending bill passed by Congress over the weekend. There's also $4 million headed to Lane Transit District to buy five buses for its planned rapid-transit corridor between Eugene and Springfield, and $1.25 million for the Eugene Airport. (more...)
Editorial -- A sorry spending bill: Tax cuts force cuts to essential programs
| The Register-Guard | November 26, 2004 |
Quick quiz: The $388 billion omnibus spending bill approved last weekend by Congress is:
A) A shamefully wasteful measure that includes nearly 12,000 pork-barrel projects nationwide ranging from a mariachi music research project in Arizona to the Audie Murphy/American Cotton Museum in Texas.
B) A much-needed spending bill that contains federal funding for a long list of critically important Lane County and Oregon projects, including a $5 million appropriation for street improvements around the new federal courthouse in Eugene and $6.1 million for dredging the Port of Coos Bay.
C) An appallingly tightfisted measure that underfunds vital domestic programs ranging from Pell Grants that provide tuition assistance to needy college students to conservation programs that help farmers protect soil and water.
D) All of the above.
If you picked "D," you guessed correctly. The final spending bill of the year is all of these things, which explains why members of the 108th Congress aren't knocking each other over to claim credit for the overall bill but are quite happy to boast about federally funded projects that are headed to their states. (more...)
Ron Farmer -- Chamber conditionally supports local gas tax
By Ron Farmer
The Register-Guard | November 22, 2004 |
The Eugene City Council is thinking about increasing its motor vehicle fuel tax to pay for the city's $94 million backlog in street maintenance and repair. Which just makes you wonder: How on Earth did the city allow the problem to grow so big?
Answering that question is made all the more difficult when people see the city spending its transportation money on traffic-calming projects such as those along Polk Street and 24th Avenue, or landscaping and urban forestry. And then there are costly design and construction standards that produce a street such as Ayres Road, which nobody seems to like.
The sad fact is that for many years, the city of Eugene has simply not made actual street maintenance a priority. It has been unwilling to commit or reallocate existing funds to the maintenance backlog. Without that prioritization or commitment, we are left with only two difficult options: We can do nothing and watch our streets deteriorate further while the cost to fix them keeps growing, or we can impose new fees or taxes with no assurance that the city will spend all the money collected on the curb-to-curb maintenance that is needed.
The Eugene Area Chamber of Commerce could argue that the city should not ask the public for additional money to fix the problem that it caused by ignoring street maintenance needs. Unfortunately, we cannot turn our back on important city infrastructure.
There is just too much at stake. (more...)
State drops bid for freight route
By Amber Fossen
The Springfield News | November 24, 2004 |
Communities along the scenic McKenzie Highway have learned their highway will no longer be considered for a designated freight route.
The Oregon Department of Transportation has decided to pull Highway 126, from Springfield to just south of Santiam Pass, off a list of proposed inclusions to the State Freight Route System.
The announcement came last Friday, following a massive grassroots effort by community members along the McKenzie Highway to derail ODOT's proposed plan to include the scenic route. (more...)
Measure 37
City searching for ways to fund Measure 37: The approved initiative goes into action next week
By Amber Fossen
The Springfield News | November 24, 2004 |
The City of Springfield, and cities throughout the state, must figure out how to process and fund Ballot Measure 37 as the Dec. 2 effective date draws near.
On Monday, Springfield City Councilors reviewed a proposed ordinance to deal with putting voter-approved Ballot Measure 37 into action. The measure requires compensation payment to current owners of real property if government action reduces its value, under certain circumstances.
The city, instead of paying valid claims, can choose to remove or not apply the land use regulation identified as causing a property's value drop.
City staff members presented council members with a draft ordinance that requires property owners to submit a written "demand for compensation" with the city. The demand would require landowners to produce materials necessary for determining the validity of each claim.
City staff proposed charging applicants a base fee on all demands, with fees from valid claims to be reimbursed. Additional fees would be imposed for the time and personnel costs the city would incur from processing and assisting property owners with written demands. (more...)
New rule makes landowners pay to process claim
By Edward Russo
The Register-Guard | November 25, 2004 |
Property owners who want the city to compensate them for decreased land values will have to pay up to get the ball rolling under rules the Eugene City Council approved Wednesday to comply with Measure 37.
Measure 37, passed by voters Nov. 2, requires governments to pay landowners if zoning or other land use regulations lessen a property's market value. The measure also allows governments to waive land use rules.
The City Council voted unanimously to require those who file a claim with the city to deposit $1,500 up front and to be prepared to pay up to $7,500 to cover processing fees.
One of the more hotly debated statewide initiatives, the measure becomes law Dec. 2. Claims can be filed after that.
Observers expect that many claims will occur in rural areas, where land use laws passed in the past 30 years restrict building on farm and forestland. (more...)
City officials prepare for small parcel of landowner compensation claims
By Joe Harwood
The Register-Guard | November 28, 2004 |
Although Measure 37 doesn't take effect until Thursday, officials across Oregon already have been fielding calls from citizens interested in filing claims under the new landowner compensation law. (more...)
Letter -- Measure 37 needs amending
By Nancy Nichols, Deadwood
The Register-Guard | November 28, 2004 |
Some real problems were corrected by the passage of Measure 37. Unfortunately, this measure has created very serious new problems. Our legislature should work quickly to solve them.
Safeguards need to be created so neighbors are notified when someone uses the new law to apply for a permit. Anyone affected should have the right to present information on the true reduction in value and to step in with compensation if the local government chooses not to. It might not be worth a penny to Lane County to prevent a racetrack or rifle range, but it would be worth something to all the neighbors who would be affected by the noise and traffic.
Notification needs to be broad. Development can affect neighbors through noise, heavy traffic on a one-lane road, loss of on-street parking, blocking the sun and many other things. All landowners who might be affected should be notified.
There is nothing in this measure to preserve the land values of folks who paid top dollar for quiet enjoyment of their homes. Something needs to be done about this flaw.
The person who paid $500 for a lot in 1950 should not be able to ruin the values of the neighbors who paid $50,000 in 2000.
Property Rights Law May Alter Oregon Landscape
By Felicity Barringer
The New York Times | November 26, 2004 |
PORTLAND, Ore., Nov. 20 -- Over the past three decades, Oregon has earned a reputation for having the most restrictive land-use rules in the nation. Housing was grouped in and near the cities, while vast parcels of farmland and forests were untouched by so much as a suburban cul-de-sac.
Environmentalists and advocates for "smart growth" cheered the ever-growing list of rules as visionary, while some landowners, timber companies and political allies cried foul.
But in a matter of days, the landowners will get a chance to turn the tables. Under a ballot measure approved on Nov. 2, property owners who can prove that environmental or zoning rules have hurt their investments can force the government to compensate them for the losses -- or get an exemption from the rules. (more...)
Defenses aimed at Measure 37
Cities and counties start setting fees and other limits for land-use appeals, rousing critics who say governments are thwarting the intent of voters
By Laura Oppenheimer
The Oregonian | November 28, 2004 |
Oregon landowners may face a high price of admission Thursday when they start testing Measure 37, the state's new property-rights law.
Asking to be excused from land-use rules or paid to follow them could cost at least $1,500 and require an inches-thick application form. Not all cities and counties are taking those tacks, but consider: Cities ranging from Bend to Canby will allow neighbors to sue landowners who use the measure to change their property. Eugene will consider development allowed by waivers a nuisance after property changes hands, meaning it would have to be removed. Multnomah County proposes forcing owners to have a development application rejected, costing as much as several thousand dollars, before they could make certain Measure 37 claims.
Cities and counties putting the measure in place say strict standards will protect them from lawsuits and financial disaster. But proponents of the measure, which promises relief when planning decisions hurt land value, say local governments are undermining voters' intent.
This contentious start means Oregon's latest land-use experiment will wind up in court, where it probably will be decided piecemeal over at least the next year.
Legal skirmishes will be worth it if they establish early on how far cities have to bend to carry out the measure fairly, said Eugene Mayor Jim Torrey, who has presided over the city's hotly contested plan. The city needs to keep its commitment to planning, he said. (more...)
Floyd J. McKay -- Voters decide to rewrite The Oregon Story
By Floyd J. McKay
Special to The Seattle Times | November 24, 2004 |
We walked Oregon's magnificent beaches on the weekend after the election, a wonderful way to clear one's mind and to celebrate democracy.
Oregon's beaches are democratic because on these wonderful stretches of sand, all are equal, from the Portland professionals in pricey condos to the families with kids and dogs who just poured out of an old car.
The beaches belong to all. It could have gone either way in the '60s. Some property owners tried to fence off the sands that Oregonians had always thought were public. We kept the beaches open.
They are one of the great legacies of The Oregon Story, the 12-year governorships of Tom McCall and Bob Straub, from 1967 to 1979. But as I walked, I wondered if the time is coming when the beaches will be all that remains of that glorious era.
On Election Day, Oregonians by a 60-percent vote drove a spike into another landmark of The Oregon Story. Measure 37 did not repeal but may have mortally wounded Oregon's strong land-use-planning system.
Developers and realtors have been after the land-use law since it was passed in 1973. It was McCall's most precious legacy. In 1982, when opponents threatened to overthrow it, he mounted a successful defense, although he was dying of cancer at the time.
For three decades, the land-use laws have prevented the paving over of valuable farmland, and a plethora of strip malls and other ugly sprawl.
The law's sponsors included a flinty Albany farmer, Hector McPherson, and an acerbic Portlander, Ted Hallock; both were senators, one Republican and the other Democrat. In 2004, a similar alliance of Portland liberals and downstate farm groups fought to save land-use planning. The conservative Oregon Farm Bureau joined environmental groups such as 1000 Friends of Oregon. (more...)
Heather Henderson -- Oregon, My Oregon? Passage of Measure 37 threatens to unravel 30 years of pioneering planning
By Heather Henderson
The Register-Guard | November 28, 2004 |
There's something about our state that many of us, I fear, have forgotten: Oregon didn't just happen. The Oregon that delights tourists, the Oregon in which we enjoy living and playing, is the result of three decades of pioneering land use legislation.
Because of the work of visionary governors, planners and, yes, voters, Oregon is ours in which to hike, drive, swim, take photographs, canoe, hunt, go off-roading, boat, camp, backpack, comb beaches, snowmobile, ski and fish. (more...)
Dave Hunnicutt -- Sky is not falling under Measure 37
| The Oregonian | November 24, 2004 |
Nearly 61 percent of Oregon voters supported Measure 37. But for a poorly drafted and confusing ballot title prepared by opponents of the measure, the "yes" vote would have been even higher.
But opponents of the measure still don't get it. Measure 37 is not about destroying Oregon's land-use system. These claims by The Oregonian's editorial board and other opponents are unfounded.
These sky-is-falling arguments assume that land-use planning will simply cease to exist if state and local governments -- instead of an individual property owner stuck with a new regulation -- are required to pay for what they take.
But reality is already proving this argument wrong. As a result of Measure 37, the Metro Council is now in the process of changing its entire strategy for the protection of wildlife habitat and riparian areas in Multnomah, Washington and Clackamas counties.
Instead of adopting draconian regulations to take away property owners' rights, Metro is now engaged in a study to determine how to achieve their objectives through owner incentives and education efforts, not the iron fist of regulation. Planning and fair treatment -- what a concept.
Nor should Measure 37 be viewed strictly as a compensation measure, as The Oregonian's editorial board and Gov. Ted Kulongoski have suggested. As the text of the measure, its ballot title and the arguments during the campaign made clear, Measure 37 does not require any compensation if state and local governments simply restore the rights they have taken away.
It is reasonable to assume that there will be some instances in which the state or a local government will choose to compensate a property owner rather than give back the right to use of the land that the owner had when he purchased it. That's fine and highlights the need for a source of money for such compensation.
But there will be many more instances in which the state or a local government will simply choose to restore the rights that the property owner paid for.
For example, how about giving back a family's right to build a home on the 20 acres that they bought in 1992? Or giving the owner of 25 rural acres of land near Portland the right to divide her property into six parcels? Or giving a business owner the right to add on to his store?
This won't cost government anything or hurt our planning system. In fact, it will generate more tax revenue for state and local government because of the increased property values that ensue when development occurs.
Since there will be some instances under Measure 37 where compensation is appropriate, and others where people should simply be allowed to use their land, why don't we create a compensation fund that provides for both situations?
When property owners are given the right to use their land, the value of their land rises. When the value of their land rises because of new development, the property owner pays more in property and capital gains taxes.
Why can't we take a portion of the new money created by letting property owners use their land under Measure 37, put that money in a compensation fund and use it to compensate other property owners in those cases where the need to take their rights outweighs their right to use their land?
This is the kind of idea that will ensure that Measure 37 is carried out in accordance with the vote that just took place and that will create a more balanced and equitable planning system.
Dave Hunnicutt is executive director of Oregonians in Action, a sponsor of Measure 37.
Radio host Larson claims Measure 37 solution
{publsiher}The (Roseburg) News-Review
Radio talk show host Lars Larson offered a suggestion Thursday on how Douglas County should respond to Measure 37, the statewide property rights initiative passed by voters earlier this month.
The Board of Commissioners should declare that property owners will be able to use their properties as they see fit and then revalue properties accordingly, Larson said during a speech at Umpqua Community College. With higher valuations would come higher property tax revenues, he said. (more...)
Council refines Measure 37 process
The Beaverton City Council gets rid of a provision to charge the city's attorney fees to property owners whose claims are denied
By David R. Anderson
The Oregonian | November 24, 2004 |
BEAVERTON -- The City Council has adjusted the ordinance governing Measure 37 claims, eliminating a controversial provision to charge the city's attorney fees to property owners whose claims are denied.
The council also set an application fee that starts at $1,000.
A key proponent of the property rights measure warned that the final version, which also allows neighbors to sue each other, would result in property owners ignoring the city process and taking their claims to state court at the first opportunity. (more...)
Estacada will meet to set Measure 37 rules
| The Oregonian | November 24, 2004 |
ESTACADA -- The Estacada City Council will convene a special meeting Monday to establish procedures for landowners to make claims under Measure 37, a statewide property-rights initiative voters passed Nov. 2.
The meeting will be at 6 p.m. in City Hall, 475 S.E. Main St.
Measure 37 allows owners to apply for relief from land-use rules created since their family acquired a property. If they show the value has been harmed, the government responsible for the rule must waive the rule or pay for the loss of value. The law goes into effect and property owners will be able to file claims beginning Dec. 2.
Backers of the measure said it will provide redress for landowners who lose property value to zoning restrictions. Opponents said there is little public money to pay such claims and that the measure amounts to an end-run of Oregon's land-use laws.
Estacada City Attorney Andrew Cole told the council this week that no matter what anyone thinks of the new law, the city needs to have a procedure in place to deal with claims. (more...)
Other
Letter -- Burge insulted city employees
By Rick A. Lewis, Springfield
The Register-Guard | November 28, 2004 |
In reply to Stu Burge's Nov. 5 letter, "Springfield employees overpaid": What a pompous, insulting letter that was.
How arrogant of Burge to imply that Springfield citizens are TV-watching village idiots, and how incredibly hypocritical that Burge, of all people, would complain of high wages.
Burge attacked dedicated, hard-working employees who are providing exceptional services that require great efforts to keep the city functioning at the high levels citizens expect and enjoy.
Additionally, Burge attacked department heads about where they live, as if that negatively affects their ability to provide exceptional service.
Local governments are plagued with financial shortfalls because of tax measures put in place over the past 15 years that severely limit government's ability to collect taxes. Meanwhile, needs for services continue to increase.
Shame on Burge for trying to spin that. Perhaps if he watched more TV, Burge would have noticed Oregon is in the lower half of the nation for the taxes citizens pay, and Springfield citizens pay less than many cities.
The pay Burge listed is not the "average," and he knows it. Salaries are right in line or less than other municipal and private sector jobs requiring high levels of specialized training, responsibility and expertise.
The "average" Springfield city employee is a highly qualified, educated and dedicated worker.
Perhaps three terms on the City Council were too many if Burge left with this type of negativity.
Bleak budget forces Coburg to make cuts
By Karen McCowan
The Register-Guard | November 24, 2004 |
COBURG -- Layoffs, across-the-board salary cuts and elimination of entire city departments are among the grim options for city officials here seeking to close a quarter-million-dollar gap between revenue and expenses. (more...)
David S. Broder -- Germinator: Schwarzenegger's California Blooming
By David S. Broder
The Washington Post | November 18, 2004; Page A39 |
MONTEREY, Calif. -- A year after he took office, following the voters' recall of Democratic Gov. Gray Davis, Arnold Schwarzenegger is riding high in California. A recent Los Angeles Times poll put his job approval rating at 66 percent, and his efforts to break through the political paralysis that had contributed to a serious fiscal crisis in state government have won commendation across the spectrum.
Among those who praise the efforts of the movie-hero-turned-Republican-politician is Leon Panetta, the former California Democratic congressman and Clinton White House chief of staff. With his wife, Sylvia, he now runs an Institute for Public Policy here, whose chosen mission is to convince promising college students that politics can be a means of solving problems -- not just of scoring wins and humiliating opponents.
The other night, after a banquet at which the Panetta Institute honored two senators who often rise above partisanship, retiring Democrat John Breaux of Louisiana and Republican Olympia Snowe of Maine, Panetta talked about Schwarzenegger's first year in Sacramento. (more...)