Protection of social services, sustainable economic growth and land use were among the talking points Wednesday at the second annual “Citizens’ State of the City Address,” an opportunity for locals to address issues not covered during the Mayor’s annual speech.
The Friends of Eugene and Citizens for Public Accountability sponsored the event, which featured five speakers and attracted about 90 people.
Former Oregon Legislator Kitty Piercy recognized the Eugene City Council for several accomplishments, including work on the living wage, but said it should now focus on education and social services that are being threatened by the flailing economy.
“It is important for our community leaders, in this time of state budgetary crisis, to take on a larger role,” she said. “While it is certainly worthwhile for them to spend time with our children and attending events in support of nonprofits, it is perhaps more important they be looking for ways to work with the state Legislature to develop a resolution to our state’s long-term funding problems.
“Not in every county in the state, as Mayor Torrey has suggested, but here in our backyard.”
Lisa Arkin, a former associate professor of performing arts, criticized what she called “unrestrained industrial and commercial growth” in Eugene.
“We need only look at the closure of HMT (Technology), the downsizing and economic woes of Symantec and Hyundai-Hynix for examples of businesses that fail to meet their stated employment goals,” she said.
Arkin recognized other businesses, such as Living Tree Paper Company, which uses renewable technologies, as examples of companies that provide profit, living wages and tax revenue for the city without depleting natural resources — all of which Arkin called “sustainable economic practices.”
“We would like to see our city officials recognize local businesses that have taken the responsibility to operate and prosper within a sustainability framework,” she said. “For example, why not reward business practices that are environmentally sensitive and tax those that harm human health and the natural resources of our city?”
Jan Spencer, a board member with the River Road Community Organization, talked about land use and transportation, calling for more residential rental and ownership opportunities in Downtown Eugene.
“Redeveloping Downtown will take pressure off the urban growth boundary and return much of Eugene’s center of gravity to where it belongs,” he said.
Spencer said areas in north and west Eugene expanding toward the urban growth boundary are expensive to develop, and added that systems development charges collected by the city do not cover the entire cost of new roads, schools, utilities and city services.
To remedy the problems of congestion and costly infrastructure, Spencer called for more compact and “mixed-use design,” which he said would cost less, make transit more convenient and create economic opportunities.
“Eugene has much to gain from a thoughtfully redesigned urban landscape, and the entire town needs to be involved in the venture,” he said.