[NLC] Neighborhood "empowerment" and EE

[Paul Conte]

January 7, 2011

Hi Michael,

Please consider this a formal request on behalf of the Jefferson 
Westside Neighbors.

As you'll be aware, the City Manager has established a schedule in 
which, as he calls them, major "deal points" for Envision Eugene will 
be decided by City Council at a work session on February 28. (Note 
that public comment is not allowed at work sessions.)

A "public hearing" on the CM's recommendations to Council is 
scheduled for February 22.

According to the CM, a first draft of the recommendations will be 
presented to the EE Community Resource Group before the CRG's 
February 1 meeting. If past history is any guide, the information 
will be distributed just a few days prior to the CRG meeting.

The JWN Executive Board meets next week, and the JWN General Meeting 
is February 8, which means the board is very unlikely to have a 
chance to consider the draft EE recommendations prior to our general 
meeting. It also will be very difficult to prepare for a 
well-informed discussion of these important issues in the short time 
prior to the general meeting. Obviously, we also cannot include any 
information about the draft recommendations in a printed neighborhood 
newsletter mailed to all JWN members prior to the February 8 General Meeting.

Consequently, the EE schedule effectively precludes the JWN 
membership from any reasonable ability to take a well-informed, 
thoughtful position -- as a neighborhood association -- on these 
critical recommendations.

I believe most other neighborhood associations are in a similar or 
worse position.

I would like to request that you take this issue to the City Manager 
on behalf of neighborhood associations and advocate on our behalf for 
a public process that doesn't cut the City's chartered neighborhood 
associations out of this critical stage of Envision Eugene.

Please know that the JWN board and I are very appreciative of all the 
work and genuine support you and your Neighborhood Services staff 
provide our neighborhoods and volunteer neighborhood leaders.

Thank you and best regards,

Paul Conte, Chair
Jefferson Westside Neighbors
2010 Eugene Neighborhood of the Year 
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