Dump financing debated
By LESLIE FARRIS
Of the Emerald
When it comes to financing
garbage dumps, a user-fee sys
tem is better than a
tax-supported system, Lane
County Commissioners agreed
Wednesday.
However, the board could not
agree on whether the commis
sioners or the public should
decide how to finance the
county’s solid-waste program.
So after a two-hour public hear
ing — and the testimony of 17
people in favor of user fees —
the commissioners voted 3-2 to
continue the discussion March
24.
The public forum was called
partly to review the user-fee
system, which was instituted
last July 1 after voters refused to
continue property-tax support
for the solid-waste program.
The fees generated so much
public protest that the commis
sioners announced last fall they
would schedule a vote in 1981.
Commissioner Otto t’Hooft
voted to postpone a decision
even though he favors user fees
because “a lot of people are
under the impression we re go
ing to have a vote on this issue.
and that’s why they’re not here
tonight. I think the public ought
to be given a chance to vote, at
least so they don’t see the
county renege on a promise.’’
But commissioners Jerry Rust
and Scott Lieuallen voted
against postponing a decision
because they feel the commis
sion shouldn’t put a measure on
the ballot it doesn’t support.
They reminded the board of its
“no new taxes" policy and ar
gued that the fee system has
gained wide support since its
inception.
“The situation has changed
substantially since last fall,”
Lieuallen said. “The fiscal posi
tion of Lane County is demon
strably worse. The fee system
apparently has gained a lot of
credibility — it’s cheaper,
smarter and more efficient over
the long run.
“I think it’s important we not
be sticking things on the ballot
every time something comes
up.”
Commissioner Harold Ruth
erford said he too supports user
fees but observed that most of
those who testified were either
‘‘professional’’ recyclers or
commercial garbage haulers
who make more money under a
IFC gives drug center
$4,000 emergency aid
Despite some doubts, the In
cidental Fee Committee granted
an emergency increase of
$4,000 to the Drug Information
Center’s 1980-81 budget Wed
nesday night
The increase raised the DIC’s
budget to $17,903.
Center director Mark Miller
said the IFC is providing only 25
percent of the DIC’s funding,
but the center provides 40 per
cent of its services to University
students.
However, some committee
members voiced concerns that
the IFC already gives too much
to the center.
‘‘I don’t see the end of his
budget requests,” committee
member Richard Sontag said.
Sontag is concerned that the
IFC will be asked to pay more of
the center’s bill as its sources of
funding "dry up” in the future.
After the heated discussion,
Miller said, “They're tired of
seeing us. This goes against the
grain of everything they’re try
ing to do."
The IFC earlier approved a
$5,000 increase for the DIC.
The IFC also cut next year’s
IFC’s budget by $4,000.
However, concerned about
the committee’s workload, the
committee authorized the hiring
of four administrative assistants
to aid members while they
review program budgets.
Next year's IFC chairer’s
stipend was increased to
$1,512. Committee chairer Jon
Neiderbach, who will leave of
t. —
fice after spring term, said the
increase would make the
chairer’s stipend commensur
ate with the ASUO vice pres
idents' stipends.
In other business, the IFC
granted the Chinese Student
Association approximately
$4,000 to the Drug Information
ization provides orientation ac
tivities and sponsors a
statewide conference for Chin
ese students. For the general
student body, the group spon
sors a Chinese New Year ban
quet and a Chinese Cultural
Week.
The University Food Op
received a $995 loan to pur
chase an electronic digital
read-out scale. The loan will be
paid back over a 30-month per
iod beginning in October. The
inaccuracy of the scale cur
rently used by the Food Op is
the major reason the program’s
operation costs exceed its
receipts, program director Ken
Packman said.
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user-fee system.
“If you want to know the true
feeling of the fee system, go to
the dumps and ask people,'.’
Rutherford said "I haven’t
heard one of my constituents
say ‘hey, I really appreciate this
fee system.’ ”
Those testifying argued that a
user-fee system is more equita
ble than a tax-supported system
because it forces people to pay
for their own waste. Nancy
Quinn of Cottage Grove said
people should pay for what they
waste.
“Up to 75 percent of that so
called garbage isn’t garbage at
all,” she said. “The user fee
encourages recycling. It's time
people realized we can no
longer afford not to recycle.”
Ken Sandusky, director of
BRING recycling, said his or
ganization has had a 43 percent
increase in recyclables — large
ly because of the user fees. He
said that equals 1,080 tons of
recyclables, which saves about
5 million gallons of gasoline.
Bob Fenstermacher, general
manager of Sani-Pac Oregon,
Ltd. and chairman of the coun
ty’s Resource Recovery Advi
sory Committee, said his com
mittee strongly recommends
continuation of user fees.
“It gives the public realization
of the actual cost of disposal, it
increases recycling, it promotes
fuel conservation and it reduces
garbage," Fenstermacher said
He also recommended clos
ing six of the county’s rural
transfer sites, which would save
the county approximately
$100,000 annually.
But t’Hooft said he fears that
reducing transfer sites may en
courage illegal dumping
“I feel like I’m the dumping
ground for Lane County, and I
think a lot of other rural folks
feel the same way."
Roger Emmons, executive
director of the Oregon Sanitary
Service Institute, said illegal
dumping is a problem in all
counties, regardless of the
number of dumps.
r
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Planned bike path
stirs controversy
By RICHARD WAGONER
Of the Emerald
A controversial proposed bike path connecting Spyglass
Drive and Greenview Street has drawn public criticism from
local residents fearing increased bike and pedestrian traffic.
To help sort out the complaints, the Eugene City Council
decided Wednesday to hold a public hearing on the project at
its April 27 meeting.
The proposed 10-foot wide path would cross a 180-foot
lot between the two streets. Until last summer, bicyclists and
pedestrians could cross the then-vacant lot between the two
streets, but a house was built on the lot several months ago —
blocking the access.
The path was added to the Eugene Bicycle Master Plan
during the 1979 review, but money budgeted for its con
struction this year was cut because of lack of funds.
City officials told the council that two private citizens
offered to donate $20,000 to help purchase the right of way
and build the path — a project estimated at $37,500 The
remaining costs would be included in the 1981-82 bicycle
committee budget request.
The council has received two petitions on the project —
one containing 36 signatures and the $20,000 commitment
supporting construction and another containing 452 signa
tures condemning the connector.
Some council members were concerned that a public
hearing held before the city committed itself to the project
would cause even more undue controversy.
"If the project isn’t going to be funded then we don’t have
a controversy,” said Councilor Brian Obie. ‘‘The logical place
to determine (if the path will be built) is in the bikeways plan
and that would be at the planning commission ”
Obie recommended either delaying the decision until
officials begin next year’s budget process or referring the
matter to the planning commission.
But City Manager Mike Gleason told the council that if it
delayed the decision further, the $20,000 donation could be
lost.
In other business, the council agreed to discontinue
downtown bus shuttle service at the end of March.
The Downtown Development Board operates the shuttle
service to help ease parking problems in the downtown area.
The board earlier had said it would discontinue the
service if daily ridership dropped below 100. Ridership for
February averaged only 85.
Gleason told the board that the shuttle brought in only
$784 last month, while Dorsey Transportation charged $4,100
for the service.
A new park-and-ride program implemented last month
will provide a similar service for some riders using the shuttle,
Gleason said.
The program has designated 20 church parking lots
around the city as park-and-ride lots where drivers can leave
their cars and either carpool or catch a bus downtown
1