City’s top legislative priority: $240M for airport

Presenter: The Eugene Airport will be the city’s top priority at the state legislature in 2027. The city’s lobbyists will ask the state to help close a funding gap that is approaching a quarter of a billion dollars. Sept. 2, at his final Intergovernmental Relations Committee meeting, IGR Manager Ethan Nelson:

Ethan Nelson (IGR, manager): This year, it’s going to be a long session, and we have a lot more time, more opportunity for policy issues and items to come on up.

And so we utilize past Council direction. We work with staff within the organization to identify what are the pressing needs, what are we hearing across the state. And in our work sessions, it’s really a mix of what city of Eugene, City Council direction is and interest is, what’s happening at the state level, what we have capacity for, what’s really being highlighted.

And then also this concept of ripeness, you know—what is going to be ready for us to take on at the legislature and things that might not be ready.

And so the top priority is: Secure state and federal funding for Eugene Airport expansion, part of the transportation infrastructure and thriving, livable community out of the Council strategic framework, and we would be requesting significant capital investment from the legislature during this next biennial budget.

And we will also be seeking federal pathways to increase direct funding or funding mechanisms, such as increasing the passenger facility charge through the FAA reauthorization process.

Our best understanding right now is that we have a gap and a need of about $240 million for both the enabling projects and completion of Concourse C. What portion of that, that the state would be able to provide in this next biennium, that’s a discussion next week during Legislative Days. 

Mayor (Kaarin) Knudson, myself, Brooke (Freed) and Zach Reeves, we’ve got meetings with all of our legislative leadership and also leadership on both House and the Senate in both parties to start having discussions about the airport as a major capital request that the city is going to go for, and really try to get a sense of what number is going to be realistic. 

And so knowing that $240 million is the gap and also knowing that $500 million is really what the lottery bond amount is available for that biennium, starting to just set the reality of what our request could look like.

So we’re in process of that. And I hope that by November when this goes to Council, there will be a specific number. 

So the second item is: Support full funding for the statewide shelter program. Again, this aligns with the Council’s strategic framework around housing and homelessness.

And we’re going to advocate for at least $200 million for the state and its SSP, the state shelter program for the 2027-29 biennium. The figure was set at $204 million last biennium. We know that the state is under severe general fund pressure related to federal tax issues and revenues.

And so we’re being mindful that, you know, probably in the $300-$400 million range would be what the state actually needs for shelter provision, but being realistic that at least $200 million is the bottom. 

And on that we have Mayor Knudson is going to be meeting with the House Housing Chair Pam Marsh, to have a conversation about this and also methodology for distribution of those dollars.

Expand eligibility of uses for state funding previously allocated to Clear Lake Road infrastructure. We have to go back and change the statute. 

There’s no opposition to this from anyone, either from the Speaker’s office, from Sen. (James) Manning’s office, either of those two officials or within Legislative Fiscal Office, the governor’s office, Business Oregon and DOJ. They just say, we’ve got to get it legally correct.

And so that’s what we’re working on right now. And the Speaker said, yeah, we’re going to incorporate it in these changes, into the early session budget balancing bill.

And so we have a pathway, we’re working through that and that’ll be a top priority for us to get that taken care of early in the session, so that Public Works can continue on the schedule that they have. If it gets delayed, it might postpone the construction for a year and also could potentially limit the scope of that project.

Presenter: Ethan said the city is also advocating for local funding authority in the transportation package. 

Ethan Nelson (IGR, manager): Last year, when the transportation package was getting put forward, there was an amended version that all of the funds for a marginal increase in gas tax are going to go to the state’s needs and not do the 50-30-20 (percent) split.

And states and counties said, ‘No, that’s not how this works.’ And so we will continue to have that position as any increases in gas tax or any new transportation-related revenues come online, that they maintain that 50-30-20 split so that local governments will be able to receive those revenues to support our transportation system needs.

Presenter: They will also be advocating for bills relating to behavioral health and about threats to public officials. 

Ethan Nelson (IGR, manager): As we get closer to October, we’ll have more definition on those. 

Under housing policy, we’re proposing state funding to support local government’s implementation of new state laws related to land use, housing supply, and/or urban infrastructure.

And so as we get mandates from the state related to any of these, we always want to ensure that the state puts some funding in to either provide for state staff to assist, or where we’ve been successful in the past is when they attach grant funding to. Then cities can apply for the grant funding to implement, and we’ve done that successfully.

When we were doing the middle housing code, we applied for money from the Department of Land Conservation (and Development) division that had grants, and we were able to hire external consultants to do a bunch of the technical work so that our staff didn’t have to take up staff time. 

So, really, we see that as a value that if there’s going to be mandates at the state level, then we want them to make sure that they attach money to it.

We talked about previously amendments to prevailing wage law to support affordable housing and clearly differentiate between direct project support and nearby infrastructure investment.

If affordable housing projects are prevailed, they have a detrimental impact on the city’s ability to maximize the creation of units, and so we want that to be taken into consideration. 

And then secondarily, we are really concerned about any infrastructure investment and that any parcels that are tapping into that infrastructure need to be prevailed.

And that has a chilling effect, I think, on the ability for local governments to invest in infrastructure and then really try to get development to come on in and to be able to utilize that investment for either affordable housing or for market rate or whatever it has kind of that wide variety of types of investments.

We’ve added back, Eugene supports enhancing the effectiveness of the state’s emergency communication system through an increase in the 911 tax. So again, it’s alignment with what LCS LLC is looking to do, a position that we’ve had in the past and we’ve advocated for when we did get an increase.

And then we’re putting that back on as to say something that we would want to work on and support.

Under economic development, we added one related to the airport. We said Eugene supports state and federal investment in airport infrastructure as a catalyst for regional economic development and business recruitment and job creation. 

The city recognizes Eugene airport expansion initiatives, including Lift-off Eugene, as critical to advancing long term economic growth and regional competitiveness.

So we really wanted to look at this as making sure that our airport expansion is not just a transportation related project, it is an economic development project.

Moving forward under public safety. We added one that says Eugene supports state and federal funding for technology and communications equipment, systems and infrastructure to support local and regional police, fire, and first responders’ priority needs. 

And so this is really a catch-all that we have direction then to go after federal and state funding for. You know, in the past, we’ve done dashcams and body cam replacement, Taser replacement for EPD.

We’re also looking at some needs that the public service answering point, the PSAP has related to their systems, their communication systems. And so we wanted to just have that as a catch-all to say when it’s appropriate, when it’s right, we will be going after these funds for regional communications and equipment.

Two other ones we’ve added: Eugene supports securing regional, state and federal funding to address the low-head dam on the Willamette River adjacent to the I-5 bridge. 

This is an item that’s come before Council before. We’re in the process of finalizing a feasibility study. And there’s a community interest in removal of the dam.

And so we, being very broad to say address because we don’t know if removal, we need to get the feasibility study done. But we want to be a regional partner to fund and seek funding regionally to address the item that members in the community are interested in. 

And then the last one: Eugene supports securing regional, state and federal funding for developing the Golden Gardens Park.

So we wanted to have that as something that we’re working on, and that’s it. Those are the changes that we are proposing. 

Presenter: Councilor Randy Groves:

Councilor Randy Groves: To get people from on the street to addressing their problems and getting them to be self-sufficient requires a number of different elements in the process. 

And one of them that we have going on right now in downtown Eugene—that’s being privately funded for now at least—is returning people that have come out of homelessness, out of houselessness and, you know, getting them into the workforce so that they can start building a resume that leads to other jobs down the road.

And so far, I’ve been very impressed with what we’ve been seeing. I’m seeing what it’s doing to the 22 people that are working in the program, doing for them and it’s doing good for our downtown as well. And it could work in other areas. It’s just an idea. I’ve gotten great feedback from the public.

But it’s really helping people stabilize their lives. And I mean, yes, we need shelter to get people off the street. Absolutely. But it can’t just stop there.

Presenter: At the close of his final IGR meeting, Ethan Nelson: 

Ethan Nelson (IGR, manager): It has been an honor and a privilege to serve the IGR Committee and in this role at the city for the 11 years that I have. And I very much appreciate all of the hard work that you bring in, your insight—

Former City Manager Jon Ruiz always said that the Eugene City Council represents the community like nobody’s business. And it’s really great to have elected officials that channel their constituents in such a meaningful way.

The big piece for me is that all of you have brought humanity and humility and passion to the work around policy. And that made my work and my job just really fundamentally a joy in my life, and sometimes frustrating, but always, yeah, at the end of the day, a very worthwhile endeavor.

And so I very much appreciate that and have enjoyed working with you all. Thanks.

Presenter: Councilor Randy Groves: 

Councilor Randy Groves: You’ve done a phenomenal job. You will be missed. And we appreciate everything that you have done and will continue to do until you punch out and, wishing you a long, happy, and healthy retirement and a retirement that you deserve. And please go enjoy yourself and don’t screw up your retirement… I want to see you with the ponytail and the growing beard.

Presenter: Councilor Greg Evans: 

Councilor Greg Evans: Ethan, I really appreciate the last 11 years that you’ve worked with us. And when I was chair and you helped me get through some things that were a little sticky and difficult. And, you know, the next time we see you, I owe you a drink, man.

Presenter: Eugene Mayor Kaarin Knudson: 

Kaarin Knudson (Eugene, mayor): I just wanted to appreciate Ethan for all the effort that goes into helping our city to effectively communicate our values and our priorities to our statewide elected partners. And there are many more irons in the fire and conversations underway, and complexities to conversations than most people have the bandwidth to process or have interest in.

We really appreciate all of your efforts and your dedication to this work and helping our community succeed. So, since this is our last official IGR meeting, I just wanted to reiterate my appreciation.

Presenter: With legislative committees meeting in Salem next week, the city will start making its case for a big investment in Eugene’s regional airport.