WEP Blink Freeway boosters release some hostages, agree to negotiate. BY ALAN PITTMAN West Eugene Parkway (WEP) boosters blinked last week at a meeting of the Metropolitan Policy Committee. The WEP boosters had been in a tense hostage standoff with WEP opponents over the last two months. WEP boosters, including Springfield, Lane County and LTD officials said they wouldn't vote for a long list of local transportation projects without the WEP, while Eugene Mayor Kitty Piercy and Councilor David Kelly said they would veto the project list if it included the WEP. The dispute threatened to derail federal funding for a host of local road and transit projects. But last week, WEP supporters blinked. A unanimous MPC vote allowed the most time-sensitive projects to move forward without the controversial $170 million freeway through wetlands. Opposition to a Eugene proposal for a facilitated discussion on the WEP and possible alternatives also appeared to loosen at the MPC. Representatives from Coburg and LTD said they were open to the process and representatives from the county did not say they were opposed to it. But Randy Papé, a Republican construction equipment tycoon and leading WEP booster, continued to voice strong opposition. Papé is Gov. Ted Kulongoski's top political contributor and Kulongoski appointed him to the powerful state Transportation Commission, with a corresponding seat on the MPC. Papé demanded that Eugene make a commitment up front to support the WEP, even if the collaborative effort failed to produce an alternative to destroying wetlands that boosters would support. Without such a pre-commitment, "it would be very difficult for us to support" the collaborative process, Papé said, claiming to speak for other state commissioners as well. Piercy rejected the demand, as did most other MPC members. "That flies in the face of the whole collaborative process," Piercy said. Eugene Councilor David Kelly, Springfield Councilor Christine Lundberg and Lane County Commissioners Bobby Green and Bill Dwyer pointed out that they could not commit their jurisdictions. "I don't know how we could commit to an outcome" that is now unknown and that the County Commission majority might not even support, said Green. Councilor Kelly pointed out that it was federal highway officials that will make the final decision on the WEP. "We can say yea or nea all we want," he said, but, "it's ultimately the Federal Highway Administration that makes a decision." David Cox, Oregon FHWA director, said the results of the collaborative process "would certainly carry a lot of weight" with their WEP decision. Cox said FHWA had agreed to the process at Eugene's request. The federal agency would pay half of the cost of the process with Eugene paying the other half. "We want to move this process," Cox said, noting that the controversial WEP has been mired for at least two decades. "If this is what it takes to get to the end, we're willing to do it." Councilor Lundberg said, "Springfield is not committed to going through a collaborative process," adding that officials there were trying to "cut down on process, not make more." County Commissioner Bill Dwyer said he was not sure "we're all going to get together and be touchy-feely" with the collaborative process. "We might come out of this and be exactly where we are." Papé said he didn't want to have to "go through another collaborative process because we don't like what we got through the first collaborative process." Piercy said the process won't be wasteful but will serve to "get to a place where we all can move forward" on addressing west Eugene transportation needs. "We are hopeful." LTD Board Member Susan Ban drew laughs when she summed it up. "It's the balance between hope and cynicism, so I would suggest we move forward in ambiguity." Later in the MPC meeting, Papé questioned whether the MPC bylaws should be changed to take away Eugene's veto power. "You're having a real difficult time here with the way you're structuring." LTD Manager Ken Hamm suggested that unelected officials from LTD should also have veto power. Coburg Mayor Judy Volta questioned whether smaller cities should have more power. Commissioner Dwyer said the veto power made sense given that the bigger cities "pay the bills" and have much higher populations. "I don't see anything broke." "It doesn't sound like there's interest at this time in doing something different," Commissioner Green said. Springfield Councilor Anne Ballew said without Eugene, Springfield and Lane County having veto power, the MPC wouldn't be trusted. "We all kind of sleep with one eye open on each other."
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