CCMinutes - 11/10/04 WS - Laserfiche WebLink

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Mayor Torrey expressed disappointment that in the council sessions devoted to appointments to the Budget Committee and Planning Commission there had been a couple of instances of ;;character assassination." He felt it appropriate to indicate that one did not think an individual would be the right choice in terms of his or her professional ability to deal with issues. However, he called resorting to that level of dispute a disservice to the individual and to the many citizens out in the community who might consider applying for like positions in the future. He acknowledged that Mr. Hledik held positions that some councilors might not agree with. He shared that he had many contacts with Mr. Hledik. He underscored that Mr. Hledik was an honorable person and would serve well on the Planning Commission should he be selected. Ms. Taylor disagreed that anyone had besmirched Mr. Hledik's character. She asserted that the issues at hand had only to do with the type of business Mr. Hledik conducted and how it would influence his ability to make planning recommendations. She predicted the opinions that Mr. Duncan, Mr. Lawless, and Mr. Hledik were likely to have would not be those shared by environmentalists. Mayor Torrey urged Ms. Taylor to read the Planning Commission minutes. Mr. Kelly urged the Mayor not to engage in the same %haracter assassination about councilors around the table" as he had alleged the council had done. He did not agree that anyone had said anything that could be construed as an assault on Mr. Hledik's character. He expressed disappointment that issues of character had been brought up. He said had he another option he would choose to reopen the application process in hopes of gaining a wider pool from which to choose. Mayor Torrey called for the vote. The motion passed, 4:3; Ms. Taylor, Mr. Kelly, and Ms. Bettman voting in opposition. Ms. Bettman, seconded by Ms. Nathanson, moved to appoint Phillip Hud- speth to Position 3 on the Planning Commission for a four-year term be- ginning November 1, 2004, and ending on October 31, 2008. Mr. Meisner said he was pleased to see the council balloting on this appointment. He felt this appointment would provide a true representation on the Planning Commission of a regional perspective. He thought this would be valuable to the City Council in the future. Ms. Taylor conveyed her disappointment that neither Greg Ringer nor Dan Herbert were chosen, but indicated she would support the motion. Mr. Pap~ echoed Mr. Meisner's comments. He noted the appointments would provide representation for different areas of the community. He recalled that a past council had denied an application of a worthy individual because the area of the City he resided in was already well-represented. He pointed out that the two departing commissioners were from the area south of 18th Avenue. Mr. Hudspeth's appointment would, he said, provide a representative from this area. The motion passed unanimously, 7:0. MINUTES--Eugene City Council November 10, 2004 Page 2 Work Session