CC Minutes - 11/13/00 Meeting - Laserfiche WebLink

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Christa Shively, representing the Associated Students of the University of Oregon (ASUO), spoke against the proposed special response fee. She believed that the response fee ordinance was reactive and did not benefit the community. She acknowledged that the council would probably vote for the ordinance regardless of her comments but urged the council to consider the alternatives the ASUO had proposed and that City staff had recommended for consideration. Ms. Shively said the alternatives did not take away from the effectiveness of the proposed ordinance or undermine its intent. Ms. Shively urged the council to change the 10 person minimum to 30 persons. She noted that the ordinance was written to address large gatherings and commented that its wording should reflect that intent. Ms. Shively also urged the council not to hold persons liable if they were the ones that initiated police intervention. She stated that no person should ever have to question whether or not to call the police. Ms. Shively urged the council to order the fee process and the appeal process go through the Municipal Court as opposed to the City Manager. She commented that fees should not be assessed by a non-neutral position. Ms. Shively urged the council to amend the definition of the special response fee to read "the total costs incurred by the City caused by the response" as opposed to in connection with the response. She stressed that the more specific the ordinance was, the less chance for misuse and confusion. Ruth McDevitt, 441 East 16th Avenue, spoke against the proposed special response fee. She related a story about how she had been issued a Minor-In-Possession citation which, she said, she probably deserved, but noted that her safety was compromised only after the Eugene Police arrived at the party. She said she was forced to walk home alone at 2:30 a.m., in a bikini top and spandex tights, because the Eugene Police would not let her friends wait for her outside while she received her citation. She related that she had been approached by a stranger on her way home and said it was sheer luck that the person had no ill intent. Ms. McDevitt urged the council to keep in mind the safety of the people the police were supposed to be protecting. She commented that the proposed ordinance would only worsen the relations between police and University of Oregon students. Kevin Matthews, 31728 Owl Road, thanked the council for taking the time to figure out how to allow people to speak at the beginning of the meeting and said it was an example of how the councilors did their jobs thoughtfully. Speaking to the downtown visioning process, Mr. Matthews said the process was an "odd duck." He said that the committee overseeing the visioning process was not a representative committee of citizens. He said that if the process of the committee had been fully based on consensus then that would not have mattered, but he noted that the committee voted on certain key points and issues. He said that once the committee voted, the fact that the committee was overbalanced with downtown real estate owners and business interests relative to residents and other downtown users became problematic, particularly if the process was perceived to lead to direct conclusions. Mr. Matthews said that the committee's end product did not address the issues of the downtown core. He said that the vision had gotten carried away with some MINUTES--Eugene City Council November 13, 2000 Page 3 Regular Meeting