CC Minutes - 06/13/11 Meeting - Laserfiche WebLink

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MINUTES Eugene City Council Council Chamber —City Hall 777 Pearl Street — Eugene, Oregon June 13, 2011 7:30 p.m. COUNCILORS PRESENT: Betty Taylor, George Brown, Andrea Ortiz, George Poling, Mike Clark, Chris Pryor, Alan Zelenka, Pat Farr. Her Honor Mayor Kitty Piercy called the June 13, 2011, regular meeting of the Eugene City Council to order. 1. PUBLIC FORUM Mayor Piercy reviewed the rules of the Public Forum. Ruth Duemler, 1745 Fircrest Drive, anticipated that as many as 2,700 Lane County families would lose their Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) allocation and become homeless. She said the community must do more to see those families housed. Ms. Duemler suggested allowing homeless people to camp in trailers in the City's parks. She thought people might be willing to donate trailers to families who had nothing. She reminded the council that Portland provided the homeless with a place to store their belongings during the day and that service was needed in Eugene as well. Ms. Duemler spoke to the needs of homeless residents confined to wheelchairs, saying the Eugene Mission did not take them and because of ShelterCare budget reductions such individuals were sleeping under bridges. Ms. Duemler also suggested the cost of recovering an impounded vehicle was beyond the means of the homeless, so once impounded the vehicle and their belongings were gone forever. She asked that such individuals be provided with a place to park their vehicles to avoid impoundment. Jeremy Laurence, a homeless resident, requested a portable toilet be placed in downtown and be made available on a 24 -hour basis. Mr. Lawrence believed states were eligible for federal funding to purchase and develop a building that could be used for a permanent boarding center. He emphasized "anything little thing" would help the homeless. Mark Callahan, 3621 Mahlon Avenue, expressed his support for Councilor Clark's suggestion that the council recite the Pledge of Allegiance prior to some meetings. He suggested the pledge united Americans under one flag and one nation no matter one's political identity or geographic residence. He considered the flag to be a symbol of hope, courage, and character. He was saddened that two words, "Under God," were so controversial for some that it precluded them from participating in the pledge in such a forum as a City Council meeting. Mr. Callahan invited others to join him as he pledged allegiance to the flag. Ann Bridgeman, 1970 Columbia Street, asked the council to support a resolution soon to be proposed by Councilor Brown calling for United States funds to be redirected away from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan to domestic priorities. She said the federal government had spent more than $1 trillion on the wars, partially funded through debt but also with money that could have aided Americans. Lane County MINUTES — Eugene City Council June 13, 2011 Page 1 Regular Meeting