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those problems immediately and believed it would be outstanding if Occupy Eugene could come up with <br />even one solution. He endorsed Mr. Pryor's suggestion for more City dialogue with Occupy Eugene and <br />suggested the City could work with Occupy Eugene on local solutions to problems such as homelessness. <br />He said that Occupy Eugene had been peaceful, orderly, and respectful of persons and property. He <br />supported the motion and indicated support for indefinite future exemptions requested by Occupy Eugene <br />as long as the event remained peaceful and orderly. <br />Mr. Zelenka also supported the motion. He believed the staff response to Occupy Eugene reflected well <br />on the City and the community. He said the Franklin Boulevard site did not appear to have been occupied <br />and he understood that Occupy Eugene had cleaned the site as well as the Alton Baker Park site. He <br />perceived Occupy Eugene to be a very organized group and thought its impacts on Washington- Jefferson <br />would be minimal. He noted that signs were posted forbidding the use of drugs and alcohol, and <br />participants patrolled the site and were working with the Eugene Police Department. <br />Mr. Zelenka also supported Mr. Pryor's suggestion. He considered Occupy Eugene a unique <br />circumstance that deserved a unique response. He encouraged the representatives of Occupy Eugene <br />present to comply with all laws and hoped Occupy Eugene continued to be orderly and peaceful. <br />Mayor Piercy reported that she had received calls from the cities of Portland, Seattle, and Denver asking <br />how Eugene was managing its situation so well. <br />Mr. Farr felt the City's reaction to Occupy Eugene had been exemplary and particularly singled out the <br />EPD for praise. He suggested the City's early work through the Council Committee on Homelessness <br />and Youth had prepared Eugene for such a situation and hoped that the mayor's response to calls from <br />other cities included mention of that. Mr. Farr asked if staff had discussed the potential of lawsuits from <br />environmental organizations concerned about the impact of the encampment on the greenway. City <br />Attorney Klein did not believe council approval of the motion on the floor exposed the City to any <br />liability because the motion merely exempted Occupy Eugene from the City's camping ban. Mr. Farr <br />asked if the City was liable if it did not respond to violations of the law. City Attorney Klein indicated he <br />would need more specificity about the laws Mr. Farr was referring to. He was unaware of any laws being <br />violated by Occupy Eugene participants that would expose the City to any liability. <br />Responding to a question from Mr. Pryor, Chief Kerns reported that the relationship between the EPD <br />and Occupy Eugene had been open and productive. Lieutenant Sam Kamkar served as the department's <br />liaison and the Occupy Eugene representatives were compliant with his requests for changes. <br />Mr. Pryor supported the enforcement of sanitation and safety ordinances. He did not support a <br />confrontational attitude toward the encampment and suggested there was more probability of someone <br />getting hurt if that occurred than there was of the City being sued for non - enforcement of the law. He <br />pointed out the additional costs that might be created by a confrontational attitude. He did not predict or <br />hope for a riot but could not rule one out if the City became too confrontational. He suggested the cost of <br />maintaining a peaceful relationship was more reasonable than the cost of a full -out confrontation, which <br />he hoped to avoid. <br />Mr. Clark did not support the motion. He supported the right of Occupy Eugene to protest and be heard <br />and its right to seek redress of its grievances, but no one needed to camp to protest and be heard. <br />Mayor Piercy also expressed appreciation to the staff that had been involved in working with Occupy <br />Eugene. She said she did not how the movement would evolve over time or if it would be able to do <br />anything that made a real difference to the community, although she'hoped so. She believed those <br />MINUTES— Eugene City Council November 9, 2011 Page 3 <br />Work Session <br />