CC Minutes - 11/28/11 Meeting - Laserfiche WebLink

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MINUTES Eugene City Council Council Chamber —City Hall 777 Pearl Street— Eugene, Oregon November 28, 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 November 28, 2011, regular meeting of the Eugene City Council to order. 1. PUBLIC FORUM Mayor Piercy reviewed the rules of the Public Forum. Michael Carrigan, 1439 West 4 Avenue, Community Alliance of Lane County, expressed support for the council's action to exempt Occupy Eugene from the City's camping ordinance. He spoke of the services being delivered on the site, the security that existed, and suggested that lives were saved by quick responses to medical emergencies. People were provided with a safe place to camp. Occupy Eugene was making progress in helping with homeless issues and could help the City and Lane County develop a long -term plan that could be a model for the country. He urged the council to extend the exemption past December 15, 2011. Jean Stacey, 944 West 12`" Alley, discussed the challenges faced by Occupy Eugene to accommodate homeless campers and the volunteer medical services now available to them as a result of the encampment. She believed that a young man would have died of an overdose but for the presence of the camp. She acknowledged the issues of the homeless were challenging and reported that Occupy Eugene had adopted a social contract that must be signed by all participants at the encampment. She overviewed the contract and assured the council that those who refused to leave would be persuaded to do so with individuals trained in non - violent techniques and the police if necessary. She believed Occupy Eugene was encouraging people to become sober and said Occupy Eugene had zero tolerance for drug paraphernalia. Joe Tyndall, 361 West Broadway, noted the disparity between the assets of the richest Americans and those of the majority of Americans and said that Occupy Wall Street was a response to the systematic looting of the economy. Occupy Eugene was also a homeless camp. He reported that 90 percent of camp participant comprised the homeless and youth, those most impacted by the "corporate cult of greed." Many were there for services and protection from the police. He believed the homeless were making progress because they were shown respect by Occupy Eugene. Many homeless people had become sober and homeless youth participated in service delivery. Violence was not tolerated. He asked the City to continue to allow camping at the site and to support it with donations of food, cash, and time. Bob Bussell, 3054 Grand Cayman Drive, expressed support for the Bascom Village project. He said the community needed affordable housing and higher wages. He cited a report that stated that 45 percent of all United States residents lacked economic security, living above the federal poverty threshold but not MINUTES— Eugene City Council November 28, 2011 Page 1 Regular Meeting