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said she was working on creating an endowment fund to sustain the LEAD program and help to afford the teen center. She reiterated that the teen center would be a vital community resource. In her studies, she had seen common denominators among the program participants, including the connection between boredom and negative peer culture which influenced youth crime and other community problems. She averred that the teens in LEAD would be active members in the teen center and would have a positive influence on teens not actively enrolled in LEAD. While she recognized that cost was an issue, she did not believe it was any longer an option not to have a teen center. John Brown , 101 East Broadway, commented that he had been upstaged by the youth group. He said he could not speak as eloquently as them. While he had not intended on speaking on behalf of LEAD, he urged the councilors to give their support to the organization. He thought the group had “it together,” and needed to be given a chance. Mr. Brown stated that as president of the Cal Young Neighborhood Association, he was present to testify on behalf of public safety. He said burglaries in his neighborhood, and likely throughout the City, were occurring in such record numbers that apathy had risen to a level at which people were no longer reporting them. He related that people thought it was pointless to report these crimes because no one would come, no one would take a report, and nothing would happen. He reported that his business partner had his vehicle broken into twice in the span of 48 hours and had to re-key five buildings as a result. He said that he spoke to a neighbor who had been burglarized twice over the course of three days. He recalled that Councilor Papé’s car was broken into last year and the only thing not taken was his council packet. He averred that it was a citywide problem. He said in a community where one had to steal three cars before being incarcer- ated, it was time to address the issue. He commented that the City could build all the parks and facilities it pleased, but it did no good if citizens were not safe. Vicky Scheuerell , 65 North Lawrence Street, shared her outrage at the repeal of the youth activities levy. She said she was part of the original group who worked the phone banks to pass the levy. She related that she talked to very few people who were against the levy. She shared her recent experience canvassing people to educate them about why funding was needed. She stated that most people did not need this education as they already knew that the community needed more school funding. She urged the council to look at the situation and to understand that the voters passed the levy. She stressed that the people who did not want the levy were in the minority. She asked the council to do what they could to further the appeal. Zachary Vishanoff , Patterson Street, opposed Item D on the Consent Calendar, an extension of the completion date for a project that qualified for the Multiple-Unit Property Tax Exemption (MUPTE), calling it a tax break stolen from the university neighborhood. He alleged that the neighborhood had not been given the opportunity to have a discourse on the issue. Mr. Vishanoff alleged that the governor was working, through his staff, on mixed-use development in the Fairmount Neighborhood. He thought the council should rule out eminent domain proceedings in that neighborhood for “Phil Knight, Frohnmayer, or our governor.” He asserted that the media should be covering this story, but likely did not understand the issue. th Drix , 307-½ East 14 Avenue, wished to remind everyone that Eugene was a community and the “best city and town in the State of Oregon and the U.S.” He thought the solutions to the City’s problems should be very simple. He said there was a hole in the center of Eugene, a “hole with a soul” in the center of Eugene and Eugene needed to come up with a goal to fill the hole. He believed that everyone working together, those watching on Metro Television included, with the combined spirit and intelligence of the community MINUTES—Eugene City Council -- February 27, 2006 Page 4 City Council Meeting