Laserfiche WebLink
MINUTES <br /> <br /> Eugene City Council <br /> Regular Meeting <br /> Council Chamber-Eugene City Hall <br /> <br /> January 27, 2003 <br /> 7:30 p.m. <br /> <br />COUNCILORS PRESENT: Betty Taylor, David Kelly, Nancy Nathanson, George Poling, Gary <br /> PapS, Bonny Bettman, Jennifer Solomon. <br /> <br />COUNCILORS ABSENT: Scott Meisner. <br /> <br />CITY COUNCIL MEETING <br /> <br />Mayor James D. Torrey called the meeting to order. <br /> <br />1.PUBLIC FORUM <br /> <br />Mayor Torrey noted that there were more people signed up to speak than the allotted time allowed <br />for. He called for a motion from the council regarding how it wished to proceed with the public <br />forum. <br /> <br /> Councilor Bettman, seconded by Councilor PapS, moved to extend the time <br /> of the forum to 45 minutes and decrease the time allotted to speak to two <br /> minutes. Roll call vote; the motion passed unanimously. <br /> <br />Allan Erickson, 288 Jackson Street, spoke on the ordinance to increase the fine for less than an <br />ounce of marijuana. He raised concern over what he called misinformation given to the council <br />during the public hearing held during the previous regular session of the council. He noted that <br />Ms. Bettman had made a comment regarding the DARE program and noted that nationwide the <br />program was falling into disrepute and was actually less effective than doing nothing because it <br />introduced people to drugs that they would normally have no awareness of. He said that 30 <br />million smokers of the substance in the United States had been fighting 80 years of <br />misinformation. He said these people had jobs and families and voted and paid taxes. He said <br />increasing the fine was keeping money out of people's pockets that should be spent around the <br />community. <br /> <br />State Representative Pat Farr, 4257 Barger Road, expressed his disappointment over the living <br />wage decision previously made by the council. He urged the council to reconsider its decision <br />and adopt a phased implementation of a living wage standard in the City of Eugene. He urged the <br />council to bring the matter before the full Budget Committee. <br /> <br />Terry Connolly, 1401 Willamette Street, spoke representing the Eugene Chamber of Commerce. <br />He expressed his pleasure with the topics on the Wednesday work session agenda. Regarding a <br />living wage standard, Mr. Connolly said the chamber had reservations over the implementation of <br /> <br /> MINUTES--Eugene City Council January 27, 2003 Page 1 <br /> Regular Meeting <br /> <br /> <br />