CC Minutes - 02/23/09 Meeting - Laserfiche WebLink

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Eugene City Council Regular Meeting Council Chamber—Eugene City Hall 777 Pearl Street—Eugene, Oregon February 23, 2009 7:30 p.m. COUNCILORS PRESENT: Chris Pryor, George Brown, Andrea Ortiz, George Poling, Mike Clark, Alan Zelenka, Betty Taylor. COUNCILORS ABSENT: Jennifer Solomon. Her Honor Mayor Kitty Piercy called the meeting of the Eugene City Council to order. 1. CEREMONIAL MATTER Lane Transit District Board Member Greg Evans presented the City with a token of appreciation from the committee that organized the honoring of Rosa Parks with a statue on the mall. He underscored their appreciation for the contributions of the City, City Manager Jon Ruiz, the City Council and Mayor, and for Francisca Johnson of the Human Rights Program office. Mayor Piercy received the plaque and read its inscription aloud. Everyone present applauded. Mr. Evans noted that the City of Eugene was the first city in the country to have a sculpture of Rosa Parks located in a transit station. Mayor Piercy thanked him for coming. 2. PUBLIC FORUM Mayor Piercy reviewed the rules of the Public Forum. Greg Bryant , 2173 Alder Street, said the Tango Center was thriving “in some ways” and in other ways had “some difficulty.” He felt it was a point of civic pride, as it was the largest dance hall/educational facility dedicated to the Argentine Tango in the country. He said it also mounted the largest weekly tango event in the northwest. He averred that approximately 10,000 people had taken tango lessons at the center. He believed it to be a “major downtown institution.” He said the center had never asked for money from the City and was not asking for it now. He related that the owners had decided not to provide the center with a lease four years earlier. He felt that this made it difficult to provide stability for the center. He stated that the owners were willing to sell the building, built in 1929 as the first farmers market. He said the center wanted to utilize the City’s offices to help negotiate a purchase. He thought they needed six months to raise the money. He requested that the City act as an intermediary. nd Ev Marcel , 2125 West 22 Avenue, averred that Argentine Tango was “all about connection.” She believed the tango had the power to connect people and community of all generations and all races. She asserted that historically in times of economic woes people had gone out to dance for health reasons and to feel good. She asked that the City “do something tried and true from the past.” She cited the City Council goal for being the City of the Arts and Outdoors. She felt that the Tango Center had already reached the City’s goal. She underscored that the center MINUTES—Eugene City Council February 23, 2009 Page 1 Regular Meeting