CC Minutes - 10/24/11 Meeting - Laserfiche WebLink

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MINUTES Eugene City Council Council Chamber —City Hall 777 Pearl Street — Eugene, Oregon October 24, 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 October 24, 2011, regular meeting of the Eugene City Council to order. 1. PUBLIC FORUM Mayor Piercy reviewed the rules of the Public Forum. Scott Smith, 728 Pond Lane, believed the City's Rental Housing Code was unnecessary and encouraged the council to retain the sunset clause and consider ending the program. Eugene Drix, 307 -1/2 East 14 Avenue, related that he recently visited Portland and Seattle and believed Eugene had many ideas to share with those cities. He suggested everyone should have someone from each ten -year period of their lives in their lives to enrich them. He discussed the outreach to University of Oregon (UO) students undertaken by members of the West University Neighborhood Association and representatives of the UO and the City, noting the participation of Mayor Piercy and Police Chief Pete Kerns in that effort. He encouraged residents to get acquainted with their neighbors. Charles Hibberd, 5555 West 11 Avenue, questioned the recent assertions made by a Lane Transit District staff representative on a local radio program about the potential for residential expansion in west Eugene. He opposed the proposed camping ban exemption for Occupy Eugene and asked who would clean up the site and if the campers were insured. He suggested that Occupy Eugene participants protest during the day and go home at night. Sue Wolling, 108 High Street, believed residents were very excited about the City's draft Bicycle Pedestrian Master Plan and said getting the plan right was key to the success of many related City planning efforts, such as 20- minute neighborhoods. She invited councilors to join her on a bicycle tour of proposed bicycle projects in their wards. Bob Macherione, 1994 Brewer Street, found it ironic a liberal city like Eugene was spending tax money to fight free speech as represented by the signs he displayed at his business. He had learned the confidential complainant was a personal friend of Mayor Piercy, a past member of the Lane Transit District (LTD) Budget Committee, and was featured on LTD's web page as an EmX supporter. He questioned why the City continued to prosecute him given those facts. He noted the City was contacted by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) regarding its concerns about Sign Code enforcement. Mr. Macherione asked the City to stop prosecuting him for violations of the Sign Code because it was the right thing to do. He anticipated that Occupy Eugene would receive an exemption to the camping ban, MINUTES— Eugene City Council October 24, 2011 Page 1 Regular Meeting