CC Minutes - 09/24/07 Meeting - Laserfiche WebLink

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M I N U T E S Eugene City Council Regular Meeting Council Chamber—Eugene City Hall September 24, 2007 7:30 p.m. COUNCILORS PRESENT: Andrea Ortiz, Chris Pryor, Betty Taylor, Bonny Bettman, George Poling, Jennifer Solomon, Mike Clark, Alan Zelenka. Her Honor Mayor Kitty Piercy called the regular meeting of the Eugene City Council to order. 1. PUBLIC FORUM Mayor Piercy reviewed the rules of the Public Forum. Deborah Frisch spoke to the ordinance concerning the consumption of alcohol that the council would vote on later in the evening and anticipated the various actions she believed the council would take in regard to amending the ordinance, which she maintained would not correct the awkward text in the ordinance and would still allow people to drive drunk. She suggested that the time for drinking be reduced from nine hours to seven hours. She then proceeded to imitate Howard Cosell on December 8, 1980, confirming the death of John Lennon. Dan Williams , Assistant to the President of the University of Oregon (UO), suggested all would agree it would be better if there was no alcohol present on game day. He noted the fact the Athletic Department must be self-supporting and so must be sensitive to its audience, who want the tailgating experience. For many, that includes alcohol consumption. Mr. Williams discussed the steps used to control alcohol consumption at Autzen Stadium, noting the limits imposed on time in the parking lot and the number of people who arrive at the stadium via bus, which helps alleviate the problem. Some suggested that the University should prohibit fans from leaving and re-entering the stadium on the basis they are likely leaving to drink, but he questioned how the University could differentiate between the reasons that people left. Joe Collins , 2233 Hawkins Lane, addressed remarks that Councilor Clark had made to him in September 2007 asking him to refrain from calling Police Chief Robert Lehner’s integrity into question. He did not know the chief but had been told twice that the chief would contact him about problems at his condominium development but he had not. He saw no improvement in the police force since Chief Lehner was hired. People had been killed by the police and no one had been fired because of the Lara/Magana incidents. He speculated that the police could violate department policies without check or oversight. Mr. Collins maintained that Chief Lehner was part of a corrupt justice system overseen by Douglas Harcleroad, who he asserted was loved by the police but feared by attorneys and judges. He perceived the chief as a failure. Daniel Cooler, shared an anecdote about a recent encounter he had with the legal system. MINUTES—Eugene City Council September 24, 2007 Page 1 Regular Meeting