CC Minutes - 02/20/08 Work Session

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top. She related that she had talked to members of the community panel, all of whom indicated Mr. Ruiz was the best of the applicants in the pool. She indicated she would vote in favor of the motion. Ms. Taylor opposed the motion. She also did not feel Mr. Ruiz was the best choice for the City. Mr. Zelenka supported the motion. He believed that Mr. Ruiz’ engaging style was what the City needed. He noted that Mr. Ruiz had been the most progressive choice and had won overwhelming support from both the citizen panel and the staff panel. He pointed out that Mr. Ruiz also had been the only candidate to answer his question on sustainability and that Mr. Ruiz had written the sustainability plan for Fresno, California. Additionally, Mr. Ruiz had worked with an independent auditor and had a sophisticated understanding of the importance of public trust. Mr. Clark expressed some surprise at Ms. Bettman’s staunch opposition. He recalled that he had conceded on the choice of consultant and that during the process he had wanted to move more slowly and deliberately. He remarked that for Ms. Bettman to be unhappy at this stage of the process when he had gotten the sense from her that she was interested in moving much more quickly was challenging for him “to hear.” Mr. Clark concurred with Ms. Ortiz and Mr. Zelenka. He had been struck by the recommendation made by the citizen panel, which had been a collaboration of people from all different sides of the political spectrum. He underscored that the panel had come together and declared that Mr. Ruiz was someone they could work with. He looked forward to working with Mr. Ruiz and believed it presented an opportunity to move “to the next level.” Mayor Piercy noted that the council had already decided to hire Mr. Ruiz. She said there had been two good candidates and one had prevailed. She was pleased with their choice and hoped that everyone would be supportive and welcoming. She had read all of the reports and background information and believed that the City could not have done any better. She underscored his ability to work collaboratively and with a diverse range of people. The motion passed, 6:2; Ms. Taylor and Ms. Bettman voting in opposition. MINUTES—Eugene City Council February 20, 2008 Page 2 Work Session