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good fortune of being the home of many innovative and successful businesses that provide products and services that are the underpinnings of our local economy. We have remarkable social service providers whose great heart and innovative, successful programs are noted across this country. We have high-quality educational opportunities from pre-K through higher education. Our schools, our community college and our universities are noted for their excellence. We have artists and artisans of great depth and variety, giving us a huge array of cultural wealth. We live here nestled next to great rivers, rich farmland, unique wetlands, green ridges and buttes. This trove of outdoor beauty and recreational opportunity is a much- valued feature of our healthy community. We live in a great place and we need to say so! I feel so fortunate to be able to serve as its Mayor. The Public Process So, is this a perfect place? Perhaps not quite. Eugene is a community of many neighborhoods, many lifestyles and many opinions. Because we have so much we care about and because we are a knowledge- able, vested community, we take on all major (and some minor) issues with a certain amount of zeal. Thus, many folks have approached me to express concern about the fractious tone of our civic discussion. Some think we talk too much and process things to death. Others feel underrepresented in our public decision- making and want more meaningful discussions and participation. All would like to move forward but have different ideas about what that might look like. The vast majority express a strong belief that this is a great city to live in and they want to keep it that way. It's just that sometimes we disagree loudly about how to do SO. We have much in common. Since April 2003, I have been participating in a Growth and Development Roundtable convened by 1000 Friends of Oregon and the Lane Metro Partnership. The 16 community members are educators, environmentalists, transportation specialists, developers, builders, housing advocates, business owners and planners. Before we began potentially divisive discussions about our Urban Growth Boundary or the West Eugene Parkway, we elected to spend several meetings sharing our hopes for our community. I learned how much we all have in common, perhaps more than we differ. We share a respect for diversity and the rights and beliefs of all. We want high quality education. We want arts and culture and recreational and open space. We need clean air and water and public safety - just to name a few. Learning about each other allowed us to listen better, to like each other, to appreciate our common values and to better understand our differences. In many ways, this group represents the diverse points of view in Eugene and the real potential for better community conversations around public policy decisions that affect our lives. As former Governors John Kitzhaber and James Geringer of Wyoming have suggested in a recent Oregonian newspaper opinion piece, 'We must draw fellow citizens to the kitchen table where America has traditionally found its most durable solutions, and begin to make progress together.' (Oregonian, December 27, 2004) There is nothing inherently wrong with difference of opinion. In fact, quite the opposite is true. Different opinions based on facts, experiences and expertise enable us to initiate and consider policy proposals from a broad range of perspectives. In the best of worlds this results in sound decisions. We can improve how those opinions are expressed. I believe we can improve the quality of our civic discussions and that does not necessarily call for greater quantity. We, both leaders and community members, simply can aim together to do it better, to respect the views of all, to engage our residents in new ways and to carefully use the expertise MINUTES--Eugene City Council January 3, 2005 Page 3 State of the City