Laserfiche WebLink
Councilor Bettman congratulated Capt. Buchanan. She said it was admirable that he had stepped into a <br />position that he did not want and had served two years and done an excellent job. <br /> <br />Councilor Bettman thanked the students for attending the meeting and speaking in the Public Forum. She <br />felt confident that, though the work session on housing standards was scheduled for June, no action would <br />be taken before the following fall. <br /> <br />Councilor Kelly thanked those who spoke at the Public Forum. He lauded the work that Capt. Buchanan <br />had done as interim police chief, stating that he had done an admirable job. <br /> <br />Councilor Kelly asked staff to follow up with Mr. Bidwell's concern regarding the accuracy of the <br />information sheets available at the PIC. Mr. Taylor affirmed that staff would look into this. <br /> <br />Councilor Kelly expressed his disappointment that the council, by a %are majority," had voted to defer <br />the work session on housing standards until June. He agreed, however, that the issue would not likely <br />reach the level of a public hearing and subsequent action until fall or winter. He opined that a renter <br />should be entitled to a house with heat and whose roof did not leak without having to take court action. <br /> <br />Councilor Solomon thanked the City Manager for following up on Mr. Bidwell's request. <br /> <br />Councilor Solomon objected to the characterization of the council's prioritization of housing standards as <br />having sloughed them off. She related there had been confusion as to what the issue entailed and the <br />work session was to provide scope to the question in order to facilitate meaningful discussion. She <br />thought the Salem and Corvallis codes were likely effective, but was sure the codes had been subject to <br />the same sort of political process that housing standards would face in Eugene. <br /> <br />Councilor Nathanson stated that she had a great interest in housing standards ever since she had worked <br />on the third revised edition of The Renters' Handbook as part of her work in Oregon Student Public <br />Interest Research Group (OSPIRG). She felt it should be expanded to examine how renters should be <br />treated fairly across the city. She said the prioritization process had actually ~jumped" this issue ahead of <br />other issues. She asserted that the real question was whether a local code or an enforcement mechanism <br />was needed. She reminded those present that a public hearing would be held and she assured them it <br />would be scheduled at the ~right and appropriate time." <br /> <br />Councilor Pap~ added his accolades to those already given to Capt. Buchanan. He stated that Capt. <br />Buchanan %tepped up" to the position and did the right thing. <br /> <br />Councilor Pap~ thanked those present for bringing the housing standards issue to the forefront. He <br />clarified that the prioritization exercise conducted in the work session was for the Planning Division only. <br />He felt it should not be left to only the Planning Division, as it was of a larger scope. <br /> <br />Councilor Taylor appreciated the work of the students on the housing standards issue. She felt the subject <br />of housing standards to be very important. She advocated for taking action that affected the University of <br />Oregon campus during the school year. <br /> <br />Councilor Meisner joined his colleagues in thanking Capt. Buchanan for his service. He was proud to <br />have worked with him. <br /> <br />MINUTES--Eugene City Council February 9, 2004 Page 3 <br /> Regular Meeting <br /> <br /> <br />