04/26/1954 Meeting - Laserfiche WebLink

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~4 e IT WAS MOVED BY BOOTH, SECONDED BY CRUMBAKER THAT THE REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE BE ADOPTED. ROLLCALL VOTE. MOTION CARRIED. I 2 IMMEDIATELY fOLLOWING THE ADO~T~ON O~ THE RE~~RT; M~. W~'~~IAM T~~MA~; EUGENE REGISTER-GUARD REQUESTED AND WAS GRANTED THE fLOOR fORA STATEMENT. WAS AS FOLLOWS: EDITOR OF THE HIS STATEMENT "I HAVE C6ME TO YOUR MEETING TO-NIGHT BtCAUS~ YOU HAVE RAfsED"CtRt~tNISSUES AffECTING ME PERSONALLY AND IN MY CAPACITY AS THE EDITOR OF THE REGISTER-GUARD, AND IT IS MY BELIEf THAT THESE ISSUES SHOULD BE DISCUSSED PUBLICLY IN A PUBLIC PLACE AND FACT TO FACE. IN MY OPINION THIS CONTROVERSY fALLS INTO THREE PHASES WHICH SHOULD BE "KEPT SEPARATE AND DISTINCT: I. THE "REZONING Of THE AREAS A~FECTED BY THE RIVERVltW iNNtXAT~6N IN W~ICH YOU ALTERED SOME Of THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF YOUR PLANNiNG COMMISSlci~, AN ACTION WITH WHICH 1 HAVE VENTURED TO DISAGREE,. THIS ACTION HAS-NOW BEEN REFERRED TO THE PEOPLE AND THE PEOPLE ALONE 'WILL DECIDE WHEN THEY VOTE ON MAY 21. e 2. THE METHODS BY WHICH THE CITY COUNcil H~S ARR~VEDAT ITS'"6tCISI~~S IN THIS RIVERVIEW ZONING AND ALSO IN CERTAIN OTHER MATTERS. IN MY tDITORI~(s'l HAVE ACCUSED YOU Of REACHING YOUR DECISIONS IN SECRET OR PRIVATE MEETINGS, AN ACCUSATION'FROM WHICH I DO NOT RECEDE BECAUSE IN MY OPINION IT IS SUSTAINED BY THE ~~C6~D" AS-FOUND IN YOUR OWN MINUTES AND BY THE COMPLETE ABSENCE THEREIN OF ANY RECORD OF PUBLIC EXPRESSIONS BY YOU AS ~O THE REASONS W~Y YOU UNANIMOUSL~ TOOK THi'ST~~D ~O~"T~OK, ALTHOUGH AMPLE OPPORTUNITY AffORDED DURING THE MEETING AT WHICH ARGUMENTS FROM INTERESTED CITIZENS WERE HEARD. I 3. YOUR NUMEROUS ALLEGATIONS THAT I HAVE BEEN GU1.LTY OF MAKING FALSE OR MIS- LEADING STATEMENTS TO THE PUBLIC ON THIS ZONING MATTER. ALL OF YOUR CHARGES HAVE BEEN PRINTED IN FULL AND PROMINENTLY IN OUR NEWSPAPER. SHOULD LIKE TO CALL YOUR ATTENTION ALSO TO THE FACT THAT ON SUNDAY, APRIL'I I, BEFORE THIS CONTROVERSY AROSE, I PRINTED AN EDITORIAL WHICH HAS THIS CLOSING PARAGRAPH: . "As HAS BEEN OUR CUSTOM IN ALL Of THESE CONTROVERSIES, WE SHALL INVITE BOTH SIDES TO MAKE,A FRONT PAGE PRESENTATION OF THEIR ARGUMENTS BEFORE ELECTION, POSSIBLY ON"THE SUNDAY BEFORE THE VOTING. IT IS OUR HOPE THAT THE ISSUE CAN BE DECIDED ENTIRELY ON THE BASIS OF PRINCIPLE - THE VOTE SERVING TO SHOW THE KIND Of ZONING POLICY THE PEOPLE WANT." " , , THAT OFfER WAS MADE TO YOU AND ALL OTHERS THEN AND IT IS REAFFIRMED NOW. ALL OF THE STATEMENTS WHICH YOU HAVE MADE TO-NIGHT, AFFECTING THE ZONING ISSUE ITSELF OR YOUR CONTROVERSY WITH ME, WILL RECEIVE THE CUSTOMARY FULL AND FAIR TREATMENT. YOUR QUARREL WITH ME AND WITH THE REGISTER-GUARD WAS BROUGHT TO MY ATTENTION TWO WEEKS AGO, JUST AS I WAS GETTING READY TO CATCH A PLANE fOR THE EAST. IT IS NOT MY PURPOSE IN THIS BRIEF STATEMENT TO TRY TO ANSWER 'ALL OF THE ALLEGATIONS MADE EITHER IN THE LETTER fROM SIEGENTHALER OR IN THE SUBSEQUENT STATEMENTS MADE BY SOME OF YOU AT YOUR LAST COUNCIL MEETING. BUT I WISH TO SAY THIS MUCH. I HAVE BROUGHT WITH ME THE ENTIRE FILE Of REGISTER-GUARD EDITORIALS, GOING BACK TO LAST AUGUST. To THE BEST OF MY KNOWLEDGE, I HAVE NEVER WRITTEN ALLINE WHICH IMPUGNS THE PERSONAL MOTIVATION OF ANY MEMBER Of YOUR COUNCIL. IF I HAD 'WANTED TO DO THAT, I WOULD HAVE MADE A CLOSE EXAMINATION OF YOUR PERSONAL BUSINESS CONNECTIONS AND THE INfLUENCES TO WHICH YOU MIGHT BE SUBJECT. I e I HAVE CRITICIZED VIGOROUSLY THE OVERRIDING OF PLANNING COMMISSION RECOMMENDATIONS AND THE METHOD Of REACHING DECISIONS AT TIMES AND PLACES OTHER THAN YOUR STATED PLACE OF MEETING, HERE AT CITY HALL, WHERE THE PUBLIC CAN KNOW WHY. I CAN PROMISE YOU TO CONTINUE THIS CRI~IGISM. AT YOUR LAST MEETING; MR. CRUMBAKER STATED THAT "MR. TUGMAN MADE A HEATED ARGU- MENT TO THE COUNCIL OVER ZONING BEING CONSIDE~ED FOR THE SOUTH WILLAMETTE AREA, ENDING WITH WHAT APPEARED TO BE AN ULTIMATUM OR THREAT." COUNCILMAN WATSONWI"LL TESTIFY THAT I CAMETTO THAT MEETING RELUCTANTLY AND ONLY BECAUSE Of HIS URGENT-AND REPEATED REQUEST FOR PERSONAL SUPPORT. I SPOKE VERY BRIEFLY AND AS ANY OTHER CITIZEN MIGHT,SPEAK EXPRESSING MY DISAPPOINTMENT WITH THE COUNCIL'S POLICY AND THEN I WENT HOME - BECAUSE IT WAS PERFECTLY OBVIOUS THAT THE MATTER HAD BEEN DECIDED BEFORE I OR ANY OF THE OTHERS SPOKE. THIS IS NOT MAKING THREATS NOR IS IT EXERCISING ANY UNDUE PRESSURE, EVEN THOUGH 'I HAPPEN TO BE AN EDITOR. I e ~