Item 2A: Approval of Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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Zachary Vishanoff, Patterson Street, circulated copies of a resolution the West University Neighbors Association adopted that requested the City's involvement in any plan the University of Oregon had to build a basketball arena. He noted that since the neighborhood association had passed it, the resolution had also been approved by two student cooperatives, the Associated Students of the University of Oregon (ASUO), and the Whiteaker Neighborhood Executive Board. He hoped to gain more endorsements. He wanted to slow the process down and allow for more public input. Mr. Vishanoff expressed concern that the University of Oregon campus might be a possible site for future Olympic trials. He called this a "really big decision," important to have a "real discussion about." He thought communities became overbuilt and "over-surveilled" as a result of being Olympic sites. Mr. Vishanoff reiterated his opposition to the University's movement of older housing that it owned from the East Campus area. He called it "ongoing discrimination" and asserted that it was "illegal and racist." Ed Singer, 4160 Eddystone Place, favored a large community park in the Santa Clara site currently under consideration for a land swap. He recalled that area residents were promised such a park prior to voting on the 1998 Parks Bond Measure. He felt a land swap to be a "win-win situation." He recognized concerns some residents had regarding a large increase in population in that area, but averred the land would ultimately be developed regardless of whether the City undertook the land swap at this time. He suggested the City purchase the property in order to mitigate those concerns. Hope Marston, 3110 University Street, spoke in support of Resolution 4830, urging the federal government to uphold international treaties against torture and inhuman treatment. She thanked councilors Bettman and Taylor for bringing the resolution to the attention of the City Council. She recognized that some people would question whether this was a local government issue. She averred that not only Congress, but each and every citizen should honor the principles of the Constitution and the treaties made by the government. She pointed out that councilors had promised in their oath of office to defend the United States Constitution. She cited the 5th Amendment which bans self-incrimination, the 8th Amendment, which bans cruel and unusual punishment, and the 14th Amendment, which guarantees equal protection under the law. She stated that torture destroyed constitutional guarantees that apply to all human beings regardless of race, color, or citizenship. She stressed that the United States principles must be upheld for the entire world to see. She urged support of the resolution because it was for the benefit of the United States' soldiers who also should be treated in a humane way in accordance with the Geneva Convention. She asserted that torture made everyone less safe from terrorism. She pointed out that in 2002 the Eugene City Council became the 16th city nationwide to remind the US Congress that the citizens of Eugene still valued their Bill of Rights, threatened by the Patriot Act. Gordie Albi, 1690 Adkins Street, #2, averred that the City of Eugene should be leading the country in its opposition to torture because it had been the location of the first residential psychological, medical, and social rehabilitation project. She explained that it had begun over ten years ago for the purpose of aiding survivors of torture from Latin America and had been an all-volunteer project. She listed some of the contributors, including the Easter Seal Society, Sacred Heart Hospital, and Whitebird Medical Clinic. She stated that the University of Oregon law students had won the first case of political asylum in the state of Oregon for someone from Guatemala. She provided pictures and an article from The Register-Guard regarding the program. She also read from the brochure, underscoring that people needed to stand together to end torture. MINUTES--Eugene City Council April 11, 2005 Page 2 Regular Session