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<br />e <br /> <br />Ms. Morrison asked if condominiums will enhance the community. She asked if <br />condominium owners maintain the property. She said probably converting <br />apartments to condominiums does not benefit the community and probably many <br />people are adversely affected by the conversions. She said only real estate <br />brokers, mortgage lenders, and some contractors will benefit from changes to <br />the Condominium Conversion Ordinance. <br /> <br />Josephine Moore, 1080 Patterson, said she cannot climb up or go down stairs. <br />She must live in a building with an elevator. She said she felt settled after <br />the Condominium Conversion Ordinance was adopted in 1980 and the proposed <br />revisions upset her. <br /> <br />John Bauguess, 1576 Walnut, said he is 43 years old. He said the reV1Slons to <br />the Condominium Conversion Ordinance involve a conflict of interest. He said <br />the existing ordinance protects senior citizens living in a high-rise building <br />owned by Rob Bennett, a City Councilor. Mr. Bauguess said people should not <br />be mislead by Mr. Bennett's decision not to vote on the Condominium Conversion <br />Ordinance because Mr. Bennett is an astute manipulator of public processes. <br /> <br />Ms. Ehrman asked Mr. Bauguess not to attack city councilors personally. <br /> <br />e <br /> <br />Mr. Bauguess said he intended to provide information in his testimony. He <br />said Mr. Bennett has acquired public funds for his own economic interests. <br />Mr. Bauguess said the Downtown Athletic Club is the most expensive athletic <br />club in Lane County and Mr. Bennett received close to $2 million in public <br />loans to construct the Downtown Athletic Club. Mr. Bauguess said one reason <br />the City is considering opening Willamette Street to vehicular traffic is to <br />provide better access to the Downtown Athletic Club. He said Mr. Bennett is <br />an example of the "wea lthfare" system that benefi ts people who serve as <br />"pub li c servants. II <br /> <br />Mr. Bauguess read from an article that appeared in The The Register-Guard on <br />December 12, 1986, that indicated substantive changes in the Condominium <br />Conversion Ordinance were proposed by Mr. Bennett. Mr. Bauguess said <br />Mr. Bennett stated, III'm the one tinkering with this" at a Planning Commission <br />hearing. Mr. Bauguess said no one should be IItinkering" with the security of <br />senior citizens. He said the existing Condominium Conversion Ordinance should <br />be retained. <br /> <br />Aladene Leake, 925 Horn Lane, said she has a business in Eugene that serves <br />many senior citizens. She said some friends had planned to spend the rest of <br />their lives in Willamette Tower and the conversion of the building to <br />condomi ni ums upset them very much. They moved to 01 i ve Pl aza but the <br />gentleman died five months later and the woman left Eugene. <br /> <br />Ms. Leake said the parking problems around the downtown high-rise buildings <br />are acute. She suggested people work together to solve the condominium <br />conversion problem. <br /> <br />Eugene McFadden, who had testified earlier, said many people in the audience <br />did not agree with the testimony that seemed to vilify Mr. Bennett. <br /> <br />e <br /> <br />MINUTES--Eugene City Council <br /> <br />February 9, 1987 <br /> <br />Page 8 <br />