04/21/1982 Meeting - Laserfiche WebLink

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t e e e M I NUT E S Eugene City Council City Council Chamber April 21, 1982 11:45 a.m. COUNCILORS PRESENT: Brian Obie, Betty Smith, Mark Lindberg, D. W. Hamel, Cynthia Wooten, Gretchen Miller, and Emily Schue. COUNCILOR ABSENT: Eric Haws. Adjourned meeting of the City Council of the City of Eugene, Oregon, was called to order by His Honor Mayor Gus Keller. I. ITEMS FROM MAYOR AND COUNCIL, APPOINTMENTS, ANNOUNCEMENTS, AGENDA ADJUSTMENTS A. Possibility of Outdoor City Council Meeting Mayor Keller noted it might be nice to hold the City Council meetings outdoors while the weather is good. B. Nuclear Weapons Freeze Ms. Miller stated that a resolution had been prepared calling for a bilateral nuclear weapon freeze. She knows that such a resolution is procedurally diffi- cult for the council to consider. She has, however, been working with citizens concerned about this problem. She feels this resolution is in a different category than other issues such as the resumption of the draft. Many groups, including the Oregon Legislature and the Lane County Commissioners, who do not usually take positions on such issues, have passed resolutions along this line. This issue affects people of all walks of life. This is a widespread movement diverting substantial resources from other local needs. Many town meetings in New England considered this type of a resolution last spring. The citizens in Bellows Falls, Vermont, felt this was the first time they had been threatened by an outside power. She described what would happen if Eugene, which is a target, would be hit by a bomb. This is a local problem. If there is no city left, then there are no other problems left to deal with. She noted that she does not want to set a precedence by adopting this particular resolution, however. She suggests that the council coordinate its efforts to encourage and accept letters from citizens for a two-week period which could be forwarded to the White House. Ms. Wooten agreed and added that other cities in Oregon have also taken a stand on this issue. Ashland and Bandon were the first to do so. She does not feel the council is in a position to discuss technical aspects, but the possi- bility of nuclear war has grave consequences for the citizens. She noted that Archbishop Powers, Ecumenical Ministries, and 65 statewide organizations who are not serving any special interest group have also taken a stand. This resolution is in the public interest. MINUTES--Eugene City Council April 21, 1982 Page 1