09/29/1982 Meeting - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

Public hearing was opened. . There being ne public testimony, public hearing was closed. Res. No. 3720--A resolution approving and accepting a boundary change for the Jeffersen Area Neighbors. Ms. Schue moved, secended by Ms. Smith, to adopt the resolutien. Roll call vote; motien carried unanimously. IV. ORDINANCE CONCERNING IMPOUNDMENT OF VEHICLES (memo, ordinance distributed) Mr. Gleason introduced Deputy Police Chief Pat Larion. Mr. Larion said that the proposed amendment to the City Code would alter the procedure the City currently must follow when a vehicle is impounded. He said that the present requirement of posting notice of impoundment at the site from which the impeunded vehicle was taken was very difficult and that the additional requirement of sending a certified letter to the vehicle owner was both costly and cumbersome. He said that the proposed amendment would require that a notice be sent to the owner via regular mail if the vehicle is valued at less than $1,500 and by certified mail if the vehicle is valued in excess of $1,500 and would eliminate the requirement of pesting a notice in a public place near where the vehicle was impounded. Responding te a question from Councilor Lindberg, Mr. Larien said that the $1,500 figure had been selected to cenferm with current State Law. e Responding to questiens frem Councilor Wooten, Mr. Larion said that most frequently the impounded vehicles have been intentionally abandoned and the person te whom the vehicle is registered is not the current owner. He said that the amendment did not affect the procedure fellowed when a car is first reported as abandoned but, rather, the procedure for disposing of an impounded car. He said that the process of-impounding a car usually takes at least twe weeks and that, once the car is impounded, it is usually net less than three months before the City proceeds with dispesing of the car. Councilor Miller said that in her experience the Eugene Police were always very good at attempting te locate the owner of a vehicle before impounding it. Ms. Miller asked whether State Law required that the notice of disposition of impounded vehicles be run in the legal advertising section of a newspaper for two weeks. She questioned whether such legal ads were a worthwhile expense and whether the owner of a missing car would ever refer to the legal ads to find the car. Mr. Gleason said staff would check to see if running the legal ads was a statutory requirement. CB 2525--An ordinance concerning impoundment .of vehicles; amending Section 5.695 of the Eugene Code, 1971; and declaring an emergency. Ms. Schue moved, seconded by Ms. Smith, that the bill be read the second time by council bill number only, with unanimous consent .of the council, and that enactment be censidered at this time. Rell call vote; motien carried unanimously. e MINUTES--Eugene City Ceuncil September 29, 1982 Page 4