CC Minutes - 06/23/08 Work Session

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M I N U T E S Eugene City Council McNutt Room—City Hall—777 Pearl Street Eugene, Oregon June 23, 2008 6:15 p.m. COUNCILORS PRESENT: Bonny Bettman, Chris Pryor, Betty Taylor, Jennifer Solomon, George Poling, Andrea Ortiz, Mike Clark, Alan Zelenka. Council President Chris Pryor called the work session of the Eugene City Council to order. He noted that Mayor Piercy was attending a utility conference and speaking on Eugene’s pursuit of sustainability. A. COMMITTEE REPORTS AND ITEMS OF INTEREST FROM MAYOR, CITY COUNCIL, AND CITY MANAGER. Mr. Clark thanked City Manager Jon Ruiz for his listening tour of the community and said he had attended the sessions in his ward, which he found very informational. He participated in the Willamette River clean- up on June 14. He thanked REI and the City of Eugene for their sponsorship and John Brown for his efforts to organize the event. He attended a meeting of the downtown public safety group and looked forward to the results of its efforts. Mr. Poling said he had walked the University area neighborhoods and found it very educational. He noted that the SafetyFest had been well attended. He said a Convention Visitors Association of Lane County Oregon (CVALCO) dinner had recognized those involved in organizing Eugene 08, including City employees and elected officials. He thanked the Springfield City Council and Mayor Sid Leiken for their efforts to support Eugene 08. Ms. Solomon said Mr. Ruiz’s listening forum at Peterson Barn was very interactive and engaging and attracted several individuals who did not typically attend those types of events. She said Active Bethel Citizens was meeting June 25 and would be electing officers for the next year. Ms. Ortiz said the Human Services Commission’s (HSC) adopted budget would hold the program harmless for the coming year. She said HSC had been primarily a funding conduit, but would be discussing a broader, more active role that included advocacy at its July 2 retreat. She thanked the police for investigat- ing whether an attack in the Trainsong neighborhood was a hate crime. She said the neighborhood was holding a fundraiser to assist the victim. Mr. Pryor said the SafetyFest was an impressive event and all of the participating agencies and organiza- tions did a great job. He had also toured the University area neighborhood and found it very informative. He agreed with Ms. Ortiz’s remarks regarding the HSC and a potential new role. Mr. Ruiz reported that he and Mr. Zelenka had attended a meeting at which the neighborhood and the University and City were working together to mitigate issues involving the new arena. He said more work was required, but was pleased that all of the stakeholders were willing to work toward solutions. MINUTES—Eugene City Council June 23, 2008 Page 1 Work Session