Laserfiche WebLink
<br />e <br /> <br />David Cater, 971 Lawrence Street, said that basically what the people in the <br />area proposed for annexation want is to be represented. He thought that our <br />whole society is based on representation and that it seemed un-American and even <br />unconstitutional to deny someone representation. <br /> <br />Speaking in opposition to the charter revision request: <br /> <br />Chester Pietka, 372 West 12th Avenue, responded to Mayor Keller's earlier <br />request that those wishing to testify coordinate their testimony to avoid <br />repetition. He said that those opposed to this annexation had not gotten <br />together to testify because they wished to speak, however briefly, as <br />individuals. <br /> <br />Mr. Pietka said that he lived at 372 West 12th Avenue and that he owns and <br />operates a business at 1251 Lincoln Street. He said that he never received the <br />notices of the WNQP discussion of the proposed annexation which Mr. Andersen <br />said had been distributed to all residents and property owners in the area. He <br />indicated that other businesses in the area also did not receive the notices. <br /> <br />Mr. Pietka said that he had been a resident and a businessman in the area in <br />question since 1951. He opposed annexation of the area because, from past <br />experience, he feels that most of the people who are involved with the neighbor- <br />hood organization are short-term residents and are primarily interested in <br />family housing, parks, recreation, beautification, bicycle paths, and traffic <br />diverters. Again citing past experience, Mr. Pietka said that these people are <br />anti-business. He felt that when businesses had formed their own organization <br />in the area, they had been harassed. <br /> <br />e <br /> <br />Mr. Pietka said that there are 137 businesses in the area in question and about <br />30 apartment houses, ranging from four to 150 units each; yet the neighborhood <br />can make decisions affecting the whole area with a quorum of only ten persons. <br />He also felt that the votes of the 137 businesses in the area could easily be <br />surmounted by the votes of the residents in the area. Mr. Pietka concluded by <br />stating that he felt that the City Council provides the forum necessary for <br />public debate and that City departments can be approached directly with any <br />problems. He did not feel that business people had time to go to neighborhood <br />meetings. <br /> <br />David Lowe, 88357 Fisher Road, represented a business at 390 West 11th Avenue. <br />He said that he was one of the people involved in the decision to secede from <br />WNQP. He has not changed his mind. He did not feel that the businesses in the <br />area had been represented by WNQP. He expressed satisfaction with the way <br />things were going on now and felt that he could speak directly to the council if <br />he needed to and did not need to be represented through a neighborhood group. <br /> <br />Paul Gilbertson, 1312 Lincoln Street, felt that representation is the issue. He <br />felt that he was well represented by the City Council and well served by paid <br />City staff. He said that he had heard of someone who had been told he needed <br />permission from his neighborhood organization to cut down a tree. Mr. Gilbert- <br />son felt that neighborhood groups should not have this veto power. <br /> <br />e <br /> <br />MINUTES--Eugene City Council <br /> <br />May 11, 1981 <br /> <br />Page 14 <br />