CC Minutes - 06/09/03 Mtg - Laserfiche WebLink

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Council Bill 4834, an ordinance concerning the change of street name of Centennial Boulevard to Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. Councilor Bettman said there would be resistance to whatever the council put on the table for action. She said Centennial Boulevard was picked because there was a minimal inconvenience to the City's residents and businesses. She stressed that the businesses located on that portion of Centennial Boulevard would have a year to change their letterhead and expressed her amazement that members of the council would allow something like that to be an obstacle to moving forward with the renaming. She reiterated Mayor Torrey's words at the end of the public hearing on the issue where he had stated that if he were to make a memorial to the Holocaust he would consult the Jewish community and stressed that the African-American Community had made a proposal and followed the process. She said the council would be making a mistake if it did not understand the significance of not listening to that community because it was a different choice than some councilors would make. Councilor Taylor said the issue was more than just the people who lived on the street. She said Centennial Boulevard was named to celebrate the centennial of the State. She said that the street belonged to everyone and not just a certain part of the community. She remarked that the quote from Dr. King was excellent but commented that he was talking about freedom and not naming a street. Councilor Pap~ said his perception of the process was that it had not been communitywide and inclusive. He said it would be easy for him to move forward if the process had been followed correctly. Councilor Kelly remarked that the name change was a very simple and straightforward thing to do. He stressed that the process was followed and unanimously endorsed by the Planning Commission. He said the issue was not about concrete but about respect. He asked for input/views from City Manager Taylor as a newcomer to the City. City Manager Taylor said tough decisions needed to be made while looking out into the community. He noted that most priorities were making sure that services were effective and efficient but one of the underlying concepts the council had to address was whether its decisions helped build the kind of community that was desired. He stressed the need for a decision that built community. He urged the council to ask itself whether its decision would bring a positive result. Councilor Poling reported an ex parte contact he had received from Jack Radabaugh of the Harlow Neighborhood Association. He said he had sent his response to all of the councilors and the City Attorney. He related that he had made a comment during the public hearing on the matter that the Harlow Neighbors had voted to opposed the renaming. He said it had come to his attention that a vote had not been taken and he did not know how the group had come to its decision. Putting that aside, Councilor Poling said the people in his ward were overwhelmingly opposed the renaming and he would stand by the desires of the people in his ward. Councilor Meisner said the council had asked the wrong question about the renaming and the result was a community divided against itself. He said the council needed to do more than just name a street. He said he would support the original motion. MINUTES--Eugene City Council June 9, 2003 Page 8 Regular Session