CC Minutes - 10/13/03 Mtg - Laserfiche WebLink

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Ms. Overholser cited several examples of inhumane treatment and disposal of cats. She suggested that another solution would be to offer a free spay and neuter clinic, noting that a New Hampshire study had determined that every dollar invested in spaying and neutering equaled a $19 savings in animal sheltering and control over a ten-year period. Until this could be instituted, she urged that funding for the cattery be restored. John Kline, 693 West l0th Avenue, spoke about the Trude Kaufman Annex, located adjacent to his residence. He conveyed the serious concerns of himself and his neighbors, stating the house had fallen into serious decline. Although he supported the organization that had oversight of the house, he felt they were not providing adequate care for it. He noted there were piles of magazines and newspapers and leftovers from rummage sales in the backyard and on the porch. He encouraged the City to either enforce the oversight or to sell the house to someone who would provide better care for it. He noted that he had spoken to Councilor Meisner regarding the house one year earlier. Mayor Torrey closed the Public Forum and invited comments from councilors. Councilor Meisner asked, on behalf of Mr. Klein, that staff provide a brief summary to him and to the public on the action the council had taken two months earlier with regard to the Trude Kaufman House. He noted that selling the property had been contemplated. Councilor Meisner commented that it was not surprising the County ordinance governing cell towers would be different from that of the City, given the respective densities of population. He requested information from staff regarding the degree to which opportunities were given for plan revisions after misstatements. Regarding the cattery, Councilor Meisner related that one-time funding would be requested in the supplemental budget process to try to restore the service. He noted that the council was paying close attention to the work of the task force. He thanked Ms. Overholser for her attention to the matter. Councilor Bettman echoed Councilor Meisner's response to Mr. Klein. She said she had toured the house in the previous year and at that time, senior citizens managing the center were eager to work on the necessary maintenance of the house, but the house was ;~tied up because of City politics." She related that the house was now to be sold. Councilor Bettman hoped that a work session could be held on the cell tower ordinance. She commented that staff had encouraged the council not to reopen the ordinance because the City ostensibly had the tools to do better management in terms of the independent technical review. She felt that building a cell tower next to a property with a residence on it created a very serious situation because the building of a cell tower immediately reduced the value of the adjacent property, and that constituted a taking. She noted that the people who were concerned about the cell towers were not opposed, but only wanted the City to do a better job of regulating them. She asked, regarding the cell tower to be placed on Hayward Field, how it would be interconnected with the City's authority or responsibility for the field, given that the City had a contract with the University of Oregon to upgrade the field and spent $60,000 on it annually. Councilor Pap6 expressed appreciation for the persistence of the proponents of the cattery. He remarked that many City services had been cut in the spring budget process. He conveyed his hope that the MINUTES--Eugene City Council October 13, 2003 Page 4 Regular Meeting