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MINUTES Eugene City Council Regular Session Council Chamber--City Hall May 23, 2005 7:30 p.m. COUNCILORS PRESENT: George Poling, Jennifer Solomon, Bonny Bettman, David Kelly, Andrea Ortiz, Gary Pap~, Chris Pryor, Betty Taylor. Mayor Kitty Piercy called the meeting of the Eugene City Council to order and welcomed all those present. 1. PUBLIC FORUM Mayor Piercy observed that 20 people signed up for the Public Forum. Councilor Bettman, seconded by Councilor Pap~, moved to hold 45 minutes for the Public Forum and to limit testimony to two minutes per person. Roll call vote; the motion passed unanimously, 7:0, Councilor Solomon having not yet arrived. Mayor Piercy reviewed the rules of the Public Forum. Councilor Solomon arrived. Jeremy Hall, PO Box 11648, Eugene, said that he worked with the Oregon Natural Resources Council (ONRC). He urged support for Resolution 4836. He averred that clean water and the big trees in the McKenzie River watershed were some of the primary reasons why Eugene was a great place to live, work, and raise a family. A "yes" vote on the resolution, he asserted, would say "yes" to clean drinking water, "superb" recreational opportunities, and a balanced local economy. He attributed the quality of life for Eugene residents, past, present, and future, to the public forests and clean water of the McKenzie River. He underscored that the river provided jobs as well, both related to outdoor activities and to the businesses that stay or relocate here in part because of the quality of life. Mr. Hall stated that the "towering groves of ancient trees" were dwindling. He alleged that over 3,352 acres of old growth forest were slated to be cut over the next few years. He averred that logging such forests in past decades had contributed to massive sedimentation in river waters. He pointed out that EWEB was forced to shut down its plant during the flood of 1996. He provided a spreadsheet that described the logging projects for the council and a copy of a petition containing 5,180 signatures from people calling on the Forest Service and Congress to permanently protect the old growth and mature forests of the McKenzie River. Amy Pincus-Merwin, 2220 Sandy Drive, spoke in support of Resolution 4836. She wished to call attention to herbicide use on land that had been clear-cut in the McKenzie Watershed and all over Oregon. She MINUTES--Eugene City Council May 23, 2005 Page 1 Regular Session