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<br />Ms. Bettman explained that the original language implied that there would be preferable treatment for <br />responses that asked for assistance. She said the change did not mean subsidizes were not available; it said <br />that asking for a subsidy would not favorably weight an application. <br /> <br />Mr. Kelly said there had been many anecdotal comments about the failure of commercial space in Broadway <br />Place and he thought it would be useful for the council to receive a memorandum on the subject from the <br />owners of Broadway Place if they were willing to do that. He reflected on Ms. Taylor’s comments <br />regarding successful businesses along Broadway. He said the problem was not that West Broadway <br />properties were owned by one or two people; it was the motivation and sensibilities of a landlord and the <br />synergy that could create. He noted that the buildings occupied by many of the successful businesses were <br />owned by the Giustina family, which had done much to encourage those businesses for the benefit of the <br />community. <br /> <br />The main motion, as amended, passed 7:1; Ms. Taylor voting in opposition. <br /> <br />Mayor Piercy adjourned the meeting of the Urban Renewal Agency. <br /> <br /> <br />Mayor Piercy reconvened the meeting of the Eugene City Council. <br /> <br /> <br />C. WORK SESSION: An Ordinance Prohibiting Extreme Fighting; Adding Section 4.740 to the <br />Eugene Code, 1971; and Amending Section 4.990 of that Code <br /> <br />City Manager Taylor introduced City Attorney Jerome Lidz to present the draft ordinance. He noted that <br />the legislature would be addressing extreme fighting when it convened in January 2007 and recommended <br />that the council postpone action unless it intended to outlaw extreme fighting entirely as regulation of a new <br />form of martial arts would be better accomplished at the State level. <br /> <br />Mr. Lidz reminded the council of what role the City could play in the matter. He said the State, through <br />statute and the Boxing and Wrestling Commission, regulated all professional boxing and wrestling, with <br />wrestling defined to include mixed martial arts. He said the State did not currently regulate amateur fighting <br />and that was mostly what occurred in the cage fighting exhibitions. He said the legislative plan was to <br />expand the Boxing and Wrestling Commission’s authority to include amateur cage fighting as amateur <br />fighting was regarded as a loophole in current State law. He said that rules adopted by the Nevada Athletic <br />Commission were considered the gold standard for regulation of mixed martial arts; a copy of those rules <br />was included in the agenda packet. He outlined the council’s options: <br /> <br />? <br /> Ban mixed martial arts, or extreme fighting as defined in the ordinance altogether in the City <br />? <br /> Regulate mixed martial arts, with rules likely based on the Nevada rules <br />? <br /> Postpone action until the legislature acted <br /> <br />Mr. Lidz said he did not know if legislative action on mixed martial arts would preempt local regulation as <br />was the case with professional fighting, although he thought that was probable. <br /> <br />Mr. Kelly said it was clear following a public hearing that there was not majority support for banning cage <br />fighting in Eugene. Regarding the recommendation to wait until the legislature acted, he thought a council <br /> <br /> <br />MINUTES—Eugene City Council November 27, 2006 Page 8 <br /> Work Session <br /> <br />