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C. Work Session: City Council Meeting Logistics <br /> <br />Mr. Johnson referred the council to the agenda item summary related to the issue and said the <br />council had an opportunity to discuss meeting logistics and changes resulting from the Council <br />Chamber renovation. <br /> <br />At Mr. Farr's request, Mr. Johnson described the renovations, which included modifications <br />required under the Americans with Disabilities Act, a new carpet, better lighting, an improved <br />sound system, and replacement of all existing seating with moveable chairs. He also described how <br />staff envisioned meetings would occur, noting the room would be all on one level and will afford <br />more arrangements that allow for group meetings. <br /> <br />The council briefly discussed the changes proposed. Mr. Meisner appreciated the improvements <br />proposed, particularly the changes to the sound system. While he thought the Council Chamber a <br />good space for much larger meetings, such as the Budget Committee, he was not sure he wanted <br />to move council work sessions to the chamber. He appreciated the council's ability to have more <br />informal discussions in the McNutt Room. On those few occasions where more seating was <br />needed for council work sessions, the overflow had been accommodated in the chamber. He did <br />not want to move all meetings for the sake of two or three occasions. <br /> <br />Mr. Johnson noted the overflow crowds at Budget Committee meetings. <br /> <br />Mr. Meisner asked why the City had only recently begun enforcing the McNutt Room capacity <br />limitation. Mr. Johnson said it was in recognition of the legal limit and the need for enforcement. <br />Mr. Meisner suggested that the City had created the limitation by its recent enforcement. He <br />asserted that people in the community perceived it as shutting them out. Mr. Pap~ pointed out that <br />the Fire Code dictated the capacity limitation in the McNutt Room. <br /> <br />Mr. Pap~ said that the McNutt Room was a terrible venue for most meetings because it was too <br />small and crowded. He thought that other venues, such as Studio One at the Hult Center, should <br />be used more often. <br /> <br />Mr. Kelly appreciated the renovations proposed. However, he shared Mr. Meisner's concerns. He <br />endorsed the use of the Council Chamber for Budget Committee meetings. However, he thought <br />the McNutt Room worked well for council work sessions. He liked the informality of the room. <br />He pointed out that on Monday nights people began arriving for the 8 p.m. meeting early and they <br />would be coming in, taking their seats, and milling around while the council was finishing its work <br />session. Mr. Kelly did not want to take a break between meetings because that would make the <br />night longer. In addition, Mr. Kelly said he would hate to have work sessions open to a large <br />audience, because he thought it could impact the tone of the council's discussion. He thought that <br />box lunches would be inadequate, particularly for Monday meetings, suggesting that the result <br />would be "councilors falling over." <br /> <br /> MINUTES--Eugene City Council July 18, 2001 Page 6 <br /> Work Session <br /> <br /> <br />