CC Minutes - 06/26/00 Work Session

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appearance before the Municipal Court judge. He said there was a case regarding the issue pending action by the Oregon Supreme Court. If the court overturned the law in question, which was a Portland ordinance, the council would need to reconsider the ordinance. At this point, he felt comfortable with the recommended approach. Continuing, Mr. Prozanski said that the commission recommended application of the cruising ordinance to the area in question. The area would be declared a prostitution-free zone. He said that the commission also recommended that the council amend the Municipal Court penalty schedule for those convicted of patronizing prostitutes to equal the State penalties for prostitutes. The commission further recommended that the names of the customers of prostitutes, or "johns," be published in local media sources and a City Web site. Mr. Prozanski noted that the local newspaper, The Register-Guard, was currently investigating whether publishing such names would place the paper in any legal liability. Mr. Prozanski said the commission advocated for a review of the ordinances, if passed, after 18 months. Mr. Prozanski said that the commission also recommended that the City and Lane County take a lead in finding additional funding for drug prevention and intervention, that a mandatory educational program about the impact of prostitution on individuals and the community for "johns" be established in Municipal Court, and that the council consider increasing funding for the Police Department to address the underlying reasons that may cause someone to become a prostitute. Mr. Farr commended the work of the task force and indicated support for the commission's recommendations. He noted the scope of the problem and said that the ultimate victim of prostitution was the women involved. Those soliciting and "pimping" prostitutes had not historically been prosecuted to the extent the prostitute was, and that needed to be changed. He also supported increases in funding for drug and alcohol treatment. Mr. Meisner noted the concerns of residents in his ward about the problem of prostitution. He said that the problem heavily affected residential neighborhoods. He had personally witnessed the cruising behavior of "johns." Women in the neighborhood could not walk to the grocery store alone without being solicited, and residents felt uncomfortable allowing their children to travel without escort. Prostitution also caused public health problems. While Mr. Meisner concurred with Mr. Farr that prostitutes were often victimized, he liked the balanced approach the commission recommended, which demanded a degree of personal accountability from the women working as prostitutes. He favored holding a hearing on the proposal before the council. Mr. Meisner appreciated the floating cruising zone, which gave the police flexibility to attack the problem where it existed. Mr. Meisner was optimistic the Oregon Supreme Court would rule in favor of Portland. Mr. Meisner asked if newspapers in other cities published the names of "johns," and if those newspapers had been successfully sued. Mr. Prozanski said that other newspapers published such names, and he was not aware of any successful lawsuits. Mr. Meisner observed that, with the exception of juveniles, the newspaper published the names of other convicted individuals. He hoped the City could gain the newspaper's cooperation in publishing the names. Mr. Rayor was generally supportive of the recommendations. He asked for clarification of the provision allowing the City to exclude a person from the area for a specific period, suggesting that it represented a penalty prior to the court process. Mr. Prozanski said that the exclusion did MINUTES--Eugene City Council June 26, 2000 Page 2 Work Session