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Councilor Taylor expressed a hope to delay the WISTEC decision until a better solution could be <br />found. <br /> <br />Regarding the Christmas tree decision, Councilor Taylor said that she was disappointed to hear <br />about the decision and requested the City Manager reconsider it. She said that, to her, a <br />Christmas tree was not a religious symbol, but a symbol of light and happiness and fun. <br /> <br />Councilor Rayor noted that WISTEC's proposed budget included parking revenue from the area <br />where the transit station was proposed as well as an unpaved area that was a wild area of a <br />public park. He said that WISTEC was counting 500 spaces when it only had a legal right to <br />count 200. <br /> <br />Regarding conflicts of interest, Councilor Rayor said that the fact that one of the applicants for the <br />Citizen Charter Review Committee had a firm that represented a one of the businesses that a City <br />Councilor was involved in was not a conflict of interest in any way. He remarked that it was <br />almost cruel to frame such a relationship that way. He stressed that it was incorrect both legally <br />and ethically. <br /> <br />Regarding the Christmas tree decision, Councilor Rayor said that if people wanted Christmas <br />trees they should put one in their homes. <br /> <br />Councilor Kelly said that there was no right or wrong answer for the Christmas tree issue. He said <br />that the root question was whether the Christmas tree was a religious symbol. He said that he <br />personally viewed Christmas trees as a religious symbol. He went on to say that religion in the <br />work place was a difficult thing to discuss, much less make a decision over. He stressed the <br />importance of having a mutually respectful inclusiveness in future years. <br /> <br />Councilor Pap8 said that he would check in with legal counsel before the appointment process of <br />the Citizen Charter Review Committee and would recuse himself if necessary. <br /> <br />Addressing the use of other legal counsel for the Citizen Charter Review Committee, Councilor <br />Meisner said that one of the roles of the committee was to examine the question of separate legal <br />representation. He opined that the Citizen Charter Review Committee would not need its own <br />legal counsel for its meetings, but added that when a final recommendation was made, separate <br />legal representation might be in order. <br /> <br />Regarding the tree issue, Councilor Meisner concurred with Councilor Kelly. <br /> <br />Councilor Bettman supported the City Manager's decision on Christmas trees. She opined that <br />City offices should be religious-neutral zones. <br /> <br />Mayor Torrey stressed the fact that he respected the City Manager but said that he had disagreed <br />with the Christmas tree decision from the beginning. He said that he had received comments <br />from people outside the Christian faith to protest the Christmas tree ban because they did not <br />want to be blamed for the decision and added that the overwhelming majority of communications <br />that he had received had been against the ban. <br /> <br /> MINUTES--Eugene City Council December 11, 2000 Page 4 <br /> Regular Meeting <br /> <br /> <br />