Laserfiche WebLink
<br />M I N U T E S <br /> <br /> <br />Eugene City Council <br />Regular Meeting <br />Council Chamber—Eugene City Hall <br /> <br /> May 29, 2007 <br /> 7:30 p.m. <br /> <br /> <br />COUNCILORS PRESENT: Jennifer Solomon, Andrea Ortiz, Mike Clark, Alan Zelenka, Chris Pryor, <br />George Poling, Bonny Bettman, and Betty Taylor. <br /> <br /> <br />Mayor Kitty Piercy called the regular meeting of the Eugene City Council to order. <br /> <br /> <br />1. PUBLIC FORUM <br /> <br /> <br />Mayor Piercy reviewed the rules of the public forum. <br /> <br />Joe Collins <br />, 2233 Hawkins Lane, did not feel that three minutes was enough time to give the presentation he <br />wished to provide. He wished to comment on future expenditures being considered by the City/County area. <br />He listed the issues that caused him concern, as follows: a new city hall/police department building, the <br />purchase of 65 acres in the south hills, the purchase of two properties downtown, and redevelopment in the <br />downtown area. He said it appeared that the city of Eugene was being made into a “San Francisco or <br />Ashland north.” He continued listing his issues: improvement to downtown parking, a proposal to raise <br />money through a three-cent gas tax for street repairs, an increase in garbage rates, and a wage hike for <br />County employees. He opined that the voters of Lane County had spoken against new taxes. He believed <br />that the voters wanted the “people in charge” to cut expenditures and “live within a budget.” He suggested <br />that the items he listed be “dropped from future consideration.” <br /> <br />Mr. Collins related experiences in his life in which he had to reduce expenditures and live within his budget. <br /> <br />Paul Romain <br />, 707 Southwest Washington Street, Suite 927, Portland, spoke on behalf of the Oregon <br />Petroleum Association. He conveyed the association’s opposition to the proposed gas tax increase. He <br />believed it should be submitted to a vote of the people. He said if the tax was imposed, the association <br />would gather signatures for an initiative to put the entire gas tax, both the proposed increase and the existing <br />five-cent per gallon tax, to a vote. <br /> <br />Mayor Piercy closed the public forum and invited comments and questions from councilors. No comments <br />were offered at this time. <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />MINUTES—Eugene City Council May 29, 2007 Page 1 <br /> Regular Meeting <br /> <br />