CC Minutes - 06/14/99 Mtg - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

the City of Eugene the authority to implement the plan. He commented that the City Council was a long way from approving the ACSP. The Mayor then closed the public hearing. VII. PUBLIC HEARING: ON AN ORDINANCE CONCERNING GRAFFITI: AND AMENDING SECTIONS 6.005, 6.010, 6.080, 6.100, AND 6.990 OF THE EUGENE CODE, 197'1 Mr. Johnson introduced Jeff Lankston, Public Works Department, who provided a presentation to the council on graffiti abatement. He summarized three possible graffiti ordinances. He noted that each of the ordinances defined graffiti as "without the owner's consent," each declared graffiti a nuisance and required property owners to abate graffiti or allow the City to do it, and each provided penalties for those who were caught in the act of doing graffiti. He said the differences were in the way graffiti abatement was paid for. He said that the first ordinance allowed the City to remove the graffiti and charge the property owner for the cost of removal including administrative overhead. The second ordinance also allowed the City to remove graffiti and charge property owners; however, it exempted the first two abatements on nonresidential property and also exempted single family residential property from the cost of abatement. The third ordinance exempted all property owners from the cost of abating graffiti. Staff recommended that council adopt the first graffiti ordinance. Councilor Kelly commented on the extraneous language of the third ordinance and expressed a desire to see it removed. Councilor Pap~ asked why the ordinance applied to nonresidential properties. Mr. Lankston replied that the first ordinance was an attempt to balance the ability to pay for abatement of residential property owners against the ability of commercial property owners. Councilor Meisner asked that an estimate of the total cost of graffiti abatement, including administrative overhead, be provided at the next work session. Councilor Nathanson asked about the number of removal actions done in a fiscal year. Councilor Rayor raised a concern with the third ordinance and its verbiage on property liens. Mr. Klein clarified the language of the proposed ordinance. Mayor Torrey opened the public hearing. Charlie Rubash, Boy Scout Troop 177, presented a letter from his troop with ideas on how to handle the graffiti problem in the city. The troop suggested a "Free Wall" under citizen control where it would be legal to place graffiti. Mark Pangborn, representing the Lane Transit District, raised concerns with ordinances that penalized businesses for not abating graffiti in a timely manner. John Brown, 1260 Charnelton Street, reiterated Mr. Pangborn's comments regarding penalizing businesses for untimely graffiti abatement. He also expressed his desire to see stiffer punishments for etching. MINUTES--Eugene City Council June 14, 1999 Page 8 7:30 p.m.