CC Minutes - 07/26/99 Mtg - Laserfiche WebLink

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declaration of emergency during a level three disaster. He provided information on the process of actually declaring an emergency. Mayor Torrey opened the public hearing. Robin Terranova, 2720 East 40th Avenue, spoke against the ordinance, calling it martial law. He raised concerns about the police purposefully escalating situations to provoke conflict. He also raised concerns over the infringement of the people's right to peacefully assemble. Steven Heslin, 440 1/2 Blair Boulevard, spoke in support of the ordinance because he believed that passage of the ordinance would fan the flames of cynicism against City government. Ed Pliml, 922 West 4th Street, spoke as the vice president of the Whiteaker Community Council. He spoke about the efforts of his neighborhood to increase readiness for Y2K or other disasters. He mentioned Community Emergency Response Training and the need for the public to be ready to be self-sufficient. He said that the emergency ordinance was a slap in the face to all those who made those efforts. Betsy Brown, 1947 Garfield Street, spoke against the ordinance. She said that it was too vague and too dangerous. She noted that under the ordinance, citizens would have no legal way to appeal the decisions during an emergency. She said that it threatened the rights of all citizens. She urged the councilors to reject the proposed ordinance. There was spontaneous applause from the audience. Mayor Torrey called a three-minute recess. Wren Davidson, 2295 Riverview Street, spoke against the ordinance. She suggested that the City Council rethink the ways of dealing with emergencies. Jennifer Wilson, 912 Lawrence Street, spoke against the ordinance. She said that the people are the city and that the communities could care for their members. Jason Smith, 674 Madison Street, spoke against the proposed emergency ordinance. He called on councilors to draft a plan that did not require armed enforcement. Lawrence Carver, 2791 Bell Avenue, read a letter to the council against the proposed emergency ordinance. He said the fact that the ordinance was brought to a vote before the City Council constituted a conspiracy of two or more individuals to deprive the citizens of the City of Eugene of their rights under Title 42 USC Section 1985, paragraph 3. He then read the law into the record. He remarked that those who constructed the proposed ordinance engaged in an illegal conspiracy proscribed by federal law. Rob Whittier, 111 Garfield Street, urged caution to the City Council in adopting the emergency ordinance. He commented that, under the proposed ordinance, the City was trading freedom for expediency. He urged the council not to prepare for disaster by stepping on the backs of the people. Judy Andrews, 3105 Van Avenue, spoke against the proposed emergency ordinance. She said it would allow a violation of her personal privacy and the privacy of her family. MINUTES--Eugene City Council July 26, 1999 Page 8 7:30 p.m.