CC Minutes - 06/08/98 Meeting - Laserfiche WebLink

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Mr. Fart reviewed considerations given to the ordinance by the Council Committee on Homelessness and Youth. He said members were committed to developing a recommendation for the council which would solve problems created by allowing overnight sleeping on streets in industrially zoned areas. Mr. Johnson announced that the council would consider Council Bill 4656, an ordinance authorizing sleeping in specified areas; providing effective and expiration dates; and declaring an emergency. Mr. Fart moved, seconded by Mr. Tollenaar, that Council Bill 4656, with unanimous consent of the council, be read the second time by council bill number only, and that enactment be considered at this time. The motion was adopted unanimously, 8:0. Mr. Johnson announced that the council would consider Council Bill 4656 by number only. Mr. Fart moved, seconded by Mr. Tollenaar, that Council Bill 4656 be approved and given final passage. Mr. Lee stated that it was important to recognize the positive values brought by elements of the ordinance under consideration related to allowing persons to sleep in the parking lots of religious institutions and in the back yards of residences. He said he believed the committee would provide a helpful revision of the section of the ordinance related to sleeping on streets in industrially zoned areas. Mr. Meisner said that he would support the motion because be believed allowing citizens to sleep in vehicles was a solution to a portion of the problems faced by some homeless persons, but that the entire "housing ladder" needed to be addressed. He said he was concerned that it was reported that there were no problems associated with camping allowed in residential areas by the ordinance. He said there was a great deal of illegal camping in residential areas that was not dealt with satisfactorily. He said he expected that police would respond when complaints regarding such illegal camping were presented and suggested that the council might consider establishing an enforcement priority policy for police. Ms. Taylor asked if a public hearing was required before the council adopted the amended ordinance proposal. Mr. Klein replied that a public hearing was required before adoption of an ordinance, but that an additional public hearing was not required if the ordinance was amended after its public hearing. Ms. Taylor stated that she believed a public hearing should be held on the amended ordinance proposal. She said she did not believe that the ordinance provided a solution to homeless issues, that impacts on wetlands resulting from camping should be considered, that the State and other local governments should be involved in seeking a solution to issues related to homelessness, that homeless persons needed shelters not the ability to sleep on the street, and that the ordinance should be proposed for adoption for a single year. Ms. Taylor moved to amend the motion to provide that the automatic repeal of the ordinance take place on June 30, 1999. MINUTES--Eugene City Council June 8, 1998 Page 11 7:30 p.m.