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

Home Browse Search

Ms. Nathanson said that she supported appropriate display of the flag and that she considered her reaction to the current proposal to be a design issue. She said she was willing to approve a replacement for the cross, but that the current proposal was unacceptable and that the current meeting did not allow time to fully consider other options. Ms. Swanson Gribskov said she believed all members of the council were concerned with how to express honor and appreciation for military veterans and the flag, but that she believed the current proposal was too large for Skinner Butte. She proposed that consideration be given to relocating the current granite veteran's memorial to the top of the butte, and adding a modest flag pole of the size located at City Hall with a flag that could be displayed on particular ceremonial occasions. Ms. Swanson Gribskov moved, seconded by Mr. Meisner, to direct the City Manager to develop additional options for a war memorial on Skinner Butte for consideration by the City Council, including moving the granite veteran's memorial with a flag pole to the summit; and that the matter be rescheduled for consideration by the council after development of the options. Mr. Lee described the experience and recognition of the importance of the American flag by his family and suggested that all citizens be given an opportunity to express their views on the proposed war memorial flag on Skinner Butte through a referendum vote. Mr. Meisner said he was concerned that public support and opposition to the proposed war memorial flag was becoming divisive to the community. He reported that he had received threats of violence if he opposed the placement of a flag on Skinner Butte. He said he hoped the council could develop a solution to the issue which would benefit the entire community. He said he believed there was a need to be respectful of freedoms for which veterans fought the wars of the nations. Ms. Taylor said that she was not prepared to support any proposal for developing a war memorial on Skinner Butte and that she believed the entire community should be part of any decision which was made. Mr. Farr said that he believed the council had removed the cross from Skinner Butte because it did not represent everyone in the community and that the council needed to find a different symbol to place there which did represent everyone. He described the experience of his family as emigrants to the United States and said that the flag represented, for them, a symbol of freedom from oppression. He said he favored placing an acceptably sized flag on the butte to symbolize freedom and that he did not believe such an expression was blind patriotism. Mr. Tollenaar stated that he agreed with the sentiments of most who had spoken and that he was surprised at the controversy which had risen in response to the proposed war memorial flag. He said he agreed that the flag was an ambiguous symbol and meant different things to different people. He said he was impressed with a statement made by a representative of the Eugene Rotary Club that any flag on the butte should be consistent with the value the location had as a viewpoint of the City. He said he would support the motion to enable consideration of additional options for the butte. MINUTES--Eugene City Council June 8, 1998 Page 9 7:30 p.m.