Laserfiche WebLink
the difficulty of finding an available and appropriate site, and the need for camp management <br />staff determined in previous City experiences of operating such a facility. <br /> <br />Mr. Meisner said that he believed the proposed ordinance created enforcement issues. <br /> <br />Mayor Torrey said he hoped the recommendations of the Council Committee on Homelessness <br />and Youth would be scheduled for a public hearing in time to meet the August 31 date set for the <br />"sunset" of the current ordinance allowing sleeping in vehicles parked on streets in industrial <br />zoning districts. <br /> <br />Ms. Swanson Gribskov expressed appreciation for the work of the Council Committee on <br />Homelessness and Youth. She said she supported expansion of the successful program <br />allowing religious institutions to permit vehicles to park on their property for camping to business <br />and publicly owned property. She said she was concerned that there would be no incentive for <br />persons living in vehicles to use the parking lots of religious institutions, businesses, or public <br />bodies if sleeping in vehicles was permitted on streets in all areas of the City. She said she did <br />not believe the facilitator proposed in the ordinance should be a City employee. <br /> <br />Ms. Nathanson distributed copies of a map which identified City Council ward boundaries and <br />pointed out that most industrially zoned areas were located in wards 7 and 8. She reported that <br />she planned to visit areas used by persons sleeping in vehicles. She said that she would not be <br />supporting the ordinance as it was currently proposed, but hoped elements of it would be re- <br />submitted for council consideration independently. She complimented members and staff of the <br />Council Committee on Homelessness and Youth for their work. <br /> <br />Ms. Taylor said that she would support expansion of the program allowing camping in vehicles on <br />property of religious institutions to that of businesses and publicly owned land. She said she <br />would not support referring the recommendation of the committee to a public hearing. <br /> <br />Ms. Taylor said she believed persons sleeping in vehicles on City streets should be encouraged <br />to do so in Springfield where there was no ban on such activities. She said representatives of <br />the City should suggest to persons living in vehicles who have families that they should approach <br />them for permission to camp on their back yards. She said that if it is true that the city of <br />Springfield did not ban camping on its streets, representatives of the city of Eugene should <br />suggest that people sleep there. <br /> <br />Mr. Lee circulated a map showing the location of complaints regarding persons sleeping in <br />vehicles before creation of the ordinance permitting such sleeping in areas zoned for industrial <br />use. He said the crime rates were lower in industrially zoned areas since the ordinance had <br />been in force. <br /> <br /> Mr. Lee moved, seconded by Mr. Meisner, that the Council Committee on <br /> Homelessness and Youth be asked to reconvene and consider options <br /> related to the ordinance authorizing overnight sleeping in specific areas <br /> raised by the City Council and prepare additional recommendations for <br /> consideration. <br /> <br />Mr. Laue said that he did not believe additional deliberation by the committee would produce <br />improved recommendations. He said the council needed to have input from the public through a <br />hearing process before acting on the recommendations. <br /> <br />MINUTES--Eugene City Council July 8, 1998 Page 7 <br /> <br /> <br />