CC Minutes - 08/11/08 Meeting - Laserfiche WebLink

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Mike Quillin , Kismet Way, Eugene, said it seemed the Eugene police had recently begun taking pleasure in their power over citizens, and by resisting the actions and inquiries of the Police Auditor had, in fact, become dishonest. He said an initial positive experience with police when he moved to Eugene 14 years ago had been eroded in the intervening years. He said people should not be targeted on the basis of their appearance. He no longer taught his children to respect police officers as honorable people working for the public good, but in recent years taught them to avoid contact with the police unless absolutely necessary. He asked the council to make every effort to restore honor to the Police Department before establishing an exclusion zone. Kathy Gain , Harris Street, Eugene, said she was alarmed by the selective persecution that would likely occur in the exclusion zone. She found it curious that the zone was being proposed at the same time that Metro Housing was renting housing and commercial space next door to the WOW Hall, and questioned whether it was an attempt to get rid of it. She said the ordinance was unconstitutional and did not think taxpayers could afford the costs of legal challenges that would occur. She was puzzled that the ordinance targeted drug-dealing and possession and preferred that the police target more violent and serious offenses. She asked what would happen if someone had a medical marijuana card or musicians smoked pot on a break. She said an exclusion zone was preposterous and would make a joke of Eugene. She regarded marijuana as a beneficial plant which should not be covered under the Controlled Substance Act. David Hinkley , Lawrence Street, Eugene, commented that passing an exclusionary zone ordinance without the resources to enforce it was a waste of time. He said the Police Chief’s actions related to withholding a file appeared to be a cover-up and the ordinance was clear that any complaints about police employees were referred to the auditor. He did not feel the current ordinance needed to be revised; the existing rules needed to be followed. Majeska Seese-Green , Eugene, thanked the Mayor and councilors and everyone who helped to protect the Amazon Headwaters. She hoped that the exclusion zone ordinance would not be passed without major revisions. She felt that the issue of a missing complaint was extremely important and wondered why the file could not have been provided to the auditor with sensitive information redacted. She said the Taser incident and withholding of a file had resulted in a setback in public trust and increase in skepticism about the police review system. She said there should be no exceptions to the ordinance and hoped it would never happen again. Councilor Ortiz said passage of the exclusionary zone ordinance was about a crisis of safety downtown. She did not think the exclusion zone would solve all of the problems and was willing to consider anything that might help. She invited community members and community organizations to come downtown, get involved and contribute their suggestions. Councilor Taylor said she was totally opposed to an exclusionary zone. She thanked John Brown for his continuing efforts to promote clean water. Councilor Clark said it was a compliment to the community that so many people spoke on the subject of how to make people safer. He said the council was not perfect and would likely make some mistakes, but he hoped by the end of the meeting, it would take action to make conditions downtown better. He said while the purpose of the Police Auditor was to re-establish trust, that was a two-way street and there should be a willingness to extend trust and respect for the Police Chief’s judgment. He asserted his trust in Chief Lehner and felt his decision would be validated when all information was available. MINUTES—Eugene City Council August 11, 2008 Page 2 Regular Meeting