CC Minutes - 07/21/08 Public Hearing

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Ms. Syrett said the ACLU had great sympathy for those living and working downtown who faced harassment and suffered from repeated criminal acts. She appreciated the council’s attempt to find a solution. She recognized that the criminal justice system was in crisis, but still believed it was best to employ a law-enforcement based approach to problems in the downtown core. She expressed appreciation to councilors Clark and Ortiz for including the ACLU in the dialogue and looked forward to crafting a solution. Tom Kaymas , Lincoln Street, said criminal conduct was a constant downtown. There needed to be individual accountability, and he hoped that enforcement of the ordinance would do that. He did not know if it would work. He spent thousands of dollars on repair and security. He said security people spent hours chasing people away from businesses and from shooting up. Mr. Kaymas said that every year something like the ordinance was suggested, and if this ordinance would not work, what would? He said that when the police were moved from Broadway, all the street people moved back. He feared retribution from street people for his customers and himself. He noted that the developer recently selected by the City for a downtown redevelopment project had also stated that for the project to succeed, downtown security must be improved. He suggested that taxes be raised on all the vacant buildings downtown to pay the costs of increased security. David Hauser , 2168 Elkhorn Drive, representing the Eugene Area Chamber of Commerce, the new contract administrator for DEI, said that DEI was the City’s partner in creating a safe, vibrant community. He thanked councilors Ortiz and Clark for their interest in the ordinance. He had spoken to the guides about the downtown environment, and they confirmed the stories the council heard at the hearing. He invited each councilor to walk with the guides and view what people were talking about. He said that he had an optimistic view of the future of downtown; there were problems that required more resources and tools. He said that the ordinance was not perfect but it was a tool that deserved a chance to succeed. He said that the increase in the number of guides and their hours, in combination with the ordinance, could make a difference in how downtown felt to those with businesses and the customers they served. Excluding repeat offenders for 90 days seemed like a modest sanction. George Brown , a downtown business owner and incoming City Councilor, was sympathetic to the intentions of the ordinance and shared the frustration of downtown business owners as a business owner himself. However, he believed the ordinance was an unnecessary complication that would not solve any problems. It required an enhanced police presence for enforcement. The resulting citations and arrests would clog the court system and would be unlikely to result in jail time for offenders. He suggested that the police presence downtown be increased with more beat officers and hours added at night. He recommended that community policing be instituted downtown as everyone knew that was the answer. Tasha Brubaker Garrison , understood the need to address the issues of the downtown area, but was concerned about the sweeping nature of the ordinance and its impact on the homeless and dispossessed. She thought people made good points about community policing and increased resources. She recommended the council think creatively and disentangle the different threads of the issue. She proposed solutions such as self-cleaning toilets. She recommended that crimes be addressed right away. Mayor Piercy closed the public hearing and asked for council comments and questions. Councilor Clark said his intention was to specifically address those with a proven record of bad behavior with a way to address the bad behavior. He did not propose to exclude people on the basis of how they looked. Councilor Clark understood the ACLU’s concerns and was willing to consider some modifications. He said there was no question the City needed to begin to act differently about its downtown if it wanted it to succeed. MINUTES—Eugene City Council July 21, 2008 Page 5 Public Hearing