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She felt the Police Auditor’s Office was not being allowed to fully function. She averred that as soon as it was allowed to fully function there would be fewer such trials and the “cash cow milked by” the City Attorney’s Office would “dry up.” She believed the continued relationship with the current legal services had “worked against the voters’ interests.” She considered it “politically charged legal malfeasance plain and simple.” She asked the council to reconsider its decision not to hire the firm listed in the motion from its work session. She stressed her support for establishment of inhouse legal services, “whose sole focus and task would be to serve the City needs and not the agendas of a good old boy’s club and the law firm’s bank account.” She asserted that it had been in the interests of the current provider of legal services to maintain dysfunction “to the bitter end.” She added her thanks to Councilor Bettman for her service, saying that the work session had given her “just a hint of the swamp that [she had] slogged through” for their benefit. She welcomed anyone’s ideas on how the City could get inhouse legal services. Aaron Nelson , 1670 Alder Street, recalled that he had spoken out against the Downtown Exclusion Zone. He related that on November 29, the Eugene Police had served a search warrant at the Campbell Club, a student co-op at which he lived. He alleged that a lot of property had been damaged and among the nearly 30 residents of the co-op approximately $12,000 in fines had been levied. He also alleged that one officer told the residents that if they had allowed the police in when the police had first been called to the party and not demanded that the police get a search warrant, the police officers would have “been nicer” to the residents. He noted that the house had issued a press release. He said he would feel more comfortable about the incident if there was an “empowered Police Auditor” in Eugene. He encouraged the councilors to do what they could to create a “meaningful police auditor position” in the City. He added that he had decided to apply to serve on the committee. th Majeska Seese-Green , 5 Avenue and Van Buren Street, believed it was important to get outside legal information for the committee on external police review. She also felt there was a great need for transpar- ency “about what’s going to happen in that committee.” She urged the council to make sure that it happened. She was pleased to see that there was some interest on the part of the councilors to get additional legal opinions. She hoped that they would find a way to do that as soon as possible. She averred that if the conflict of interest situation, whether it was perceived or actual, was not resolved, it would be the “kiss of death” for Eugene to believe it had an independent police review system. She thought a lot of her neighbors felt that putting time into something like external police review was a waste. She added that she was thankful for Councilor Bettman’s service, calling her a “fantastic role model” for herself and her daughter. th Rene Kane , 254 West 14 Avenue, wished to thank Councilor Bettman for her many years of service and for being “thoughtful, tireless, and tenacious.” Mike Quillin , 2735 Kismet Way, expressed gratitude to Councilor Bettman for her years of service to the community. He felt she would be sorely missed. He also wished to express his dismay that the council had not voted to seek different legal counsel in the matter of the police auditor. He sensed a “high level of resistance to independent review.” He wondered why anyone opposed to it was afraid of independent legal review if they had nothing to hide. He cited Eugene City Code 2.470 regarding City Attorney appointment and duties. He also read from the Oregon Rules of Professional Conduct, regarding the level of diligence a lawyer should demonstrate and communication between a lawyer and client. He asserted that the current provider of City Attorney services was neglecting its duty to the City. th Brian Michaels , 259 East 5 Avenue, said he was an attorney working in Eugene. He related that an email from Councilor Bettman had been forwarded to him concerning her response and correction of previously written ordinances recommending an independent legal counsel. He had been pleased to read it and also displeased that the council had not supported it. He remarked that everyone had been raised in a society of criminal justice that was “dependent entirely on deterrents.” He opined that the Police Department was MINUTES—Eugene City Council December 8, 2008 Page 3 Regular Meeting