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Mr. Clark noted that he had heard testimony at a recent Sheldon Community Center public forum from a <br />citizen who was generally incensed at the lack of support for the officers of the EPD. <br />Mr. Clark expressed that he valued and appreciated the EPD and would be happy to spend money the City <br />already had in order to finally and adequately support their work. <br />Mr. Clark believed that the incorporation of a downtown police substation as part of the relocation of the <br />EPD to the Country Club Road building would enhance public safety downtown. <br />th <br />Mr. Clark reiterated his support for the use of the EWEB building at 500 East 4 Avenue in Eugene as a <br />new Eugene city hall. <br />Mr. Brown, seconded by Ms. Taylor, moved to delay voting on the expenditure of <br />the facility reserves and to not empower the City Manager to enter into negotia- <br />tions on Country Club Road. <br />Mr. Brown maintained it was too early for the City Manager to enter into negotiations for the acquisition of <br />the Country Club Road property and felt there had not been a robust examination of alternative plans. <br />Mr. Brown noted he had recently drafted and distributed a memorandum to the other council members <br />containing a rough outline of his plans to make the current City Hall building compliant with seismic life <br />safety standards. Mr. Brown stated there had been no healthy criticism or discussion of his plan. <br />Mr. Brown believed that moving the EPD employees to the Country Club Road building would not enhance <br />or improve public safety. <br />Mr. Brown maintained that the council was moving too quickly regarding the use of the facility reserves <br />and that inadequate time had been taken by the council and staff to the discussion regarding the use of those <br />funds. <br />Ms. Ortiz stated she did not support Mr. Brown’s motion and encouraged Mr. Brown to have faith in the <br />decisions that had been made previously and the work that had been performed beforehand. Ms. Ortiz <br />noted that the City staff had been researching and investigating the relocation of the EPD and the need for a <br />new City Hall facility for more than nine years and hoped that critics of the proposed plan would have more <br />faith in the process. <br />Mr. Ortiz disagreed with Mr. Brown’s assessment that the City Council was moving too fast with respect <br />to the use of the facility reserves and further noted that while the use of the Country Club Road building <br />had not been her first choice she would support the motions suggested by staff. <br />Ms. Taylor supported Mr. Brown’s motion and believed that not enough members of the public had been <br />adequately apprised of the issues related to the need for a new police facility. <br />Ms. Piercy called for a vote regarding Mr. Brown’s previously stated motion. The <br />motion failed 2:6 (Mr. Clark, Ms. Solomon, Mr. Poling, Mr. Pryor, Ms. Ortiz and <br />Mr. Zelenka voting in opposition.) <br />Mr. Pryor maintained that the current council discussion might encourage the sellers of the Country Club <br />Road building to increase the price and acknowledged that empowering the City Manager to negotiate for <br />the building acquisition would protect the City’s ability to “walk away” from the purchase of the building. <br /> <br /> <br />MINUTES—Eugene City Council July 29, 2009 Page 6 <br /> Work Session <br /> <br />