Item 2A: Approval of City Council Minutes

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a majority of the council did not intend to reappoint him. He opined that a couple of the councilors who were identified as liberal did not want someone “who pushed too hard.” He did not think this was the right approach. He asserted that inside the EPD there was a feeling of besiegement that was due to the negative public opinion after the Magaña/Lara incident in which officers were ultimately charged as criminals and sent to jail. He believed the police pushed back against the council and against the Chief of Police. He commented that he would be outraged but it “was not that out of character for police” because police were trained to show force when faced with force. He declared that it would “be a real negative” if the council responded “to pressure” from the officers “by caving in” and appointing CRB members that tried not to “hurt the cops’ feelings.” He thought they needed an objective, credible CRB that upheld discipline. He felt that Mr. Brissenden was the most knowledgeable and experienced member. He wanted both Mr. Brissenden and Ms. Wilkinson to be reappointed. He predicted that the situation with tasers would be exacerbated because some felt that tasers were just an alternative to the billy club and pepper spray, meaning that more cases would come before the CRB. th Howard Bonnett , 1835 East 28 Avenue, Councilor Zelenka’s ward, said he had come before the council because he had been feeling badly. He had served on the advisory committee for the appointment of the CRB for three out of the four times the committee had been convened. He believed that the make-up of the CRB had changed. He expressed disappointment in his performance during the last convening of the committee. He had felt that the best applicant for the initial board appointment was a man who had been appointed. He believed he had demonstrated the most thorough knowledge and understanding of what the CRB was charged with and how it should function. He underscored that this was what he looked for in any applicant. He had tried to apply that rule without respect to whether an applicant held conservative or liberal viewpoints. He felt that he had allowed himself to be deluded in the last round of appointments and he had failed to cast a positive vote when he should have. He asked the council to make their own judgments as to whether the individual had upheld the purpose of the CRB and done a good job and whether there was any reason why that person should not be reappointed. He indicated his intention to decline to serve on the committee in the future. Eugene Drix , Ward 3, said he was proud of Eugene. He had spent the weekend in Seattle and had gone to a pumpkin push with his daughter, a race event involving costumes. He related that as he drove back he had passed Husky Stadium when everyone was preparing for the football game. He noted that his daughter had graduated “as a husky.” He had been requested to consider serving on the Planning Commission and, after attending a meeting, had decided to decline. He preferred to provide testimony to the council. He came before the council because he lived in America and this was a part of freedom. He said free was part of freedom and when people received free things they really appreciated it. He commented that mental issues were something he had dealt with his whole life. He related that he had watched city council meetings in other cities on his trip and there were issues facing other cities as well. He averred that there were issues that they would face that they had never faced before. He remarked that in his neighborhood, the West University Neighbors, builders were encouraged to add lights to increase the lighting in the area. He said they also had “other life forms” in their neighborhood such as raccoons, squirrels, and “no-ads,” i.e. people with no address. He stated that they could only face the future if they were all facing the same direction. He added that his last word for the evening would be ‘integrity.’ Mayor Piercy closed the Public Forum. She thanked everyone for coming. She underscored that everyone sitting on the City Council wanted a meaningful and credible police oversight system. She announced to those with concerns about public safety in the downtown area that a meeting on the issue was scheduled for November 23. She said Volunteers in Policing were working hard on the graffiti issue. She also wanted to express to those who came in support of the mental health resolution that she had been glad to support it. She appreciated those who worked hard to get the resolution before the council. Regarding the person who spoke in support of increasing the empowerment of the University DPS, she explained that the public hearing on the item had been held and the council planned to take action on it on November 9. She also wanted to clarify that the community panel that helped to screen applicants to the CRB had been convened in the same way it had been convened in the past. She noted that the officer in question had participated in the process previously. MINUTES—Eugene City Council October 26, 2009 Page 5 Regular Meeting