CC Minutes - 11/23/09 Public Forum

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for sustainable fishing by preserving healthy thriving marine life and provided places for scientific research and the tourist industry. She said the establishment of marine reserves aligned with Oregon's participation with the West Coast Governance Agreement on Ocean Health, noting that Oregon was the only state so far not to set aside areas for the recovery of fish and wildlife. - She declared that all Oregonians had a stake in the health of the ocean. She reiterated the request for _the council's support in protecting the ocean - ecosystem. Diego Hernandez, 1722 Hilyard Street, stated that he was in his fifth year at the University of Oregon working on a triple major. He related that they had held two showings of Papers. The Movie during the previous week and both had been well attended. He had come before the council to talk about the Bream Act and a possible council resolution in support of it. He said it was important because it affected students in the community. He had been born in the United States and was an American, but his parents were immigrants. He underscored the importance of having opportunities to go on to higher education and the contributions and investments that people who went on to higher education made to their communities. He related that he was going to graduate school and would ultimately seek a master's degree in social work. Jairo Castaneda, 1722 Hilyard Street, added his support for passing a resolution to support the Dream Act. He stated that over 930 organizations currently supported the Bream Act. He listed some of them, including Microsoft and the city councils of Portland, Chicago, and Oakland. He said the act was also supported by over 105 members of the House of Representatives and 36 members of the Senate. He thanked the councilors for their support, reiterating his hope that they would also pass such a resolution. David Wade, 1366 Lawrence Street, Apt. 6, stated that he was a recent graduate from the University of Oregon. He spoke in support of establishing the Cape Perpetua marine reserve. He also wanted to go on record as being in support of the Dream Act. He had moved from Virginia two years earlier to obtain a master's degree in public administration. He had chosen to go to the University in part because of wanting to live in .a state that valued its natural resources. He related that he had been surprised by the abundant sea life in tide pools on the coast . of Oregon, noting that one did not find such abundance in Virginia. He stated that Virginia was trying to "win back" the ecological health of its coastal waters. He averred that Oregon had the opportunity to avoid the mistakes that Virginia had made by establishing protections that the near shore coastal waters needed to adapt and thrive in the face of climate change. He asked the City of Eugene to. demonstrate its citizens' commitment to the natural resources of Oregon by passing a resolution in support of the establishment of marine reserves. Derek Campbell, 1289 East 28 Avenue, stated that he was a recent graduate of the University of Oregon and also wanted to add his voice on behalf of the establishment of marine reserves at Cape Perpetua. He read into the record a portion of a letter he had written in support of this. He provided packets of information on the ecology that included maps and the house bill, the work plan for the Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife, and resolution language from three coastal communities and the County. He averred that though this was a coastal issue it was important for all the communities in Oregon like Eugene to remind people that this was a statewide issue. Mayor Piercy closed the Public Forum. She thanked everyone for taking the time to come from the coast. She considered the items brought to their attention to be important. She believed the marine reserves to be an issue of national importance. She stated that BM 66 and 67 were about how the state would be able to fund the future of Oregon and the Bream Act resolution was about the future of a lot of young people in the country. She added that she also wished to thank the people who spoke about the Emx route.. Councilor Pryor expressed appreciation for all of the people who spoke. He had not been aware of the marine reserves issue and he looked forward to reading the material that had been provided. Regarding the ballot measures, he stated that they were in the process of preparing a memorandum to outline the impacts that the failure of BM 66 and 67 would have on the City. He had also been pleased by the interest people were taking in the Em.X. He appreciated the comments Ms. Hutson had made regarding the Whiteaker neighborhood. MINUTES Eugene City Council November 23, 2009 Page 3 Regular Meeting