CC Minutes - 04/12/10 Meeting - Laserfiche WebLink

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Duncan Rhodes, Lewis Avenue, Eugene, Ward 7, said he was a member of Connecting Eugene, a local advocacy group. He had heard that the former Coca -Cola property was to be sold to Oregon Research Institute and asked what the public process for that acquisition would be. Drix, High Street, Eugene, commented on the discarded furniture that appeared in his neighborhood in the spring. He recently met a man who had moved to Eugene from Kentucky and also noted that Conan O'Brien had chosen Eugene to launch his tour. He spoke to the benefits of volunteering in the community and presented a handmade award to the council for its service. Daniel Lewis Frommherz, Concord Street, Eugene, Ward 6, asked the council to support repeal of the federal "Don't Ask -Don't Tell" law. He had written each councilor a personal letter explaining the issue. He served as a non - commissioned officer in the U.S. Army for 26 years and found soldiers — both male and female -- who were gay to be some of the most competent and forthcoming people with whom he had served. He submitted proposed language for a resolution calling for repeal of the law. He had presented the resolution to the Lane County Board of Commissioners and was encouraged to present it to city councils in the area to gain support. Garr Cutler, Horizon Road, Eugene, spoke to the design problems associated with the reconstruction of Crest Drive. He said the road was very constricted in some areas and had tight corners and was designed as though it was a private drive, even though it was intended to be a collector street serving 26 other streets in South Eugene, some of which had no other access to the rest of the City. He hoped that further road construction in the neighborhood would ameliorate some of the radical designs on a street that in the future would serve many more people than it currently did. Mary Salinas, Eugene, spoke on behalf of homeless people in the community. She said she had been homeless in the past and that had spurred her to speak up on behalf of the homeless population. She wanted the same services in Eugene that other communities provided to the homeless, particularly a safe shelter for women, children and young boys. She said that chronic homelessness should be considered a disability. Tom Kamis, Lincoln Street, Eugene, served on the Downtown Task Force on Public Safety. He expressed disappointment with the recommendations, which he felt reflected small steps when major steps were needed. He commended the Eugene Storefront Art Project as a great approach to downtown beautification and questioned why property owners would not want to participate. He said owners of vacant property should be held accountable. He was pleased with the progress the City had made downtown, but felt less studying and more action was needed. Mayor Piercy closed the public forum and called for comments from the council. Councilor Ortiz thanked those who spoke. She hoped that the Human Services Commission could find a way to fund the continuation of Buckley Center services. She liked the Eugene Storefront Art Project concept. She commented that the Crest Drive design was based on a long collaborative process with neighbors and represented an innovative approach to street improvements. She was not certain that the City had a role in the sale of property to Oregon Research Institute and asked the City Manager to provide more information. Councilor Clark thanked those who spoke. He agreed that it was important to find funding for critical Buckley Center services and hoped that another arrangement with the County could be reached. He asked for a memorandum from the city attorney regarding the City's liability for traffic hazards associated with MINUTES Eugene City Council April 12, 2010 Page 3