Item 3A: Approval of City Council Minutes

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Nicholas Garcia , 3725 Kincaid Street, represented a University of Oregon group called “Live Move.” He supported the extension of the West Eugene EmX route and suggested there were those who could benefit from the system who could not speak in support of it. An effective transit system was a key to Eugene’s future success. He asked the council to consider the public good in Eugene in general, not just the loudest voices. Angela Bayliss , 255 Baxter Street, discussed her experience in rebuilding her house and the code violations committed by her contractor that had been passed by the City of Eugene Building and Permit Division. Mayor Piercy closed the Public Forum and solicited council questions and comments. Councilor Ortiz expressed appreciation for those offering testimony on the EmX system. She acknowledged Ms. Bayliss’ remarks and asked if there was litigation pending related to her situation. City Attorney Emily Jerome was not aware of pending litigation. Councilor Ortiz expressed sympathy for Ms. Bayliss’ situation and thanked her for bringing the information forward. Councilor Solomon expressed concern about the information shared by Ms. Gladen and said it seemed there was a complete reversal in conditions from the summer. She wanted an explanation about what happened. Speaking to Ms. Bayliss’ remarks, she asked City Manager Jon Ruiz to send a memorandum to the council regarding the situation. City Manager Ruiz indicated he would do so. Councilor Clark expressed appreciation for the testimony offered by the public. He agreed with the remarks of Ms. Gladden about changed conditions in downtown. When the officers dedicated to downtown during the summer were returned to their positions as school resource officers, the situation deteriorated. He did not think the police presence during the summer had been sufficient but at least conditions had been manageable. Councilor Clark wanted to find a way to effect a permanent change in the police staffing dedicated to downtown. City Manager Ruiz said the issue was not one of resources, which had been appropriated by the City Council as part of the downtown public safety strategy, but rather that of hiring new officers, taking them through training, and getting them assigned. Councilor Clark acknowledged City Manager Ruiz’ remarks and said he hoped the situation improved to the point where the council was no longer having such conversations. Councilor Zelenka noted the time it took between the allocation of resources and the deployment of officers, and noted that currently, the department only had one or two vacancies and would be fully staffed soon. He thought the City had adequate tools in place to address the problems downtown. Councilor Zelenka thanked those who spoke about EmX and encouraged them to encourage their friends to speak as well. Mayor Piercy also thanked those who offered public comment. Speaking to Ms. Gladen’s remarks, she suggested that public safety solutions were only part of the solutions for downtown. She reported she had asked City Manager Ruiz about outreach strategies for dealing with those in need who spent time in downtown. MINUTES—City Council October 11, 2010 Page 4 Regular Meeting