Item 3A: Approval of City Council Minutes

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movement and suggested that based on comments made earlier in the year by Councilor Zelenka expressing his disdain for the Tea Party movement, such an outcome was not likely. Duane Morgan , 370 Cherry Drive, suggested that prior to granting the exemption the council discuss the reason the ban was in place. He said if there was no reason for a ban, the council should repeal the ban. He suggested that such rules punished the innocent when they were doing no wrong. Robin Geer , 5729 Main Street, #251, Springfield, identified herself as homeless person and expressed appreciation for Occupy Eugene, which gave her shelter and support. She reported that there were children in Occupy Eugene who did not have parents who cared enough to care for them but the encampment had taken them in. She described her work at the encampment’s kitchen and said she believed the camp was slowly coming together. Donna Riddle , 1238 Crest Drive, supported the proposed camping ban exemption and said she rather agreed with the individual who called for the ban to be eliminated. She contrasted the pay of chief executive officers to that of the average worker in the United States and said it was time for economic justice. She was excited by how organically the Occupy movement had grown around the world. She hoped the council allowed the City Manager and EPD to work with Occupy Eugene to come up with a permanent location for the encampment without dictating where it should be. Michael Williams , 174 West Hays Street, Springfield, contrasted the disparity between those bailed out by the government with taxpayer money and those living at Occupy Eugene. He said the Occupy movements made it impossible for people to forget the less fortunate. He expressed appreciation to the City for its work with Occupy Eugene and to Occupy Eugene for keeping the issue of economic disparity alive. He looked forward to a time when Occupy Eugene returned to downtown to be a more visible reminder of income inequality. Lela Trope , Hayden Bridge Road, Springfield, shared Ms. Duemler’s concern about 24-hour bathrooms. She suggested that empty schools and Civic Stadium could be retrofitted for use by the homeless. Ms. Trope referred to her t-shirt, which read “Occupy Scio” in commemoration of a fundraiser held in that community to support replacement of a barn. She suggested that the Occupy movement should be for such positive things and recommended that the local movement avoid the violence experienced in Europe. Ms. Trope recalled that local members of the Tea Party had investigated the use of the Park Blocks for an election event and learned that it would require an insurance policy for at least $1 million and the organization would have to additionally indemnify the City from all claims. She said an exemption for Occupy Eugene was a bad idea. th Dennis Gabrielson , 300 South 10 Street, Creswell, was a Eugene native who opposed the propose exemption to the camping ban. He believed the council treated people differently based on their political affiliations and he did not think that was right. He said he was one of the 53 percent who paid taxes. th Lauren Regan , 259 East 5 Avenue, #300A, representing Occupy Eugene, thanked the manager and Police Chief for their work with Occupy Eugene. She believed the movement was different from any other protest movement before it. Participants were diverse and found common ground in seeking economic justice and security for all. Ms. Regan described the community support the movement was receiving and its work with homeless youth. She suggested that work was a “win” for Occupy Eugene no matter what happened. Tracy Joscelyn , PO Box 931, expressed support for Occupy Eugene. She said a miracle was occurring at the encampment. She had experienced homeless over the past year and had to sleep in her truck. She had MINUTES—Eugene City Council October 24, 2011 Page 5 Regular Meeting