CC Minutes - 11/14/11 Meeting - Laserfiche WebLink

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Eric Hall, 116 Highway 99, observed that the same staff responsible for Building Code violations were also were responsible for overseeing the correction of Rental Housing Code violations. He said the sections of the Rental Housing Code were redundant of the Building Code with the exception of security. He believed that there were ways for tenants to address such violations other than through a code or by hiring a lawyer. He thought such tenants could still call the City for assistance as they could still have access to the same staff. He suggested the City could develop a land use provision to address security. Dennis Chappa, 999 Lorane Highway, opposed the continuation of the Rental Housing Code and questioned how it could be considered a cost - effective program given the low number of incidents investigated and the high cost. He said there were already laws in place that allowed tenants to seek redress. He said the program reflected a lack of transparency in government because staff time was not being tracked and there was no way to know if the dedicated funds were being used appropriately. That did not instill trust in government. Amanda Ellis, 346 East 16` Avenue, representing the Oregon Student Public Interest Research Group (OSPIRG) Protect Our Oceans Campaign advocated for a local ban on single -use plastic grocery bags because of the damage that such bags caused to animals, humans, and coastal economies. It was difficult to eliminate such pollution. She maintained that plastic bags were rarely recycled and never biodegraded. Julia Reins, 1475 East 15`" Avenue, representing ORPIRG's Protect Our Oceans Campaign, was also present to advocate for a local ban on plastic bags. Her organization had gathered many signatures of support for a local ban from students, residents, and small businesses and continued to gather signatures. She shared a copy of the five media hits her organization received and a list of businesses that supported the ban. Dave Matthews, 3805 SE Cesar E. Chavez Boulevard, Portland, OSPIRG, also advocated for a local ban on plastic bags. He believed such bags were unnecessary as they were used for only a few minutes but lasted for many years. Fourteen communities had taken action to ban such bags. Bans were contemplated in Corvallis, Newport, Milwaukie, and Portland had passed such a ban. He believed such a ban was practical and simple and pointed out that since no one in Oregon made plastic bags no one would be hurt by the ban and ocean wildlife would be saved. Pauline Hutson, 1025 Taylor Street, questioned the moral compasses of councilors who supported sending EmX down West I I th Avenue. She said they seemed to lack the normal human emotions of empathy and sympathy and seemed to be obsessed with sending EmX down West 1 I Avenue in spite of opposition from the neighborhood. She asked how they could ignore the tragic consequences of their decision. People affected by the decision felt helpless. She speculated on the possibility of a hidden agenda. She asked if the project was about money or planners justifying their jobs. She asked if EmX was payback for failure of the West Eugene Parkway. She asked the council to reconsider and place humans first. She believed there were better options. She criticized Lane Transit District's plans to remove trees on West 11` Avenue. Ashley Miller, 2675 Norkenzie Road, representing the Oregon League of Conservation Voters, also supported a ban on�plastic bags. She believed a local ban was appropriate. She agreed with previous speakers about the harm from plastic bag pollution. Mayor Piercy closed the Public Forum. She thanked everyone who attended to express their views and gave special recognition to those who spoke in support of the BPMP, those who supported the resolution MINUTES— Eugene City Council November 14, 2011 Page 4 Regular Meeting