CC Minutes - 11/28/11 Meeting - Laserfiche WebLink

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job. His time was precious but for the last six weeks he had put all his energy into Occupy Eugene, which he had waited for all his life. He had seen lives changed. He asked the council to talk to downtown businesses about the changes they had experienced and to the service providers to see how their bottom lines were affected. John Monroe, 805 Horn Street, Occupy Eugene, suggested that Occupy Eugene represented a civil society that supported people when they down. He believed Occupy Eugene was a radically inclusive attempt to recreate civil society. There were no bounds to who could participate because a civil society did not consider socio- economic status. Occupy Eugene was trying to rebuild a civil society as a gift for those who were raised without one. The movement was not anti - commerce but he believed that corporations had privatized basic needs and worked against civil society networks to profit from them. Occupy Eugene sought to affirm that human beings should have the right to help one another, support to do so, and a community. Charles Hibbert, 5555 West I I' Avenue, said that if Occupy Eugene had its way there would have been no business at Valley River Center on Black Friday. He said that small businesses relied on large businesses and what they developed and created. He believed that Occupy Eugene was seeking to undermine the country's financial system. He recommended that Occupy Eugene share its complaints with Congress given that body's role in making the rules that governed banks and financial institutions. He did not think the problem lay with large corporations and banks. Blackhorse Shasta, 961 Almaden Street, thanked the council for being open to the Occupy Eugene movement. He had moved to Eugene from California and was amazed and warmed by the sense of community he found. He had been warmed by seeing lives changed by being involved in the Occupy environment. He emphasized the importance of free speech to Americans and said Eugene's openness to the Occupy movement's freedom of assembly made a strong statement to the world. He hoped the council's support continued. He acknowledged the challenges that faced Occupy Eugene and requested patience on the part of the City so the movement could work some things out. Mayor Piercy closed the Public Forum. She thanked those who testified and for the kind hearts that all brought with them. She knew that not all residents agreed about Occupy Eugene but thought all could agree about the hearts of those who spoke. She solicited council comments and questions. Councilor Pryor also thanked those who testified. He had supported the camping ban through December 15 and had asked if there was a way to evolve the movement to the next level. It appeared that most of those camping were homeless and their needs must be addressed. He was unsure if camping was the right solution. He hoped to see more solutions and invited Occupy Eugene to work with the City to reach a mutually agreeable consensus on where Occupy Eugene could occur on a more sustained basis. He did not think it could continue at its current location. Councilor Pryor thanked Mr. Cooley of Comcast for the service he described, which he thought was a wonderful thing. Councilor Ortiz agreed with the remarks of Councilor Pryor regarding Occupy Eugene and concurred in his thanks to Mr. Cooley. She had anticipated the positive impact of Occupy Eugene because she thought participants had good intentions. She had toured the site and was willing to talk some more. She was challenged by the thought of having Occupy Eugene at its present site for much longer. MINUTES— Eugene City Council November 28, 2011 Page 3 Regular Meeting