CC Minutes - 01/09/12 Meeting - Laserfiche WebLink

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encampment at Washington- Jefferson Park and had been scared because he did not know where he was going to go. David Piccioni expressed his support for Occupy Eugene. He had seen nothing as organized, communal, or democratic as Occupy Eugene during his time in the community. He said he would never apologize to Councilor Poling unless Councilor Poling apologized for putting people out in the cold. Mr. Piccioni said people had nowhere to go unless they went to the Eugene Mission, where they had to pray. He read excerpts from a police report regarding the encampment and denied any of the report's contents were true. Jennifer Frenzer, 380 East 34 Place, suggested the Bill of Rights was embodied by the day -to -day interactions and exchanges between local government and the citizens and law enforcement and the citizens. All were learning their roles in making democracy work and she considered that very important. Ms. Frenzer advocated against overreacting because that played into the hands of those wishing to usurp the democratic process. It was not her goal as a protestor to frighten or be aggressive but she would be bold, provocative, and exercise her free speech rights to their fullest extent. She called for the country's "full democratic process" to be restored in her lifetime. She said that Occupy Eugene was not a dangerous group. She said terrorists would have nothing to do with Occupy Eugene and Occupy Eugene would have nothing to do with them. Elizabeth Yandel, 1022 West 4 th Avenue, thanked all those who cared enough to express themselves in such a setting. She asked the council to adopt a resolution stating that the City of Eugene did not recognize corporations as persons and to take the stand that businesses that did not pay taxes were not welcome in the community. She advocated for all to be fairly treated under the law and suggested enforcing laws written in and applicable to the past was inappropriate. Laws not written in the spirit of protecting and serving all people were not acceptable. Mayor Piercy closed the Public Forum. She thanked those present for coming and expressed support for their attendance at the meeting. She said all councilors strove to make good decisions and supported staff when it operated within council direction. If staff did what the council asked of it, the council was responsible for staff's actions. Mayor Piercy supported all councilors' rights to their opinions. She pointed out that those who offered the council testimony were not necessarily supported by evidence or facts, represented their own opinion, and could only be a part of the whole story. Speaking to the Jenkins, Mayor Piercy reiterated that the council was constrained by the City Charter from addressing City personnel issues. Mayor Piercy encouraged those offering testimony to speak in a way that allowed them to be heard by most of Eugene and to recognize that citizens held different opinions. She believed the more one opened one's self up to expressing an opinion in a way that allowed others to have a different opinion, the better off the community would be. Mayor Piercy solicited council comments. Councilor Pryor expressed appreciation for the passion in the room. He weighed the arguments about an issue on their merits and regardless of who raised them. Councilor Pryor called for a focus on the issue and not on the individual. He advocated for civility and asked people to refrain from personal attacks. Councilor Taylor also thanked those who offered testimony. She regretted that the encampment was closed so and closed so abruptly. She was glad for the formation of the task force charged to formulate solutions for the homeless but thought that effort should have occurred before the camp closed. Speaking MINUTES— Eugene City Council January 9, 2012 Page 5 Regular Meeting