Item 2A: Approval of City Council Minutes

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Irene Cardenas , General Delivery, Eugene, discussed her preference to live outdoors in harmony with nature. Jeff Gent , Ward 7, rejected the EPD’s reports about the Occupy camp. He acknowledged there were problems but conditions were improving every day. He said kitchen resources could be secured in three days if the City extended the exemption. He said Occupy Eugene was willing to meet the City more than half-way and thanked the City and other agencies for their willingness to work with Occupy. Occupy Eugene did not want to cost the City money. There were many volunteers willing to give resources but time was needed to develop a real plan for a long-term solution. Ross Howard , Ward 7, likened the Occupy movement to the Arab Spring and asserted the camp was about participants’ constitutional rights to camp at Washington Jefferson Park. He maintained that the movement had “done a great job” and had succeeded where others had failed. He did not think it was right to end the camp now and asked the City to work with Occupy. He believed the result would be fewer homeless people M. V. Lazar , Ward 1, identified himself as a small downtown business owner downtown and supporter of Occupy Eugene. Gary Cornelius , Springfield, believed that Occupy Eugene allowed the disenfranchised and marginalized to hope change might happen. He advocated for the continuance of the camp while a long-term solution was found. He thought the movement offered people an opportunity for better long-term support not provided by the government. Ben Rubaker Chuck Gerard shared remarks authored by, Ward 1, a White Bird Clinic coordinator, who commended Occupy Eugene for its work with the homeless. Mr. Gerard acknowledged the current situation was not perfect and also acknowledged the increased City costs but suggested they were only incurred because of the additional police presence at protest activities unrelated to the camp. He acknowledged safety concerns but suggested that any death could not be the fault of the council given that many homeless died alone each year in Eugene. He suggested that Major Tom Egan might have been found in time if he had been at such a camp. Mr. Gerard asked the council to continue the exemption while the movement and City worked to develop the park or an alternative site as a long-term solution. Mark Callahan , Ward 4, opposed further extension of the exemption to the camping ban granted to Occupy Eugene. He said as a member of the 53 percent who paid taxes, he was concerned about the public funding that had been spent to allow Occupy Eugene to stay in a public park that others could not then use. He did not believe camping could be equated with speech. Mr. Callahan said the council was charged to enforce the law for all citizens. He would be required to secure permits and licenses if he wished to build a structure, cook and serve food, or provide medical care. He had yet to see proof that similar requirements were made of Occupy Eugene. Mr. Callahan suggested that the City should invoice Occupy Eugene for the costs incurred to date. Claire Syrett , Ward 7, urged the council to allow Occupy Eugene to exist at the current site or move to a new space. She averred that the camp was a protest site, a refuge, and a public meeting space for people to come together and share ideas for moving the country toward greater equality. She said current human services were overwhelmed by demand but had begun to work with the movement to explore ideas for serving people in immediate need and find a permanent solution. She acknowledged the City struggled to address homelessness and recommended that the council let Occupy Eugene “take this on” with the assistance of providers. She believed the least the City could do was provide Occupy Eugene with a small parcel of publicly owned land. MINUTES—Eugene City Council December 12, 2011 Page 3 Regular Meeting