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In closing, Ms. Jensen expressed the willingness of the Eugene Kennel Club to aid in the crafting and <br />establishment of nuisance regulations. <br /> <br />Michael Carrigan, 1430 West 4th Avenue, expressed concern about the right to assemble as specified in <br />Ordinance 20303. He felt the language in the ordinance that required a permit for a gathering of 25 or <br />more people would hinder citizens' First Amendment right to assemble. He objected to obtaining a permit. <br />He felt that, should there be concerns regarding scheduling of two events at the same place, a reservation <br />system could resolve these concerns. He advocated for creating such a system with no payment, no <br />signature, no insurance requirement and suggested that the City would be held harmless for injuries or other <br />damages. <br /> <br />Karl Sorg, 1555 West 18th Avenue, said he had moved to Eugene from Washington, DC, in 1992 upon <br />retirement from a 45-year career in law and that his specialty had been civil rights. He noted that he had <br />taught constitutional law for eight years at the University of Northern Illinois. He opposed the language in <br />Ordinance 20303 that required obtaining a permit for a gathering of 25 or more people in the downtown <br />area. He called the language ~unconstitutional." <br /> <br />Eric Gross, 1544 Alder Street, # 51, asserted the language that requires a permit for a gathering of 25 or <br />more people in Ordinance 20303 violated First Amendment rights. He lauded the rights of citizens of the <br />United States to assemble freely and to petition the government for redress of grievances as one of the <br />things that ~makes this country great." He alleged that the permits cost money and some people may not be <br />able to afford it. He felt that a ~government bureaucrat" could exercise discretionary privileges in granting <br />such a permit. He advocated for removal of the permit requirement from the ordinance. <br /> <br />Mason Goch~, 411 Knoop Lane, explained that he was a new voter. He felt voters would respond to the <br />requirement for a permit in Ordinance 20303 by voting out those who approved of it. <br /> <br />Al Phillips, PO Box 2146, provided the City Council with copies of the minority report from the LCARA <br />Task Force, written by Dr. Sandra Smalley. He also provided a packet of information written by Dr. <br />Eugene Skoals, former Dean of the School of Law, which had also been distributed to the Lane Board of <br />County Commissioners. He said Dr. Skoals' paper pointed out ~all of the fallacies, the potential legal <br />problems, and the unconstitutional problems" in the report from the task force. He alleged that Sheriff <br />Clemens had expressed reservations about the ordinance because it allegedly would arm animal control <br />officers, and give them the right of search and seizure without a warrant. <br /> <br />Gordie Albi, 1696 Adkins Street, #2, spoke about the constitutionality of the requirement for a permit for <br />a gathering of 25 or more people ensconced in the language of Ordinance 20303. She opposed the <br />requirement, alleging that it would %ompromise" the constitution. She related that she had lived in <br />countries that were war zones. She felt the City government should trust citizens and should not deny the <br />right to speak or assemble. <br /> <br />Saskia Wittson, 2682 Madison Street, said she was 14 years old. She read the First Amendment of the <br />Constitution of the United States aloud. <br /> <br />David Hanson, 2738 Kismet Way, advocated for the establishment of local housing standards to ensure <br />accessibility to the Oregon Landlord/Tenant Act. He said the act provided basic guidelines for acceptable <br /> <br />MINUTES--Eugene City Council January 12, 2004 Page 3 <br /> Regular Meeting <br /> <br /> <br />