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Carla Newbre, 544 West 16th Avenue, advocated for repeal of the section in Ordinance 20303 that required a permit for a gathering of 25 or more people. She noted that, while permit laws were deemed constitutional, it did not mean that they were "good law." She related that her ex-partner had, in the past, served 90 days in prison for participating in a gathering in the National Forest. She noted that, when sentencing him, the judge had thanked him for his service in the Vietnam war. She stated that she had never operated under a permit when conducting peaceful activities in the downtown area. She expressed hope that she would never be arrested for doing so. Mayor Torrey closed the Public Forum and called for comments from the council. Councilor Kelly thanked everyone for taking the time to speak up. He noted, regarding the gentleman who spoke in support of housing standards, that such standards had been the top priority recommendation by the City of Eugene-University of Oregon Joint Task Force on the West University Neighborhood. Councilor Kelly commented that he opposed the portion of Ordinance 20303 that required a permit for gatherings of 25 or more people. He felt it should be revised to distinguish between a commercial activity and a noncommercial activity. He opined that a phone reservation system, as suggested by one speaker during the Public Forum, was an interesting mechanism to provide some of the stated goals of the procedure without actually requiring the permit. Councilor Kelly expressed appreciation for the young gentleman who spoke about voting. He urged all people to exercise their right to vote, noting that the precinct in his ward with the greatest population of University students was the precinct with the lowest voter turnout. Councilor Pap6 called it heartening to see so many people coming out at the first meeting of the year and exercising their democratic right to speak before the elected officials. Councilor Pap6 pointed out that the new Chief of Police, Bob Lehner, was present in the Council Chamber and welcomed him to Eugene. He noted that Chief Lehner would be looking at the language of Ordinance 20303 and making a recommendation to the council. Councilor Pap6 thanked those who testified about the report from the LCARA Task Force. He requested the City Attorney contact the County Attorney to determine if allegations that the meetings of the task force had violated the Public Meetings Law had any merit. Councilor Bettman thanked those who testified for coming out and speaking. She echoed the comments of Councilors Pap6 and Kelly. She commended the Human Rights Commission staff for its excellent and creative work. She was glad that the FBI recognized the contributions of the HRC to the community. Councilor Bettman clarified, for those who testified in regard to Ordinance 20303, that the item regarding gatherings was only one provision in a larger ordinance. She advocated for consistent application of the permit requirement, adding that the provision needed to be consistent with the constitution as well. She thanked the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), the Chief of Police, and the City Manager for making it a high priority. She noted that the language had been under review since before the holidays. She agreed with Mr. Duemler that democracy was not a solid state and required constant vigilance. MINUTES--Eugene City Council January 12, 2004 Page 5 Regular Meeting