CCMinutes - 07/12/04 Mtg - Laserfiche WebLink

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Councilor Kelly stated that he had previously submitted corrections to the minutes. Mayor Torrey, noting no objections, deemed the corrections approved. Roll call vote; the motion passed unanimously, 8:0. 3. PUBLIC HEARING: Mayor's Civic Facilities Visioning Committee Report Mr. Taylor asked Facilities Manager Glen Svendsen to speak to the subject of the public hearing. Mr. Svendsen explained the public hearing on the recommended policy principles had been scheduled at the direction of the City Council. He stated that in addition to the public hearing, an information session was held in the McNutt Room. Ten people attended and their comments were included in the agenda item summary (ALS). He called the action scheduled to take place on July 14, a continuing step in the process, adding that staff would bring a number of options for the public safety building to the July 14 work session. Mayor Torrey opened the public hearing. Jim Hale, 1715 Linnea Avenue, opined that the creation of a Great Civic Street was an example of people being told by experts what they want to hear to justify an important action about which the decision-makers already had made up their minds. He said that just because the people wanted 8th Avenue to look nice was no reason to build a public safety building there. He thought the disadvantage of the site across the street was the Lane County Sheriffs Office (LCSO) was not interested in partnering in a building at that location. He felt that the City should stay with its goal to partner with other agencies. He did not see a reason for the Police Station to be across the street from City Hall. He felt a better location would be the Fire and Emergency Medical Services (EMS) building on 2nd Avenue and Chambers Street, or perhaps in close proximity to the Lane County Jail. John Lawless, 90 East 26th Avenue, said the last thing to be built on 8th Avenue should be the police facility. He thought a one-block wide swath of potentially energetic street covered by a building and connected to the new courthouse would cause the sidewalks to be ;;rolled up" in the evening. He recom- mended that 8th Avenue join with Broadway Street with a crossing at 8th Avenue and Mill Street to the Courthouse District in order to enhance and enliven the pedestrian flow and activity. Kamala Shugar, 125 East 8th Avenue, Room 400, Assistant District Attorney, thought the vision for a justice center model would develop partnerships between public agencies and governmental agencies and would increase public activity at the police station. She related that she had traveled to San Diego, California, to tour a model family justice center. She said it was a city attorney's office that had imple- mented this model. Victims felt safe there because they knew they were going to get on-site counseling, on- site access to a restraining order petition, and on-site access to an investigator in a safe setting, as well as other beneficial services. She hoped this model could be incorporated on a smaller scale into the Eugene Police Department. She called it %ne-stop shopping" for victims of crime. Russ Brink, 132 East Broadway Street, # 103, president of Downtown Eugene, Incorporated (DE1), said there was a lot to like in the policy principles. He felt the opportunity to provide the Farmers Market a functional long-term home in the downtown area was one of the more exciting aspects of the plan. He opined that the Farmers Market, along with the Saturday Market, had become a real magnet of activity. He commented that, whether the public safety building was across the street or not, the design charette that occurred had provided a lot of good ideas to consider for the placement of it.