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members, including many middle-class residents, signed her petition and expressed concern about the use of tasers by the police. Ms. Ging further recommended that the council appoint a liaison to work with Lane County staff on the solar financial incentives research that the Board of County Commissioners supported on May 18, 2010. She shared information about the positive impacts of solar energy. th Samantha Chirillo , 3930 17 Avenue, suggested that the council and the community were at a cross road in regard to the use of tasers. She said that she was a petitioner and few people she spoke to had second thoughts about signing the petition. People understood “there was a problem here” and that there was “complete inaction on the part of the City Council.” She suggested that continued council inaction had a “chilling effect” on members of the youth community, who were seeing their peers being repeatedly abused without repercussion. Abusing officers did not suffer consequences. Ms. Chirillo said that the department needed training to reprioritize its communications nonviolently. She said the council needed to get on the same track as the citizens. She criticized the exclusion zone ordinance adopted by the council, saying it merely shifted activities and denied people civil liberties while failing to address public safety problems. She asked the council to adopt the “Curb Taser” ordinance or let the voters decide. Drix , High Street, said he was present to share his vision for the community in the public forum created by the council. He said the forum reminded him how much of a community Eugene was. He acknowledged residents of his neighborhood sometimes had trouble connecting and suggested that when residents were connected, they became a “We-Gene.” He invited others to attend the forum and share their voice. He said that Eugene was the best community in the country and he encouraged everyone to work together. Mayor Piercy closed the Public Forum. Mayor Piercy expressed appreciation for the comments of Ms. Salinas, and said that she had been actively working on the issue of homelessness for several decades and had walked around with homeless youth. She did not go anywhere without seeing them. She did not think that the youth had anything to do with the problems downtown, but thought that they would benefit from increased public safety. Speaking to the remarks of Mr. Prince, Mayor Piercy said the shift in her views on the taser policy had to do with her conversation with the ACLU. She had believed that the taser should only be used in lieu of guns, but the ACLU had recommended that the council accommodate situations where taser usage could prevent the escalation to the use of lethal weapons. She took the ACLU’s input seriously and had taken it into consideration in her thinking. Mayor Piercy acknowledged that the use of a taser was serious and could have serious repercussions. If the department was to use them, it should use them in a limited way, seldom and carefully. Mayor Piercy indicated that the council was aware of the situation mentioned by Mr. Mason and was working on it. Councilor Zelenka believed Ms. Salinas’ remarks directed toward the mayor were unfair and unfortunate. He said that Mayor Piercy was a tireless advocate for the homeless. MINUTES—Eugene City Council June 14, 2010 Page 4 Regular Meeting