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to give a presentation on building a teen center to the Northwest Regional Conference of the Human Service Education Association in April. She noted that the presentation would be given by two teen coordinators and two staff. Members of LEAD were also invited to the national conference of the same organization. She stated that LEAD conducted its fourth annual “Plant-a-Thon” fundraiser, planting 2,100 trees at Camp Harlow, adding that the event would be held in another part of Lane County in 2007. Patience Murray , 38965 Dexter Oaks #6, said she was 13-year-old who joined LEAD in September 2005. She related that prior to joining LEAD, she was depressed and suicidal. She suffered from social phobias, including a fear of going to school. She related that after joining LEAD she decided to stop being depressed. She said LEAD was teaching her to be herself and make a difference in the world. She stated that some young people grew up with LEAD and the program made a big difference to them and to her. She averred that LEAD changed lives and she hoped that it would change many other lives. She thanked the council for letting her speak. Will Ross , 60 North Adams, also representing LEAD, asked the council for the chance to prove that the organization could be successful and a positive contributor the community’s environment. He asked, on behalf of LEAD, for the use of the vacant downtown fire station at City Hall for a teen center. He acknowledged concern for the safety of the community’s teens and agreed with that concern. He felt the teens were “no more special” and in need of safety than City employees, who were all in the City Hall building. He realized that there were risk management issues but said that LEAD was confident it could reach a “place of agreement.” He said the center would not be a drop-in center, but would include an intake process including parent signatures and screening. He stressed that LEAD had strict rules for participation, including compliance with all laws such as truancy, smoking, and substance abuse. He said the unoccupied space would provide an open recreation area, rest rooms, activity rooms, and areas where LEAD teens could do homework and get mentoring. He opined that LEAD could not have designed a better space than the vacant fire station. He remarked that the City provided unsupervised skate parks and hoped that the City would see that the center could work out. He said LEAD would pay its own utilities, janitorial costs, and any other costs incurred by its occupancy. He stated that no youth would loiter in the open courtyard, adding that even if they did, it would be a great way for youth and the Eugene Police Department to come closer. He commented that LEAD was so confident in its program that it was willing to move in with the police department. He asked the council to consider how many other youth groups would be willing to have the police as a neighbor. He said this was a rare chance to help the youth of the community without any cost, and asked the City Council to give favorable consideration to LEAD’s request. Krystine Watkins , 1049 Barstow Avenue, stated that she was a LEAD graduate and had been an active member of LEAD for eight years. She averred that LEAD developed her potential as a leader and helped her achieve her goals. She related that when she joined LEAD she had an intense social anxiety disorder and a fear of public speaking. She said LEAD helped her rise above her fears and develop her potential. She transitioned from being a LEAD teen to a volunteer and then to a staff member as of last August, becoming assistant director of LEAD. She said growing its leadership from within LEAD’s own ranks was consistent with LEAD’s mission to be an organization by and for low-income teens. She observed from the teens who spoke that they demonstrated a lot of great potential. She shared her vision for LEAD, which was to make it a national program. Toward this end, she related that she was documenting the LEAD curriculum so that it could be replicated in satellite areas across the United States. Requests for start-up information had come from more than a few locations in the United States and Canada. She was pursuing the means to do this through her educational goals. She said she was currently applying for the Family and Human Services major, with minors in non-profit management and Spanish at the University of Oregon. She added that part of what she was doing in her attempt to duplicate the program and make it national was to fundraise. She MINUTES—Eugene City Council -- February 27, 2006 Page 3 City Council Meeting