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MINUTES – Eugene City Council Work Session April 13, 2020 Page 1
MINUTES
Eugene City Council
Virtual Work Session
Eugene, Oregon 97401
April 13, 2020
5:30 p.m.
Councilors Present: Betty Taylor, Emily Semple, Alan Zelenka, Jennifer Yeh, Mike Clark, Claire Syrett, Chris Pryor, Greg Evans Mayor Vinis opened the April 13, 2020, work session of the Eugene City Council.
1. WORK SESSION: COVID-19 Update City Manager Pro Tem Sarah Medary provided an update on the COVID-19 situation, including the work of City of Eugene staff, timelines, remote working accommodations, social distancing at work, ongoing projects and services, fire and police statistics and revenue funds downfalls. Council Discussion:
• Councilor Clark – asked for a Lane County Public Health update and inquired about when the peak is projected to happen.
• Councilor Syrett – expressed appreciation to staff and others involved in emergency operations efforts.
• Councilor Zelenka – thanked staff and asked about the availability of test kits.
• Councilor Semple – spoke about the Monroe Park and similar camping situations; reported that constituents are concerned about the area surrounding the fairgrounds; asked for an update on efforts regarding the unhoused.
• Councilor Evans – spoke about the Peterson Barn camp site and the concerns of his constituents.
• Councilor Syrett – spoke about the homeless camps in right-of-way locations around the city.
• Councilor Taylor – spoke about her constituents’ reactions to the camp at Amazon Park and asked when the camps will be closed.
• Mayor Vinis – talked about the unhoused community and the need to keep everyone in place during this emergency.
• Councilor Evans – discussed other locations for the camp sites in lieu of residential neighborhoods such as the Peterson Barn location.
• Councilor Yeh – asked if the City is still in need of locations for homeless camp sites.
• Councilor Zelenka – asked for a list of the factors or criteria for choosing camp sites in the city.
• Councilor Clark – asked about coordinating with the University of Oregon to identify sites for homeless, including the use of campus facilities.
• Councilor Pryor – expressed caution about the use of large arenas for homeless camp sites; supported emergency operation staff’s knowledge and expertise regarding siting decisions.
2. WORK SESSION: Council Agenda Planning Process Session Assistant City Manager Kristie Hammitt discussed council agenda planning and building a vision for success through community resilience and safety, business recovery, financial stability, and maintaining momentum.