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HomeMy WebLinkAbout201123 MTGMINUTES – Eugene City Council Meeting November 23, 2020 Page 1 M I N U T E S Eugene City Council Virtual Meeting Eugene, Oregon 97401 November 23, 2020 7:30 p.m. Councilors Present: Emily Semple, Betty Taylor, Alan Zelenka, Jennifer Yeh, Mike Clark, Greg Evans, Claire Syrett, Chris Pryor Mayor Vinis opened the November 23, 2020, meeting of the Eugene City Council in a virtual format. 1. COMMITTEE REPORTS AND ITEMS OF INTEREST Council Discussion  Councilor Syrett – shared concerns of citizens in Whiteaker neighborhood about the number of unhoused individuals and camps in that area; spoke about trauma that unhoused individuals experience and also the trauma happening for those housed individuals living near these camps witnessing illegal activities, such as drug and sex trafficking; said there is a broader impact happening to both unhoused and housed individuals.  Councilor Semple – reported on the Human Rights Commission and plans for Human Rights Day and encouraged safe celebrations of the holiday; encouraged people to rake the leaves on their sidewalk as they can be slippery and dangerous to others.  Councilor Taylor – stated leaves are hazards to bicyclists, too, as they are slippery and should be composted; discussed complaints of citizens about the amount of garbage in the City; spoke about National League of Cities’ influence on Congress to help people post-pandemic; discussed issues of parking, noise, and bright lights resulting from expansion in area around Cascade Manor.  Councilor Evans – delivered workshop on CAHOOTS for NLC conference and many cities are interested in what Eugene is doing and see CAHOOTS as a viable option for issues they are facing; reported that League of Oregon Cities’ diversity and equity work continues, with three new caucuses starting for people of color, LGBTQ and women, with a Latinx councilor from Keiser, LGBTQ councilor from the Portland area and a woman mayor from a small city near the Dalles; spoke with owner of National Academy of Gymnastics who is moving due to issues with homelessness and discussed need to do more for the homeless situation on both sides.  Councilor Clark – agreed with Councilor Evans and said he hopes that City of Eugene will deal with homelessness issue differently; requested follow-up from City Manager about the budget work on temporary funding for ambulances; voiced concern that it may not be a permanent part of the budget and needs to be supported as an ongoing budget item.  Mayor Vinis – discussed Councilor Pryor comments about underutilization of shelter beds and why they aren’t being used fully, and how there is going to be a deeper dive and assessment as to why; expressed excitement about and spoke of the Youth Advisory Board development and process for interviewing applicants, with the first meeting convening before the end of the year; the goal is that they should meet monthly.  Councilor Taylor – followed up on Councilor Evan’s comment that there is a complaint that small cities run the League of Oregon Cities because bigger cities don’t participate enough and encouraged people to participate in it. MINUTES – Eugene City Council Meeting November 23, 2020 Page 2 2. CONSENT CALENDAR 1 A. Approval of City Council Minutes  September 23, 2020, Work Session  November 16, 2020, Public Hearing B. Approval of City Council Tentative Agenda MOTION AND VOTE: Councilor Semple, seconded by Councilor Yeh, moved to approve the items on the Consent Calendar 1. PASSED 8:0. 3. PUBLIC FORUM 1. Sophia Trotter –Sunrise Eugene; supported CAP for 2030; stated negative impact of natural gas. 2. Deborah McGee –350 Eugene; spoke against renewal of NW Franchise agreement. 3. Nicholas Tippins –Sunrise Eugene; spoke against the ongoing use of natural gas in the city. 4. Dylan Plummer – Cascadia Wildlands, opposed use of fossil fuels and natural gas by the city. 5. Jesse –Sunrise Eugene; opposed ongoing use of natural gas and need to eliminate carbon emissions. 6. Danny Noonan – Beyond Toxics; supported mandates that eliminate the use of fracked gas. 7. William Smith – spoke about the dangers of 5G wireless technology. 8. Eric Jackson –addressed issues of natural gas, Youth Advisory Board, communication with homeless. 9. Wilson Wedertz – supported gas incentives that help with cost of heating; opposed City-funded camps. Council Discussion  Councilor Clark – asked questions about a study of City plans and their impact on EWEB to meet increasing demands for electricity, including the cost for infrastructure, delivering the electricity and impacts on ratepayers and CO2 emissions; said this information is important for many Council decisions.  Councilor Yeh – thanked Danny Noonan for introducing himself; asked questions related to the City’s response to garbage collection at homeless camps. The meeting adjourned at 8:31 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Julie Adams Deputy City Recorder Link to the webcast of this City Council meeting here.