Council faces housing, budget
By Meg Dedolph
Emeraia Reportci
Nearly all Eugene's returning City Council
memhers agree Eugene Decisions. the city budget,
low income housing and transportation are some
of the year’s major issues.
"Eugene Dim isions, from my experieiue with
it." said Count dor Hobby Green, "is going to In
around for a long time."
Green said he believes the city of Eugene
should place more emphasis on economic devel
opment and the tourism industry.
"Our issues are politicized," Green said "Com
panies that are considering expansion like to
move in confidential ways. If an underground
movement mounts a campaign against a compa
ny, the company will pock up and move else
where."
Green also said he believes encouraging minor
ity-owned businesses will not only assist with
Eugene's economic, development, but may also
contribute to Eugene's tourism business
Green said he is also concerned about pubiti
safety.
"We need to enhance our public safety," he
said "More police officers would 1m* ideal, but
citizens need to take back the communitv We
hired a new police chief with a strong back
ground in community polu ing. and we need to
help him out
Green said he believes this year's council will
be "extremely vex iferous, with lots of give and
take and compromising."
Councilor Shawn Holes said he believes the
new council will lie focusing on two or three is
sues this year.
These issues mi hide implementing Eugene l>e
cisions, developing alternative transportation and
working on more low-income housing
Holes said he would like to restructure (itv or
(finances that emphasize compact urban growth,
work on housing and homelessness issues and
help the community to “recognize taxes are the
price you pay for civilized government
Holes also said Eugene would he an appropriate
southern terminus for a high speed rail fine, par
ticularlv one that ran from Oregon to British Co
lumbia
A dec ision on the library will onlv he n'.u hod
this year if a revenue soon i* is found. Holes said
Returning council memlier Haul Nit holson said
the politic ill make-up of the council is much dif
ferent this year
“Each councilor who left was replaced by
someone more to the left," he said. "I do think
it's going to lie a more progressive council and
more receptive to general interests and less to
concentrated interests." he said "There's a lot of
variety and a big range — it's a prwttv indepen
dent minded council," he said
Nicholson said he also lielieves transportation
will he a major issue this year with a number of
major decisions ahead. These dec isions inc lude
what to do about the Ferry Street Bridge and the
proposed centra! bus station that FIT) wants to
build on city properly.
Returning councilor Kaye Robinette said he tie
Intves the new c ounc.il vs ill lie cone erned vs ith the
impact of the i itv s financ ial problems on the
University
"Eugene is not the- same i its without the Uni
versify as it is vsith it." he said
Robinette said he wants to work on keeping the
council's agenda in moderation, which ssill in
turn limit staff work and help in the < onirol of ev
penditures
Counc il member Hands Mat Donald said the
c ount il needs to redefine the vsav the government
promotes t itizen involvement tfirough boards and
t ommittees
"It takes hundreds of thousands of dollars to
give staff support to committees, lie said Is
there a better wav to get i iti/en involvement
Robinette'said limiting the agenda Won t make
it a lot of fun lor the new count il members
T can’t imagine someone running for c ount il
and not having things they want to do affirma
lively." Robinette said "Those won t get on the
agenda for a while
Robinette said fie believes the council should
handle the "core servlet's before other programs
are begun, or "we ll he c utting h.u k on police
while we re building a new library."
New city councilors
want clean Amazon
By Jacqueline Woge
Emaratd Repot toi _
Of the many issue* facing the Eugene City Council thi*
coming veor. new councilor* Nancy Nathan win ami Bnrhara
Keller are interested in the redevelopment of the Amazon
Channel.
The channel, which winds through west and southeast Eu
gene. was built bv the Army Corps of Engineers In the I960*
for flood control. Today, many see multiple uses for the
channel.
"We re looking at a total reconfiguration of the Upper Am
azon by allowing more recreation, natural habitat areas, foot
and bicycle transit and natural cleansing of stormwater run
off coming from the South Mills." Keller said.
Keller already has experience with the issue from working
- with the Upper Amazon project s steering committee
"Environmental and livability issues, including the Cleon
Water Act. wetlands, floodways and greenways, hove lawn
on the bac.kbumer." Keller said.
“Until now. the channel has been treated as a backdoor,"
she said. "I'd like io turn that around and make it u front
door."
Nathanson said she hoped the private and public sectors
would work together In installing and maintaining recrea
tional arnss with benches and walking paths along the al
ready existing bicycle path.
"Hopefully people won't continue to put their trash out
there." she said
Beyond the Amazon Channel issue, the two councilors dis
agree about what issues need attention first,
Keller said her first concern is the library.
"It has Inien two years since Eugene voted to build a new
library at the old Sears building site,” heller said
We met) to buy the property, finance the project and build
a new library, she said.
Keller said she was interested in ■ hanging the direction of
community safety toward community policing and preven
tion. especially by concentrating on youth most likely to get
into trouble with the law.
The council should concentrate on a few issues at a time
and finish them before tackling other issues, Nathanson said.
MAYOR
Continued from Page 1
Hast uni also said she was interested in moving ahead
with affordable low-income housing and "continuing
our tolerance for diversity."
Bast om also outlined three new initiatives
"Let's build transportation that moves us without
strangling us," she said "In transportation, I believe,
lies the greatest potential for either enhancing or de
grading the livability of a city ”
Eugene has been a national model tor innovative
hike-wav systems. Hascom said, noting that live percent
ot Eugene residents travel hv liicvi le
"I've watched city after city defeat hicyt le plans t>y
plunging into poorly conceived solutions, she said
"We m Eugene know that vision and cooperation can
result in reaching a solution
Some of Bascom's options for improved transporta
tion include a Ferry Street Bridge redesign enhanc ing
bicycle use. providing five-minute Inis service ill the
University and downtown c orridors, providing fee Bus
posse, for some groups iitid discouraging all-day car
storage
On the issue of bolstering tourism, a "coordinated
v isitor market" is essential to attrmt a maximum iiuin
l>er ot v isitors. Hum om said
iiasi om also renewed her i all (or prompt ai lion to get
tin* Sears building i (inverted into a new library
"The private sis tor wants a show of support from the
i ity before it starts raising money." she said "The i itv.
on the other hand, wants to know what the private set ■
tor will promise That's not a ret ipe lor let's get going,
that's a recipe for frustration
"These are the three visions I have for our city, three
hopes I i arry in my heart, three dreams I'll work for
tirelessly to try to make u reality." Bascom said "How
ever. if I work alone, these initiatives will tome to
naught. In the next four years. 1 will ask for your help,
drawing on our traditions of i aring for this < (immunity,
giving tune and substance I know these traditions are
alive and in all of us here today
hollowing H.im urn's speei:li. lint University ( lioir
sang "Ameriia rhi' Beautiful." tml a group of uhout lr>
lot ill m livisls added their own verse to I In* i*ml "O
lienutiful for working folk who forced tin* wealth you
sri*. Iii farm iiiul null, in tioini* mill s< bool unsung hi
history. Anterii .1, Armirii .1. may rm »* nor soy nor 1 reed.
No inort* divide, hut sulii liy side, nil ri.sn united. Irt*uil
The 1 rovvil applauded mill H.isi 0111 Ihmikot! the group
lor "that Ini ol spontaneity
Paul f’rnnsky, who |wirtii i|i.iiuil in Ihu inliluil vursu.
s.iiil tin* <11 livisls wuiiluil lo disrupt thn priH red mgs ns n
way of lulling ihu mayor and Ihu iiiimcilors that they
are just pretending. ami they don't plan to address is
sous siii.ti as gay and lesbian rights mill homeless prob
lems
f’rensky said the protesters dui iduil lo add a vursu lo
(he song lo express their belief ill.it 1 iti/ens must tie in
volved in their 1 omiminily and "lo push their 1 ily guy
eminent lo do this work."
r
1
Gay. Lesbian, and
Bisexual Staff
and Faculty
and their friends
Koirumia (’enter
I-I I-I Kincaid
-l 30 p ni. 6:00 p.m.
• lu&B&aiL-fanuary-U
'Challenges and Issues oj
| I icing 'Our and a Sta ff nr
Faculty Member'
• TuesAdib FebmsnLS
’University of Oregon
Lesbian. Bisexual Women,
and Friends Social and
Set working Meeting ‘
• TueMoib Marsh _g
’University of Oregon Gay.
Bisexual Men. and Friends
Stx ial and Networking
For more irformation
Meeting
346 1142
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