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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 14, 1997)
THE MAYOR S APDRESS Inducted councilors pledge respect By Jennifer Schmitt Community Editor The best way to build community is to build trust, and the best way to build trust is to get to know one an other, said Eugene City Councilor Tim Laue in his welcoming speech Monday. Jim Torrey was inaugurated as the 25th Eugene mayor and five City Council members, including Ward 3 representative Bobby Lee, were sworn into office during the State of the City address and inauguration ceremony at the Eugene Conference center. Councilor Lee said he was ex tremely nervous during the swear ing-in ceremony and at the end of his oath he repeated, “Help me, God.” Twenty-eight-year-old Lee said he wants to repay the city of Eugene for all of the miracles it has given to him. “It is actually a miracle that I am here today,” he said. “The odds are that a person like me from my back ground should not be here. I should n’t have even had the opportunity for a college education. ” Lee said when his father and a lo cal West University businessman were 18, they had escaped from com munist North Korea and come to America. “If my father hadn’t left arid started over here in the United States I proba bly would have been a com farmer,” Councilor Lee said. “I just want to give back to this community.” As a new city councilor, Scott Meisner said he wants to create and deliver good government. “We are not here by accident,” Councilor Meisner said. “We are here because the people have chosen us to represent them. This does not come without high expectations.” Not only will the new city council be more accessible to the public but the members will also be more re spectful toward each other, said Councilor Pat Farr. “I am not proud of the constant bickering on City Council last year,” Councilor Farr said. “Someone once said you cannot disagree without hostility. I think you can disagree and still be respectful.” City: Housing, parks seen as important ■ Continued from Page 1 shortfall resulting from Measure 47. “If I could select the things we could do in the next four years, I would choose not to have to deal with Measure 47,” he said. “But Measure 47 is here and we will have to deal with it.” Although more than two-thirds of the Eugene population voted against Ballot Measure 47, it was passed in November. “It is the law of the state, and as such we must adhere to it,” Torrey said, Torrey said one of the goals of his term in office is to meet the changes the communi ty wants while staying within the resource limits of Measure 47. In order to do this, Torrey is compiling a priority list of core services and services that can be eliminated. Councilor Tim Laue and members of city staff have developed a Measure 47 process which will be presented to the Eu gene City Council on Wednesday. One component of the process includes preparing a baseline budget. The budget must take into account the estimated $10 million revenue shortfall expected as a re sult of Measure 47. “On July 1, you will have a balanced budget that fits the demands of Measure 47,” Torrey said. me second component is to look tive years into the future in an attempt to fore cast needs of the city which may not have been included on past budgets. “By looking five years out we can avoid making hasty decisions which may nega tively impact this community,” Torrey said. The third component is recognizing the priorities listed in a recent city survey. Ac cording to the survey, public safety was listed as the number one priority with the impact of roads as number two. Torrey encouraged public involvement and said citizens should make their service needs known. “If there is a service you want, it is your responsibility to make an effort and let us know,” Torrey said. Another way Torrey said he wants to off set the loss of money caused by Measure 47 is by working with the Springfield may or and the Lane County Commissioner to integrate some of the current services pro vided by Eugene. Torrey said he is ready to “do away with any rivalry that in fact reduces the effec tiveness of the tax dollars.” This integrated approach has been used AMANDA ERICKSON/Emerald fifi “If1 could select the things we could do in the next four years, I would choose not to have to deal with Measure 47,” he said. “But Measure 47 is here and we will have to deal with it. ” —JimTorrey Eugene Mayor Mayor Jim Torrey gives his State-of-the City address at the Eugene Conference Center in the past with services such as the region al 911 emergency response system and the metropolitan waste water management system. While Measure 47 is a major challenge, the mayor outlined five areas he plans to address in the next three years. These areas include growth manage ment, public safety, affordable housing, park and open space acquisition and a new library system. Growth management must balance the creation of new industries and jobs with the need to protect the environment, Tor rey said. In the area of public safety, Torrey said there have been significant improvements such as the new public safety station in the West University area. But he also said there is more to be done in the area of communi ty policing such as hiring more patrol offi cers and support staff. Affordable housing is one of the most immediate human needs in the communi ty, Torrey said. Torrey proposed organiz ing a city committee which will look at all the possible aspects of housing in Eugene. “ Young people and first-time buyers are unable to find housing they can afford,” he said. "We are rapidly pricing ourselves out of the market.” In the last 20 years there have been no significant park land purchases. Torrey proposed groups involved in both con struction and park acquisition meet to inte grate the goals of both sides. “We are running out of the opportunity to protect our own land,” he said. “We can’t wait 1,000 days to see progress in this area.” The final area Torrey hopes to improve is the library system. “The library system we have is inade quate and I will be very upset if we cannot find a solution to the problem in the next few years,” he said. “Whether it be a change to branch libraries, storefront li braries or a fleet of bookmobiles, something needs to be done.” 50c Wash 111 Day Every Day! ★ FULLY ATTENDED ★ (HAN RESTROOM ★ IV i WAITING AREA ★ DROP OFF LAUNDRY SERVICE ★ ESPRESSO. IUICE, SNACKS, £ MORE Check out the Wash Card See attendant for details 165 E. 17th Behind Safeway & Hiron’s I Hours 7am to 11 pm H<‘ hope In sec you there! John I uc cultural roi?uw & doghouse imii i/im im present t.j. kirk featuring: Charlie Hunter. Scott Amendola. 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