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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 23, 2000)
cgwii uany cmerdia - ivionaay, uctoDer Zi, ZUUU - i Sparks fly over the details of Measure 20-36 ■ upponents say police should make better use of existing office space By Eric Martin for the Emerald Advocates for a ballot measure that would fund a new police sta tion and the land for a new fire sta tion hope voters who rejected a similar measure in May will sup port their proposal this time around. A revised and trimmed version of May’s Measure 20-31, Measure 20-36 calls for the construction of an 80,000-square foot police station — 17,500-square feet less than orig inally planned — that meets earth quake safety codes and eliminates overcrowding. The new station would be located on city-owned property on East Eighth Avenue, across the street from City Hall. The station would provide the “same square footage other similar size police departments in the Northwest have,” said John Brown, a real estate appraiser and former member of the Eugene Police/Fire Station Task Force. “That’s what they need.” Eugene Police Department Lt. Rick Ziel said space in the current police facility is cramped, and cit ed the 12-foot by 14-foot waiting room as an example. “There’s no privacy,” Ziel said. “If you’ve got a girlfriend or wife that’s just been raped, you have to stand in a room with other people and tell [the officers] what you want to tell them.” The city formed the task force last summer to ascertain why vot ers rejected the original measure. The force concluded that voters found the levy too costly, disap proved of the proposed location and wanted to see design plans be fore devoting money to the project. The new levy would be almost $6 million cheaper, would use city owned property and includes plans for the police station. The measure also provides funds for the pur chase of property for a new fire sta tion that could be built within the next two years, Brown said. Opponents of the measure say the $21.1 million cost for the pro posed municipal facilities is too ex pensive and unnecessary. They ar gue that taxpayer dollars could be saved if the city were to better use the office space it already has. “There are other, less-expensive options they’re not looking at,” said Gary Kutcher, citizen activist and opponent to the measure. “I think they’ve become fixated with the idea of a fancy, new police station.” But Brown said though some dis agree with tactics employed by Eu gene police officers, they deserve safe facilities taxpayers would want themselves. He said seismic studies conducted by three outside archi tectural consulting firms showed that a minimal earthquake could flatten the existing police station, an unacceptable possibility for es sential services like police because they must be on-call during disas ters. “The city has not paid much at tention to it, but it’s a fact they’ve known for 10 years,” Brown said. “In Western Oregon there have been 10 moderate earthquakes — measuring between 2.0 and 6.3 on the Richter scale — since 1993.” But Kutcher said there were seis mic studies completed a year ago that concluded existing facilities could be updated and made earth quake resistant with a cost of $3 million to $5 million. He also said taxpayers aren’t get ting what they pay for in Measure 20-36 because only property for and the design of a new fire depart ment facility are funded by the measure — not the facility itself. “I’m really troubled by the ballot title (in the City of Eugene Voter’s Pamphlet),” Kutcher said. “I be lieve they’re trying to fake voters out by implying they will get a fire station.” The line in question, printed on page six of the voter’s pamphlet, reads: “Shall City of Eugene issue up to $25,120,000 general obliga tion bonds for downtown police fa cilities and a fire station?” Kutcher said the line is biased rhetoric attempting to sway voters to cast their ballots for the measure. But Brown disagrees, and said the language in question was draft ed by the City Council. “It’s not misleading to me,” he Eugene Ballot Measure 20-36 • The measure would give the city a maximum of $25.1 million in local tax dollars to build a new police sta tion and purchase land for a new fire department. • Supporters say the city’s police and fire facilities are outdated, cramped and need to be replaced to accom modate the city’s growing popula tion. They also say the police station is seismically unsound, raising con cerns that the Eugene Police Depart ment could be crippled in an earth quake or other disaster. • Opponents say the price tag is too big and that cheaper options, such as better managing of the city’s ex isting facilities, should be explored. said. “I know what [the general ob ligation funds] are for. If you read the ordinance, you’ll see a fire sta tion is not included in this meas ure. But let’s say we build [the po lice station] for $22,500,000. The excess money will go toward a fire station.” news briefs New login method for modem access If you use a modem to access the University network, read this: Uni versity Computing is rolling a new login method into use, and as of to day, the previous method will no longer work. “There are two things we’re try ing to get across to people,” Patrick Chinn of Microcomputer Services said. “First, users need to replace their old modem account user name and password with their e mail address and password. The other part of that is they have to be using an account on Oregon, dark wing, or gladstone.” Specifically, users must replace the modem account name — ex ample, uo-janestudent — with their full account name — exam ple, Janestudent@gladstone.uore gon.edu — as the login and then the password for that account. Also, users who might not have an account on gladstone, Oregon, or darkwing such as law students, will have to open a new account on any of those three systems. To set up a new account, go to 151 Grayson Hall from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. For questions or help, information is available online at http://micro.uoregon.edu/modem info or you can call Microcomput er Services at 346-4412 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Expert speaks on disability issues Adrienne Asch, an internation ally recognized activist in the field of disability rights and disability studies, discusses the implication of genetic engineering, assisted suicide and the Human Genome Project during a symposium today titled, “Disability Studies: Where Has It Been? Where Is It Going?” The conference, free and open to the public, is scheduled from 3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. in the Fir Room of the EMU. The Center on Human Development in the College of Ed ucation is sponsoring the event. Asch is the Henry R. Luce Pro fessor in Biology, Ethics and the Politics of Human Reproduction at Wellesley College in Massachu setts. It is a mistake to view all dis abilities as handicaps that must be overcome, she said. For more information or to regis ter, call the University Center on Human Development at 346-2488. From staff reports The Oregon Homecoming Committee would like to thank the following for their generous contributions to the 2000 Homecoming Ball: SPONSORS: Romania Auto Group • U-Lane-0 Credit Union • University Housing • Student Alumni Association • President’s Fund • P.A.R.T.Y. Fund • ASUO Student Senate • Marmot • KAPLAN Test Preparation Center • Les Schwab Tires • Robinson Theater • Hult Center for the Performing Arts • Office of the President • Fiddler’s Green Golf Course • Onsen Spas • Siegmund’s Cleaners • Track Town Pizza • Euphoria Chocolate Company • Napoli Restaurant • UO Bookstore • Allen Hall Advertising • The Break • The Carpet Company • Eugene Elks Lodge No. 357 • Jerry’s Home Improvement • King Estate Vineyard • Marist High School Woodworking Classes • Office of Student Life • Office of Student Orientation Programs • Springfield Elks Lodge No. 2145 • Alpha Phi Omega • Pi Beta Phi Sorority • Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity • Presidential Student Scholars Association • Ms. Katie Bryant • Ms. Laura Connell • Mr. Bill Daley • Mr. Bob Devereaux • Ms. Mary Hudzikiewicz • Mr. and Mrs. John Madden • Ms. Stephanie Winchester COMMITTEE MEMBERS: Bryan Orthel • Greg Danielson • Cora Bennett • Charissa Martin • Mary Elizabeth Madden • Amy Farley • Jennifer Brewer
