Archdiocese: About 130
lawsuits settled since 1950
Continued from page 4
court that the current bankruptcy liti
gation will last more than a decade
and could take longer than 18 years. ”
DuFresne included an estimate of
the annual legal bills for the archdio
cese, based on court documents and
previous hearings. He put the total at
more than $3.4 million a year, a level
.nut would roughly equal the current
c! limed net worth of the archdiocese
vithin four years.
Thomas Stilley, an attorney for the
archdiocese, filed a list of objections
to the motion, noting that it departed
from established federal law for ap
pointing trustees to help manage a
Chapter 11 reorganization plan.
Stilley said the motion was “based
upon two presumptions: that a
Chapter 11 plan will not be con
firmed within four years, and that
the debtor (archdiocese) will ‘burn
through’ all available assets in pay
ment of professional fees and ex
penses within the same period. ”
Stilley noted the estimate failed
to take into account the annual
cash flow of the archdiocese
and “ignores this court’s ability to
regulate payments.”
DuFresne, who is not an
r
attorney, said he filed the motion to
help ensure that archdiocese assets
are listed and protected.
The hearing was one of dozens
scheduled in a complex and emo
tional case that has forced Archbish
op John Vlazny to give up significant
financial control over the church af
ter he sought Chapter 11 protection
for the archdiocese on July 6.
The archdiocese likely will have
considerable influence in develop
ing the reorganization plan, but fi
nal authority over its accounts and
its real estate holdings lies with the
government, setting the stage for
some potential landmark rulings.
Last month, the archdiocese of
Portland filed a motion requesting
mandatory mediation and binding
arbitration to resolve about 70 cler
gy sex-abuse lawsuits that seek for
more than $340 million in damages.
The archdiocese has already settled
about 130 lawsuits dating from
1950 through 2003 for $53 million.
The next major hearing is a sta
tus conference scheduled for Nov.
19 to resolve a number of issues or
set additional deadlines, including
a deadline to file any new claims re
sulting from sex-abuse lawsuits.
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GOT A STORY IDEA? “SSI
v c:i
me
March 2003 I June 2003
cling a .variety Committee
of problems (DAC) for the
with cost and Housing Code
enforceability Protect
West University DAC meets
Scoping report is tor final time,
released. approves
reccommendirig draft of
the development housing
Of a housing code
code as part of a
long-term effort
to improve the
neighborhood.
City Council herfrs
DAC
reccommendation,
refers issue to
"appropriate council
committee" tor
follow up. no further
action taken.
Budget Cuts
force the
Oregon ..Court
system to a
lour-day-a
week
schedule,
renters given a
"tow-pnonty"
West University
Task Force lists
implementation
of housing
starKlarrls as
its number one
long-term
priority.
Eugene
Citizens for
Housing
Standards
holds its first
meeting to
discuss ways
to push
housing
standards to
the forefront of
local rssties.
Eugene City
Council
unanimously
approves a
motion to
create an
ordinance that
would provide
for local
enforcement of
housing
standards
Bret Furtwangler I Graphic artist
Housing: Opponents seek justification for code
Continued from page 1
bureaucracy,” said John Morrison of
Morrison Real Estate.
Opponents also voiced concerns
about the cost and the lack of justifi
cation for the code. Many landlords
said they had requested a list of prob
lem properties from the Eugene Citi
zens for Housing Standards last year
and have yet to receive a response.
Supporters of the code stressed
that the $8-per-unit cost would be
barely noticeable during the course of
a year’s rent and is worth it to ensure
everyone has safe housing.
Brett Rowlett of the Eugene Citi
zens for Housing Standards said mi
nor costs should not be a factor in
such a major issue like enforceable
housing standards.
“It is a human rights issue that af
fects us all,” Rowlett said.
Both sides used the housing code
in nearby Corvallis as fodder for their
arguments.
Landlords said Corvallis has not
used the code enough to justify the
costs.
“In three years they’ve had an aver
age of three code issues they’ve had to
address,” said Jamie Sterling Cunnard
of the Sterling Management Group.
ASUO President Adam Petkun,
speaking on behalf of Eugene Citi
zens for Housing Standards, said the
code acts as a warning to landlords
and prevents problems.
Rowlette said the code must be
working in Corvallis, as it is still sup
ported more than a year after being
put in place.
“It continues to have overwhelm
ing support from the City Council,”
Rowlette said.
Many of those opposed to the code
said it seemed inevitable that the
Council would pass it but urged
councilors to consider some of their
arguments beforehand.
The City Council agreed to hold the
public hearing after unanimously ap
proving a motion from the Eugene Citi
zens for Housing Standards to create an
ordinance that would provide for local
enforcement of housing standards.
Eugene has not had an enforceable
housing code since 1983. The ASUO
has been working with the commu
nity on implementing a housing code
for several years.
meghanncuniff@ daily emerald, com
Security: New party policy quiets premises
Continued from page 1
“for lack of a better word, local street
trash and drug dealers.”
He said a security package had been
in the works prior to the increase in
crime and was approved the same day
that several incidents occurred. He said
he decided a boost in security was nec
essary as he noticed more and more
non-residents on the property.
“I had a feeling it might build up to
something,” he said.
The University Commons added
two uniformed security officers —
one on duty at all times — to its two
on-site courtesy managers who over
see the apartments.
The apartments’ party policy has
also been reviewed. Residents are re
quired by contract to register parties
with the manager. The former policy
allowed 30 people for parties until 3
a.m., but since September, residents
are only allowed to have 15 guests
until 2 a.m., Gilfoy said.
Regardless of the incidents last
spring, more than 100 of the approxi
mate 500 University Commons resi
dents renewed their leases for
another year. Gilfoy said he feels
beefing up apartment security has
contributed to the decrease in crime.
“It’s very quiet over here now,” he
said.
University seniors Erin Whitney
and Elizabeth Weiss said the Univer
sity Commons had an active party
scene when they lived there from
2002 to 2003.
“There was no need to leave,”
Weiss said.
“There were always people wander
ing around and you could always find
people to party with,” Whitney said.
University senior Aurora Borener
said she agreed with Gilfoy that the
apartments have quieted down this
year, although she’s not sure what
triggered the decrease in activity.
“It’s not at all like it was last year,”
said Borener, who has lived at the Uni
versity Commons for three years. “It’s
definitely quieter this year. But a lot of
new people haven’t made as much of
an effort to get to know people, so
there were more parties last year.”
Senior Josh Bennett lived at the
Commons last year and now lives at
nearby Chase Village. He said he
doubted things had quieted down in
the area and noted that loud music
and speeding cars were still typical
on Friday and Saturday nights.
“I drive by and there’s always crazy
stuff going on,” Bennett said. “I would
n’t say it’s any different than usual.”
Duck’s Village manager Dan Bebe
said he also restructured security
policies at his complex this year, but
it mainly involved the way officers
deal with students.
“They’re dealing more one-on-one
with students,” he said. “They’re
mingling, having conversations and
checking out what’s going on.”
Duck’s Village, Chase Village and
the University Commons may be in
the same area, but the complexes
cater to different student needs, Bebe
said. He said Duck’s Village doesn’t
have a lot of partying, because its res
idents are of a “little higher class
clientele. ”
“If people here want to party, they
go to the Commons,” Bebe said.
karahansen@ dailyemerald, com
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