August 21st General Meeting

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Sherrill Necessary on August 4, 2008 at 10:37pm

Here is the agenda we started at the Steering Committee Meeting. We agreed to rework it to inspire more people to attend:

Open meeting 5:30 pm
Public comment
1. Kent Howe will bring a petition for including our neighborhood in the South Eugene High School attendance area
- Perception
1. Good vs bad parts of downtown
2. Media and downtown
3. Speakers (we’ll invite Andrea Ortiz and Dave Hauser from DEI)

Permalink Reply by Liz on August 5, 2008 at 1:21pm

Thanks Sherrill!

There were three trains of thought bouncing around at the SC meeting:

(1) Downtown is scary, and we need to "do something" about it.

(2) Downtown is not so scary, but everyone thinks it is.

(3) Downtown wouldn't be so scary if we could think of ways to get more people downtown.

All three of these observations are correct, and they are all interrelated, but if we want to actually get something accomplished we need to focus our attention on one at a time. We need to prevent the General Meetings from devolving into a gripe session about what's-wrong-with-downtown which doesn't result in an actionable (by the DNA) plan.

Here are my first thoughts:

Everyone loves to complain about (1), but unless there are some specific, actionable ideas on the table (like community policing or a neighborhood watch) I think we should avoid it because discussing it tends to be unproductive venting.

(2) is "weaker" in the sense that it's not something that immediately gets people fired up, but it's something the DNA might actually be able to address. I'm not actually good at thinking up stuff like this, but how about a mailing like: Downtown Don't Get No Respect: do the media badmouth downtown?

Appropriate speakers would come from DEI, the Chamber of Commerce, and the local media.

I think we should leave (3) alone right now, except to maybe discuss a presence at Eugene Celebration, which could just as well be part of (2).

Remember that anything that requires a membership vote needs to be on the announcement!

Permalink Reply by William Kennedy on August 6, 2008 at 6:50pm

I have pasted this in from the other thread...

My 2 cents:
Perceptions of Eugene's downtown.

1)Safety

What can be done by the DNA to a) Pressure landlords to take steps to improve the safety of their properties. b) Pressure the city to take up the slack on their end. c) Any steps citizens can take to help. d) Combat perceptions held by the community at large that downtown is unsafe.

2)"Programming" downtown

Giving people a reason to come downtown. Simple small things to large scale events. All ages. Day and night.

Ok, just a brainstorm.

Permalink Reply by William Kennedy on August 6, 2008 at 6:57pm

If we're looking to sum it up with a sexy title -

Fact Vs Fiction
is Downtown Really Unsafe?

Or something along those lines. Overall, I think what Sherril's agenda covers it. I'd like to see something included about brainstorming ways individuals can help either make it safer, or improve the image that it is unsafe.

Permalink Reply by Liz on August 6, 2008 at 8:56pm

OK, William, but for the August meeting, which one do you want: finding ways to make downtown safer OR improving the image that it's unsafe?

I'm making a big deal out of this because we need to make the most of those 90 minutes. I would also like to discuss finding proactive ways to make it safer, but putting "brainstorming" on the announcement is a bad idea. It's like advertising, "We don't have any ideas either, but let's get together and BS about it." There's a difference between soliciting input and passing the buck back to the General Membership. The job of the Steering Committee, after all, is to steer.

Other things that worry me about open-ended "brainstorming" is that it tends to be very time-consuming in the best of circumstances, and moreover that there is an easily crossed line between generating usable ideas and complaining and telling anecdotes. So I think it would work better if we solicited ideas at the GM in the context of a discussion about some "seed" idea(s), such as neighborhood watch, putting pressure on landlords, etc.

But we need to decide EXACTLY what it is we want to discuss, not least because it determines our choice of speakers. We have a lot of interest and good attendance right now because we're starting to get things done. Let's not lose that momentum.

Permalink Reply by Liz on August 6, 2008 at 9:17pm

OK, Ning lost my last edit again...

Finally, since it seems that the proposed exclusion ordinance either won't pass the CC or will be unenforceable if it does, it makes sense for us, as a neighborhood organization, to respond by developing our own solutions, which starts by identifying the problem as precisely as possible. "There's too much crime downtown" isn't good enough.

How about: No Exclusion Ordinance? No Problem!

Just kidding.

Permalink Reply by William Kennedy on August 6, 2008 at 9:37pm

Ok, given this some thought.

The DNA needs to a) Pressure landlords/property owners to take steps to improve the safety of their properties. b) Pressure the city to take up the slack on their end.

Perhaps move individual action to a different meeting.

Permalink Reply by Sherrill Necessary on August 6, 2008 at 11:17pm

Then should the announcement say something like:
Downtown perception – actions we can take

At the meeting have either the police or DEI speak.
Then present our ideas generated on Monday, take 10 minutes to get group input and vote on which way to go.

Permalink Reply by William Kennedy on August 7, 2008 at 7:37am

I'll second this.

I'd like to see someone from the police speak.

Permalink Reply by Liz on August 7, 2008 at 11:26am

10 minutes, ha. I admire your optimism. :-)

Permalink Reply by Liz on August 7, 2008 at 11:23am

Great, OK, I think we should stick with this.

As for speakers: the police for sure, DEI only so far as the speaker can talk about the Guides (so actual Guides might be better), Andrea Ortiz and anyone else from the City, maybe Mike Clark (or not--he will probably want to talk about his damn parking meter proposal), and possibly someone representing the property owners in question, as long as it doesn't turn into a lynching.

Another "sexy" announcement suggestion:
"What Can We Do Besides An Exclusion Ordinance?" covers our bases regardless of how the CC votes. Maybe add a subtitle: "Should the City be doing more? Should we hold property owners accountable?"

Should we put an item on the announcement about parking meters, in case we want to vote to endorse (or reject) Councilor Clark's proposal?

Permalink Reply by Liz on August 7, 2008 at 11:51am

Here's the RG link about the parking meters:

http://www.registerguard.com/rg/Home/story.csp?cid=126320&sid=1...

Clark's been talking about removing parking meters downtown for awhile. The RG article says:

"At least half of the eight councilors must agree to discuss a topic before a work session is scheduled. Councilors were to respond by today if they want to discuss ending parking meters downtown."

Does anyone know, would the work session be scheduled before Aug 21?

• ‹ Previous
• 1
• 2
• Next ›
• Page