Mayor Kitty Piercy highlighted the city’s need to address climate control, increase sustainability efforts, fix roads and improve the look of downtown at the annual State of the City address Monday night at the Hult Center in front of a crowd of about 200 people.
Overall, her message was optimistic and well-received by the crowd who gave her a standing ovation.
“I believe absolutely in the power we have individually and collectively to make change, influence policy and set the direction for the future,” Piercy said. “Eugene is our city and our home. It is a reflection of our values and how we want this world to be.”
Piercy applauded the efforts of citizen committees and city employees who helped the city achieve a number of its goals, while making considerable progress on others. City sustainability programs and climate control initiatives were stressed, and listed as a goal for the next year.
University senior Ari Lesser agreed with the mayor, saying, “sustainability is crucial. Energy-wise we need to move away from anything that is not renewable.”
Piercy also singled out the University’s achievements during the last year, noting the national attention Oregon athletics garnered – “even that pugnacious mascot,” referring to the fight that took place between the Oregon duck and the Houston cougar.
The mayor tactfully acknowledged the elephant in the room, the stalled reinvigoration of downtown.
“We’ve had differences of opinion on how best to accomplish this and … it is time to bridge our differences and form a plan that the community will support,” she said.
While actual progress has slowed, Piercy expressed her optimism for “momentum” that will build a “wide-range of exciting possibilities.”
Her “to-do list” for 2008 included the development of a climate protection plan for the city, addressing the traffic problems in west Eugene, helping the homeless and increasing the support for the arts and culture, among numerous other goals.
“I know 2008 will be a very challenging year at every level,” Piercy said. “We have the talent, we have the heart, and we have the chutzpah. We are, after all, Eugene.”
Cheers and applause from the audience peppered Piercy’s speech, but differences of opinion surrounded her optimism and goals.
City Councilor Bonny Bettman stepped into the spotlight prior to the mayor’s speech, and said, “we have a lot to be thankful for and a lot to be optimistic about,” but warned the city still has a list of projects that need to be completed to keep up the city’s “progress.”
Bettman suggested the city create the offices of an independent, external auditor and an in-house attorney. She advocated the hire of a new city manager that is “not just a figurehead,” and also to terminate the two urban renewal districts.
These districts “are like having a hole in our pockets,” and the money allocated to them is diverted from schools and communities, Bettman said.
Following Piercy’s speech, City Councilor Mike Clark was “disappointed” that some of the issues he feels are truly important were not discussed.
The most pressing issue is to “enhance public safety by increasing the number of police officers … especially in the downtown area,” Clark said.
He also said the mayor did not address the issue of finding a solution for the transportation backlog, and that the city council and mayor’s office needs to “earn a greater share of trust with the community by doing a better job with the resources we already have.”
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