Alan Zelenka is one of the three candidates campaigning to replace David Kelly as City Councilor for Eugene’s Ward 3, which encompasses the University. The following is a condensed transcript of an interview conducted Thursday.
Interview with Alan Zelenka
Q: What was the reason, or were some of the reasons, that made you decide to run for City Council?
A: After graduating from the University of Oregon, my wife and I both found jobs here and fell in love with Eugene, and got real involved in it. There’s all these great things about the city, like the University and the mountains, the streams, the coast, the river, the people and the great neighborhoods. I wanted to preserve those and enhance them. When David Kelly decided not to run, I talked to him and he said that it would be great if I ran and he endorsed me, so I decided it was time for me to participate and be on the City Council.
Q: What do you think are the key issues facing Ward 3?
A: One of course, is the University and its expansions, specifically the arena and also the East Campus Plan. One of the things I want to do is make sure the rental housing law is working properly because I very much supported that whole proposal and law. Second is making sure that that neighborhood and campus is safe. Third, I think there needs to be a better relationship and more cooperation between the University and the city. I’ll want to meet with President Frohnmayer and the administrators on a regular basis just to make sure we’re communicating. I think that’s been lacking in the last few years.
Q: Have you worked with the University before?
A: I worked with (the University) on the East Campus Plan to make sure that it worked for both the neighbors and the University. I’m also the chair of the Fairmount Neighbors Arena Committee, so I’ve interfaced with the Athletic Department and University Administration on how the arena’s going to affect the neighborhood.
Q: How do you feel about representing a ward with such a large student population?
A: I think it’s great. I come to campus several times a week. I like being around the University. I like being around young adults that are going to college.
Q: What are some of the things that City Council has done well? What are some things they can do better?
A: One of the things I think that’s been really cool is what (Mayor Kitty Piercy) proposed, which is the sustainable business initiative. It hasn’t concluded its work, but one of the things that I hope comes out of that is an office of sustainability in the city, so that sustainability issues can land somewhere.
Q: What are your thoughts on the current business climate in Eugene? If elected, what would you do to make it better?
A: We’re growing, and I think the city has a role in making sure we continue to grow. Eugene is a really great place to live and a really great place to do business, and the quality of life that we enjoy here will attract those kinds of businesses that can go anywhere. Everybody complains about the rain here, but the climate is a competitive advantage. It never gets to 120 degrees, and it never gets down to zero degrees. Eugene’s got a pretty temperate climate, as it stays between 45 degrees and 85 degrees.
Q: How would you have voted on the Whole Foods project?
A: I separate it out into two issues. For Whole Foods Market, I think the will be a good add to downtown. We need a full service grocery store. I don’t think they’ll compete with Sundance Natural Foods and The Kiva, since they have a different clientele.
The second issue is the garage. I think there were a lot of legitimate concerns people had about whether or not we needed it, whether or not it was the right type of structure and whether or not it was the best place for it. I would have gone about the process a little differently and incorporated more time to think about those issues.
Q: What is your opinion on the current homeless situation in Eugene? If elected, what would you propose to deal with it?
A: One of the reasons I started the Safe & Sound Project is because in one of the richest countries in the world, we have an enormous homeless problem that we should be embarrassed about.
It’s a very complicated issue that takes a really coordinated effort in a lot of different places to make a dent in it. We haven’t solved it by any stretch of the imagination. It still needs a lot more work and a lot more resources.
Q: Do you think the crime rate is something voters in this ward should be concerned about?
A: Yes. I think one of the major problems that faces Eugene is meth. When people are hooked to meth, they do all the property crimes, the robberies and the theft. One of the big problems we have in Eugene in proportion to our population is auto theft and bicycle theft, and a lot of that goes back to the meth problem. One of the things we need to do is work on getting services to people who work on the problem. That needs to be comprehensive too. It’s not just prevention, which we don’t find adequate at all, but the criminal justice system needs to be able to be sufficiently funded so that it can deal with the problem as well. We still have the same number of police (in Eugene) as we did in the 1970s, proportionally speaking.
Q: Since you’re competing against two other candidates, is there something that distinguishes yourself from the other two?
A: A couple of things actually. One is the endorsements I’ve received. All the elected officials and a whole bunch of former elected officials have endorsed my candidacy. I was the only candidate that was endorsed by environmental groups. I was the only one endorsed by the major union in the city, (the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees). I was also endorsed, just recently, by the Graduate Teaching Fellows Federation.
I think I have a strong track record of getting things done and bringing people together from diverse points of view. But also an excellent track record of working on sustainability and environmental issues.
Editor’s Note: This interview has been edited for clarity and conciseness.

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