ASUO President Adam Walsh is set to take control of another local organization.
Walsh was the sole nominee for chairman of the West University Neighbors at the association’s meeting Thursday night. Elections will take place next week, but the city charter states that no one can be nominated at the next meeting unless the position is unfilled, making Walsh the only candidate unless he chooses to back out before the next meeting.
Walsh isn’t concerned about the time commitment required to head both the ASUO and the WUN.
“Right now, it wouldn’t pose a problem,” he said. “It’s only two nights a month and a few other meetings.”
Walsh was nominated for the position by former Chairman Drix Rixmann, who couldn’t run because of the WUN term limit rules.
If elected, Walsh wants to increase community and student involvement and attendance at WUN meetings, he said after the meeting. The WUN could increase its standing and influence in the city if students were more active in the organization, Walsh said.
“We could almost take control of part of the city,” Walsh said.
The WUN also filled nominations for its other open positions.
About 12 people attended the meeting.
Ward 3 City Councilor David Kelly, a WUN resident, was nominated for a board position by Walsh. Kelly hasn’t announced whether or not he will run for another term as a city councilor and wasn’t present at the meeting.
Rixmann was nominated for a position on the board, a role he had expressed interest in before the meeting. Rixmann said he was looking forward to trying to get the word out in the neighborhood about the WUN.
“I’d like to just do media for a while,” Rixmann said during the meeting.
Though nominations were made for all positions, some board nominees were absent and may not accept. In the case that there are not enough nominees during next month’s vote, the city charter states that nominations can be taken at that meeting and elected in a special election.
WUN members also discussed their accomplishments over the last year.
Rixmann was especially proud of the alleyway art project. Last August, WUN had residents, construction workers and Eugene Mayor
Kitty Piercy sign wet cement in a newly paved alleyway.
“I’m real happy with the way that turned out,” Rixmann said. “It’s a piece of neighborhood art right out there.”
The WUN board also discussed efforts to save neighborhood trees.
Rixmann suggested protecting new trees with cages constructed as pieces of art. Community activist Zach Vishanoff was appointed by Walsh to head a committee that will look into ways of removing graffiti from trees in the neighborhood.
Other topics included tenant-landlord relations, neighborhood party rules and continued discussions about what to do with the West Neighborhood Park.
After a heated discussion over possibilities for the park, the debate was tabled until next month’s meeting.
The next meeting will be Nov. 3 at 7 p.m. in the Sloat Room of the Atrium Building at Olive Street and 10th Avenue. Elections will be held, and anyone from the neighborhood is eligible to vote.
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