Ward 3 City Council candidates Maco Stewart and David Kelly answered questions about housing standards, racial profiling and campus safety to an audience of about 50 students and community members in a forum held Thursday at McKenzie Hall.
ASUO President Nilda Brooklyn mediated the forum, asking eight questions and then opening it up to the audience. Kelly is the current city councilor for Ward 3 and Stewart is a junior political science major at the University, and was a candidate in the 2002 ASUO Executive election.
Stewart said improving the housing code would be a major part of his platform and that he hopes to effect a code similar to the one implemented in Corvallis. Kelly said he opposed the 2000 special response fee, which charged students held responsible for disorderly gatherings for the total cost incurred by the city to send police to the scene. Kelly said he worked with ASUO to make amendments to the ordinance, such as the elimination of a statement that said a large gathering consisted of 10 or more people.
Stewart said he believes the special response fee is evidence that students need someone on City Council to represent their concerns.
“I think Kelly could have done more,” he said. “The fact is that the ordinance should have never passed.”
As far as student safety on campus, Kelly said he is a strong believer in neighborhood watch, and although the council does not have control over the Eugene Police Department, they can make recommendations. However, he said he would like to see more bike and foot patrol around Pioneer Cemetery.
Stewart said he believed the City Council could be more active in the issue of student safety by bringing it to public’s attention and creating dialogue to influence EPD.
Stewart said he not only wants to find a way to end racial profiling in Eugene, but he also wants to end the singling out of students by the department.
“Student profiling is widespread around Eugene, and it is a big concern,” he said.
Kelly said he’s a big supporter of the Independent Police Review Project, which has been following the traffic stops of police officers based on race. He also said the City Council should also focus on discouraging EPD from singling out youth.
Kelly said he believed University students have been under-represented in the City Council in the past because they do not come to the meetings and voice their concerns. Stewart suggested they arrange a student board to approach the council with any issue.
Kelly said although he is not a student, he wants to represent them as well as all members of Ward 3.
“I don’t feel that distant from my student days and, unfortunately, the same issues we are talking about are the same issues I was dealing with 30 years ago,” Kelly said.
Stewart said he may not have the experience, but he wants to represent the students because they make up 25 percent of Eugene’s population. He said he believes a student can give voice to University concerns.
“When I decided to run for City Council, I realized I didn’t know everything and I don’t have a lot of experience,” he said. “But I have an open mind, a sharp mind — not to brag or anything.”