The Eugene City Council met earlier this month to review strategic objectives and proposed actions for the 2003-04 goal cycle. Included in these objectives was the desire to strengthen the relationship between the city of Eugene and the University.
The council has targeted three specific areas in order to improve the relationship between the city and the University: implementation of recommendations stemming from the West University Scoping Report, siting of the new basketball arena and improvement in the coordination between the University Department of Public Safety and the Eugene Police Department.
The West University Scoping Report is part of a West University Task Force effort to study and recommend strategies to address “behavioral problems and improve the long-term livability” of the neighborhood west of the University. The area has been plagued with problems including a riot in late September.
Eugene City Councilor David Kelly said the task force seeks to provide a more direct partnership between the University and the city than has been seen in the past.
“So far, in the East Campus area, there has been very little city government involved,” Kelly said.
He added the implementation of the recommendations made in the scoping report — coupled with participation in the task force by members of the community, city officials and University planners — would help to ease any problems the city may have with the University and students living in the area.
“Because the University is so large, it can have a tremendous impact on the city and on the neighborhoods and community members,” Kelly said. “Because of these impacts, the problems are best worked out with help.”
The University basketball arena could also have a major impact on the city, especially in the form of increased revenue, University Planner Chris Ramey said. City councilors plan to work with University representatives to outline criteria and goals for the project that would benefit both the city and the University.
The last area being targeted in the effort to assist the relationship between the University and the city is the coordination of DPS and EPD. According to the goal statement, the council would like to see a “reduction in campus area public safety problems; more efficient process for campus area drug and alcohol citations; and a reduction in EPD campus-related work.”
DPS Associate Director Tom Hicks said enabling DPS officers with the authority to issue citations for municipal violations to students on campus would lower the work load of EPD officers. Hicks added that “all in all, the relationship, while it may need to be looked at, has been very beneficial on both sides.”
The council goals process allows city councilors to review and direct activities related to the organizations priorities. However, Ward 2 City Councilor Betty Taylor said the objectives have not been formally adopted yet and, according to the council guidelines, still remain subject to change in the future.