Eugene Mayor Kitty Piercy celebrated several regional and citywide success stories from 2011 during the annual State of the City address Thursday evening at the Hult Center, but also warned of the myriad challenges that lie ahead for the local community in 2012.
Piercy handed one long-stemmed rose to each of the city council members before her address, tokens in honor of the success of the Oregon football team in the Rose Bowl on Monday. And while Piercy also took the time to honor members of the community during a brief awards ceremony, the clear message of the evening was one of perseverance despite a looming recession and further budget deficits in Oregon and across the country.
“I’d like to be here tonight telling you that things will be much in better in 2012. But in truth, the uncertain financial forecast continues to impact every government and every household,” Piercy said. “We simply have no choice but to keep moving through these difficult times.”
Piercy reminded the audience of the bleak projections put forth by economists, some of whom do not expect to see a full recovery even by the year 2020. Particularly in a state such as Oregon, which Piercy described as one with shrinking revenues despite growing needs, the effects of a poor economy run deep.
Even so, she insisted that the city work to build on a variety of successes that have unfolded over the last few years. Notably, she cited the more than $43 million spent on road repairs in the last three years, as well as the nearly $100 million in construction projects currently underway in downtown Eugene, as signs of progress.
Beyond continuing development in both the local infrastructure and economy, Piercy commended city employees for maintaining a safe and welcome environment. Piercy specifically mentioned the work of the Eugene police department as peacekeepers during the Occupy movement. The recognition drew lengthy applause from those in attendance.
Joseph Newton, a past supporter of the Occupy movement, led the applause.
“What I observed is that the police were excellent,”  Newton said. “Their behavior was always good and respectful.”
Newton said he also appreciated the city’s efforts in creating a community task force to find new ways to meet the needs that the Occupy camp did before being vacated on Dec. 20. Newton attended the first meeting of the task force on Wednesday at St. Mary’s Church.
“There’s nothing quite like people being able to have their own community, but the task force seems to be headed in the right direction,” Newton said.
City Councilor Alan Zelenka, who originally proposed the idea of organizing a  task force, expressed his excitement about the task force and said it has 90 days to come up with a proposal for the city.
The city is also looking ahead to a potential ban on plastic bags — a topic that is scheduled to be discussed in February — as well as the possibility of another bond to fund further road improvements in the city.
While the future may look grim in terms of economic prosperity, Piercy concluded her address by emphasizing a commitment to community needs despite it all.
“We must step beyond the national political rancor, beyond the confines of difficulty and pettiness, to stay focused on having a community that’s good for all of us ,” Piercy said.