Eugene (KMTR) – During Wednesday’s lunch-hour meeting, the Eugene City Council is expected to decide whether to allow Occupy Eugene campers to stay at Washington-Jefferson Park or to boot them out.Occupy Eugene organizers are working on a contingency plan, should the council decide to stick with the December 15th expiration of the exemption that allows the protesters to camp.
On Monday, the city council decided to delay their decision until they could discuss some options brought up by city council member Alan Zelenka. Those options include extending the camp ordinance exemption by 45 days and providing transitional services to those who would need places to stay afterwards.
But council member Pat Farr has already made his decision known. He wants the occupiers to de-occupy the park. In a news release, Farr said his concerns span five areas:
- The safety of the campers, passers-by and residents
- Unsanitary conditions that could give rise to localized or widespread contamination or disease
- Environmental protection
- Respect and sanctity of private property rights
- Public land, such as parks and other open spaces, must be kept available and useable
Farr wrote: “My message to the campers: You must recognize that you have gone beyond the bounds of tolerance. You cannot control the messages that are being given both in your name and about your movement. You are endangering the people of Eugene. It is time to break camp and find other ways to make your protests that don’t harm people or our city.”
If the city sticks with the deadline, campers would have 72 hours to clear out of Washington- Jefferson Park.
