All right, the city council will now be an executive session for us one nine two six six zero two E to conduct deliberations with persons designated to negotiate real property transactions.

No decision maybe made in executive session at the end of the executive session.

Let's get it started.

All right.

So we are gonna call the meeting to order for tonight's council business meeting, and we will start with our roll call.

Um, why don't you start Council Franzoza?

Sure.

Uh Gina Franzosa she her.

Mario Mendez, here you know Mike Riley, he and Melanie Kiebler, she her.

Megan Perkins, she her.

Megan Norris, she her.

Skip.

All right.

So we are moving into go to the order, and we don't have any proclamations tonight, but we do have a statement recognizing Juneteenth, which is this week, which is on Friday.

Juneteenth, also known as Freedom Day, marks the moment in US history on June 19th, 1865, when the remaining 250,000 enslaved African Americans in Confederate states were legally declared free.

Two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed.

In the 160 years since, the Juneteenth holiday represents a time to gather with family and community, honor the present, and reflect on shared history and tradition.

Juneteenth is about more than recognizing a date.

It is a critical reminder that the work towards freedom and justice must continue.

After the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, black people confronted a series of discriminatory practices that place limitations on their ability to own land, earn wages, and participate in the political process.

Racial disparities and discrimination persist across our society.

To offer one example, according to the U.S.

Department of the Treasury, the black white gap in home ownership rates was the same in 2020 as it was in 1970, just two years after the passage of the Fair Housing Act of 1968, which sought to end racial discrimination in the housing market.

At this moment, voter suppression activities such as pursuing restrictive voter ID requirements are happening at our highest political office.

Juneteenth serves as a call to action to stay informed and to stand up for justice.

There are many ways you can learn more about Juneteenth locally.

You can join the celebration happening at Open Space Event Studios on June 20th this weekend from 2 to 8 p.m.

Plan for an evening of delicious food, dancing, and opportunities support local artisans and organizers.

You can also visit the new Deschutes Public Library to access a staff curated list of recommended reading materials.

And if you're traveling to Portland this weekend, you can attend Portland's Juneteenth, 54th Annual Festival Parade on Saturday from 11 to 7.

The National Museum of African-American History and Culture in Washington, DC is also a great place to visit to learn more on their website.

Um and you can also access many materials there.

Today we want to do more than commemorate because freedom is not a date, it is a duty.

And if you didn't see there's a couple little flyers about the libraries program out there for anyone that wants to check that out.

So thanks everybody for acknowledging Juneteenth.

All right, moving into um our council action and reports.

There aren't any letters, but we do have a series of appointments.

Thanks for everyone who helped with interviewing staff and um council liaisons for budget and economic development advisory body and one alternate reappointment for ECC.

So all European motion.

Okay, unanimous.

Thanks.

All right, we'll move into council reports.

Uh Councillor Franzoza.

Thanks.

Um, just one update.

Um Friday, June 12th.

I just want to thank uh Councilor Mendez and Councillor Play for um attending a meeting with a community renewables um renewable energy association.

Uh really cool ORS 190 quasi not quasi-governmental, it is a governmental entity uh composed of multiple different counties and cities that focus on um local development and local benefits of renewable energy.

So um yeah, I'm excited um about uh small opportunities to be involved with that group.

It was a nice initial meeting, and um maybe it would be nice to kind of talk with others about um be getting some more information from them and benefits of joining and um and other things like that.

So um and thanks to um Austin, so Meggie for presenting the Inconduit Hydro project that was um super interesting to all the folks from um around mostly eastern Oregon, but to hear about what the uh what the city band is doing.

So thank you.

Thank you.

All right, Councillor Mendez.

Yeah, um so yes, the uh uh community renewable energy association meeting was really interesting, just to remind people of the magnitude of power that is potentially at stake here.

Uh within a couple of years, the site could be developing enough energy to power all of Central Oregon and then some, and several years after that, it could be sufficient to power all of the uh the state as a whole.

So there's a lot of power at stake, and uh it's fascinating to see there's some hurdles to be sure.

There's some hurdles to get over, but it's pretty fascinating to learn about the potential there.

Um on June 4th, the Transit Vision Work Group met with Council O'Reilly and I, and that work is ongoing, but I did want to take the opportunity to remind everyone that Ben LePine School District children get a free transit pass this summer.

You can sign up in person at Hawthorne Station, or you can do so online using your Ben Le Pine School District student email address.