Meghann Cuniff
News Reporter

The West University Neighbors association heard updates on various neighborhood projects from University and neighborhood leaders at its Thursday night meeting, prompting debate between attendees.

Community activist Zachary Vishanoff made his presence loudly known at the very beginning of the meeting, expressing disdain for the agenda.

Vishanoff said that too many items on the agenda stifle the state because everyone feels rushed to move on to the next item, which paves the way for a totalitarian-type rule over the neighborhood.

"You're creating a scripted agenda so we can't get to the big issues," Vishanoff told West University Neighbors chairman Drix Rixmann.

University professor Marc Schlossberg attended the meeting with students from his Geographic Information Systems mapping course. Students in the class are mapping the West University neighborhood using handheld mapping devices and had rough drafts of the maps they had made.

Vishanoff questioned the mapping project's possible association with homeland security and demanded more debate be allowed concerning the project. He said the project may not intend to do harm but the information it provides could help others do just that.

"What you get from one project is easily transferable," Vishanoff said. "I can see it opening like a Trojan horse."

Schlossberg said he is open to debate but does not feel that Vishanoff is adequately informed about the mapping project. He said students have found the project to be a very valuable experience and emphasized the class' openness to community questioning and involvement.

Oregon Student Association representative Courtney Hight attended the meeting to encourage community members to attend Monday's public hearing concerning the proposed housing code.

A representative from the Rental Owners Association was scheduled to attend but did not show. Rixmann said ROA is concerned about the cost of the new housing code, concerns both Hight and City Councilor David Kelly said are unfounded.

Attendees also discussed ways to increase attendance at the neighborhood meetings. In order to elect an executive board or vote on any issues, 20 neighborhood residents must be in attendance.

Suggestions included changing the time of the meeting and meeting in a place more central to campus. "We need to have some draw to get a lot of people here," Rixmann said.