Unlike the previous week, an air of civility permeated this Monday's meeting.
Last week Councillors Walsh and Sheila T. Russell delayed several of the council's orders because they said they were not invited to a press conference to announce a new proposal to revamp the city's rent control policy. In response to Walsh's and Russell's action, Councillors Francis H. Duehay '55 and Jonathan S. Myers delayed the rest of the orders.
But this week's housing plan sparked no such response as councillors from both sides of the political aisle expressed approval for the proposal and said they were anxious to discuss the plan.
"We have opened up debate in a way I don't recall before," said Cyr. "I hope we can have a city housing policy before we go home for the summer."
Walsh said that he agreed with Cyr and that the proposal was a constructive base from which to begin meaningful discussion on the city's housing problems.
"Some of my ideas I've been advocating for years are in the proposal," said Walsh. "I don't necessarily agree with everything but the dialogue has been opened."
Reeves also lent his voice in support of the measure and said it was an important first step to looking beyond rent control for the solutions to the city's lack of affordable housing.
"It is important to focus on housing and its many different aspects--to look at housing as a whole rather than just rent control," said Reeves.
In other business the council approved a motion supporting an opinion by Secretary of Laboratory Animals Stuart E. Wiles that the Draize eye test and the LD 50 test should be used only as a "last resort."
Earlier Myers proposed an ordinance outlawing the Lethal Dose 50 test, which exposes a group of animals to a substance being tested until 50 percent of the group dies, and the Draize test, which tests the effects of cosmetics on the eyes of rabbits.
According to Wiles, under the city's present ordinance, he already has the power to stop the tests and will allow their use only under extreme conditions.
"The regulation of research on animals can be adequately and effectively handled under our current ordinance," said Wiles