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<br /> , <br /> ; J - ;," <br /> III. PUBLIC HEARING: VAGRANT POPULATION PROBLEMS--THE HUMAN SIDE OF ECONOMIC <br /> e DEVELOPMENT (entire report distributed) <br /> Mr. Gleason introduced Councilor Mark Lindberg. Mr. Lindberg said that staff <br /> had worked with him to develop the vagrancy report. He said that' draft copies <br /> of the report had been circulated to public agencies, City departments, and <br /> neighborhood groups for comment. He said the report found that the vagrancy <br /> problem was growing nationally and was to some extent an irrevocable situation, <br /> affecting or related to the City budget, the economic vitality of the downtown, <br /> neighborhood livability, park use, the budgets and programs of human service <br /> agencies, and the budgets and programs of the courts and jails. He said that <br /> while the problem cannot be eliminated, it can be managed. He suggested that a <br /> task force composed of people directly involved with the vagrancy problem be <br /> formed to study management of the problem and to report to the council in six <br /> months with recommendations to reduce the burden of the problem on taxpayers and <br /> to help vagrants. <br /> Public hearing was opened. <br /> Ernest Unger, Director of the Eugene Mission, 1542 West 1st Avenue, said that <br /> the report presented by Councilor Lindberg was an excellent evaluation of the <br /> problem. He said many of those perceived as vagrants in the downtown mall area <br /> are actually bored young people with families in the community. He felt that <br /> formation of the task force would allow coordination of efforts to address the <br /> vagrancy problem and help avoid duplication. He offered to serve on the task <br /> force. <br /> e Richard Guske, 278 North Grand Street, represented the Whiteaker Community <br /> Counci 1 . He said that the Whiteaker Neighborhood was strongly affected by the <br /> vagrancy problems and that neighborhood residents were subject to small burglaries, <br /> robberies, and harassment by the many vagrants in the area. He asked that the <br /> neighborhood be made a part of proposed solutions for managing the vagrancy <br /> problem, since much of the problem is concentrated in that area. He felt that <br /> the costs of vagrancy should be defined and compared with the costs of proposed <br /> solutions. <br /> Charlotte Lemon, 1280 Mill Street, said that the report was excellent. She <br /> endorsed the suggestion of forming a task force. She noted that the report did <br /> not discuss the problem found in the West University Neighborhood, where she <br /> lives, of people living in buses and vans parked on City streets. She said her <br /> neighborhood was encouraging residents to use the parks, since the presence of <br /> many neighbors would make neighbors feel more secure in the parks, despite the <br /> presence of vagrants. She said neighbors were also urged not to contribute to <br /> panhandlers. Ms. Lemon said despite these efforts, neighbors in the West <br /> University area feel threatened by vagrants. <br /> Nick Isaacson, Director of Buckley House, 707 East 17th Avenue. read a prepared <br /> statement in support of formation of a Vagrancy Task Force. He said that 70 per- <br /> cent of vagrants were abusers of drugs and/or alcohol. He discussed the high <br /> costs of processing these offenders through the justice system and incarcerating <br /> them at public expense. He said that Buckley House would like to see its detoxi- <br /> e <br /> MINUTES--Eugene City Council November 24, 1982 Page 2 <br />