Item B: Joint Meeting with Human Rights Commission

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ECC UGENE ITY OUNCIL AIS GENDA TEM UMMARY Work Session: Joint Meeting with the Human Rights Commission Meeting Date: March 11, 2009 Agenda Item Number: B Department: Central Services/City Manager’s Office Staff Contact: Raquel Wells www.eugene-or.gov Contact Telephone Number: 682-5177 ISSUE STATEMENT This work session is being held to review the Human Rights Commission, its work plan, and the work plans of its standing committees. The commission will provide a brief update on its accomplishments of FY07/08 and will highlight key work items for FY10 and FY11. The commission also plans to identify several emerging issues for discussion at the meeting. The City Council will be asked to review and approve the work plan. BACKGROUND The City Council and the Human Rights Commission (HRC) hold a meeting to review the work of the commission and discuss human rights issues in the community. The last meeting was held on September 11, 2006. At that time, the City Council approved an 18-month work plan. Over the past 18 months, the Human Rights Commission has gone through several changes. First, during the fall of 2007, the long-time program manager took another position at the University of Oregon. At the manager’s request, the City Manager reviewed the Human Rights program and staff for a six-month period in the beginning of 2008. Also, during this time, several commission members with a long-term history on the commission ended their terms, leaving the new commissioners to complete projects that previous members created. In addition, another major change in staff occurred in the spring of 2008, which left only one full-time staff member, impacting the program’s capacity. However, with the help of a completed assessment and the remaining commissioners, the new commissioners quickly jumped onboard and took ownership of the work laid out for them. This winter over 30 community members and City staff took part in a hiring process and in February 2009, the City Manager’s Office was successful in hiring the new Human Rights Commission Analyst to oversee and support the commission’s work plan and future endeavors. The commissioners are asking the City Council to consider the approval of a 24-month work plan that will begin July 1, 2009, and carry the commission through fiscal year 2011. RELATED CITY POLICIES The Eugene Human Rights Commission (HRC) and four standing committees of the commission were established by Ordinance 19732 in 1990. The ordinance was updated in 2002. Z:\CMO\2009 Council Agendas\M090311\S090301B.doc