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MINUTES <br /> <br /> Eugene City Council <br /> Work Session <br /> McNutt Room--Eugene City Hall <br /> <br /> September 18, 2002 <br /> Noon <br /> <br />COUNCILORS PRESENT: David Kelly, Gary Pap~, Nancy Nathanson, Scott Meisner, Pat Farr, <br /> Betty Taylor, Gary Rayor, Bonny Bettman. <br /> <br />CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION <br /> <br />Mayor James D. Torrey called the meeting of the Eugene City Council to order. <br /> <br />A.Work Session: Proposed Amendments to the Eugene City Code from the Human Rights <br /> Commission <br /> <br />City Manager pro tem Jim Carlson introduced Andrea Ortiz, Chair of the Human Rights <br />Commission (HRC), and Gretchen Miller, chair of the work group that developed the proposed <br />amendments. Mr. Carlson invited each to make a brief presentation on the HRC's proposed <br />amendments to the Eugene City Code. City Councilors were provided with an Agenda Item <br />Summary relating to this issue, in addition to the following attachments: 1) ordinance concerning <br />human rights, 2) summary of comments, questions and issues collected by the HRC, 3) "Code <br />Revision Frequently Asked Questions," and 4) transgender terms and issues. <br /> <br />Ms. Ortiz thanked City Councilors for the time they have dedicated to human rights issues. Ms. <br />Miller reported that she chaired the Work Group for the ordinance and provided details of the work <br />group's meeting schedule. The work group met approximately weekly from mid-February through <br />mid-June. In addition, four public forums and two work sessions and a public hearing were held <br />with the Human Rights Commission. The commission considered the suggestions made at the <br />forums and the public testimony and made revisions to the ordinance accordingly. <br /> <br />Ms. Ortiz shared that her belief that human rights issues are not subject to a vote. She said that <br />human rights laws were enacted for the protection of vulnerable people. <br /> <br />Ms. Miller highlighted the significant and controversial changes to the code, as follows: <br /> <br /> · Changes anti-discrimination language, adding ethnicity <br /> · Adds additional language for gender identity, specifically for transgendered people <br /> · Requires reasonable accommodations for transgendered people, including bathrooms <br /> · Establishes a domestic partner registry <br /> · Establishes private right of action, needed because State law does not protect people <br /> from discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity, source of income, or <br /> ethnicity <br /> · Adds Human Rights Support System/advocacy process to the ordinance <br /> <br /> MINUTES--Eugene City Council September 18, 2002 Page 1 <br /> Work Session <br /> <br /> <br />