CCMinutes - 09/15/04 WS - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

Commissioner Green said one option was to pursue revenue. He added that, whatever option came before the board, he wished to know what the implications were of that option. He expressed his desire to avoid any unintended consequences. He stated that a law enforcement district was different from a public safety district. Commissioner Green distributed copies of the Lane County, Oregon; Five-Year General Fund Forecast. He called attention to the gap between the rising costs and revenue, which was not increasing at the same pace. He said the County was seeking a minor amendment to the Metro Plan that would address the components of the services that Lane County already provided, including corrections, parole, and the Department of Youth Services. He added that the minor amendment did not address the issues incurred by growth, but rather the issues inherent in the function of County government. He noted that the County had not been able to increase its tax base, in spite of rapid population growth. He said the City of Eugene received approximately $7 per $1,000 in real value, the City of Springfield combined with Willamalane Recreation District received $6.71 per $1,000 in real value, while Lane County was trying to provide services at $1.27 per $1,000 in real value. He called this a "huge disparity" in rates. Commissioner Green called his visit to the council a preliminary courtesy call, adding that he had spoken to the City of Springfield on Monday. He related that the City of Springfield had recommended that the scope be kept very narrow. He noted that one suggestion had been to charge for police services. He objected to this as the ability to pay should not weigh into the provision of public safety services. Commissioner Green remarked that the County commissioners were not so naive as to believe that the voters would automatically respond to the proposal. He said the case would have to be made for the benefits to the public. Sheriff Clements conveyed his appreciation to the council for the opportunity to talk about this concept. He said the County sought to remove impediments to the formation of a County Public Safety District with a permanent and dedicated rate. He called it a "concept only" at this point in time. He noted the track record for passage of money measures at the county level had not been good. He felt formation of the district would be a fundamentally different approach that would provide a consistent level of service and a measure of control over public safety services because of the dedicated funding. Sheriff Clements said the County services included youth services, incarceration, intervention, and treatment. He noted that the juvenile justice center was only running at one-third of its capacity. He commented, regarding adult incarceration, Police Chief Lehner and the Eugene Police Department found it lamentable that the Lane County Jail was not able to hold the people the police booked into custody. He said presently the adult correctional facility was the holding facility of the last resort. He stated that, because of the degradation of State financing for community-based mental health issues and alcohol and drug detoxification, the County wound up having to take custody of people afflicted with those problems. Sheriff Clements related that, based on a Lane Council of Governments (LCOG) study in 1998, it was suggested that, even if the County was running at full capacity, which it is not, another 300 beds would be needed in the adult correctional facilities by 2003. He pointed out that the dearth of adult correctional capacity meant that people who were booked became repetitive problems as they did not show up for court dates and were not able to be adequately sentenced or sanctioned by parole and probation. He said prosecutorial services and the District Attorney's office were not able to adequately handle the volume of the caseload. He noted that a parole or probation officers considered a caseload of 75 to be heavy, but now MINUTES--Eugene City Council September 15, 2004 Page 2 Work Session