CC Minutes - 10/31/07 Work Session

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should the language reference consistency with the Metro Plan as well. Ms. Jerome replied that both of those were in the “purpose section” and the language could be changed. In response to another question from Ms. Bettman, Ms. Jerome stated that the categories of elector/owner were from the statutes. She explained that the owner was the owner of the property and an elector was someone who could vote who lived on a property. She discussed the differences between double majorities and triple majorities and how that affected the annexation process. Ms. Bettman advised staff to use “common language” so that the public would have the chance to weigh in on the subject in an informed way. She averred that most people could not get through “this kind of technical language.” B. WORK SESSION: FY09 Service and Budget Alignment Process Ms. Jones said she had consulted with representatives of the labor unions and with the Neighborhood Leaders Council (NLC) since the October 17 work session on this topic. She reported that the labor leaders were concerned about the impact of this process on their memberships. She related that the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) had asked, and she had given assurances to them, that the City utilize the competitive service delivery model jointly developed by the management and AFSCME to evaluate the benefits of alternative delivery models prior to initiating outsourcing proposals. She stated that there was an understanding that the model was in place and before any decisions would be made through a budget process, all of the policies and procedures would be reviewed prior to the implemen- tation of changes. She reported that the NLC had appreciated the different approach to the budget, but was concerned about the amount of public involvement in the process for the Fiscal Year (FY) 09. She introduced Kitty Murdoch, Budget Manager for the Finance Division. Ms. Murdoch shared her excitement about the process. She had long wanted to better link the council goals with the budget. She felt the City had not done a good job in linking those goals with how it conducted its budget process. She stated that budgeting for outcomes was a proven method that was endorsed, taught, and cited as a best practice by leading professional organizations and universities. She averred that it helped organizations prioritize services and deliver better results and would benefit the community by providing more transparency, more staff involvement in decisions, more linkage of the budget to outcome measures, a review of service options and it would identify creative ways to improve services and align them with expected resources by FY11. Mayor Piercy underscored that she was not interested in developing the cheapest budget possible; she was interested in the best use of resources. Ms. Murdoch assured her that Public Strategies Group (PSG), the consultant hired to aid in the process, was not interested in promoting the cheapest way to provide services; the emphasis was on providing the best value to the community. Mayor Piercy wanted to gather public input before there was a vote on it at the council level. Ms. Jones said staff was trying to be cognizant of how to incorporate more public input when looking at the timeline. MINUTES—Eugene City Council October 31, 2007 Page 4 Work Session