Item B: City Response to Lane County Budget Crisis

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There are profound effects throughout the system, many of which remain to be discovered as county systems and services are shut down. Based on conversations with county staff, City staff have identified the most immediate and critical issues that must be addressed. These are detailed in the next section. Absence from this list should not be inferred as lack of effect on the City of Eugene, rather, indicative of issues that require additional research and prioritization of somewhat lesser priority. Immediate Public Safety Concerns The following issues are those Lane County budget cuts that result in the highest immediate need for mitigation for the City of Eugene. They are prioritized in order of their potential immediate life-safety effects. 1. BUCKLEY HOUSE Buckley House is a detoxification program of the Willamette Family Center. It is funded from a complex collection of revenues including state, county, local, private, and donated resources. Loss of Lane County general funds forces the closure of the entire operation including the sobering station. In the year ending April 30, 2008, EPD officers and CAHOOTS volunteers transported 726 persons to Buckley House for detoxification at the sobering station. When Buckley House closes (scheduled for June 30, 2008), these persons will be in immediate danger of death or serious injury due to accident, poisoning, exposure to elements, and other issues. There will be immediate and profound effects on the number of officers available to handle other matters as police officers struggle with triage and disposition of these people. It should be noted that, due to jail issues (see item 3, below), there will be no effective disposition service available. The funding gap for Buckley House is approximately $326,000, which could increase by $51,000 if the Lane County HSC funding doesn’t come in as expected. 2. DISTRICT ATTORNEY PROSECUTION The Lane County District Attorney’s Office is scheduled to take a reduction of seven employees, including four prosecuting attorneys. As a result, the DA has understandably prioritized prosecutions of violent crimes. Although this type of prioritization has occurred in the past in response to previous reductions, the DA’s office will now reach the point where it will be unable to prosecute almost any type of felony non-person crime. These crimes include drug use and sales, burglary, auto theft, identity theft, fraud, stolen vehicle and property possession, criminal mischief, arson, and others. To a city already plagued with one of the highest property crime rates in the nation, these cuts are catastrophic and represent an unacceptable risk to our community. The City could contract with the Lane County DA for $450,000 to fund two prosecutors, support staff, and associated equipment and supplies to prosecute City non-person felonies. 3. COUNTY JAIL The Lane County Sheriff’s Office is recommended for several reductions. Policing services to the unincorporated areas of Lane County are profoundly affected but are not expected to significantly affect the City of Eugene other than the invocation of mutual aid agreements in the most critical emergency situations occurring in the immediate metro area which may qualify for an EPD response. The most significant effect to the City of Eugene is the additional sharp reduction of available jail beds. Y:\CMO\2008 Council Agendas\M080512\S080512B.doc