Item B: City Response to Lane County Budget Crisis

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The Lane County Sheriff is slated to lose the Forest Work Camp and several other innovative and effective corrections programs all of which will further exacerbate the situation at the jail. The jail itself faces cuts that will ultimately reduce available local beds to 28. On any given day, there are approximately three dozen Measure 11 offenders (the most serious and violent crimes) housed in the jail. The expected reduction means that even these extremely violent offenders will be loose on the streets, essentially unsupervised. There is no space remaining at the jail for any non-person, property, or drug offenders, who collectively make up the same people responsible for the vast majority of crime in our city and county and are the most prolific repeat offenders. Unhoused, unsupervised, and untreated, this population is a grave public safety risk to the City. The City could contract with the Lane County Sheriff for about $650,000 to keep the next housing area of 48 jail beds open for the full year, rather than six months, with the understanding that we will need to negotiate that the City is not subsidizing other, non-participating jurisdictions. 4. ANIMAL CONTROL Animal Control services are recommended for elimination by the County. This means that emergency response, animal nuisance and abuse, sheltering and return of lost animals to owners, kenneling and adoption of stray and unwanted animals, euthanasia of unadoptable animals, operation of the cattery and dog licensing services will no longer be performed by Lane County Animal Services (LCAS). Annually LCAS impounds about 2,200 dogs and 1,600 cats, of which approximately half represent activity from the City of Eugene. Approximately 45% of the impounded animals are either returned to owners or adopted. More than half the calls for service and investigations of dog bite cases occur in Eugene. If the animal control program ceases to exist, local animal organizations such as Greenhill Humane Society will be stressed beyond existing capacity with individuals looking for a place to bring a stray animal or unwanted pet. Police officers will be tasked with eliminating dangerous dogs and stray animals will likely continue to roam. The City could provide field enforcement and kennel services 1) via contract with other government agencies or non-profits, 2) by providing the services directly with additional City staff, or 3) with some combination of the two previous options. The City could redirect the existing General Fund appropriation of $660,000 that funded the animal control contract payment to Lane County and the approximate $160,000 to $180,000 in dog license revenue to pay for these programs. 5. FIELD LAW ENFORCEMENT The Sheriff’s Office will reduce its patrol response to 20 hours per day. Although this cut does not have an immediate effect on the City of Eugene, EPD is a partner to mutual aid agreements that require we provide assistance in neighboring jurisdictions in the event of emergencies that exceed the capacity of the primary jurisdiction. As a result, there will be an incremental increase in demand for basic patrol response and SWAT support of the highest priority life-safety emergencies that occur in the immediate metropolitan area. Other system effects to human services providers will undoubtedly add calls for service to the City of Eugene system that will require an EPD patrol response. There were no net officer adds in the Y:\CMO\2008 Council Agendas\M080512\S080512B.doc