02/04/1987 Meeting - Laserfiche WebLink

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e e e Mr. Holmer wondered if the committee should address crime prevention or public safety. Ms. Ehrman wondered about a charge to the advisory group and its cost to the city. Mr. Gleason responded that advisory groups that report to the council are expensive. Their recommendations affect City policies and only senior staff members are assigned to those groups. They each cost at least $40,000 to $50,000 annually and the groups then lobby the council for fi nanci a 1 support for projects. He said advisory groups that work with departmental staff members are useful but do not recommend policies to the council. Consequently, they are not as expensive as groups that report to the council. He said advisory groups that make recommendations about public safety sometimes precipitate legal problems because the recommendations sometimes involve employee/employer relationships. Ms. Wooten discussed the work of the Crime Action Task Force. She said the advisory committee should be a link between citizens and the Police, Fire and Emergency Services Department. The committee should inform and educate people in the community because the community must be involved in crime prevention. She said the task forcel s report does not indicate the committee should recommend policies. She said many of the recommendations in the task force's report can be implemented without the allocation of additional funds. She said she does not recommend broadening the scope of the task force's crime prevention undertaking. Mr. Holmer said he is concerned about the lack of an advisory group to the Police, Fire and Emergency Services Department. He mentioned several advisory groups to City departments. He said a public safety advisory group should not be a review board. He wondered about the relationship of a public safety committee and the Joint Social Services Fund Committee. Mr. Bennett wondered why a committee is needed to implement the recommendations in the task force's report. He wondered why the staff does not implement the recommendations. Ms. Wooten responded that an informed public ;s very necessary for a crime prevention programb'ecausecitizen support is vital. She reviewed some of the recommendations in the report. Mr. Miller added that committee members are very knowledgeable and have a vested interest in crime prevention. Ms. Bascom said some recommndations in the report have been implemented by the staff. Ms. Wooten asked if the councilors felt that the recommedations of the committee would be awkward to deal with because of other concerns. Mayor Obie said he is concerned about crime prevention getting out of balance with other City services. Ms. Schue said she does not want people to expect that all the recommendations in the report will be implemented. She wondered if Police, Fire and Emergency Services officials want a citizen advisory group. Mr. Gleason responded by discussing groups like the Downtown Commission that advise the council and MINUTES--Eugene City Council February 4, 1987 Page 8