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<br /> Regarding the human rights issue, Councilor Lindberg said that he felt the cut <br />e in staffing was a critical policy decision that should have been given more <br /> consideration and should have been debated by the council. He said he wished to <br /> test the sentiment of the council on this issue and noted he personally felt <br /> elimination of one of the two human rights staff positions would put human <br /> rights at risk in the community for the coming year. <br /> Councilor Schue said that the commitment of the council was a necessary ingredient <br /> in the City's human rights program. She noted this commitment should be <br /> demonstrated through appointment of protected class members to City boards and <br /> commissions. She felt such commitment had been lacking in some previous appoint- <br /> ments. Ms. Schue added that improvements to provide handicapped access to the <br /> Library should be made as soon as possible. <br /> Councilor Smith noted that she had voted at the Budget Committee in favor of <br /> retaining the human rights staff position. She did not believe, however, that <br /> eliminating the position would put human rights at risk. She said Mr. Gleason <br /> had assured the council that human rights functions would continue to be performed. <br /> She did not feel it was appropriate for the council to adjust the budget package <br /> that had been agreed on by the Budget Committee, although she said modifications <br /> could be made later in the year if the council felt this was necessary. <br /> Councilor Obie said it was an irresponsible overexaggeration to state that <br /> elimination of one City human rights staff position would put human rights at <br /> risk in the community. He agreed there was a need to keep knowledge available <br /> to the community through the Library and noted that availability of knowledge <br /> also affected human rights. <br />e Councilor Ball said he felt the process of making the human rights position cut <br /> was flawed from the start. He felt that if the matter had been handled more <br /> carefully, confrontations would have been avoided. He said that the council <br /> needed to be cognizant of the symbolic appearance of the act of eliminating a <br /> human rights staff position. Mr. Ball did not feel that parliamentary and <br /> budget procedures should have controlled the process of making this decision. <br /> Councilor Holmer said that human rights was a high priority with the council but <br /> that the question was whether the council should specify to the City Manager how <br /> he will make use of the staff within his office. Mr. Holmer noted that he had <br /> met with the presidents of the human rights commissions and that he believed it <br /> had been made clear to them that there is a firm commitment to provide adequate <br /> staff for the commissions. <br /> Mayor Keller said Mr. Gleason has stated that it is his responsibility to <br /> operate the human rights program at the needed level. Mr. Keller agreed that <br /> the library service issue was important and should be pursued. <br /> Councilor Lindberg said that he had raised the human rights staffing issue to <br /> define the level of responsibility the council would take for human rights and <br /> to allow the council to declare its intent to monitor the human rights situation. <br /> He urged that the matter be reintroduced during next year's budget session. <br />e <br /> MINUTES--Eugene City Council June 29, 1983 Page 7 <br />