11/10/1975 Meeting - Laserfiche WebLink

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they were concerned with the idea that all commission members would be working on their own problems, and with the way members would be chosen. She encouraged the Council to contact the widest range of people possible in filling the member- e ship and to inform neighborhood organizations of the openings available. Rosemary Batori, 2030 East 19th Avenue, read a letter in favor of the proposed ordinance and conveyed support of others in the community. She thought it im- portant for minority groups to have access to members in city government and for members of minority groups to have a part in the decisions. A representative of the Oregon Bureau of Labor, Civil Rights Division, saw problems with the ordinance as written. He said there was no mandatory requirement for co-operation in the complaint procedure - a complainant might not give informa- tion until subpoenaed, and there might not be evidence of reasonable cause if an attorney decided not to co-operate. He thought separation of the commissions would cause unnecessary burdens, saying people fitting all categories - age, minoritiy, sex, handicapped - would have to file compa1ints with each commission. He thought the bill needed much further study, that as it stands, funding problems would be created when beginning the complaint process. Staff would have no sub- poena power and would lack authority to obtain necessary evidence. Also, separate commissions would be a disadvantage to those who rea-Iy have been discriminated against. Martin Weideman, 2102 Delta, member of the Mayor's Committee on Limited Mobility~ said that committee did not oppose the concept so much as it did the structure. ' He said it was too complicated and could exclude from membership nonhandicapped, from whom support was needed. Also, he said he felt the committee should have been consulted when the proposal was drafted. e Sallie Meek, 1045 Monroe Street, co-ordinator for Youth Planning Committee, was opposed to the proposed ordinance because a youth commission was not included. She said she fe1t the youth of the community had been ignored by the Council, adding that within the city structure, especially in the police department and schools, there was no channel for input from people under 18. The attitude of the city has reflected time and time again, she said, that young people are not responsible, not competent, not able to participate; Ms. Meek said a broad ad- vocacy group making recommendations to the Council and youth serving agencies on new plans, legislation, etc., affecting young people would fit very well into the proposed ordinance. She expressed concern about the way membership on the commis- sions would be chosen and suggested that people from the groups with which the commissions would be concerned should be consulted, that the Council itself should not have complete power to choose the members. Ron Sanete1, member of the Committee on Limited Mobility, agreed with the concept of a human rights council, but objected to the complaint procedure. He thought it would change the nature of the group concerned with rights of those with limited mobility, that it would question the involvement of people like himself (non- handicapped and an architect dealing with their problems) on a commission like this. He suggested that the existing Human Rights Commission be strengthened, that each of the minorities be represented on that Commission. At the present time, he said, the limited mobility group was not. Jim Williams, 2750 Capitol Drive, Lane County Mental Health Center, felt the youth of the community should have an explanation of why they were excluded. Young e people involved in decisions affecting them, he said, would not feel alienated, would not develop delinquency characteristics. He said there was minimal access for young people to anything meaningful to them in this community, that they should have a role in the policy making. He added that there was no clear under- standing of what young people today were experienceing, that it was very much the responsibility of elected officials to make sure youth have access to legitimate roles in the decision making process: ~Z 11/10/75 - 7