Agenda Packet 9-12-18 Work Session

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1 To: Mayor Lucy Vinis and Eugene City Councilors Fm: WeCU Work Group of the Eugene Human Rights Commission Re: Eugene City Council Work Session Marginalized Voices report and recommendations Dt: September 12, 2018 The Whole Eugene Community United (WeCU) work group of the Eugene Human Rights Commission (HRC) wants to thank you for holding a work session to consider the HRC’s June 2017 Marginalized Voices report and recommendations. Starting below, on page 2, we have provided a list of all of the recommendations, along with an explanation of benefits our work group has identified that each recommendation, once implemented, could provide to the City. We appreciate the Mayor’s expressed support for the Marginalized Voices report and the progress that the City has already made in implementing some facets of our recommendations. For purposes of the September 12th work session, we would like to request expedited action by the Mayor and City Council on a few specific recommendations that WeCU has prioritized. Please see added information regarding our primary request – “number 1” – immediately following numbers 1-3 below.* 1. WeCU sees implementation of “Short Term Goal #2” – hiring/assigning a full-time liaison to serve as a bridge between the City of Eugene and its marginalized communities – as an essential resource to help implement all of the recommendations in the Marginalized Voices report. We believe a positive outcome of the September 12th work session would be (a) for the City Council to articulate ways that the liaison could fulfill existing City policy goals, while simultaneously creating efficiencies in the delivery of City services to meet those goals and (b) for the liaison position to find a place in the City Manager’s budget next year. 2. Given the rise of white nationalism, xenophobia, homophobia, transphobia, Islamophobia, Anti-Semitism and racist attacks across the country – both verbal and physical – as well as current policies and rhetorical attacks aimed at marginalized communities by our current federal government, WeCU would like the City of Eugene to place an immediate emphasis on developing and implementing a rapid response policy by top City officials to hate crimes and other threatening activities against vulnerable communities, as stated in “Short Term Goal #1”. 3. As a means to move toward creating a long-term, safe and supportive space for Eugene’s marginalized communities, and also as part of the preparation for the IAAF World Championships Oregon 2021, WeCU requests that a planning committee for a centrally-located, multi-cultural center in Eugene be established, as described in “Short Term Goal #6” and “Long Term Goal #1”. *Liaison Position: The Human Rights Commission’s WeCU work group is comprised of members of eleven different marginalized communities in Eugene (Black/African American, African Immigrant, Alaska Native, Latinx, Pacific Islander, Palestinian, Muslim, Jew, Gay/Queer, Trans, Disabled). Our work group has had multiple discussions about some of the duties a Marginalized Communities Liaison could carry out for the City of Eugene and the qualifications needed for such a staff position. We believe that a liaison position would be well placed, working as a direct report under the CMO Division Manager. Members of our work group have expertise in multiple areas and we are prepared to support the City, as you consider and hopefully move forward in creating a liaison position. Please see “Short Term Goal #2” on page 3 below. Thank you, again, for your serious consideration of our requests. September 12, 2018, Work Session - Item 1