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Former Chair John Brown and former Vice Chair Carla Newbre reviewed the commission's annual <br />report describing activities for fiscal year 2003. <br /> <br />Mayor Torrey invited questions on the presentation to this point. <br /> <br />Ms. Taylor asked how the department's pursuit policies had changed as a result of the <br />commission's review. Mr. Laue responded that the commission had reviewed the department's <br />pursuit policy with the intent of ensuring that the department made careful evaluations in <br />determining if a pursuit was initiated at all. Paramount in the policy was protection of the public <br />safety, and the commission recommended that the training emphasized that. <br /> <br />Ms. Taylor asked if the commission had discussed pedestrian safety. Mr. Brown said yes, and <br />noted the concerns voiced by residents about red light violations and speeding, which people had <br />indicated they were very tired of. <br /> <br />Ms. Taylor asked if Mr. Brown believed the commission should be an ongoing one. Mr. Brown <br />said yes, and added he believed the money spent to support the commission was well-spent. Ms. <br />Taylor asked if the commission would be needed if an external review board was formed. Ms. <br />Newbre believed the answer to that question was yes, given that the commission's role was one <br />of policy and resource review, which an external review board would not address. <br /> <br />Mr. Kelly thanked the commission for its work. He regretted that the work plan item about drug <br />use and its relationship to crime had been dropped and hoped it would be addressed in fiscal year <br />2005. <br /> <br />Mr. Pap~ thanked the commission for its well-done report. He also thanked Ms. Parisi for her <br />work. <br /> <br />Referring to page 1 of the annual report, which mentioned a comparative analysis of multiple <br />police departments' performance and staffing levels reviewed by the commission, Mr. Pap~ <br />determined from Mr. Brown that the analysis confirmed the Hobson Report's recommendations. <br /> <br />Responding to a question from Mr. Pap~, Mr. Brown said that the public forums held by the <br />commission indicated citizens had an ongoing dissatisfaction with excessive speeding in <br />neighborhoods and red light violations. Ms. Ortiz added that people were happy with the job the <br />department was doing. Mr. Taylor noted that traffic enforcement was a constant theme in such <br />community surveys, and in this case that dissatisfaction led the commission to recommend that <br />the Budget Committee adopt additional funding for that purpose. The committee had done so. <br /> <br />Mr. Pap~ hoped the commission continued to look at resources and resource priorities in the <br />future. <br /> <br />Mr. Meisner thought the commission needed to be an ongoing standing body for the purpose of <br />policy analysis. He said that the commission did considerable work for the council, saving it <br />valuable time. He expressed appreciation that the commission had helped the Budget Committee <br />focus on the increased need for traffic enforcement, and thanked the commission and department <br />for helping to find a way to fund those positions without any further contribution from the General <br />Fund. <br /> <br /> MINUTES -Eugene City Council August 11, 2003 Page 3 <br /> Work Session <br /> <br /> <br />