Item C: City Manager Evaluation - Laserfiche WebLink

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Sorry I don't have more - I'm still pretty new to the Council. On at least two occasions of which I am familiar, Dennis has impugned the character of some well respected Eugene citizens in promoting or defending the City (staffs') position. This manner of expression does not serve the City Manager or the City well. I have enjoyed working with the City Manager and appreciate the quality of his work, his ethic, his respect for others, his care for Eugene and its assets. There is an issue that I think deserves to be emphasized. Last year we had a brand new Police Chief and his public statements, in conjunction with the City Manager's, were very reassuring to a community still reeling from the revelations of crimes committed from within the department. (At the time they were still "alleged.") The City Manager has consistently stated that he, and Chief Lehner, are awaiting the results of the Police commission's deliberations for recommendations to improve the accountability and transparency of the Department's complaint and investigation process. The Commission has worked very hard, reaching out to the public, researching other communities, collaborating with other interested organizations, deliberating in open and participatory sub-committees, and attending multiple additional meetings in order to have a recommendation to council by the end of July. Just as a preliminary model for Police Oversight began to emerge the City Manager sent the Police Commission a letter outlining his preferred model of Oversight. This raises a number of troubling questions and issues. Why did Dennis tell the community that he was vested in the process that he initiated, and then pre-emptively describe strategies for oversight and investigation that he has authority to implement any time he wants? Dennis has the authority and power to implement any changes to the department structure or hierarchy that he desires. That is why it seems, at least inappropriate, and at worst, disingenuous to ask for an extensive and costly process with far reaching public involvement and then trump the outcome. The Police Commission received feedback on oversight mechanisms from other entities including; the Police Union and Communities United for Better Policing, but those entities were appropriately contributing to the discussion they don't have the ultimate authority to implement their own preference. It appeared the City Manager was delineating in his letter, implicitly but not explicitly, that he will not support any Police Oversight mechanism that he does not control. It sounded like he was warning the Commission that if they make a 24