CC Minutes - 06/22/05 WS - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

He said the department was committed to continuing and increasing its efforts to attract minority and female applicants. He said that one idea was a scholarship program for minority youth, although limited funds were available. Mr. Kelly asked how the group that was recently hired compared to previous recruits. Human Resource Division Manager Helen Towle replied she did not have complete statistics but the first ten recruits were similar to previous classes. She commented that the recent recruitment was primarily in the northwest region with some national ads in publications targeted to paramedics. She described the extensive outreach efforts, including work with LCC to diversify the pool of students in the require classes. She said that the new affirmative action plan would emphasize those efforts. City Manager Taylor said he believed it was necessary to start recruitment at the high school level and support students through a community college cooperative program to encourage local applications. Ms. Bettman thanked all those involved in restaffing Engine 9. She reinforced City Manager Taylor's comments regarding recruiting at the high school level to take advantage of local training available through LCC. She asked what percentage local residents represented in the applicant pool and on the hire list. Chief Tallon said that he did not have those statistics but they were available through Human Resource and Risk Services. Ms. Bettman asked if those hired tended to move to Eugene or commute from their current homes if not local. Chief Tallon replied that a majority of the ten new hires were local residents and the rest would relocate to the community. Mayor Piercy said that the issues was raised at a recent Eugene Area Chamber of Commerce event that the council should tend to the business of fundamental services in the community and the current discussion affirmed the importance of public safety to the council. She expressed the council's appreciation for the challenges of public safety jobs and the stress and demands they placed on employees. Chief Tallon noted that firefighters could take advantage of the City's Employee Assistance Program and there were other services as well to help them deal with job-related stress. B. WORK SESSION: City Council Priority Issue - Complete and Consider Police Department Reviews and Implement Appropriate Changes City Manager Taylor said the item was a continuation of discussions he and Police Chief Robert Lehner had with the council over the last year as a result of the International City-County Management Association (ICMA) and the Police Executive Research Forum (PERF) report and the City's preliminary action plan response. He said that the issue before the council was a two-year action plan for implementing activities. He asked Chief Lehner to review the action plan. Chief Lehner reminded the council that the Eugene Police Department (EPD) was dealing with several reviews simultaneously, one of which was the ICMA-PERF review that contained the majority of the recommendations. He said that the Police Commission planning process underway for the past year would produce a report to the Mayor and the council on July 25, 2005. He said the department's strategic planning MINUTES--Eugene City Council June 22, 2005 Page 3 Work Session