CC Minutes - 01/14/02 Meeting - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

elect Councilor Kelly President of the City Council for 2002 passed unanimously, 7:0. Councilor Taylor, seconded by Councilor Farr, moved to elect Councilor Pap~ as Vice President of the City Council for 2002. Roll call vote; the motion to elect Councilor Pap~ Vice President of the City Council for 2002 passed unanimously, 7:0. 3. Public Forum Mayor Torrey reviewed the rules of the Public Forum. Marshal Peter, 2602 Agate Street, director of Directions Services, asked the council to keep in mind looming difficult economic conditions and the anticipated increase in demand for social services. He was concerned about the possibility that the General Fund moneys presently dedicated by the City to the Human Services Commission (HSC) would be redirected to drug and alcohol treatment funding, and suggested it might be a discussion for another time. He said that drug and alcohol treatment will be needed but it should not be at the expense of other services. Ron Chase, 924 Sunnyside Drive, asked the council to follow the will of the voters and follow the intent of Ballot Measure 3 without reducing funding to other human services. He discussed the ineffectiveness of drug enforcement and suggested that the community had not gotten the return on its investment in the war on drugs, and called for a better balance between supply-side and demand-side remedies. As a manager of a transition program at Sponsors, he had seen many people turn their lives around and become productive citizens with the help of substance abuse treatment. He said that the City was fortunate to have several treatment options available, and having more space available in those programs would strengthen the efforts of other human service and corrections programs in Lane County. Mr. Chase noted his agency would not benefit from his advocacy. Jeanne Bensen, 1524 McKinley Street, the chair of the Human Services Providers Network and director of Catholic Community Services, endorsed the comments of Mr. Peter and Mr. Chase. She said that her agency was seeing more families who had never before had to seek a food box or rent assistance. She said that the HSC funded the types of support services that gave people the opportunity to maintain their recovery and become self-reliant community members. Carmen Urbina, 788 Blackfoot Avenue, a member of the Alcohol and Drug Planning Committee and Human Services Providers Network, suggested the HSC was the best body to coordinate funding between agencies, but the Alcohol and Drug Planning Committee was the best body to determine where the funds related to Ballot Measure 3 needed to go. She emphasized the close ties between the HSC Continuum of Care and the Alcohol and Drug Continuum of Care. She MINUTES--Eugene City Council January 14, 2002 Page 2 Regular Meeting