CC Minutes - 12/10/01 Meeting - Laserfiche WebLink

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Councilor Bettman said she would support Councilor Kelly's amendment. She said that it would be in keeping with the intent of the voters. Councilor Meisner raised concern over cutting other important social services to pay for drug treatment. He said the money to pay for drug treatment would have to be taken out of the annual contribution to human services. Councilor Nathanson reiterated that the funds directed toward treatment programs should count toward the total human services contribution and not be supplementary to that contribution. Councilor Rayor, seconded by Councilor Meisner, moved to amend the amendment by adding a sentence to the amendment saying: 'Forfeiture money shaft be counted towards Eugene's total contribution to Human Services Commission funding, not as a supplement." Councilor Rayor said the money was human services funds being earmarked for specific services instead of going through the usual process. Councilor Bettman did not support Councilor Rayor's amendment because it mandated a reduction in contribution to the Human Services Commission. She stressed there was a huge need for social service dollars and added that supporting social services was a public safety issue. Councilor Pap~ disagreed that the amendment to the amendment mandated a reduction in social service dollars contributed to the Human Services Commission. He noted that the Budget Committee had no caps set on its allocation to social services. Councilor Meisner supported the amendment to the amendment. He said the council would be making a choice that it would prioritize drug treatment above other social service programs. He noted that Eugene already supported far more than its share of social services. Councilor Kelly would not support Councilor Rayor's amendment because it placed overly narrow parameters on the Budget Committee. Councilor Nathanson supported the amendment to the amendment. She stressed the need to provide real and lasting assistance rather than continuing to provide emergency assistance over and over. Mayor Torrey clarified with legal counsel that the amendment called for all forfeiture money, from FY03 onward, would be used for drug treatment programs. He noted that the amount of the contribution to the Human Services Commission for the next budget cycle had not yet been determined. Roll call vote; the amendment to the amendment passed, 5:3; councilors Kelly, Bettman, and Taylor voting in opposition. Speaking to the amendment, Councilor Taylor said that the proposed ordinance was not the mechanism to use for funding. She said that funding for treatment should be set aside annually as a budget matter. MINUTES--Eugene City Council December 10, 2001 Page 5 Regular Session