CC Minutes - 07/17/00 Work Session

Home Browse Search

Ms. Jones concluded the staff presentation by saying her participation in two conferences with youth as a major topic indicated that local efforts were validated by state and national initiatives. She noted widespread support for after-school programs and said they had proven positive results for youth. Ms. Jones acknowledged council concerns about Eugene as a sole source of funding for the program, but she believed that Eugene should lead in this area and demonstrate what can be done for others to follow. She asked for the council's support for placing the serial levy before the voters. Mayor Torrey said that all agreed there was a need for such a program. He said that councilors were provided with a national report that mirrored much of task force's report. He reviewed statistics from the national report, which indicated a large percentage of parents work and many youth were home alone after school. Youth need after-school programs to avoid getting into trouble. Mayor Torrey said that the cost of after-school care was an issue for many parents, and geographic location in the community could also hinder participation in after-school activities. The children attending Boys and Girls Club of Emerald Valley activities at Westmoreland Center come from all over the community. Mayor Torrey suggested that the proposed serial levy provided the council with an opportunity to leverage additional funds. He asked the council to give the public an opportunity to vote on the proposed funding mechanism. Mayor Torrey said the programs involved were not new, but were in need of assistance. He emphasized the opportunities for partnership with the school districts and nonprofits. He said that Springfield and Lane County were not prepared to participate at this time, but he reminded the council that the County had made the fairgrounds available for daytime activities for the youth of the community. Mayor Torrey said that he had met with youth who had written a letter to the editor complaining they did not have an opportunity to address the council at a recent meeting, and heard about their concerns that a place where activities such as dances for older, teen-aged youth could occur was needed. He said that Fairgrounds Manager Mike Gleason and the Board of County Commissioners supported having teen activities at the fairgrounds on weekends. Mayor Torrey noted his support for the County's proposed public safety measure but emphasized that prevention and intervention efforts were still inadequately funded. He thought that those approaches were a priority for Eugene residents. He asked who would provide such services if the City did not. He could not think of a better service the City could provide to youth then "to give adults of Eugene the chance to say yes to kids." Mr. Fart noted his concurrence with Mayor Torrey's remarks. He noted his past lack of support for serial levies but said that the language in Option 1 addressed his concerns as it directed the City Manager to seek a sustainable long-term funding source. He thought once residents saw the success of the program and the way it leveraged other resources they would support the program in a sustainable way, over the long-term. Mr. Fart pointed out that the City was not the sole public entity funding the program. The costs were spread across several sources, including the school districts and nonprofits. Mr. Farr endorsed the mayor's remarks regarding residents' support for prevention and intervention. He said that the amount of money involved in the pilot project was relatively small in comparison to the return on investment. MINUTES--Eugene City Council July 17, 2000 Page 6 Work Session