CC Minutes - 01/13/99 WS - Laserfiche WebLink

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that he and Public Works Department Director Christine Andersen would make a decision before January 27, 1999. Mr. Johnson indicated to Mr. Rayor he would schedule an update on the Year 2000 situation as it pertained to the City and its intergovernmental partners. Mr. Kelly suggested that the update be tied to the report from the interdepartmental Year 2000 team, scheduled for February. Mr. Pap8 recommended the council be given a brief monthly oral report on the topic. Mr. Lee asked that a work session on the Endangered Species Act be scheduled. He expressed concern that the City was moving forward in implementing the Growth Management Study policies without knowing more about the impact of the act. He also requested that a discussion of issues related to the west University area, such as alleyway improvements, be scheduled for a future agenda. Mr. Torrey welcomed both returning and new councilors. He said he was looking forward to working with the council and anticipated that it would get a great deal accomplished in 1999. Mr. Torrey reminded the council of an incident involving Eugene resident John Gainer in late December, during a period when the council was not in session. He said that in response to several councilors, staff had prepared a letter on behalf of the council apologizing to Mr. Gainer for the incident. Mr. Torrey added that the council should do all it could to ensure that everyone in the community felt they were equal citizens. He asked the council to adopt a motion to send the letter. Mr. Farr moved, seconded by Ms. Nathanson, to approve the letter of January 13, 1999, to John Gainer. Mr. Lee said that race identity is a personal identity issue for many and people take this issue very seriously. He was concerned about the way the community was having the discussion about the incident. He did not think it was productive. Mr. Lee said that incidents such as that experienced by Mr. Gainer can make people shy away from a meaningful discussion of race relations. He expressed the hope the council could have such a discussion. Mr. Lee said that Mr. Gainer deserved an apology; he did not choose to be misidentified. He said the incident was not merely about wrongful identity, but rather about the perception of inequality on the part of certain community members. Mr. Lee maintained that living in Eugene was difficult for people of color, and cited census data from 1990 regarding per capita income for people of color. The data indicated the annual average income for white residents was $14,213; $7,993 for African American residents; $7,901 for Hispanic residents; $10,229 for Native American residents; and $10,272 forAsian American residents. Mr. Lee said that Eugene was a place for opportunities, but not for everyone. He said that 1980 data indicated that for over ten years the disparity between whites and people of color had worsened. Mr. Lee suggested that the combination of economic disadvantage and incidents of prejudice led to hurt. He said if the council took the time to understand the "big picture," it could have a meaningful discussion. As leaders of the community, he felt it was important the council facilitated discussion in a meaningful way. Mr. Lee said that he was working with the Human Rights Commission to help the council better understand the larger societal inequities involved in the issue by putting together a "report card" on various social and economic inequalities in Eugene. He asked for the council's support. MINUTES--Eugene City Council January 13, 1999 Page 3 11:30 a.m.