CC Minutes - 01/12/98 Meeting - Laserfiche WebLink

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Mr. Green discussed the County's budget outlook, noting that the County was in the fifth year of the ten-year timber revenue guarantee, which expired in 2003. He said that the task force was formed to take an outside look at the current mix of County services, whether the County should provide other services, and how the County should pay for those services. Additionally, the task force would look at revenue issues. Mr. Green said that the task force membership was not based on area representation but rather included community leaders with broad experience in community affairs. He named each task force member and noted their professional backgrounds. Mr. Green invited the council members to attend task force meetings, which were open to the public. He anticipated that the task force would hold at least one public hearing regarding its recommendations. Ms. Nathanson noted that government was mandated to do things the private sector was not, and asked if the task force was considering those mandates in its discussions and the appropriate agency to deliver those services or the possiblity a consortium should provide the services. Mr. Green confirmed that the task force was looking at mandated services, and recognized that there was not much flexibility in the expenditure of nondiscretionary dollars. However, the task force wanted an understanding of how services worked together. He did not think the task force had reached the point of discussing whether there might be other agencies that could deliver County services more efficiently or appropriately. Ms. Nathanson asked if Mr. Green anticipated the task force wouild make such recommendations. Mr. Green believed that could occur, although the task force had been directed to make no changes that resulted in charter changes. Mr. Tollenaar said he was attending meetings of the task force as an interested individual. He discussed the traditional role of county government in Oregon and the fact counties had been the entity responsible for delivering human services in the community. He believed there was logic in such an approach. Mr. Tollenaar was impressed to the extent to which Eugene, by default, was becoming a significant player in service delivery, but he was not comfortable with it. Mr. Tollenaar was concerned that there was a lack of support demonstrated by the County for the urban transition agreements. He said that the task force should examine the situation and recommend whether the agreements should be dropped or revised. Mr. Tollenaar said that he was impressed by the membership of the task force and believe it was fully capable of taking a broad look at County service delivery. Mr. Green said that the urban transition agreement should be reexamined, and he had requested that the Metropolitan Policy Committee discuss the agreements. Regarding human services delivery, Mr. Green said that he had argued as a City Councilor that the County should put in more money, and as a commissioner now wanted the cities to increase their contributions. He agreed that there was a need to increase the dollars available but was unsure how much more was needed. He pointed out that Eugene, as the county's largest city, had the largest percentage of need. Mr. Green said that citizens were asking for seamless services, and did not really care about the source of the service. MINUTES--Eugene City Council January 12, 1998 Page 3 7:30 p.m.