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driven. He said defining outcomes from such programs was a complex task and that the ability <br />to do so was at a "primitive stage." <br /> <br />Mayor Torrey said his experience with youth recreation programs led him to be concerned about <br />their affordability for participants. Mr. Smith said a proactive search for private funding sources <br />to make it possible for all youth to participate in City programs was underway. <br /> <br />Mr. Tollenaar pointed out that few City activities differentiated between at-risk and not-at-risk <br />youth and that there was not widespread recognition of the City's involvement in providing youth <br />programs. Mr. Smith suggested that a reason the City's involvement was not widely recognized <br />was that its offerings were mostly at the "development" end of a spectrum of such programs. He <br />said that such programs were important in identifying youth who were at-risk, but that agencies <br />providing programs for youth currently in crisis received more recognition. <br /> <br />Mayor Torrey suggested that council representatives on the Public Safety Coordinating Council <br />(PSCC) be aware that one basis for evaluating applications for youth prevention program <br />resources from a special State fund to be made available to counties would be intergovernmental <br />cooperation. <br /> <br />City Engineer Les Lyle pointed out that the City served at-risk youth in a West Eugene Wetlands <br />summer program utilizing participants from AmeriCorps. <br /> <br />Recreation Director Linda Phelps said that she believed the value of City youth programs was <br />just beginning to be recognized. Westmoreland Community Center Supervisor Sandy Tracy <br />added that she believed all youth were at-risk. <br /> <br />Mr. Lee said that he believed youth program services should be a high priority concern of the <br />City. He suggested that an annual "report card" on how services were measuring up to their <br />objectives be established for submission to the City Council and public. Mr. Smith replied that he <br />had recently acquired case studies of comprehensive youth service programs developed in other <br />cities and that he believed they could be adapted to create the report suggested by Mr. Lee. <br /> <br />Mr. Johnson stated that a "gap analysis" of youth program needs in the City would soon be <br />completed. He said that intergovernmental discussions about prevention and treatment <br />programs would take place following the November election. He also said that consideration of <br />youth programs in relation to council goals should be considered in a future review. <br /> <br />Ms. Swanson Gribskov stated that she agreed with the comments of Ms. Tracy regarding the <br />value of considering all youth at-risk, but that she also believed it was important to avoid labeling <br />any youth and to consider them holistically. She suggested that needs assessment tools <br />developed by the Lane County United Way could be helpful in evaluation of youth programs of <br />the City. <br /> <br />Ms. Taylor said that she believed program cuts caused by the revenue reductions brought on by <br />Measures 47 and 50 had created dangers for all youth. She also said that she believed making <br />the community better for all youth would improve the community for at-risk youth. <br />Mr. Laue stated that he appreciated the report and comments of councilors, but that he had not <br />yet heard anyone state the importance of cooperating with and involving the resources, <br />strategies, and expertise of area school districts in youth programing. Mr. Smith replied that he <br />agreed and suggested that the best single indicator of an at-risk youth was poor school <br /> <br />MINUTES-Eugene City Council October 5, 1998 Page 2 <br />5:30 p.m. <br /> <br /> <br />