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<br />Ms. Bettman supported the plan and commended the department and chief. She said that plan represented <br />something that needed to be done for a long time. The plan organized and documented what was being done <br />and identified gaps. She thought it provided transparency into the actions of the department, which was an <br />issue during budget time. Ms. Bettman said the plan represented a large, difficult, and challenging job. She <br />thought it reflective of what the community wanted in terms of quality policing services. <br /> <br />Noting that the council did not generally adopt such plans, Mr. Kelly thought it important that the council <br />have a policy discussion of the department’s initiatives with the chief outside the budget process. <br /> <br />Speaking to the initiatives, Mr. Kelly asked about the first such short-term initiative, to develop an <br />organizational staffing plan. He said staffing levels are intimately tied to department activities, and asked <br />how that could be done before the initiatives were fleshed out. Chief Lehner said that the plan focused on <br />what the department was doing and what it was doing it with. He said that the gap was in terms of what the <br />department was expected to do and what it could do. Part of the process of plan implementation was closing <br />that gap. He anticipated it would not be a one-time thing and the plan would be reviewed annually. Chief <br />Lehner hoped the staffing plan provided a framework for moving forward. <br /> <br />Mr. Papé asked what “culturally competent” meant. Chief Lehner said it met an ability to operate in a <br />culturally diverse environment. He noted his experience in Tucson, where Native American communities <br />were part of the city and knowledge of their culture was vital to an officer’s ability to respond to calls for <br />service from those individuals. He said a significant subculture existed in the form of the gay and lesbian <br />community. An understanding of what was going on with the community was needed, and that occurred in <br />joint discussions of expectations with that community. It implied a educated organization that learned about <br />cultural and style difference, and then was competent in operating in that environment. Mr. Papé thanked <br />Chief Lehner for the excellent explanation. He then expressed the hope the organization and the community <br />understood the term because he was not sure he did. <br /> <br />Mr. Papé referred to the goals of the plan and suggested that when someone reported a crime, it would be <br />good to have a live voice on the other end of the line. Chief Lehner said he and his staff felt the same way. <br />The issue was a resource issue in terms of the number of calls being received and the number of people <br />available to take those calls. The issue was how to address the calls for non-emergency service that were <br />received by the department. At the moment, staff preferred to direct calls to a telephone tree as opposed to <br />giving callers a busy signal. Mr. Papé suggested one way to address the issue was through the goals. Chief <br />Lehner pointed out that the issue was already addressed in a goal. <br /> <br />Mr. Kelly said there were many good initiatives proposed, and he particularly applauded the initiatives <br />related to the complaint-handling process, domestic violence, the broadening of the parks patrols, and the <br />possibility of a precinct model being adopted at a future time. <br /> <br />Mr. Kelly asked for more information about the communications review. Chief Lehner noted the continuous <br />staffing problem in Communications, which was tied to retention. A management review was occurring to <br />determine what could be done in regard to training and retention. The study would help inform the City as <br />to the optimal number of staff. <br /> <br />Mayor Piercy expressed appreciation for the chief’s outreach to neighborhoods, which she thought was very <br />important. She appreciated the comprehensive and responsive nature of the plan, particularly the elements <br />tied to finding out what residents wanted. She noted the passage of the charter amendment providing for an <br /> <br /> <br />MINUTES—Eugene City Council November 9, 2005 Page 5 <br /> Work Session <br /> <br />