CC Minutes - 11/30/05 Work Session

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of Eugene and the City Council; it was about everyone who was in the city of Eugene and wanted to make it home. She felt this meant it was important to remember that this process was not just about a plan, but it was about how people planned to live their lives. She averred that everyone had “hard work and heavy lifting” to do and it might not be comfortable. She added that it had not been comfortable for many people for a very long time. She wanted to look at the plan and look at what happened and let history serve the process. She said there were reasons things did not go well. She asked if those things were documented, what would be better, and if there was accountability. She asked if there would be a measurable outcome and if this measurable outcome did not happen at a time certain, would there be ways to engage that conversation so that the process did not become “yet another misstep.” She underscored that this was hard work and everyone should be prepared for it. James Florendo , professor of Native American studies at Lane Community College and enrolled member of the Wasco Tribe and the Confederate Tribes of Warm Springs, echoed the comments of previous speakers. He said his “take” on the process was similar to that of Mr. Luvert, in that the community members were on one side of the room while the council was at the table. He thought it was wonderful that the council recognized that there was a changing demographic in the city of Eugene and that issues needed to be addressed, but he thought it would be good to mentor citizens of the color to sit at the table, too. He wanted the council to know that members of the communities of color were not just out there, they were members of the city government and citizens of this town, sharing similar aspirations with the rest of the community. He acknowledged the approaches to achieving the dreams might be different, but those differences could benefit the entire community. He averred that his understanding of government was that it sought to represent the people. He observed that his people were not at the table. He added that he would not necessarily expect them to be there, because the population was small, but he felt it would be nice to have someone of color at the table. He stressed that there had to be true representation in order to provide balance in the community. He noted that he had been part of this community for 30 years and thought the city had good and bad points. He did not know the councilors and was uncertain whether any of them could represent him. Ms. Quinn noted that she had served on the task force when it was convened by former Mayor Jeff Miller. She related that it had been the first time she had seen a gathering of people of color put together by a mayor of a city to develop some kind of plan. She also had worked on the Lane County Diversity Plan. She recalled that none of the people who worked on the plan had heard back from the County about where the plan was at and how it was doing. She felt the biggest problem in the community was that most people did not know what was going on in the communities of color and the issues that people of color faced. She asked if the council understood what it was like for the Latino and immigrant communities and whether they were aware of the struggles they faced every day in this community. She cited the school districts and how they were and were not serving Latino children as one example of issues the community faced that the council should be aware of. She reiterated that the Latino community had grown and changed. She felt it would be challenging to be “real” about a plan and to serve and provide and be there on behalf of communi- ties of color. Ms. Urbina thanked the City Council and Mayor Piercy for taking this on. She said it was a tremendous opportunity to leave a legacy of lasting positive change. She observed that all of the people present had put many hours into making changes. She noted that she had also participated in the Lane County Diversity Plan. She stated that people’s willingness to have this conversation again spoke to the urgent need to have this conversation honestly. She pointed out that the people around the table would change in four years and observed that the real challenge would be to create something sustainable from this as the City continued to change and grow. MINUTES—Eugene City Council November 30, 2005 Page 5 Work Session