CC Minutes - 09/10/2012 Work Session

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MINUTES Eugene City Council Bascom/Tykeson Room, Eugene Public Library 100 W. 10 Avenue — Eugene, Oregon September 10, 2012 5:30 p.m. COUNCILORS PRESENT: George Brown, Pat Farr, Betty Taylor, Mike Clark, Chris Pryor, Andrea Ortiz, George Poling COUNCILORS ABSENT: Alan Zelenka Her Honor Mayor Kitty Piercy called the September 10, 2012 Work Session of the Eugene City Council to order. A: WORK SESSION: Discussion Concerning Downtown Public Safety Zone Lieutenant Sam Kamkar and Police Chief Pete Kerns introduced the topic. Lt. Kamkar provided a history of the DPSZ and some detail about the number of exclusions from mid -2011 through January, 2012. Both Chief Kerns and Lt. Kamkar advocated for the extension of the sunset date of the ordinance, with a few process amendments. EPD staff suggested they would find a way to examine and count behavior downtown, possibly with assistance from the University of Oregon. Additionally, Municipal Court staff proposed they would contract with a local attorney firm to provide legal advice to those cited for exclusion from the downtown core. Lt. Kamkar reviewed some items and clarified the following things: • EPD doesn't exclude anyone, but refers the individual to a judge at Municipal Court who reviews the situation and makes a decision about whether or not to exclude them. • EPD concentrates their efforts on prolific offenders and those who commit serious crimes. • This is a tool EPD needs to help make downtown safer and data shows it is working. • Data confirms those who are excluded from downtown often don't return and they are not perpetrating crimes elsewhere in Eugene during the period of exclusion. Municipal Court Administrator Jeff Perry spoke in support of extending the DPSZ and suggested entering into a new contractual agreement with a local attorney firm at an estimated cost of $10,000 to $15,000 annually. City Prosecutor Dan Barkovic recapped the types of offenses people were cited for and noted that the DPSZ helps keep serious offenders out of downtown and as a result, the downtown area is safer. Presiding Municipal Court Judge Wayne Allen recapped some of the reasons for dismissals and reiterated that this tool helps judges do their jobs in ways that were not previously available to them Council Questions and Answers: • Are people given verbal notice of hearing? Notice is given in writing. Very few request a hearing and those who do often don't show up. • How do we address lack of bed space /funding at the Lane County Jail? Given the current jail situation, DPSZ helps address some of the people who would otherwise be walking around causing problems. • Who qualifies for a Court Appointed Attorney (CAA)? All people who are cited qualify. • How are hours billed for the CAA, what is billed, how does the financial component work? Attorneys will bill if the charges warrant it. The CAA portion would be billed separately so that those hours are tracked independently of other charges. MINUTES – Eugene City Council September 10, 2012 Page 1 Work Session