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HomeMy WebLinkAbout12/12/1988 Meeting e M I NUT E S Eugene City Council McNutt Room--City Hall December 12, 1988 5:30 p.m. COUNCILORS PRESENT: Ruth Bascom, Freeman Holmer, Jeff Miller, Debra Ehrman, Emily Schue, Rob Bennett, Roger Rutan. COUNCILORS ABSENT: Cynthia Wooten. COMMISSIONERS PRESENT: Lynn Kahle, Sue Barnhart, Randy MacDonald, Nancy Dunn, Cheryle Zwillinger. The adjourned meeting of the Eugene City Council was called to order by Council Vice President Ruth Bascom. Ms. Bascom announced that Mayor Obie would jOin the meeting later. 1. WORK SESS ION: JOINT HUMAN RIGHTS PRESIDENT'S COUNCIL/CITY COUNCIL e DINNER A. Introduction Linda Lynch, Director of Intergovernmental Relations, said the council meets annually with the presidents of the human rights commissions to review their work of the past year and to discuss their future work plans. Ms. lynch said at the joint work session last year, several people were staffing the human rights commissions. In May Greg Rikhoff was hired as a Human Rights Specialist; he now staffs all of the human rights commissions. Mr. Rikhoff was a graduate student at the University of Oregon before coming to the City. Prior to that he served in the Peace Corps where he taught in Kenya for three years. Ms. lynch introduce Lynn Kahle, who chairs the Presidents Council and the Aging Commission. Mr. Kahle is acting chair of the Marketing, Transportation and Business Environment Department in the Business School at the university. He is an associate professor of consumer behavior and has a PhD from the University of Nebraska. B. Human Rights President1s Council Mr. Kahle said the presidents of the various human rights commissions make up the Human Rights Presidents Council (HRPC), the planning and oversight group - MINUTES--Eugene City Council December 12, 1988 Page 1 e for the individual commissions. He said the presidents in the current HRPC inherited a human rights program that was riddled with animosity and conflict. The biggest change in the human rights program over the past year has been one of attitude. Mr. Kahle said that while there is an inevitable tension between a governmental organization and people who feel their human rights have been violated, the current human rights program is trying to make certain that content is the only area of conflict. In the past, the methods of the human rights commissioners have fostered controversy. Mr. Kahle felt the shift in attitude has been the most important accomplishment of the human rights programs over the past year. Mr. Kahle said the human rights commissions also conducted an extensive review of their bylaws this year. One of the major topics was the attendance policy which has caused problems in the past. Attendance policies were altered to be more consistent with other City boards and commissions. Other accomplishments of the HRPC include: a major review of the City's human rights code; the establishment of several inter-commission committees including committees to monitor the budget process and to examine election issues; a promotional and recruitment event at the Eugene Celebration; improved relations with staff; the purchase of two telecommunication devices for the deaf (TOO) that allow the hearing impaired to communicate with City staff over the phone; taking a negative position in opposition to Ballot Measure 8; monitoring several inter-commission issues such as crime, affirmative action, and accessibility; and the development of work plans and quarterly reports. e Mr. Kahle reviewed some of the commission's goals for next year. The HRPC recently decided to recommend that the City Council reevaluate the situation surrounding familial status and rental housing. Federal law gives more protection to families with children than State law does; the human rights commissions would like to see Eugene move toward Federal standards. The HRPC also plans to continue reviewing the City's human rights codes; to emphasize long-range planning; to be active in recruiting constituents to all City boards and commissions; to monitor the City's budget activities; to strengthen its advisory role to the City Council; to monitor trans-commission issues; to lobby for human rights issues with the City Council and the State Legislature; to promote various educational activities; and to ensure that Human Rights Day continues to be recognized. Ms. Bascom thanked Mr. Kahle for his active role on the HRPC. She said she is encouraged by the direction of the human rights programs. C. Commission on the Rights of the Aging Mr. Kahle said the Aging Commission has done a number of things to promote the rights of the aging. The commission has held several public forums, including a workshop on seniors and scammers at which a representative from e MINUTES--Eugene City Council December 12, 1988 Page 2 e the Oregon Attorney Generalis office spoke about types of consumer fraud that are especially aimed at seniors. The commission also sponsored a public forum in conjunction with Lane Council of Governments (LCGG) on elder abuse. Other issues of concern to the commission include long-term health care, health-related issues, spousal impoverishment, and housing issues. The Aging Commission lobbies for changes in these areas and tries to make information about these issues available. Mr. Kahle said other activities of the Aging Commission include: interaction with the State ombudsman and respite care programs; publishing editorials on issues of concern to seniors; pursuing accessibility of public buildings and transportation; aggressively promoting Eugene as a good place to retire; monitoring issues such as the attempt to establish a whistle-free zone. The Aging Commission also completed a survey of seniors in Eugene. Major concerns among seniors surveyed included fear of victimization and invasion of telephone privacy. Mr. Kahle said next year the Aging Commission would like to continue to hold public forums; to support the ombudsman and respite care programs; to discuss long-term health care and insurance issues; to promote accessibility of public buildings and transportation; and to monitor emerging issues including telephone privacy, promoting Eugene as a desirable place to retire, and easing fears about victimization. D. Commission on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities e Sue Barnhart, president of the commission, has a Bachelors degree in special education and a Masters degree in counseling. Ms. Barnhart taught special education for five years, was a case coordinator for three years at Direction Services, and recently began work as a case worker for Lane County working with clients with developmental disabilities. Ms. Barnhart reviewed the major activities of the Commission on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities over the past year. These included: advising the City on accessibility of public buildings and transportation; advising the Community Development Committee on expenditures of Community Development Block Grant funds for the removal of architectural barriers; promoting community education through disabilities awareness workshops; coordinating the purchase of two telecommunication devices for the deaf; and networking with various constituents in the community. Next year the Commission on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities plans to continue promoting accessibility and advising the City on the removal of architectural barriers, sponsoring disabilities awareness workshops, updating the access guidebook, and working on employment and housing concerns of the disabled. Ms. Barnhart said the commission is also interested in working with the City Council to make Eugene's building codes stricter than those of the State. She said Eugene has done a lot to make public buildings e MINUTES--Eugene City Council December 12, 1988 Page 3 e accessib1et but the commission would like to see all public buildings in the community eventually made accessible; strengthening the building code is the way to accomplish this goal. With regard to an earlier action taken by the City Councilt Ms. Barnhart said the commission would prefer to see a ramp installed at the She1ton-McMurphey House rather than a lift. She said lifts are problematic because they malfunction frequent1Yt are slow and cumbersome, and are difficult for persons with certain disabilities to operate. Ms. Barnhart said lifts also tend to be more expensive than ramps. She said the commission feels it would be possible to install a ramp that would not detract from the historical nature of the building. Mayor Obie arrived at 6:15 p.m. Mr. Bennett said his position is that aging and housing issues are the responsibility of the entire community and not specifically the development community. Mr. Bennett said in discussing accessibility of older buildings, a balance must be struck between the cost of accessibility and the benefits of a financially successful renovation. He said in many instances the cost of making an older building accessible may make a rehabilitation project unfeasible for the developer. If successful rehabilitation of a building is important to the community as a wholet Mr. Bennett said the community ought to help meet the accessibility requirements and to make the rehabilitation successful. Mr. Bennett said the Shelton-McMurphey House is a good example of this. He encouraged the human rights commissions to consider this balance e between accessibility and historic preservation in its work. Mr. Bennett also addressed the fair housing law. He said decent and affordable housing for children is important, but he does not feel the fair housing law will promote this goal. Mr. Bennett believes many people will try to evade the law or build low-density projects where children will not be an annoyance to neighbors. Mr. Bennett said he hopes the human rights commissions will consider this perspective in their discussions of housing issues. Ms. Bascom suggested that the human rights commissions invite Councilor Bennett to participate in a discussion of housing issues. Ms. Bascom said many of the people who need and use disabled parking spaces are not wheelchair bound. She asked whether there was a more appropriate symbol to designate these parking spaces. Ms. Barnhart said the commission has discussed this issuet but feels it might be counterproductive to change the symbol locally because it has come to be recognized as a symbol for disabled parking world-wide. In response to a question from Ms. Schue, Ms. Barnhart said currently the Calkins House is legally in compliance with City codes regarding accessibility. She said the commission is uneasy about this and will continue to monitor the house to make certain it does not violate the law. e MINUTES--Eugene City Council December 12t 1988 Page 4 e Mr. Miller requested that the commission survey the rest rooms in City Hall and let the council know what needs to be done to make them accessible. E. Commission on the Rights of Minorities Randy MacDonald is a senior majoring in political science at the University of Oregon. He was president of the student senate two years ago, visited El Salvador in 1987 as part of a national student delegation, is presently serving on the Joint Social Services Advisory Committee, and is a legislative assistant to State Senator Larry Hill. Mr. MacDonald said the Minorities Commission has had a difficult year with several commission members resigning last spring. He said the commission emerged from this conflict with a commitment to using a positive attitude to achieve its goals in the City and the community. Mr. MacDonald said the major achievements of the commission over the past year included: a very successful celebration in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr.; involvement in the City's budgeting process; and work with the Community Development Committee on revisions to the City's Minority Business Loan Program. Mr. MacDonald said the racial tensions surrounding Monroe Park also required much of the commission's attention. He reviewed the history of racial tensions in the park. At the time the park benches and tables were removed, the Minorities Commission sponsored a forum in the park to allow various users to express their feelings openly and to seek a constructive solution to problems in the park. Since then, the commission has worked very closely e with the Friends of Monroe Park and HONEY (Honoring Our New Ethnic Youth) in trying to facilitate positive interaction in the park. Mr. MacDonald said one good thing to come of this work was a multi-cultural event held in the park last summer. He expressed frustration that the progress has not been better, however, and predicted that controversy will continue to surround the park. Mr. MacDonald said the Minorities Commission is currently working on the 1989 celebration in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr., and described a number of events that are being planned. The most significant part of the celebration will be a speech on January 16, 1989, by Martin Luther King III. Mr. MacDonald felt it is very significant that Eugene was able to attract such an important speaker to its celebration, saying it demonstrates that Eugene is a leader in civil rights. Mr. MacDonald said the Minorities Commission is in a state of serious transition. He felt there was much cause for concern as the commission devoted a lot of energy to recruitment and still did not attract many applicants. In response to a question from Mr. Rutan, Mr. MacDonald said the City should consider restructuring the commission to increase its effectiveness. He felt one way to do this is to use the commission as a forum in which groups that are already established in the community could cooperate together to facilitate a positive multi-cultural atmosphere in Eugene. Mr. MacDonald stressed the need to work closely with the existing commission in pursuing any type of reorganization. - MINUTES--Eugene City Council December 12, 1988 Page 5 e F. Commission on the Rights of Women Nancy Dunn has a Bachelor of Arts and was a child care administrator for 12 years. Ms. Dunn is presently a professional volunteer for the Women1s Commission and a full-time mother. Ms. Dunn said the Women's Commission has had a very busy and productive year. The commission's main goals were networking with other women's agencies in the community, increasing the commission's visibility, and promoting recruitment to City boards and commissions of protected classes. Ms. Dunn said the prevention of crimes against women and children became a major focus for the commission. It became an issue of concern to the commission when it reviewed statistics on crime from the Department of Public Safety. There was a 52-percent increase in reported rapes in Eugene in 1987. In addition, there was a GO-percent increase in the utilization of services from WomenSpace. To promote awareness of crimes against women and children, the Women's Commission co-sponsored Victim's Assistance Week, submitted several articles and editorials to local publications, and submitted a crime resolution to the City Council which was referred to the Public Safety Advisory Committee, where it stalled. Ms. Dunn said the Women's Commission established a group to work on issues of crimes against women. The work group has three main projects: researching ordinances regarding harassment; advising and reviewing legislation provided e by the Department of Public Safety; and planning an event that would facilitate networking between local agencies that serve victims. Ms. Dunn said the bulk of the commission's time has been spent on public educational forums. The commission held forums dealing with women and AIDS and the feminization of poverty last year. Both of these events were quite successful. Ms. Dunn said the commission also responded to individual concerns about discrimination complaints within the community. The commission plans to continue to do this next year. The commission's other goals include preparing a video tape of the women and AIDS and feminization of poverty events (which will be shared with other community organizations as requested), and advising the City Council on the budget. Mayor Obie asked if the Women's Commission has explored child care issues and whether it has any recommendations about how the City can playa greater role in child care. Ms. Dunn said while the commission has not spent much time on child care, it is an issue of concern. She said she has been in contact with the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) and other groups who are exploring child care issues. Ms. Dunn said the commission would be willing to look into the issue. Mayor Obie said he is concerned about the lack of quality, affordable child care for low-income families. - MINUTES--Eugene City Council December 12, 1988 Page 6 e G. Commission on the Rights of Youth Cheryl Zwillinger has a Bachelors degree in psychology and sociology and a Masters degree in counseling. She has been a long-term participant in the Big Sister program, has been involved in youth-related work for 15 years, has worked at Looking Glass Job Center for 10 years, and is currently the director of the youth summer employment program at Looking Glass. Ms. Zwillinger reviewed the accomplishments of the Youth Commission during the past year. These included: holding the Job Faire, which was attended by 450 students and approximately 100 local employers; networking with several local agencies representing young people; active involvement in the anti-cruising ordinance; working with representatives of the Department of Public Safety on understanding the implementation guidelines for the ordinance; development of the Youth Advisory Council, containing seven members from local high schools; involvement in the inter-commission committee on election issues; co-sponsoring a workshop at South Eugene High School called Undoing Racism; involvement on task forces for the Governor's Children's Agenda; participation on the inter-commission committee on human rights budget issues; and updating the Youth and the Law Handbook. Ms. Zwillinger said the Youth Commission's goals for 1989 include: co-sponsorship of the Job Faire, transferring the leadership of that event to the Employment Division; continuing work with the Youth Advisory Council; continuing work with the Department of Public Safety on updating and reprinting the Youth and the Law Handbook; continuing work with the e Department of Public Safety, especially in regards to the goals and objectives of the juvenile unit; and working with the Downtown Commission on skateboarding issues on the mall. Ms. Zwillinger anticipated that a major concern of the Youth Commission will continue to be the recreational needs of young people in Eugene. Ms. Schue asked what the commission would like to do about skateboarding. Ms. Zwillinger felt it would be good to build a place where young people can skateboard. She said while there are a number of liability issues surrounding this option, other cities have found ways to work around them. In response to a question from Ms. Bascom, Ms. Zwillinger said she is not certain that the new County task force on youth issues (established as a result of the Governor's Children's Agenda) will serve the same function as the City's Youth Commission. She said that while the purposes of the group may overlap somewhat, she would not favor eliminating the City's commission if doing so is not to the benefit of young people in the community. Mr. Holmer said he is very impressed by the commission's work in establishing the Youth Advisory Council. He felt this is a very constructive path which the commission should continue to pursue. Ms. Zwillinger agreed, saying the Youth Commission feels the advisory council will be a good link to its constituents. e MINUTES--Eugene City Council December 12, 1988 Page 7 e Ms. Bascom thanked all the commission members for their hard work in the past and for their future contributions in promoting human rights within the City and community. The meeting was adjourned at 7:20 p.m. Respe~~fullY submi}ted, ~ /, ,'-" " '-:p ...,.,. .' -, - ~, .... - " ' ~. .- ,'..- ,/~"~ ........ ..-"'-;;'-, ..~,....;'V.., 'c-;::~~~k~ MNCC 121288-530 e - MINUTES--Eugene City Council December 12, 1988 Page 8