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HomeMy WebLinkAbout11/20/1989 Meeting e M I NUT E S Eugene City Council McNutt Room November 20, 1989 5:30 p.m. " COUNCILORS PRESENT: Ruth Bascom, Rob Bennett, Shawn Boles, Emily Schue, Debra Ehrman, Freeman Holmer, Bobby Green, Roger Rutan. COMMISSIONERS PRESENT: Nancy Dunn, Lynn Kahle, Cheryl ZWillinger, William Griffin, Susan Barnhart. The adjourned meeting of November 15, 1989, of the Eugene City Council was called to order by His Honor Mayor Jeff Miller. 1. JOINT MEETING WITH HUMAN RIGHTS PRESIDENTS COUNCIL Those present introduced themselves. e Linda Lynch, Director of Intergovernmental Relations, explained that the joint meeting of the City Council and the Presidents Council is held annually and offers a chance for the presidents to report to the councilors on the Human Rights Program. Ms. Lynch introduced Human Rights Program staff, Greg Rikhoff and Vicki Stewart. She said the Human Rights Program has become a program of community outreach in the last few years. She said the program represents the City on human rights issues. Ms. Lynch said this year the Human Rights Program has associated itself with other human rights efforts which include: the State Coalition on Human Rights Organizations, the Northwest Coalition Against Malicious Harassment, the Coalition for Gang Prevention, Looking Glass in helping prepare a grant for an Urban Youth Corps, the Springfield Human Rights Program, the 4J Racial Justice Task Force, and Mayor Miller1s outreach to the community. She said the Human Rights Program has also been involved with the City's Affirmative Action planning and other issues of social justice. Ms. Lynch pointed out that copies of the "Human Rights Program Annual Workplan: 1989-1990" had been distributed to the councilors. She said this provided a brief outline of the commissions' work this year. e MINUTES--Eugene City Council November 20, 1989 Page 1 Dinner/Work Session - e Mr. Kahle said that everyone involved in the Human Rights Program volunteers their time because of their belief in the importance of human rights, and that a tenet of the program is a belief in diversity. He said the Human Rights Task Force has defined the mission of the Human Rights Program as: IIEnsuring that we respect and reflect cultural and individual diversity; foster mutual understanding; promote inclusiveness) justice and equity, in order that everyone have the opportunity to experience the full benefits and responsibilities of living in Eugene." ,. Mr. Kahle said that in view of world events, Eugene appears to be a "paradisell for human rights) but still aspires to do better in this regard. He said the human rights commissions have monitored human rights this year as the Human Rights Task Force has progressed towards defining the City's interest in human rights in the future. Mr. Kahle introduced Ms. Barnhart, who has been a member of the Commission on the Rights of People with Disabilities for three years; has an undergraduate degree in special education; a master's degree in counseling, and is currently a case manager for children with developmental disabilities for Lane County Developmental Disabilities, but would soon be leaving the Human Rights Program. Mr. Kahle said Mr. Griffin has been a member of the Commission on the Rights of Minorities for two and a half years. He said Mr. Griffin is originally from Detroit and has a bachelor's degree and a master's degree in business administration; is retired from the US Treasury Department, and was recently e appointed to the 4J Budget Committee. Mr. Kahle said Nancy Dunn has been president of the Commission on the Rights of Women for two years; has been on the commission for four years; is vice-president of the Presidents Council; has a bachelor's degree in English; is cofounder of the Unity School Child Care Center, where she worked for 12 years, and is co-owner of a recycling business. Mr. Kahle said Ms. Zwillinger has been on the Commission on the Rights of Youth for four years; was also on the commission in 1978-1979; has a master's degree in counseling) and has worked at Looking Glass for 11 years, where she is project director for the Summer Youth Employment Program and project coordinator for the Urban Youth Job Corps Project. Mr. Kahle explained that the accomplishments of the Commission on the Rights of the Aging include: the passage of legislation to protect citizens from telephone harassment; the establishment of downtown as a zone free from train whistles during the night-time hours; cosponsoring forums on crime, housing, and Social Security; promoting Eugene as a retirement center, and a joint meeting with the Disabilities Commission to discuss overlapping concerns in the areas of housing, accessibility, transportation, and health care. Mr. Kahle said the activities of the Commission on the Rights of People with Disabilities include: providing consultation to City staff on the location of curb cuts; the use of CDBG funds to make City buildings more accessible; e MINUTES--Eugene City Council November 20, 1989 Page 2 Dinner/Work Session - -.- e consulting on construction at Mahlon Sweet Airport which will be a model to other communities of a fully accessible airport; testifying for a ramp at the Shelton-McMurphey House, and continued work towards the production and distribution of an Accessibility Guide Book. Mr. Kahle explained that the Commission on the Rights of Minorities has successfully coordinated the Task Force on the Celebration of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day; provided publicity and technical support for ten events in that celebration, which were attended by over 4,000 community members; provided technical and advisory support for a variety of organizations with overlapping concerns, including the 4J School System Racial Justice Task Force, the City of Springfield Human Rights Task Force, the State of Oregon Coalition of Human Rights Organizations, CALC, the Eugene Celebration, and the Community Coalition for Gang Prevention; held a spring public forum on recent student and government actions in the People's Republic of China; and continued to work with Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services, Public Safety, and community members on resolution of conflict in Monroe Park through the Friends of Monroe Park. Mr. Kahle said the accomplishments of the Commission on the Rights of Women include: establishing crimes against women as a priority for 1989; a day-long seminar for the staff of 25 area agencies working with victims of sexual and domestic violence, as well as Public Safety officers, providing an opportunity for them to network and share resources; cosponsoring C.A.R.E. (Creating a Rape-free Environment) Week at the University of Oregon; presenting a forum on how to deal with anger; the establishment of an ongoing e work group to examine the issues of sexual and domestic violence, and a seminar on "Women and Homelessness" presented by a nationally acknowledged expert. Mr. Kahle said the activities of the Commission on the Rights of Youth include: cosponsoring a nationally recognized Job Faire, attended by 800 area youth and 75 employers; the formation of a Youth Advisory Committee which consists of citywide high school representatives; monitoring a number of emerging issues; testifying at two City Council hearings on skateboarding; a forum on teenage homelessness; support of State legislation to fund shelters for homeless youth; and providing financial support for the CALC mural project in response to offensive graffiti. Mr. Kahle said the Human Rights Presidents Council consists of the president of each of the five human rights commissions. He said it has been involved in: organizing the annual all-commission meeting and orientation for new commission members; promoting participation in the State of Oregon Coalition of Human Rights Organizations meetings; participation in the Northwest Coalition Against Malicious Harassment; planning a multicultural event for the Eugene Celebration; monitoring the City budget process; cooperating with the Mayor's Task Force on Human Rights; meeting with Public Safety representatives to discuss improved responsiveness to human rights issues in Public Safety activities; promoted cooperation among agencies and groups involved with human rights; promoting discussion of housing and homelessness. e MINUTES--Eugene City Council November 20, 1989 Page 3 Dinner/Work Session - e Mr. Kahle said the three major areas of concern to the Aging Commission would be housing, safety, and health. He said alternative methods of housing would be explored. He said the displacement of mobile homes would be a concern and shared housing would be an important issue. Mr. Kahle said elder abuse is finally receiving the amount of attention it warrants. He said it has existed for a long time, but has been a "silent" problem. He said a recent survey of senior citizens taken by the commission showed that two-thirds of the respondents felt it was unsafe to go outside their homes in the evening, even when with a friend. He said this fear may be unrealistic, but creates a real problem. Mr. Kahle said long-term health care will be one of the commission's main health concerns. He said the City probably cannot alleviate this problem and most help will have to come from the Federal level. However, he said the commission can monitor whatever actions are taken on this issue. He said spousal impoverishment is one part of the long-term health care issue and is something which can be worked on at the City level. He said the commission can endorse appropriate legislation. He pointed out that Nancie Fadeley, an Aging Commission member and former State legislator, has said that support from the Council Legislative Committee would help promote legislation aimed at spousal impoverishment. Ms. Barnhart thanked the council for supporting the change in Oregon open meeting laws. She said all open meetings must be held in accessible locations and an interpreter provided with 24 hours' notice. She said this e should open meetings to many people who might not otherwise be able to participate. Ms. Barnhart complimented the Mayor for taking the initiative to talk to hearing-impaired persons who attend meetings with an interpreter. Ms. Barnhart explained that the Americans with Disabilities Act has passed the Senate and may pass the House. She said this civil rights legislation is directed to people with disabilities. She said passage of the legislation would affect the entire country. Ms. Barnhart said health care has improved to the extent that people are living longer and developing disabilities, and people who might have died are living, but with disabilities. She said this meant that most people would either experience a disability in their lifetime or know someone with a disability. Ms. Barnhart said more people with disabilities and the families of people with disabilities are seeking employment. She said these people want the chance to be part of the community. In addition, she said accessible, affordable housing is becoming a bigger issue. She said health care costs are an important issue for people with disabilities and their families. Mr. Griffin said that the community of minorities refers to everyone who is not white. He said that in the 1990s the Minority Commission would be interested in employment and in the opportunity to provide input to City boards and commissions. He suggested it would be helpful for the City to provide a minorities office where minorities could go to discuss issues of e MINUTES--Eugene City Council November 20, 1989 Page 4 Dinner/Work Session ------ e importance to them. He said other issues would be Eugene as a retirement location, the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Celebration. Mr. Griffin said he tried to take the time to talk to minority people about such issues as employment. He said he had no trouble attaining his job, but many minorities do. Ms. Dunn said the main issue for women in the 1990s would be the feminization of poverty. She said that in the beginning of the 1980s the National Advisory Council on Economic Opportunity predicted that by 1990 almost 100 percent of those living in poverty in America would be women and their children. She suggested that most social services in the 1990s will be provided to women and children. Ms. Dunn said these women and children will be at risk for homelessness, malnutrition, high infant mortality, and more serious debilitating diseases. She said this means there will be a greater need for social services than ever before. Ms. Dunn said one area of particular concern to the Women1s Commission is mental health services for women. She pointed out that if a woman is a substance abuser or abuses her children, she can find counseling. However, if a woman is simply the single head of a household she has few resources. She pointed out that these women are at high risk of depression because they suffer from isolation. She said the University of Oregon is reducing the size of its counseling program, which means there will be fewer volunteer counselors available. e Ms. Dunn said the Women's Commission held a forum and luncheon on the feminization of poverty last year. She said this year the commission held a forum on homelessness and its impact on women. She said that next year the Women's Commission would work with the Aging Commission on spousal impoverishment. Ms. Dunn said she learned at the forum on homelessness that 28 percent of the homeless women surveyed in Eugene were homeless because of domestic violence. She said the second major topic for the Women1s Commission would be violence against women. She said the commission had used national statistics to calculate that rape is a daily occurrence in Eugene, and that Tod Schneider of Public Safety says there were over 1,000 cases of domestic violence here. Ms. Dunn said that as of October 1, 1989, the three homicides in Eugene were all related to domestic and sexual violence. Ms. Dunn said the Women's Commission has written a grant for the Fred Meyer Charitable Trust and other corporate sponsors asking for about $11,000 to set up a women1s self-defense project. She said the one-year project would be educational with two main components: 1) the production of educational materials; and 2) the presentation of workshops on personal safety and self defense techniques. She said the commission should hear if the project has been funded by next spring. Other issues for women in the 1990s are Affirmative Action, pay equity, and reproductive rights. She concluded that in the past the public has relied on e MINUTES--Eugene City Council November 20, 1989 Page 5 Dinner/Work Session -------- e the Federal government to provide systems for social justice. She said that in the future social justice will have to be provided by local people of conscience who make it a high priority. Ms. Zwillinger said one of the most important issues for young people in the 1990s would be gang activity. She suggested the council should continue to support the Coalition for the Prevention of Gangs and might sponsor the labor and/or materials for a City graffiti removal youth group. She said another issue of. concern was the need for alternative recreation. She said the City has addressed this need through the formation of the Skateboard Task Force. She suggested there is a need for expanded recreational programming through the Parks Department. Ms. Zwillinger said another issue for young people would be youth homeless- ness. She suggested that the council's social goal on homelessness should include young people without homes. She said other major issues for youth are teenage pregnancy and multicultural education. She suggested the council should continue to support the Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration. She suggested that educational awareness and sensitivity training for City staff, especially Public Safety staff, should be considered. Ms. Zwillinger said that a final issue which would be of concern to youth in the 1990s was basic skills training and labor market readiness. She said that the Community Response Team had helped to address this issue. Ms. Dunn said the Presidents Council had prepared a list of thank-you's and e recommendations for the City Council. She said her first thank-you was for the Skateboard Task Force. She recommended the City budget reflect alternative recreation for youth. She said recreational alternatives would provide not only an outlet for the recreational needs of youth, but might also serve to intervene between youth, and drug and gang activity. Ms. Dunn thanked the council for increasing the Joint Social Services fund and recommended a cost-of-living increase. She thanked the council for its support of the clearing of vegetation along the Willamette River and for the increase of patrols in this area. In addition, she thanked the council for the Community Response Team. She said their presence and the presence of summer playground programs increased the use of parks during the summer by women and children. Ms. Dunn recommended that Public Safety staff be allowed to accompany women victims of domestic violence home and remain with them for more than the presently allotted 20 minutes. Ms. Dunn thanked the Mayor for taking the initiative to hold the Mayor's Town Hall Forum on Minorities. She said it has been commonly perceived by the minorities community that the City is not easily accessible and she suggested that the Mayor's forum may have helped ease this concern. She suggested the council should provide permanent funding for the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Celebration. She said the celebration is very important to both minorities and others and sends the message to the community that the City cares about human rights. e MINUTES--Eugene City Council November 20, 1989 Page 6 Dinner/Work Session -------- e Ms. Dunn thanked the council for the position it has taken on the hospital bond issue. She said she was aware that this was a divisive issue. However, she said the Women's Commission feels the issue involves the basic civil rights of women and that the government should not be involved in the most intimate choices that women make about their lives and bodies. Ms. Dunn thanked the council for its unanimous approval for the recommenda- tions of the Lane County Task Force on Homelessness. She thanked the council for its support of legislation recommended by the commissions during the past year. She recommended the council lobby for the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Ms. Barnhart said that the human rights presidents feel that making it more difficult to get an initiative on the City ballot is a human rights violation. She said it is preferable to have the people, not the City Attorney, decide which issues get on the ballot. Mr. Kahle said that at a meeting of the Human Rights Task Force, Councilor Green recommended that human rights should be part of the goal setting session. He said the commissioners agree. He said the council's housing goal already addresses one social service goal. He suggested other possibilities could include any of the goals mentioned that evening. He said other goals might emphasize: promoting vital downtown multicultural activities, improving livability by promoting fair and just treatment of all citizens, and increasing physical and social accessibility. e Mr. Kahle repeated the values statement as described by the Human Rights Task Force: liThe City of Eugene values the dignity and worth of all human beings. We are committed to ensuring that human rights are a central part of every City program; respecting and reflecting cultural and individual diversity; fostering mutual understanding, and promoting inclusiveness, justice, and equity in order that everyone has the opportunity to share in the full benefits and responsibilities of living in Eugene." II. QUESTION AND ANSWER SESSION In response to a question from Ms. Ehrman, Mr. Griffin said he had mentioned the "protected class" in reference to the fact that the Minorities Commission represents all minorities and all members of the protected classes. Mr. Rutan asked what proportion of minority people in the community are tied in some way to the University of Oregon. Mr. Griffin said he did not know. Mr. Rutan said that if a majority of minority people were involved at the University this should be reflected in the Minority Commission's work plan. Ms. Dunn pointed out that the Minorities Commission sponsored a forum on the uprising in Bejing, China, in the spring in conjunction with Chinese University students. Ms. Ehrman said the City Council had studied community demographics prior to its goal-setting session. She said this study had shown that there would be e MINUTES--Eugene City Council November 20, 1989 Page 7 Dinner/Work Session ~ e many more Asians and Hispanics in the area in the 1990s. Mr. Rikhoff said there are over 10,000 people who are members of a minority group in Eugene which is about eight percent of the total population. He said about 700 of these people are involved with the University. Mr. Griffin said that Oregon is becoming a retirement center for the Northwest, but needs to improve racial relations in the state before it will be a truly good place for people of all races to retire to. Mr. Boles asked Ms. Dunn how she would suggest dealing with the issue she had raised, that of a deep and broad social agenda, but with decreasing funds to administer it. Ms. Dunn suggested priorities may have to change. Ms. Schue said it was difficult to decide what issues were less important than others. Ms. Barnhart said the City has spent a great deal of money on economic development, which may not have been money well spent. She said that although she enjoys attending events at the Hult Center, she would like to see some of the money spent on the Hult diverted to other arts groups and social service projects. In addition, she suggested less money should be spent on parking garages. Mr. Bennett said he had been on the minority side of the vote on Sacred Heart. He said this issue was very complex and that Sacred Heart is IIhere to stay. II He said the council must be very careful how it views the hospital and its provision of health services to the community. He suggested that womenls rights organizations should not take a stand against the hospital. e Mr. Bennett said he did not see the connection between the initiative and referendum issue and human rights. He said the issue has two sides, but one of them is not human rights. In response to a question from Mr. Green, Ms. Dunn said Public Safety officers are allowed to remain with women who are victims of domestic violence and have returned home for their belongings for only 20 minutes. She said this is not usually enough time considering that the women have been forced to flee their homes initially. Ms. Ehrman pointed out that the department is going to begin using non-sworn officers for some jobs and asked if they could be used in this instance. Ms. Dunn said that a visit home for the victim of domestic violence had the potential to become violent and that an armed and uniformed officer might be required. Mr. Rikhoff said that in his work with Women space and the Rape Crisis Network he had learned that abusers often act out in private and are not violent in public. He suggested that anyone who accompanies a woman home after she has experienced domestic violence should be official-looking, but not necessarily a police officer. Ms. Bascom said it had been very encouraging to hear the presidents talk about this year's accomplishments for the human rights commissions. She said their efforts reflected well on the council. She said it was interesting how e MINUTES--Eugene City Council November 20, 1989 Page 8 Dinner/Work Session -~ e quickly society has moved away from jobs as the main social issue. She suggested that the issue of jobs should be remembered, even if resources were not spent in that area. Ms. Bascom said she had not voted on the Sacred Heart issue because of what might be perceived as a conflict of interest. She said there are 12 hospitals in Portland, which means it has a similar ratio of hospitals to population as Eugene, yet Eugene is recognized in the state as having the finest health care at Sacred Heart. Ms. Bascom suggested that Sacred Heart should be given its due respect in the community both because of its ability to provide jobs and because it is a good health care provider. Mr. Miller said he felt the issue of Sacred Heart came back to him. He said that he was a long-time pro-choice supporter, but that he was also concerned about having a viable health care provider in Eugene. He asked how one could support both the hospital and reproductive rights. Ms. Dunn said that granting Sacred Heart the right to be a hospital authority would be to grant it a public benefit. Yet, she said, the hospital is acting as a private entity by forcing doctors at the clinics it buys to sign an agreement not to perform abortions, although this is in opposition to the choice of much of the public. Mr. Boles said it was not clear to him that the creation of a hospital authority would result in $40 million worth of indigent care benefits. He e said that to him the issue was much larger than that. He said this country is a "laughingstock" in terms of countries in the western world which provide good health care. He said this will continue whether or not Eugene has a hospital authority. He said a major effort is needed at the State, or preferably, the Federal level to improve the health care situation. Mr. Boles said this country spends $550 billion a year on health care. He said this is an issue of social justice, not economics. He suggested health care should not be viewed as an economic determiner because the problem is so much larger than the provision of jobs. Ms. Schue said that while she agreed that Sacred Heart is a valuable institution, she did not think it should be allowed to participate in the public process as a hospital authority as long as it is unwilling to participate in the public process in ways that are important to many. She said the hospital seems to pride itself in having bought many local medical clinics and forbidding abortion at all of them. She said that as an elected official she could not endorse the hospital's position with public money. She said the issue of the hospital is not a matter of jobs, but of justice. Ms. Ehrman said it seems that the schools have moved away from providing recreational activities for youth and that this has shifted the responsibility to the City. Mr. Green said the schools are more interested in providing food and clothing to students and have become more aware of their social responsibilities than they are of the need for recreational opportunities. e MINUTES--Eugene City Council November 20, 1989 Page 9 Dinner/Work Session e Ms. Barnhart said she felt that requiring more signatures to be collected in order to get an initiative on the City ballot was a human rights issue~ partly because many of the issues raised are human rights issues. Mr. Miller said one of the options the council would consider that night involved conformity with State initiatives. Mr. Boles explained that currently 15 percent of registered voters must petition in order to get an initiative on the ballot, and 10 percent for a referendum. He said the second option being considered by the council that night was an alternative that for other than a charter amendment or revision, 12-1/2 percent of registered voters must be petitioned; for referendums, 8-1/2 percent. He said his information was lacking certain essential numbers. Mr. Whitlow said additional information on the initiative and referendum numbers would be presented in the staff report at that night1s City Council meeting. Mr. Miller said much of the work which would be done that night on this issue involved "housekeeping.1I Mr. Boles said the process would be taken away from referral to council and would be settled in the courts. He said this would put the burden on those who did not meet the test in the attorney1s opinion to cover court costs. He said historically this issue had been referred to the council. Mr. Rutan said the issue was one of a judgment call--what should the public e require of an individual or a group of citizens prior to them having the privilege of putting an item on the City ballot. He said he felt the number of signatures required on a petition should be higher than it is at present. He suggested that determining the number upon which the percentage is based is a matter of personal judgment. Mr. Rutan said he would not support anything which he did not feel allowed people adequate access to the initiative and referendum process. He said this was a "tremendous traditionll in Oregon. He said that several years ago there were 23 measures on the ballot, but Oregonians voted intelligently on a 11. He said he would not impede anyone's chance to get legitimate, general concern issues on the ballot. He said he hoped the council would hear testimony to that effect that night. Ms. Bascom said she was lIastonishedll that people were paid to gather signatures for the petitions. Mr. Miller said this was something the City could do nothing about. Ms. Barnhart said this meant that those with the money could buy their way onto a ballot and those without funding might not get on. Ms. Ehrman pointed out that it is up to the individual whether he chooses to sign a petition no matter how many petitioners may come to his door. She said it was required of a petitioner that he state if he is being paid for his work. Mr. Rutan referred to the Americans with Disabilities Act. He said that when e MINUTES--Eugene City Council November 20, 1989 Page 10 Dinner/Work Session e some members of the council were in Washington, DC, last spring, people were lobbying against this legislation because they felt it went too far, specifically in relation to transit authorities, etc. Ms. Barnhart said she did not feel the legislation was comprehensive enough. She said changes have been made to the Act which have weakened it. She said she had recently talked to a disabilities rights activist who said he hoped the Act did not pass because it has been so weakened. Ms. Barnhart said many businesses and transit authorities oppose the legislation because they are afraid it will be very expensive for them. She suggested it might be a good compromise to pass the Act. Ms. Barnhart said that the Americans with Disabilities Act is like much legislation, in that it tells local authorities what to do but does not give them any money with which to do these things. She compared it to legislation which told school districts that they must educate disabled children, but had provided only scant funds to do so. She pointed out that although the act would cost money, it would also make money because as more businesses are opened to the disabled they will spend their money in more places. However, Ms. Barnhart said she did not feel a price could be placed on social justice. Ms. Ehrman said the City's Voter's Pamphlet is linked to the initiative process. She said because of the initiative process the council had created its own voter's pamphlet to educate the public about the initiative measures because they could not be attached to the State Voter's Pamphlet. She asked if the commissions had evaluated the pamphlet. Ms. Dunn said this issue e could be put on the commissions' agenda. Mr. Miller thanked the presidents for their efforts during the past year and for those which they planned for 1990. He said the City Council is looking at human rights and various issues represented by the five presidents of the human rights commissions. He said he appreciated the fact that the presidents were tenacious and were not afraid to disagree with the council, but were also prepared to help find solutions to problems. The meeting adjourned at 7:10 p.m. Respectfully ,?-::,,~- ,/ ,#f> ~. ~ ta-~ Mic eal Gleason City Manager (Recorded by Kris Bloch) MNCC 112089 e MINUTES--Eugene City Council November 20, 1989 Page 11 Dinner/Work Session