Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutCC Minutes - 05/22/00 Work Session MINUTES Eugene City Council Joint Work Session with 4J School Board, Bethel School Board and Commission on Children and Families 1705 West 2nd Avenue, Eugene May 22, 2000 5:30 p.m. PRESENT: Bobby Lee, Betty Taylor, Nancy Nathanson, Scott Meisner, Pat Farr, David Kelly, Gary PapS, Gary Rayor, Mayor James D. Torrey. John Crane, Emerald Kidsports; Mike Fox, Beth Gerot, Nancy Johnson, Chris Pryor, George Russell, Craig Smith, School District 4J; Jose Luis Alonso, Keith Anderson, Gerald Betts, Kent Hunsaker, Paul Jorgenson, Greg C. Nelson, Andrea Ortiz, Ginger Poage, Wayne Watkins, Bethel School District; Dave Ison, BGC of Emerald Valley; Dr. Dene L. Eller, Committed Partners for Youth; Carmen X. Urbina, Centro Latino Americano; Angel Jones, Jim Johnson, Linda Phelps, City of Eugene; Skip Rodden, LCCCF; Susie Bey, Bobby Green Sr., Kitty Piercy, Patricia Rogers, Commission on Children and Families; Bruce Abel, Lane Care. CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION Mayor Torrey called the meeting to order and asked for those present to introduce themselves. Mayor Torrey asked Library, Recreation, and Cultural Services Department Director Angel Jones to give a report. Ms. Jones thanked those present for their interest and support in efforts to create a comprehensive youth strategy. She said that the broad goals of the project were: 1. Establish a task team, with representation from all agencies serving youth, to evaluate youth programs. 2. Identify service gaps, specifically focusing on after-school programs for youth. She noted that the project was not intended to fix what was not broken, but to address problems that had been missed. She added that it was not the intent to replace existing funding streams. She stressed that existing services would need to be continued. Ms. Jones complimented the collaborative effort of the task team and attributed the success of the team to date to that effort. She said that the combined efforts of the members and agencies were an avenue for maximizing potential resources. She stressed that a community approach to service delivery was a positive step in ensuring quality services. She listed the services that the project would deliver: MINUTES--Eugene City Council May 22, 2000 Page 1 Work Session 1. Develop an entity (the task team) to establish a comprehensive strategy for youth activities. 2. Review existing services. 3. Identify gaps in service. 4. Establish a level of cost parameters to ensure that the programs examined would make a difference. Ms. Jones said the focus would be on neighborhood-based programs. She stressed that facilities and their location would be key to reaching needs in neighborhoods. She said that programs would be centered around existing facilities in those neighborhoods. Ms. Jones thanked Mayor Torrey and Library, Recreation, and Cultural Services Department (LRCS) staff for their work in developing the task team. She introduced Linda Phelps of LRCS. Ms. Phelps stressed the team's opinion that it was critical to involve youth in the development of any proposal designed to affect youth. She provided an overhead presentation on the data that the team had acquired to date. She said that a survey had been sent out to 108 organizations. She said that 35 agencies responded, representing 159 separate programs. The survey questions included information on age breakdown by region, number of day programs, program end times, service period summaries, core elements of services, service partner summaries, staff ethnicity summaries, summaries of barriers to services provided, and identification of key service gaps. She noted that the top recommendation received was neighborhood-based programs with transportation provided. She added that the next effort would be to reach out to youth and their families to get an evaluation of services. Ms. Phelps introduced Carmen Urbina. Ms. Urbina said that the task team was one of the most exciting groups she had worked with. She stressed that the team, from the first meeting onward, had been working on solutions that would improve the quality of life for all the children in Eugene. Ms. Urbina stressed that children were the future and that investing in the city's youth would be an investment in a sustainable economic future. She said that such an investment could not be made by a single agency, but needed to be a communitywide, comprehensive youth strategy. Ms. Urbina introduced Dr. Dene Eller. Dr. Eller commented that the children of today faced a different world. She said that too many families were unable to adequately supervise their children and added that neighborhood-based programs could address that lack of parental supervision. Dr. Eller stressed that mentoring relationships affected youth positively and stressed the importance of establishing standards of quality for after-school programs for youth. Dr. Eller introduced Dave Ison. Mr. Ison expressed his pleasure in the work accomplished by the task team in such a short time. He said that the most dangerous time in a child's life was between 2 and 8 p.m., and stressed MINUTES--Eugene City Council May 22, 2000 Page 2 Work Session the importance of giving kids a place to go after school hours. He commented that kids needed a safe, structured environment that was staffed by caring people. He noted that most violent crime happened from 2-6 p.m. Mr. Ison introduced Jose Luis Alonso. Mr. Alonso said that throughout all of the team's meetings, the one theme that prevailed was to do what was best for all children. He stressed recommendations that would give kids a healthy start for a health future: 1. Adequate nutrition and exercise. Mr. Alonso said that the programs would interweave and educate children and their families on adequate nutrition information and resources. 2. Safety at home, in schools, and in neighborhoods. Mr. Alonso that the proposed programs would reinforce the current efforts of the community and schools to educate and provide the skills necessary for children and their families to feel safe. 3. Support systems for adolescent parents and their children. Mr. Alonso said that the proposed programs would address a diverse view of family. He said that "family" was no longer defined as it was 20 years ago. He stressed the importance of supporting children from single parent homes, working families, Iow-income families, and those children who had no family support. 4. Increased access to resources and increased resources. Mr. Alonso stressed the importance of equitable opportunities for all children and their families to participate in the proposed programs. He said that "inclusiveness" was part of the healthy start/healthy future paradigm. He said the cultural tolerance and competency were goals of the programs as well as goals of the local schools. 5. Prevention Mr. Alonso said that the proposed programs would be part of the solution of preventing unhealthy behaviors by providing proactive and healthy alternatives for children. Mr. Alonso said that the team's plan would include youth and encourage them to share their voices in the design of the programs. He stressed that children were the future. Mr. Alonso introduced Nancy Johnson. Ms. Johnson said that the proposed programs were an opportunity for the community to help develop marketable skills and effective education. She stressed the importance of helping children to develop thinking skills, enhancing their creativity, develop problem-solving skills, and enhance personal attitudes and qualities. Ms. Johnson introduced John Crane. MINUTES--Eugene City Council May 22, 2000 Page 3 Work Session Mr. Crane said that the formation of the task team was a watershed moment for the young people of Eugene. Mr. Crane stated the fundamental resources stated by the alliance for youth: 1. Ongoing relationships with caring adults. 2. Safe places and structured activities. 3. A healthy start for a healthy future. 4. Marketable skills through effective education. 5. Opportunities to serve. Mr. Crane said that putting those resources together created an opportunity for the community to coordinate its efforts for the benefit of young people. Mr. Crane thanked all the agencies involved and City staff for their efforts in the project. He stressed that the project was a great beginning and not a finished product. He said that more detailed responses were needed from schools in the area. He said that youth needed to be involved in a broad spectrum of activities that would develop individual as well as community skills. Mr. Crane stressed that more dialogue with youth was needed rather than dictating their needs to them and added that there needed to be collective effort at outreach to parents to make them aware of available programs. Mr. Crane also stressed the need for transportation to get kids to the program facilities. He suggested using Lane Transit District or another alternative mode of transportation to get kids to and from the program. There was general applause. Mayor Torrey commented that, at the current time there was not a final proposal. He stated his personal belief that those present had a responsibility to the kids of the community to find a positive direction. He called for suggestions from those present. Mr. Kelly complimented the gap analysis and called for a further list of existing programs that were working. He supported the idea of involving youth in the program design and moving forward with the proposed programs. Mr. Kelly supported taking an idea for funding to the voters but raised concern about funding the project with a serial levy. He urged members to not rely on property taxes for funding and called for a list of other potential funding sources. Ms. Nathanson also supported moving ahead with the project but stressed the need for "fine- tuned, specific proposals." She expressed a desire to learn more about the programs that kids were interested in attending. She also suggested strengthening the relationships between MINUTES--Eugene City Council May 22, 2000 Page 4 Work Session neighborhood organizations and schools. She urged consideration of the question of whether the programs would serve just kids from Eugene or kids from the entire metro area. Ms. Taylor commented that neighborhood-based programs helped to solve transportation problems. She was in favor of using school buildings for the programs since every neighborhood had a school. She suggested a new youth center, located downtown near the library, so that youth could meet other young people from different places. Mr. Farr said that the responsibility for making sure kids had the best opportunities lay with the entire community. He stressed the importance of involving parents in the proposed programs and stated his support for moving forward with the project. He complimented staff and team members for their work to date. He urged examination of all the programs to make sure that there were no redundancies created with existing agencies. Mr. Meisner stressed the need for hearing from the school boards on the subject. He commented that a comprehensive approach was the only way to make the program work and called on the County and other providers to "step up to the financial plate." He stressed that a City tax or levy could not support the problem alone. Mr. Green thanked the Mayor and City staff for their work in forming the task team and accomplishing so much in such a small amount of time. He raised concern over the use of serial levies and property tax measures to fund the project since many of them tended to be voted down. He supported phase 1 of the plan but said that it was premature to advocate funding options at the current time. He stressed the importance of hearing from youth and getting their viewpoints on desired after-school activities. He suggested going to schools and getting their ideas separately from the proposed program and seeing if their ideas matched what was already planned. He stressed that they kids would add valuable ideas to the work in progress. He added that kids would not attend programs that they had no part in creating. Moving on, Mr. Green called for an action plan that spoke to applying diversity measures and monitoring their outcomes. Mr. Lee clarified that the target group was grades six through middle school and some high school. He also clarified that money spent on the proposed programs was not meant to replace existing services. In response to a question from Mr. Lee regarding the times for the proposed programs to be implemented, Ms. Phelps said that the times would include after-school hours, days when there was no school, evenings, weekends, summer holidays, and she stressed that it could also mean before-school hours. Mr. Lee stressed the need to discuss a specific projected outcome. Mayor Torrey called for input from the school districts and said that he was looking for a willingness among the districts to participate in the program. Mr. Russell, speaking for School District 4J, said that his district would be very interested in participating in the program. He stressed the importance of looking at services already provided by schools so that no redundancies were created. MINUTES--Eugene City Council May 22, 2000 Page 5 Work Session Mr. Hunsaker, speaking for the Bethel School District, stressed the importance of after-school programs. He cited the "BASH" programs that already existed in the Bethel district. He stated his willingness to use Bethel school facilities and expressed a desire to see them filled all the time. He also stressed the importance of actively implementing diversity efforts in the proposed programs. Ms. Rogers suggested getting the local business community involved in the proposed programs. She stressed that business involvement would be a critical factor and that business would want to be involved. She added that issues for children with disabilities should be considered in any implementation of diversity efforts. Ms. Piercy suggested looking at programs that had worked in other cities. She said that after- school programs should be a statewide effort. She also stressed the importance of getting youth input in forming after-school programs. Ms. Nathanson suggested getting Lane Transit District to allow children to ride free. She opined that such a measure would help to eliminate transportation as a barrier to implementing the proposed programs. Mr. Pryor commented that the school districts would be enthusiastic about the proposed programs and suggested that school board members be involved in the planning process. Mr. Lee commented that it was too early to put a specific number on funding the project. Mr. Lee, seconded by Ms. Taylor, moved to propose a guideline to staff of a funding amount of $2.5 to $5 million per year for services related to after- school alternatives for youth. Mr. Meisner commented that there was a huge portion of the Eugene area that was not incorporated in the city. He expressed a hope that the motion was not excluding the possibility of a special service district which would incorporate the Bethel and 4J school districts as a new taxing district that would also include River Road/Santa Clara. He raised the concern that the City of Eugene was being looked upon as the only solution to a problem that was much larger in scope. Mr. Rayor commented that it was too early to support any amount of funding. He called for more information on what would be included in the proposed programs. He said that he would not support the motion. Ms. Taylor reiterated Mr. Rayor's comments. Mr. Kelly clarified that giving a funding guideline just established a parameter for planning the program. Ms. Jones added that guidance from the council on the parameters to stay within was needed for planning efforts. Mr. Kelly stressed the importance of giving staff those parameters. Mr. Kelly, seconded by Ms. Taylor, moved to amend the motion to state that staff should consider other revenue sources as desirable alternatives to the property tax. Staff and elected officials should consult with Springfield and Lane County regarding the potential for coordinated ballot measures. The motion passed, 7:1; Mr. Pap8 voting in opposition. MINUTES--Eugene City Council May 22, 2000 Page 6 Work Session Mr. Pap~ said that he was torn as to whether to have a specific number for funding. He expressed a desire to keep the funding open ended. He said that funding options should not be limited to the traditional taxing sources. The main motion passed, 5:3; Ms. Taylor, Mr. Rayor, and Mr. Pap~ voting in opposition. Mr. Lee, seconded by Ms. Taylor, moved to direct the City Manager to instruct LRCS staff to continue to work with the interagency task force to further refine a comprehensive after-school program that fills identified gaps on a priority basis and that is neighborhood-based, and that staff present a progress report to council on June 12, 2000. The motion passed unanimously. The meeting adjourned at 7:15 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Jim Johnson City Manager (Recorded by Joe Sams) MINUTES--Eugene City Council May 22, 2000 Page 7 Work Session