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HomeMy WebLinkAbout220119 WSMINUTES Eugene City Council Virtual Work Session Eugene, Oregon 97401 January 19, 2022 12:00 p.m. Councilors Present: Claire Syrett, Matt Keating, Jennifer Yeh, Emily Semple, Alan Zelenka, Randy Groves, Mike Clark, Greg Evans Mayor Vinis opened the January 19, 2022, work session of the Eugene City Council in virtual format. 1. EXECUTIVE SESSION The executive session was held pursuantto ORS 192.660(2)(i) to review and evaluate the job performance of a chief executive officer, other officers, employees, and staff. 2. WORK SESSION -Municipal Court Judge Self Evaluation Municipal Presiding Judge Greg Gill provided Council with his informal self-evaluation, consistent with Eugene Code 2.011(2). Greg Gill was hired as the Presiding Judge on August 30, 2019. Councilor Evans joined the meeting at 1:04 p.m. Council Discussion: • Councilor Syrett -handed the floor to Judge Gill to highlight items from their self-evaluation and provide further information/context for Council. • Councilor Groves -stated he is impressed with the work Judge Gill has been doing alongside staff and praised him for doing a tremendous job adapting during unprecedented times; stated he does yeoman's work within a system that is all too short of capacity; stated the criminal justice and restorative justice systems are inadequate, as are mental health and substance treatment resources, making his job all the more difficult; stated the system is not robust enough to adequately serve the community, and thanked Judge Gill for his ongoing efforts to innovate and continually seek ways of improving the system. • Councilor Zelenka -stated that he has not heard from residents about the court, specifically no complaints which he believes underscores the good job Judge Gill is doing; stated that despite these strange times, Judge Gill has been able to carry the courts forward with his ability to adapt and thrive; thanked the entire court staff for the excellent work throughout the pandemic. • Councilor Yeh -stated that Judge Gill is doing a fantastic job, both as a manager and in his work product; stated he possesses the character the community wants and needs in this role; stated that his commitment to the profession is evident not only through his extensive knowledge, but in the ways he is always looking to improve the system; highlighted his commitment to fairness, equity and transparency, all of which are highly desirable; stated that Judge Gill cares about people and wants the best and fairest outcome for them; expressed appreciation for the excellence of staff and the support they provide to the community's courts. • Councilor Semple -stated she is impressed by the ways Judge Gill has stepped up to challenges that require innovative solutions and responses; stated he is forward-facing with continuous improvements to the system; stated it is evident that Judge Gill cares about people; expressed great appreciation for his outlook and work with those experiencing mental health challenges; thanked him for his critical work. • Councilor Clark -noted that Council only directly supervises the City Manager, Police Auditor and the Municipal Judge; highlighted that this job is not only about being in the courtroom MINUTES -Eugene City Council January 19, 2022 Page 1 Work Session administering justice, but running the department, its staff and resources like a manager would; concurred with colleagues that he has not received any complaints from residents, despite this being such difficult times; stated that Judge Gill has done a fantastic job, not just during the pandemic but within a larger unhealthy system; shared a previous conversation with District Attorneys who stated that counties west of the Rockies average one jail bed for every 350 residents; stated that would calculate to over 1,000 beds for Lane County, yet Judge Gill continues to do great work with only half that amount. • Councilor Keating -expressed appreciation for Judge Gill's service to the community and his dedication to fairness, integrity, compassion and justice; thanked him for the opportunity to tour the Municipal Courthouse; recognized the court has advanced a virtual docket process in response to COVI D-19 backlogs; asked if it is the intent to continue virtual access to the court, and if so, what guardrails are in place to ensure those participating receive justice regardless of format; stated that Judge Gill has navigated changing times with aplomb. • Councilor Evans -stated that Judge Gill's performance has been outstanding; praised him for improving access and efficiency; asked if it would be better to have an ordinance in place that gave specific direction on virtual court methodology; asked how Oregon Revised Statutes (ORS) account for virtual presence standards; asked if there is capacity to engage videoconferencing platforms beyond Zoom, such as Skype, Microsoft Teams, etc. • Mayor Vin is -thanked Judge Gill for the work he does and the ways with which he provides leadership in the community; expressed appreciation for his capacity to target limited resources while being responsive to emerging needs; thanked him for being respectful and humane to those passing through the courts; stated Council has been discussing accountability, and that Judge Gill's reporting and self-evaluation provide a leading edge example on how to manage resources and measure accountability. • Councilor Syrett -expressed appreciation for the extraordinary level of care and dedication with which this role has been carried out; stated that Judge Gill has done an excellent job and is grateful to have him as part of the team administering justice in such thoughtful ways; provided Council with a brief overview of Judge Gill's contract and review time lines. MOTION AND VOTE: Councilor Keating, seconded by Councilor Groves, moved to give Judge Greg Gill a 3.2 percent merit increase to his annual salary and authorize the Council President to negotiate and execute an amendment to his employment contract allowing for discretionary salary adjustments for the years that he is not formally evaluated by the Council and deleting the reference to an October evaluation date. PASSED 8:0 3. WORK SESSION -Public Art Update (TABLED FOR FUTURE MEETING) Due to time constraints, this item was postponed to a future meeting date (to be determined). Mayor Vinis adjourned the meeting at 1:26 p.m. Respectfully submitted, 81 ooke Freed City Recorder AIC (Recorded by Jay Ferris) Link to the webcast of this City Council meeting here . MINUTES -Eugene City Council Work Session January 19, 2022 Page 2