HomeMy WebLinkAbout220914 WSMINUTES
Eugene City Council
Work Session
Eugene, Oregon 97401
September 14, 2022
12:00 p.m.
Councilors Present: Claire Syrett, Matt Keating, Jennifer Yeh, Mike Clark, Randy Groves,
Emily Semple, Alan Zelenka, and Greg Evans
Mayor Vinis opened the September 14, 2022, work session of the Eugene City Council in a
hybrid format at 101 W 10 th Avenue, Eugene OR 97401.
1. WORK SESSION: Financial Update
City Manager, Sarah Medary, and Finance Director, Twylla Miller presented a financial
update.
Council Discussion:
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Councilor Groves -noted he has watched the City of Eugene as an organization for more
than 40 years and the City has always found ways to move forward; stated that crisis is
often the motivation for innovation; asked if the Public Employee Retirement System
overage in early years could be saved into the reserve; asked if there is a process in
place to sign up indigent patients to Oregon Health Plan at the time of ambulance call.
Councilor Zelenka -noted that he has worked on 25 budgets for the City of Eugene and
the budget always gets figured out, even with budget cuts; asked what the percent of
reserves is now and planned in next year's budget; noted that reserves are very
important; asked what the projected reserve percentage is in the coming years; asked
staff what the current balance and trend was for the ambulance fund.
• Councilor Clark-asked staff to confirm if services currently funded by American
Rescue Plan Act funds have funding once American Rescue Plan Act ends; asked staff to
clarify if the presented materials include the expenditures that may be required to
comply with Climate-Friendly and Equitable Communities mandates from the state.
• Councilor Keating -noted that the City of Springfield has 2-hour parking signage, not
metered parking; asked if Springfield has encountered a dip in parking revenue or if
their practice has increased revenue; noted that there are a few downtown parking
meters that have not worked properly for months; stated that staffing levels also seem
to be impacting parking enforcement and ticketing.
2. WORK SESSION: Workforce Update
Central Services Executive Director, Mia Cariaga, presented a workforce update.
Council Discussion:
• Mayor Vinis -noted that the presentation was both sobering and enlightening.
• Councilor Groves -noted that taking care of the workforce is incredibly important;
asked for a breakdown on the separation numbers and what was due to retirement
versus resignations; noted concern over the number of staff who are or near retirement
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Work Session
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eligible; asked if exit interviews are showing any trends; noted he would like an annual
workforce update like this one.
■ Councilor Syrett -noted that workforce information is important for Council to be
aware of; noted that staff members deliver public services and it is important to invest
in those staff members; noted that staff stepped up during the pandemic and also
suffered throughout it; stated that there is trauma in the workforce from the pandemic;
noted concern that there are staff members or groups that cannot take a leave of
absence due to staffing levels; asked what is being done to relieve or rectify this issue;
• Councilor Keating -asked staff to clarify the years of service slide; asked what the
healthiest group in the organization is in this slide; asked what the organization is doing
to better balance the needs of staff for childcare; asked if the City of Eugene has
considered partnering with Lane Community College's Early Childhood education
program; noted concern over the district attorney not prosecuting non-violent crimes;
noted he would like to see a work session to discuss what can be done by Council to
change this issue.
• Councilor Yeh -noted appreciation for the presentation and transparency into the
workforce challenges; asked staff to explain difference between temporary employee
and limited duration employee; noted appreciation for the organization recognizing the
pandemic impacts and working to relieve the stress of that workload on staff.
• Councilor Semple -noted that the lack of employees is an industry-wide issue; noted
that the district attorney's office is short six prosecutors and that is a major impact to
the community; noted that the district attorney's office is trying to hire more staff and
there is little Council can do to change the issues that the district attorney is
experiencing in hiring.
• Councilor Groves -noted that the public does not understand why criminal behavior is
not being prosecuted; stated support for having a work session to discuss the district
attorney's short-staffing issue and provide a better understanding of this issue to the
public; noted that shortages in many areas are impacting the quality of life for all
residents.
• Mayor Vinis -noted that she and Chief Skinner are members of the Public Safety
Coordinating Council, the oversight body that brings all jurisdictions together, and that
maybe that they should provide a report from that committee that would provide more
information to Council and the residents of Eugene.
Mayor Vinis adjourned the meeting at 1:23 p.m.
Katie LaSaia
City Recorder
(Recorded by Sara McKinney)
Webcast of meeting available here.
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Work Session
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