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HomeMy WebLinkAbout190612 WSMINUTES – Eugene City Council June 12, 2019 Page 1 Work Session M I N U T E S Eugene City Council Harris Hall, 125 East 8th Avenue Eugene, Oregon 97401 June 12, 2019 12:00 p.m. Councilors Present: Betty Taylor, Emily Semple, Alan Zelenka, Jennifer Yeh, Michael Clark, Greg Evans, Claire Syrett, Chris Pryor Mayor Vinis opened the June 12, 2019, Work Session of the Eugene City Council. 1. ACTION: Appointments to Boards, Commissions and Committees Budget Committee MOTION AND VOTE: Councilor Taylor, seconded by Councilor Semple, moved to reappoint Jon Jasper to the Budget Committee for a three-year term beginning July 1, 2019, and ending on June 30, 2022. PASSED 7:0 (Councilor Syrett absent) MOTION AND VOTE: Councilor Taylor, seconded by Councilor Semple, moved to reappoint Ryan Moore to the Budget Committee for a three-year term beginning July 1, 2019, and ending on June 30, 2022. PASSED 7:0 (Councilor Syrett absent) Councilor Syrett arrived at 12:02 pm. MOTION AND VOTE: Councilor Taylor, seconded by Councilor Semple, moved to appoint Randall Groves to the Budget Committee for an unexpired term ending on June 30, 2021. PASSED 8:0. MOTION: Councilor Taylor, seconded by Councilor Semple, moved to appoint Pamela Reber to the Budget Committee for an unexpired term ending on June 30, 2020. MOTION TO SUBSTITUTE: Councilor Pryor, seconded by Councilor Zelenka, moved to substitute Katherine Ryan. Council Discussion • Councilor Pryor – expressed support for Katherine Ryan because she will represent the City’s interests well and has better experience. • Councilor Syrett – agreed with Councilor Pryor. • Councilor Zelenka – agreed with Councilor Pryor. VOTE ON MOTION TO SUBSTITUTE: PASSED 6:2, Councilors Taylor and Semple opposed. VOTE ON SUBSTITUTE MOTION: PASSED 8:0 MINUTES – Eugene City Council June 12, 2019 Page 2 Work Session Civilian Review Board MOTION AND VOTE: Councilor Taylor, seconded by Councilor Semple, moved to appoint Michael Hames-Garcia to the Civilian Review Board for a three-year term beginning July 1, 2019, and ending on June 30, 2022. PASSED 8:0. MOTION AND VOTE: Councilor Taylor, seconded by Councilor Semple, moved to appoint Awab Al-Rawe to the Civilian Review Board for an unexpired term ending on June 30, 2020. PASSED 8:0. MOTION AND VOTE: Councilor Taylor, seconded by Councilor Semple, moved to appoint Bernadette Conover to the Civilian Review Board for a three-year term beginning July 1, 2019, and ending on June 30, 2022. PASSED 7:1, Councilor Syrett opposed. MOTION: Councilor Taylor, seconded by Councilor Semple, moved to appoint Susan Gallagher-Smith to the Civilian Review Board for an unexpired term ending on June 30, 2020. MOTION TO SUBSTITUTE: Councilor Zelenka, seconded by Councilor Syrett, moved to substitute Stan Dura. Council Discussion • Councilor Semple – said she was impressed with Ms. Gallagher-Smith and her long list of attributes and supported appointing her. VOTE ON MOTION TO SUBSTITUTE: FAILED 2:6, Councilors Zelenka and Syrett in favor. VOTE ON ORIGINAL MOTION: PASSED 8:0. Planning Commission MOTION AND VOTE: Councilor Taylor, seconded by Councilor Semple, moved to reappoint Christopher Ramey to the Planning Commission for a four-year term beginning July 1, 2019, and ending on June 30, 2023. PASSED 8:0. MOTION: Councilor Taylor, seconded by Councilor Semple, moved to appoint Patricia Gwartney to the Planning Commission for a four-year term beginning July 1, 2019, and ending on June 30, 2023. MOTION TO SUBSTITUTE: Councilor Pryor, seconded by Councilor Yeh, moved to substitute Ken Beeson. PASSED 5:4, Councilors Semple, Taylor, Clark, Evans in opposition. Mayor Vinis broke the tie in favor. VOTE ON SUBSTITUTE MOTION: PASSED 8:0. Police Commission MOTION AND VOTE: Councilor Taylor, seconded by Councilor Semple, moved to reappoint Terry Robertson to the Police Commission for a four-year term beginning July 1, 2019, and ending on June 30, 2023. PASSED 8:0. MINUTES – Eugene City Council June 12, 2019 Page 3 Work Session MOTION AND VOTE: Councilor Taylor, seconded by Councilor Semple, moved to reappoint Sean Shivers to the Police Commission for a four-year term beginning July 1, 2019, and ending on June 30, 2023. PASSED 8:0 MOTION AND VOTE: Councilor Taylor, seconded by Councilor Semple, moved to appoint Vi Huynh to the Police Commission for a four-year term beginning July 1, 2019, and ending on June 30, 2023. PASSED 8:0. MOTION AND VOTE: Councilor Taylor, seconded by Councilor Semple, moved to appoint Matt Siel to the Police Commission for a four-year term beginning July 1, 2019, and ending on June 30, 2023. PASSED 8:0. Toxics Board MOTION AND VOTE: Councilor Taylor, seconded by Councilor Semple, moved to reappoint Nicole Paterson to the Toxics Board for a three-year term beginning July 1, 2019, and ending on June 30, 2022. PASSED 8:0. Whilamut Citizen Planning Committee MOTION AND VOTE: Councilor Taylor, seconded by Councilor Semple, moved to reappoint Laurel Burke to the Whilamut Citizen Planning Committee for a three-year term beginning July 1, 2019, and ending on June 30, 2022. PASSED 8:0. MOTION AND VOTE: Councilor Taylor, seconded by Councilor Semple, moved to appoint Ruth Hyde to the Whilamut Citizen Planning Committee for a three-year term beginning July 1, 2019, and ending on June 30, 2022. PASSED 8:0. 2. UPDATE: Equity in Contracting Equity in Contracting Program Coordinator Abby Alway and Assistant Finance Director Vicki Silvers gave an update to City Council about the equity in contracting program: what’s been done, what’s happening now, and what could be. Council Discussion • Councilor Syrett – expressed that she thinks the program is moving too slow; asked about metrics and goals and how benchmarks and measurements will be created. • Councilor Zelenka – voiced agreement that the program is moving slowly; asked about how emerging small businesses are qualified. • Mayor Vinis – asked for anecdotal examples of the contacts made with business owners. • Councilor Clark – asked about the premise of the idea of underrepresented communities; wondered what specific barriers the City is working to remove. • Councilor Zelenka – asked about the timeline and process for potential success indicators; said he was looking forward to seeing future reports. 2. WORK SESSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION: Rest Stop Program Update and Siting Policy Discussion Policy Analyst Jason Dedrick presented possible options for City Council to amend the Rest Stop siting policy. MINUTES – Eugene City Council June 12, 2019 Page 4 Work Session Council Discussion • Councilor Syrett – expressed appreciation for the options and the way they’re laid out; talked about the City’s challenge to find Rest Stop locations; said the current sites have been very successful with little impact on surrounding communities; said she would like to expand the program; said that the City should have the option to provide funding for sanitation and security, including neighborhood matching grants; talked about wanting to see the elimination of residential requirements and school requirements; • Councilor Zelenka – talked about the perception of Rest Stops and the reality of Rest Stops; expressed wanting to spread positive stories about the Rest Stops and figure out a better way to tell the story; expressed interest in passing Option C for 2, 3, and 4; asked about the differences in options for Item 1. • Councilor Pryor – talked about how City Council had proceeded cautiously as this program began, but can now make changes as more is learned; talked about people using unregulated camping as a baseline for Rest Stops; said Rest Stops have proven to be a workable, viable model and an alternative to unregulated camping; expressed interest in proposed options as long as concerns are mitigated. • Councilor Clark – said that the original Rest Stop idea is not what they have become; urged councilors not to lift the criteria related to residential neighborhoods and schools ; said that education efforts won’t necessarily change people’s opinion; talked about the meeting about the proposed car camping area in Santa Clara and the anger in the room; said he does not want to create unnecessary conflict. • Councilor Taylor – said she has heard of increased garbage and vandalism near Rest Stops; said that many people are too afraid to air their concerns because they don’t want to seem intolerant; concerned that Rest Stops are being regarded in a more permanent way when they should be transitional; said she does not want to relax requirements around residential areas and that the City should not start paying for rest rooms or garbage for Rest Stops. • Councilor Yeh – said she was in favor of having more flexibility in Rest Stop siting because neighborhoods are looking for sites and they have felt limited by the regulations; said she would like neighborhoods to have more options, so they can compare different alternatives; supported the effective mitigation language; asked about any incentives for private property owners to host a Rest Stop. • Councilor Semple – asked how long people can stay at a Rest Stop and if they are still transitional; said she would like to allow Rest Stops in residential areas and create incentives for private property owners to host as long as mitigation is done to address community concerns; asked about the difference between potential options around residential requirements. • Mayor Vinis – talked about conversations with 4J School District about the opportunity for a Rest Stop restricted to families near a school, noting there may be potential for coordination there; talked about how the location of Rest Stops are more permanent, but the residents are not; reminded everyone about the differences between Rest Stops and car camping. • Councilor Syrett – talked about the original Roosevelt Rest Stop and how adjacent businesses had reported reduced vandalism and theft after the Rest Stop opened; pointed out that the program is more effective than car camping because there are requirements put upon individuals in the program; said that if City Council decides to remove the residential and school siting requirements, they would still have an obligation to address community concerns. • Councilor Semple – said she was very interested in having Rest Stops near schools if kids in the program go to the school; interested in creating more lenient rules, because City Council would still have the ability to tighten how they are applied. • Councilor Zelenka – expressed interest in relaxing criteria around schools; noted that Representative Fahey recently reported that 12 percent of Bethel students and thousands in MINUTES – Eugene City Council June 12, 2019 Page 5 Work Session the 4J School District are homeless; talked about how City Council would still need to approve a final site and if mitigation is impossible, then siting it there is no longer considered; asked what the initial reason was for precluding private property owners from hosting a Rest Stop; doesn’t think a private property owner should be precluded from hosting a site if they can and want to. • Councilor Clark – asked about screening criteria and criminal background checks for residents; expressed concern about lack of background checks especially if sited near schools; said that the original siting restrictions were designed around the idea of creating the least amount of conflict in the community and relaxing them is not a wise idea. • Councilor Taylor – shared how she was planning to vote; expressed concerns about neighbors if private property owners want to host a Rest Stop; said she thinks current restrictions are mostly adequate but would like to allow County sites as well; said she wants the City to focus more on permanent and transitional housing. • Councilor Pryor – talked about renting or purchasing a home near a school and the lack of background checks in those situations; said there is always the potential that bad people move in no matter where you live, but mitigation and regulation are the key elements; talked about Rest Stops being needed as part of the continuum of care as a starting point; said he was comfortable providing flexibility in how and where Rest Stops can be placed because they are regulated. • Councilor Yeh – talked about how having a criminal record does not make you a bad person and how people can find themselves in many different situations where they may have gone to jail and then face many disadvantages when they get out of jail. • Councilor Semple – said that there should be opportunities for people who have come out of punishment, with regulation, supervision, and access to services instead of out on the streets without any help. • Councilor Syrett – pointed out that the City Manager and County Administrator in the TAC implementation plan included eventually eliminating the Rest Stop program completely as other parts of the homeless services system are expanded; said she was not concerned about residents not speaking up about their concerns around Rest Stop siting because communities have been vocal in the past. • Councilor Taylor - said that people in some neighborhoods are proud to live in liberal neighborhoods and may be scared to voice their opinions; said that it was irrelevant to talk about criminals because that’s not what City Council is voting on today. • Councilor Zelenka – asked if there was any data about crimes committed by residents of Rest Stops or Opportunity Village; said that it was offensive to him that every time City Council starts talking about homeless individuals they start talking about criminals and sex offenders; said he has talked with people in these programs and they are so grateful someone recognized them and gave them a hand up, but there’s a misconception and fear that people will bring crime and other bad things into their neighborhoods; talked about how the Rest Stops have worked to move people on into more stable situations. • Councilor Clark – expressed concern that civility among the councilors was breaking down when there was disagreement about issues. MOTION AND VOTE: Councilor Semple, seconded by Councilor Evans, moved to extend the meeting 10 minutes. PASSED 8:0. MOTION: Councilor Taylor, seconded by Councilor Semple, moved to direct the City Manager to prepare an ordinance and schedule a public hearing on Option 1C as stated in Attachment A.