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HomeMy WebLinkAbout251013 WSMINUTES Eugene City Council Work Session Eugene, Oregon 97401 October 13, 2025 5:30 p.m. Councilors Present: Eliza Kashinsky, Matt Keating, Alan Zelenka, Jennifer Yeh, Mike Clark, Greg Evans, and Randy Groves Councilors Absent: Lyndsie Leech Mayor Knudson opened the October 13, 2025, work session of the Eugene City Council in a hybrid format at 500 E 4 th Avenue, North Building, Eugene OR 97401. 1. WORK SESSION: Police Commission Annual Report and Work Plan Assistant City Manager, Matt Rodrigues, introduced Police Chief Chris Skinner, Sergeant Allison Jordan, and Police Commission Chair Amelia Foulkes, who presented on the Police Commission's annual report and the Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 and FY 2027 Work Plan. Councilor Discussion: ■ Councilor Yeh -stated appreciation for Chair Foulkes' leadership during a time of transition. • Councilor Groves -stated his appreciation for Chair Foulkes' leadership during a difficult period; noted the importance of community-driven policy review; noted the value of having diverse perspectives on the commission and expressed support for the work ahead. ■ Councilor Keating -thanked Chair Foulkes and the commission for their work; noted the contributions of former Chair Hawkins and asked about the commission's response following her resignation; asked if any policy changes have been made to improve communication and accountability; noted interest in a presentation on drones as first responders; noted past hate crime type incidents in the City; asked about opportunities for collaboration between the Police Commission and the Human Rights Commission. ■ Councilor Kashinsky-asked whether the commission's "emerging technology" topic was meant to cover general trends or specific tools; asked how the commission decides which technologies to review. ■ Councilor Clark-stated the public may not understand the advisory role of the Police Commission; asked whether Council should do more to explain the commission's purpose and limits ahead of appointments; noted Council could help educate new appointees about their responsibilities. ■ Councilor Zelenka -asked about the work plan item related to auditor discipline outcomes; stated support for the department's virtual reporting system and asked for a brief explanation of how it works. MINUTES -Eugene City Council Work Session October 13, 2025 Page 1 • Councilor Groves -noted concern about public expectations of the Police Commission; noted the commission is a policy advisory group and not an oversight body with enforcement authority. • Councilor Yeh -noted Commissioner John Bradley serves as both Vice Chair and liaison from the Human Rights Commission. • Mayor Knudson -stated appreciation for the commission's work and thanked both current and former members; noted Eugene's public safety system includes several community oversight tools, including the Police Commission, the Police Auditor, and the Civilian Review Board; stated these tools reflect the city's values and commitment to community policing. MOTION: Councilor Evans, seconded by Councilor Zelenka, moved to approve the Police Commission FY 2026 and FY 2027 Work Plan as presented in Attachment A. VOTE: 7:0 PASSED IN FAVOR: Kashinsky, Keating, Zelenka, Yeh, Clark, Evans, and Groves. OPPOSED: None. 2. WORK SESSION: City Council Operating Agreements Assistant City Manager, Matt Rodrigues, introduced City Recorder, Katie LaSala, who presented possible updates to Council's operating agreements. Councilor Discussion: • Councilor Clark -stated support for keeping Consent Calendar 2 after public comment to ensure the public has an opportunity to speak on annexation items before Council votes. • Councilor Groves -stated he is in favor of the suggested administrative changes; noted concern that frequent public commenters may prevent new speakers from having an opportunity to speak; suggested prioritizing speakers who have not recently testified; stated concerns that motions introduced early in discussion can limit Council deliberation. • Councilor Keating -noted he is not against keeping Consent Calendar 2 after public comment; asked whether agenda items could be carried over if a meeting ends early; stated support for the proposed administrative changes; asked for clarification on the lobbying language in the proposed updates; stated support for making Wednesday Work Sessions in-person again. • Councilor Kashinsky -stated support for the proposed administrative updates; noted concern about repeat speakers at public comment preventing first-time participants from being heard; suggested reevaluating the practice of prioritizing board and commission representatives; noted support for in-person public comment; asked if items on Consent Calendar 2 could only be voted on in meetings or if they could be voted on during work sessions; noted support for placing Consent Calendar 2 at the end of the agenda; noted concern about the practice of postponing votes at the request of absent councilors. • Councilor Zelenka -stated support for placing Consent Calendar 2 after public comment; stated support for prioritizing comments from board and MINUTES -Eugene City Council Work Session October 13, 2025 Page 2 commission representatives; noted support for virtual public comment to increase accessibility; stated support for the proposed administrative updates. ■ Councilor Yeh -stated support for the proposed administrative updates; stated support for placing Consent Calendar 2 after public comment; noted she is open to the return of virtual public comment; acknowledged the difficulty of balancing repeat and first-time speakers; questioned the need for a motion limiting when motions can be made, suggesting existing procedures already allow for flexibility. ■ Councilor Keating -stated support for prioritizing in-person comment and allowing virtual comment as time permits; asked how to change the practice to allow for virtual comment. ■ Councilor Clark -stated he was unsure whether the current placement of Consent Calendar 2 was a pilot change; proposed a new system for public comment to allow new speakers a higher likelihood of speaking by being prioritized over individuals who spoke at the last meeting. ■ Councilor Kashinsky -asked whether Council could return to the topic at a future work session; stated if a councilor wants to delay a vote or discussion, she would prefer that the request be made publicly and voted on by Council, rather than handled through private communication before the meeting. MOTION: Councilor Evans, seconded by Councilor Zelenka, moved to direct the City Manager to place on an upcoming consent calendar agenda a resolution adopting the proposed changes to the City Council Operating Agreements as outlined in Attachment 8. Councilor Discussion: ■ Councilor Keating -asked to clarify which administrative changes were being made in this vote. VOTE: 7:0 PASSED IN FAVOR: Kashinsky, Keating, Zelenka, Yeh, Clark, Evans, and Groves. OPPOSED: None. The meeting was adjourned at 7:00 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Katie LaSala City Recorder (Recorded by Cherish Bradshaw) Link to the web cast of this City Council meeting here. MINUTES -Eugene City Council Work Session October 13, 2025 Page 3