Budget Meeting Minutes 05/11/05 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Continuing, Chief Lehner stated that the plan would have rough costs attached, but the real purpose was to determine what the highest priorities were for the department and what the middle and lower priorities were as well. He underscored that the timing of the plan intended to inform the next budget process and not the current one. He reiterated that the department currently sought a status quo budget. Chief Lehner reported that the International City/County Managers Association (ICMA) group would present the results of their review of the EPD on March 9. He understood the recommendations would be significant. He thought there would likely be more than 50 recommendations in the ICMA report and some of them would have budget implications. He said the recommendations would be balanced as priorities against all of the other things the department and community needed to do. He stated that this would be folded into the planning. process in late March or early April. He projected that the first draft would be available at the beginnuig of the summer and would be followed by a number of iterations. He stressed that there would be many opportunities for public input. In conclusion, Chief Lehner. shared his intention to involve community groups. He recognized that people were very interested in what the EPD was doing. Ultimately, he said the priorities would come out of the process in a plan form that would translate into implementation in most cases by budget. He anticipated a very significant disparity between what the community desired from the EPD and the department's ability to deliver it. He underscored that the real goal was to balance what the community's desires were with the department's ability to bring them to fiuition in the face of limited resources and a multitude of important community needs. He noted that recreation programs were among the best crime prevention programs available, as an example of the constant balancing act the community faced in its discussion of priorities. City Manager Taylor underscored that the issue of community policing had been one that the Budget Committee and the community had been grappling with for years. He said the level and mix of services needed to be redefined. He opined that the Hobson Report was now stale and needed new energy., He stated that the Fire and Emergency Services was embarking on a strategic plan, as was the Cultural Services Division and the Parks Recreation and Open Space Division, and averred it was appropriate for the EPD to embark on one as well. He also felt the City should think about its strategic plan that would integrate all of the components, together with a citizen involvement outreach effort. He thought the specific recommendations of the ICMA and the Police Executive Research Foundation must be taken seriously and in a systematic way. He said the Police Commission would also be providing its recommendations. He commented that many issues would be incorporated into the process and it was hoped that the ultimate result would be a mature proposal for consideration as part of the budget building for FY07. Chief Lehner emphasized that the police staffing planning practices for more than a decade were directed almost entirely to patrol staff and first-line call handlers and overlooked the other aspects of departmental function, such as the administrative support and the maintenance of the vehicles and equipment. He stressed that this element of support was critical to the function of the basic police work and should not be ignored. Mr. Pryor related that he participated in one of the interviews and had found the experience meaningful. He recommended that at every point of the way the process had to be sincere. He felt it would fail at any point at which it became insincere or disingenuous. Chief Lehner said typically in a process such as this the consultant gathered all of the information and input and then the consultant or planner disappeared into a room and emerged with a plan. He averred this MINUTES-Eugene Budget Committee February 22, 2005.. Page 18