HOUSING AND

COMMUNITY SERVICES AGENCY

Wednesday, June 6, 2007

9:00 a.m.

Commissioners' Conference Room

APPROVED 12/5/2007

Commissioner Faye Stewart presided with Commissioners Bill Dwyer, Bill Fleenor, Bobby Green, Sr., Hugh Massengill, Barbara Moorehouse and Peter Sorenson present.  County Administrator Bill Van Vactor, Assistant County Counsel Stephen Vorhes and Recording Secretary Melissa Zimmer were also present.

1. PUBLIC COMMENTS

None.

2. COMMISSIONERS' REMONSTRANCE  

Massengill retracted from the minutes of March 21 what he said about people not contacting him. He said he was speaking narrowly about the issue of the lawsuit. He stated that as a resident he was open for communication to HACSA but was naïve about the lawsuit.

3. REGULAR BUSINESS

a. REPORT BACK Diversity Plan.

Larry Abel, HACSA, announced that Frances Cortillo will be conducting the diversity training at their office tomorrow instead of June 19. He said she would lead focus groups with staff so she could better customize the training.

Fleenor asked how the focus group was chosen.

Abel responded that they chose people from every department.  He noted one group was union officials and the others were scattered across the agency.

Green asked about the activities on Attachment B (copy in file) related to diversity.

Chuck Hauk, HACSA, said this was a good way for the agency to support the efforts of the Fair Housing Council.   He said the charge is to ensure the public is properly represented and they have obstacles removed in terms of obtaining and keeping housing based on protective classes.  He said he oversees the application for HUD grants for education throughout the state for fair housing training.  He said they act as the agency that is contracted with local fair housing to take calls  from protected classes so they are not discriminated against.

Green asked how Chris Todis, HACSA, went through the organization inspiring and showing others that this was a priority.   

Todis indicated that request was not communicated to him.

Green wanted to know how important diversity was to Todis.

Dorothy Cummings, HACSA, indicated the Diversity Committee will look at updating their actual diversity policy.  She said they hadn’t updated it since they first put it into place.

Todis stated that he let this lapse and it is his responsibility to bring it back.

Sorenson suggested using best practices on what has worked elsewhere.

Dwyer said they need to be proactive and learn from things they had done.

Green thanked the agency for responding to questions by the Eugene Springfield NAACP.  He commented that there are good things the agency had done.  He indicated that there was no uniform vision statement but it is part of the task force’s charge.    He thought they were performing reasonable work but could do more.  He thought there was diversity with the housing.  He suggested that they keep the big picture in mind.

Fleenor agreed with using best practices. He thought they could strive for perfection.

Massengill commented that HACSA was doing a remarkable job.  He wanted to make sure that when they look at cultural competency that they deal with people with emotional and physical disabilities.  He wanted to include more issues besides race.

Moorehouse stated that they need an awareness of poverty and that staff understands what that does to people.  She also wanted to see economic diversity.

Cummings said there are mandated opportunities to local residents.  She indicated that Lane County qualifies as a Section 3 area.  She said they have contractors report to them as to who their employees are and who they hire.

Hauk noted that in almost all of their public housing complexes, they have hired residents to be aides.  He added under HUD grants they have hired residents as grant coordinators.  He said they make the effort to use residents.

Stewart indicated that HACSA had a 12 percent permanent minority hire.  He indicated the complaints he heard from people were more focused on the organization itself.  He hadn’t heard any complaints from the residents they are serving.

Sorenson asked about the balance of the function of the committee in serving employees and residents.

Cummings said they will look at how to best meet the needs within the agency and the program participants.  She said they will examine HACSA as a service provider.  She stated they would use some of the models the County is using in its work to see how it would work for them

Green wanted a report back in six months on the progress to date.   

4. CONSENT CALENDAR

a. Approval of Minutes:

March 21, 2007, HACSA, 9:00 a.m.

b. ORDER 07-6-6-1H/In the Matter of Accepting a Bid and Awarding Contract  07-C-0022 for Laurelwood Re-Construction: Phase Ten.

MOTION: to approve the Consent Calendar with the clarification of the minutes.

Dwyer MOVED, Sorenson SECONDED.

VOTE: 7-0.

5. EXECUTIVE SESSION as per ORS 192.660

None.

There being no further business, Commissioner Stewart adjourned the meeting at 9:40 a.m.

Melissa Zimmer

Recording Secretary