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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 1, 1973)
Students discuss tenant bill By HARRIET JOHNSON Of the Emerald Is there another unnoticed minority? Whether it’s a minority or not, the tenants of the Eugene Springfield area are due to be noticed soon in Salem. The ASUO Off-Campus Housing Office is working for the passage of a bill in the state senate that would give tenants in Oregon some legal rights. In an organizational meeting Tuesday night in the EMU, students discussed their individual problems as well as provisions of the bill with ASUO Off Campus Housing director Frank Wall. Senate Bill 199 is a statute modeled on the Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act which was proposed by the 1972 National Con ference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws. The bill would regularize state laws dealing with landlord-tenant relationships. The main purposes of bill, as summarized by the ASUO Off-Campus Housing Office, include provisions dealing with the landlord’s liability for maintenance, as well as his reasons for eviction and the tenants right to deduct certain costs for repairs and cleaning from his rent payments. According to Wall, the bill is aimed toward “balancing the rights of landlords and tenants.” Undo* current Oregon law, the tenant has three legal rights, dealing with notice of departure, eviction, and the landlord’s lien responsibility, Wall said. The rest of the precedents, he said, have been set by judicial decisions. Wall said he wants Oregon to be one of the first states to adopt the statute. So far only Michigan has done so, he said. During the meeting, Tom Hanlan, of the law firm which is under contract to the ASUO, said 25 to 30 per cent of his business at the University has to do with students who have troubles with their lan dlords. Ralph Krumbieck, head of the Eugene Springfield Tenants Union, emphasized that a landlord-tenant problem is indeed existent, for he “gets phone calls every day” registering com plaints of this nature. In a survey conducted by the Off-Campus Housing Office during fall term registration at the University, it was found that “for many landlords compliance with SB 159 should not create a financial burden.” The survey contends, however, that “many tenants were nonetheless forced to contend with apparently excessive delays and non responsive behavior” in the landlord’s action toward maintenance, as well as, “a substantial number of tenants reported failure of the landlord to make any repairs at all.” Committee hearings on the bill will begin at 9 a.m. today (Thursday) in the Senate, Wall said. “Landlords will be crawling out of the woodwork,” said Wall. He would like tenants to make a “show of force” at this and at the subsequent committee hearings that will be held ova* the next few weeks. Wall emphasized that the Off-Campus Housing Office is willing to take “case histories” as well as give more information and make petitions available for tenants to sign for the passage of the bill. Interested students may obtain these at the ASUO Off-Campus Housing Office in room 319 EMU or attend Tuesday night meetings in the student union for those interested in the legislation. Return of government to local level dominant theme of committee meeting The return of government to the local level was the dominant theme at Tuesday night’s meeting of the Lane Council of Governments (LCOG) Combined Citizens Advisory Committee in the Eugene Hotel. The meeting consisted of reports from ten LCOG advisory committees, as well as an ad dress by LCOG board chairman Ken Omlid. In his opening address, Omlid stated “if we (LCOG) are to take advantage of the current ad ministraton’s attempt to totally decentralize the federal govern ment, we need to sell the true story about the needs, the responsibilities, and the limitations of a voluntary association of local government units.” Omlid continued, “We must continue to each become more knowledgeable and conversant about the total national domestic delivery system and local governments’ importance in this system.” “Let’s keep the responsibility local so that government can and will be more responsive to people’s needs,” concluded Omlid. Nils Hult, Committee on Economic Development chair man said his committee had looked into the “possibility of establishing a Center for Economic Development at the University with federal, state and local support ot provide technical assistance to industry and to establish a permanent in stitutional base for economic development. “An analysis and evaluation of population growth and em ployment growth projections that tie economic planning in with other planning considerations such as transportation, housing and manpower,” was also being undertaken by his committee said Hult. Citizens Advisory Committee for Criminal Justice Planning Chairman Janet Calvert said the “ultimate goal” of her committee was to recommend the “crucial path for corrections” in Lane County. “We (the committee) feel that the period of time from ap prehension until trial, bail and humane detention facilities should be given the utmost at tention.” Calvert added the committee had “recommended that htis community establish a detoxification facility to channel alcoholics out of the criminal system and give them needed help.” Dale Curry, Comprehensive Health Planning Committee chairman, said his committee had conducted a study on health policies and priorities in Lane County. “Emphasis in this document is placed on development of projects focusing on primary prevention and early diagnosis to minimize disability in contrast to the traditional emphasis in our present system of providing treatment after the problem occurs,” said Curry. Other committees which gave reports were the Citizens Ad visory Committee on Agin, Educational Planning Com mittee, Citizens Advisory Committee on Housing, Ancillary Manpower Planning Committee, Natural Resources Advisory Committee, Citizens Advisory Committee for Transportation Planning and Arts Advisory Committee. lec Hawaii Spring Vacation Portland *-,AA00 Roundtrip *144 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AND APPLICATION AVAILABLE Deadline for Applications Feb. 10th International Education Center Rm. 202 EMU X3721 Agency studying University’s hiring The Wage and Hour Division of the U.S. Department of Labor has begun a field inspection of University employment practices to ascertain compiance with equal pay provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act. Claude Hall, compliance officer with the Wage and Hour Division’s Eugene station, is conducting the inspection. University Executive Dean John Lallas said, “The University believes it is in compliance with the Fair Labor Standards Act, but will assist in every way to expedite the inquity.” Hall pointed out that Congress only recently amended the Act to include academic and professional employees of colleges and universities under the equal pay provisions (effective July, 1972). He explained that inspections thus are commencing at collegs and universities throughout the nation. “The University has not been singled out by any means,” said Hall. “It just happens to be the first of the institutions I have been assigned to inspect.” g Hall will examine payroll records first to determine :g whether any salary discrepancies exist on the Oregon | campus between men and women performing equal work | requiring equal skill. i- He will interview employees in instances where he has | identified possible discrepancies, such as a man and woman in the same department who appear to be performing equal :• work but are not receiving equal pay. The Fair Labor Standards Act provides that if violations are discovered, and both the employer and compliance of ficer agree on them, the employer will be asked to pay back wages and increase the salaries to equal amounts. If the employer and compliance officer disagree on a specific violation, the local officer forwards the case to the Portland office of the Wage and Hour Division for review. The final stage of review is in the Regional Solicitor’s Office in Seattle. He expects his inspection at the University to extend one to two months. iwoupon goon S. Wed. If b°y *woJ f°L 23w 13th and Patterson cast0l,,er Tha Opm Economy Program I TEH MU WEEE FELL EMFLETHEET EEEEEB /aa to 4aaaa aJ Aujig J/AaaAa/aa fjm (cm\n 4fr <mm «/ <1 emW metmnet m»»f JUm en Till p mem/d. ^ ** intUmed, mettmnlt tern en tteeiee mm etmdmte deenfl de ***** oemnee mid de Ufi A *Udee end fnenjk ‘tftfc/jkeftit a P.S. dene U feet me eden m*f leidmidX. IteUem Idem 3t3A TumeU* lime 400 ~ 6.00 Td. fee aS3S3S3CSS3SJCSS363S3S3S3S3KX3S3S3S3S3S3S30S3(SSJS3CS3S3£3£3£SS3£MC30CSKSK
