CC Newsletter - 11/10/04 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Neighborhood Park in Santa Clara Revitalized Thanks to the 1998 parks and open space bond measure, children can now enjoy two new playgrounds at Awbrey Park, located at River Road and Spring Creek Drive. The two new play areas, one designed for children ages 2-5 and the other designed for children ages 5-12, feature multiple slides, climbing structures, spring critters, and a digging station. While the children find endless diversion, their parents and caregivers can enjoy a walk along the many new paths in the park or some of the other new amenities such as picnic tables and park seating. A new accessible parking lot was also added. One of the innovative features of the improved parking lot is stormwater drainage through a bio-filtration swale, where runoff travels through a vegetated area to filter impurities such as heavy metals, oils and other foreign substances related to automobiles. "It's wonderful to see people using this park again," says Sally Markos, who lives near the park. "Children are playing on the new play equipment, and neighbors are walking along the new paths throughout the park." Three-year-old Isaac Milovich enthusiastically corroborates this claim as he scampers from one play feature to another with the playful invitation, "Watch this everybody!" One of his favorite features is the climbable yellow school bus, and Milovich gladly offers thrilling rides to all interested adults at left! The northern portion of the park consists of a wooded natural area with Spring Creek winding through it. A pedestrian footbridge across the creek and a path from the park to the residential neighborhood north of the park are planned for a future phase of development. The park was originally a county park and also includes two barbeque pits for public use. A park dedication is planned for next spring. For more information about Awbrey Park, call Philip Richardson, park planner, at 682-4906 or Scott Milovich, park construction manager, at 682-6086. Finance Staff Member Named to National Committee Sue Cutsogeorge, the Financial Analysis Manager and Treasury Officer for the City, has been named to the Economic Development and Capital Planning Committee of the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA). GFOA is a professional association of about 16,000 state and local finance officers throughout the United States and Canada. The purpose of the GFO^ is to enhance and promote the professional management of governments for the public benefit. The GFOA accomplishes this mission by identifying and developing financial policies and practices and promoting them through education, training and leadership. As the role of local government has evolved in recent years, the finance officer has frequently been put in an unfamiliar position of participating in economic development projects and decision-making. In addition, it is becoming increasingly important for governments to consider development issues as they prepare and execute their long-term capital plans. These trends prompted the GFO^ to create the new Economic Development and Capital Planning Committee last year. The committee consists of about 20 members representing different levels and types of governments from all across the country. Its mission is to "assist finance officers to become knowledgeable participants in planning, evaluation, and execution of community/economic development and capital issues through the drafting and promotion of policies, procedures, and recommended practices." Ms. Cutsogeorge will serve a three-year term on this committee. For more information, contact Sue Cutsogeorge at 541-652-5559. EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 3 November 10, 2004