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Section Two: Community Baselines SECTION TWO: Community Baselines Overview and Legal Jurisdiction The City of Eugene is the second-largest city in Oregon, with a population of approximately 143,9102 and an incorporated area of nearly 42 square miles. Located in western Oregon's southern Willamette Valley, the community was first officially recognized with the establishment of a post office in 1850. It was formally incorporated in 1862 as Eugene City, after early settler Eugene Skinner, and then renamed two years later as the City of Eugene. The current city charter was adopted in 1976 and has been amended numerous times since then. It can be found on the City's web site at http://www.ci.eugene.or.us. The City operates under a council/manager form of government. The City Council develops and adopts legislation and policies to direct the City organization, but employs a professional administrator (the City Manager) to manage and oversee all City personnel and operations to carry out the council's direction. The City is organized into six departments: Central Services; Public Works; Library, Recreation & Cultural Services; Planning & Development; Police; and Fire & Emergency Medical Services. The City Council has eight members. Councilors are elected by geographic ward on a nonpartisan ballot for staggered four-year terms. The Mayor serves as the City's ceremonial head, political leader and chair of the City Council. The Mayor is elected by the city at large on a nonpartisan ballot for a four-year term. Fire protection in Eugene was first organized on April 3, 1872, as the Eugene Hook and Ladder Company Number 1. The department, Eugene's first, is now known as the Eugene Fire & EMS Department (EFD) and has been in continuous operation since that time. The department began providing ambulance transport services in 1981 and continues to provide this service to a large area of central Lane County. EFD currently enjoys a Class 2 fire suppression rating from the Insurance Services Office, Inc. (on a scale of 1-10, with 1 representing the highest rating). The City Manager appoints the Fire Chief, who is responsible for organizing and administering the department. The department consists of 209.25 full time equivalent (FTE) positions, including 173.25 uniformed and 36 civilian personnel, and is organized into two functional divisions -- Field Operations and Administrative Services. The Fire & EMS Department provides fire, rescue, emergency medical, code enforcement, and prevention services to the citizens of Eugene and to five neighboring special districts through long-standing contractual agreements. See table below. 2 PSU Population Research Center 2003 population estimate