City Council Newsletter - 06/22/06

Home Browse Search

Clock is Ticking for “Smoking Deck” Compliance An administrative rule establishing stricter standards for outdoor smoking areas at restaurants, bars and taverns was adopted by the City Manager in late 2005, and compliance efforts continue. The City provided notice last year to all identified liquor license holders. PDD staff followed up with bars, restaurants and taverns known to be in compliance with previous standards, encouraging timely changes to achieve conformance with the new rule that outdoor smoking areas have walls at least 75 percent open to the outside air. Outdoor smoking areas that were not established legally were given no phase-in period, and must already meet the new rule. An estimated 40 “smoking decks” temporarily have legal, nonconforming status, and must comply with the new rule by year’s end. The City Council allocated $15,000 to assist businesses with permit fees in the event needed modifications trigger building permit requirements. The first of these projects has undergone building permit review, which identified the need for a licensed architect or engineer and installation of fire sprinklers, in large part due to the size of the proposed alteration. Separate from the “smoking deck” issue, staff occasionally receives general inquiries about the applicability of the Tobacco Products and Smoking Ordinance. One enforcement-related complaint has been lodged since January 1, 2006. For more information, please contact Mike McKerrow, 682-5451 (mike.j.mckerrow@ei.eugene.or.us), or Keli Osborn, 682-5288 (keli.m.osborn@ci.eugene.or.us), Planning and Development Department. New Library Branch Managers The Sheldon and Bethel branches of Eugene Public Library are both welcoming new managers. The new Sheldon Branch Manager is a familiar face: Darren Nelson, who has been Bethel Branch Manager since October 2002. Prior to joining the Eugene Public Library, Nelson worked for the Kansas City, Kansas and Kansas City, Missouri Public Libraries. He looks forward to getting to know and serve a new part of the Eugene community and wishes to thank staff members at both branches for their excellent work and support during this transition. New Bethel Branch Manager Angela Bray is an accomplished reference librarian who lives right in the neighborhood. She comes to Eugene Public Library from the Corvallis-Benton County Public Library. Originally from Maryland, Bray majored in anthropology at St. Mary’s College and earned a Master of Library and Information Science degree at the University of Maryland. Before relocating to Oregon, she also served as Virtual Reference Coordinator for the Charles County Public Library. For more information, please contact Public Services Manager, Rob Everett at 682-8314. Creekside Park Neighbors Invited to Design Workshop On Tuesday, June 27, from 6:30 to 8 p.m., Creekside Park neighbors are invited to discuss improvements to the 3.17-acre neighborhood park located at the far north edge of Eugene’s Cal Young neighborhood, one block west of Gilham Road, off Crimson. The public workshop will be held at Gilham Community Church, 3633 Gilham Road, Eugene. The focus of the first workshop will be to share with the neighborhood some general information about parks, and gather input from neighbors and interested parties to help inform the design process. No plans have been made for the park as of yet. Parks and Open Space staff will host two or three public workshops aimed at closely involving the neighborhood in setting the direction for the park design. The process generally takes four to six months, depending on a number of factors. The City of Eugene purchased the property in 2000 using funds from the 1998 Parks and Open Space bond measure. Funds from Eugene’s parks systems development charges are now available for improvements to Creekside Park. Neighborhood parks, which serve residents within about a half-mile walking distance, include the following: a children's play area, accessible pathways, park furniture such EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 2 June 22, 2006