01/11/1982 Meeting (2) - Laserfiche WebLink

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- so that all of us can get on with our common goal of economic diversification. Parties who can't come to agreement al~e holding up the entire county's ability to proceed with activities that will make economic development possible. It is my hope that tomorrow we will be able to reach some common understanding so that we can complete this vital first step. One of the keys to successful implementation of the Metro Plan is our neighbor- hood organizations. During 1981, the City Council recognized our 20th neigh- borhood group--the Bethel Triangle Neighbors. Nine years ago, when we first adopted the neighborhood policy, we recognized eight neighborhoods in the first year. Since 1974, those groups, and the ones that have been chartered since then, have become part of the fabric of Eugene's life and governing process. When we say "citizen participation" in this town, we can thank the neighborhoods for the leadership theylve taken in making citizen participation work. In fact, as a result of the cooperation between citizens, neighborhoods, and the Police Department, the index crimes statistics for 1981 show that last year we actually reduced the overall number of major crimes in Eugene by almost five percent. The Police Chief tells me that we were able to do that, in spite of the trend toward escalating criminal activity, largely through the hard work and good rapport that exists between the Police Depart~ent and Eugene residents. That, in my mind, is a significant accomplishment and a reason to be proud. It should also give us the encouragement to reinforce our crime prevention efforts for 1982. e- Just as I was pleased to see our neighborhood network grow, I was also pleased to see our Sister City Program blossom. We are entering the fourth year of our affiliation with Kakegawa, Japan, and the ties grow stronger every year. We have already developed great personal relationships; delegations from each city travel back and forth; our young people are involved; a sister city association is growing; and now, with the involvement of the Chamber of Commerce and the appointment of John Amundson as the new chairperson for the Sister City Committee, I am anticipating that we will begin to expand our trade relationships with Japan. Through our sister city, we have an opportunity for global marketing of Oregon products. We can learn a lot from the Japanese. They have energetically sought markets worldwide, and now we can meet them with their own zeal for our mutual benefit. But to do that successfully, we will have to educate ourselves about methods, servicing, and facilitating export transactions. I hope that the Sister City Committee will take the lead in tying our cross-cultural activities to our economic diversification efforts. There were some "concrete" improvements in the community last year, too. After 14 years of discussion, 30th and Hilyard is now a wide, efficient, and modern intersection serving vehicles, bicyclists, and pedestrians alike; at the airport, a chain was cut opening our newest fire station; and the Fire Department, along with the Springfield Fire Department, began to operate the ambulance service for the community. e MINUTES--Eugene City Council January 11, 1982 Page 4