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Eu.qene Rental Housinq Code Proqram The Eugene rental housing code was adopted by the City Council in November 2004, with an implementation date of July 1,2005. Rachelle Nicholas has been hired to manage the program and began work on June 7. Rachelle comes to the City of Eugene from Washington County Department of Housing Services. Staff is currently available to community members who have questions or concerns about rental housing in the City. This service is available to property owners, property managers, tenants, neighboring property owners and any other interested parties. The Rental Housing Code phone line is 682-8282. The purpose of the City's rental housing code is to provide minimum habitability criteria to safeguard health, property and public well-being of the owners, occupants and users of the rental housing. The code is modeled after a housing code in place in Corvallis. The rental housing code addresses four areas of habitability: structural integrity, plumbing, heating and weatherproofing. The rental housing code is intended to supplement standards of the State of Oregon Residential Landlord and Tenant Act. The primary goal of the housing code program is to bring about resolution of housing problems or issues without the need for City enforcement. A complaint may be filed with the City only after the tenant has sent written notice to the owner or the property manager and tenants must allow 10-days for the owner to respond to the alleged violation. The program will be funded with a $10.00 per rental unit fee per year. Staff is preparing close to 7,000 registration letters to rental property owners in the city of Eugene. Staff is also working on public outreach efforts and will be working with the University of Oregon and Lane Community College this summer to get information out to students returning this fall. For more information on the program, contact the program staff at 682-8282 or Marsha Miller, Planning and Development Department at 682- 5224, or marsha.a.miller~ci.eu.qene.or, us. National Mayors' Ride Rolls Into Euqene to Promote Bicycle Greenway The Fourth Annual National Mayors' Ride reached Eugene on Thursday, July 14, with a celebration at 2 p.m. in the plaza at City Hall. Mayor Piercy met with Ed Migliori, a school teacher spending part of his summer riding the route between Boise and Eugene, and Marty "Link" Linkiewicz, making the same Boise to Eugene trek. The Mayor read a proclamation in support of the efforts of Cycle America's advocacy for the National Bicycle Greenway and the dream of a nationwide network of interconnected bike roads and pathways. Jim Muellner, owner of JustTwoBikes and inventor of the Smart Carte shopping cart system, the carts passengers rent to shuttle their baggage around at airports, was also present to help share adventures of the Mayors Ride. This year, at the age of 69, Jim chose to ride the Seattle to Portland leg of the relay. The mission of Cycle America is to promote a network of coast-to-coast, multi-use transportation and recreational bicycle roads and trails, which will be called the National Bicycle Greenway. The primary purpose of the Greenway is to provide safe, clean, aesthetic, and enjoyable places for people of all ages to ride a bicycle year round. Martin Krieg is the organizer of the National Mayors' Ride and author of the book, "Awake Again" based upon his self-rehabilitation from a seven-week coma as a result of a car wreck. He is a graduate of Cai State Hayward and former accountant and has crossed the country twice on his bicycle since the accident. For more information contact: Lee Shoemaker, bicycle and pedestrian coordinator, at 682-5471 or Cindy Clarke, transportation options coordinator, at 682-5285. EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 2 July 15, 2005