City Council Newsletter - 05/03/07

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The evening features a slideshow of places highlighted in the book. See some of Europe’s most interesting and least-known hiking trails, from Greece and the Pyrenees to Norway and the Alps. Learn what to expect at an alpine "hut” -- and where to stay on an island with active volcanoes. Sullivan is the author of a dozen books, including the popular 100 Hikes series, Oregon: Trips & Trails, and Cabin Fever. His journal chronicling a 1000-mile hike across Oregon, Listening for Coyote, was chosen by the Oregon Cultural Heritage Commission as one of the state’s 100 most significant books. The Windfall Reading Series is sponsored by the Eugene Public Library, Lane Literary Guild, Friends of the Library, the Eugene Public Library Foundation, and the Cultural Services Division of Lane Arts Council. For more information, call Eugene Public Library at 682-5450. Eugene Fire Marshal’s Office Conducts Open Forum The Eugene Fire & EMS Fire Marshal's Office conducted three open forums last week for architects, fire protection system designers and installers, and contractors. The overall goal was to seek participants’ input, ideas, and feedback about customer service, as well as for the Fire Marshal’s Office (FMO) to attain a better understanding of the attendees’ business needs and concerns. Each session was well-attended with about 12 persons representing all disciplines. The first hour provided insight on what is new in the FMO, including a review of new codes that took effect on April 1, 2007, the customer service philosophy of the FMO, and the authority limits and structure of the FMO. The remainder of the time was spent in open discussion listening to process improvement proposals, frustrations experienced during plan review and field inspections, and explanations of the impacts created by FMO decisions on the attendees’ bottom line. The participants expressed a great deal of interest in continuing these open forum sessions. The next set of forums will occur within the next six months. For more information, contact Acting Fire Marshal Doug Perry at 682-7100. Workshop to Identify Pedestrian and Bicycle Ideas As part of the year-long pedestrian and bicycle strategic planning effort, City staff is holding a community workshop on the topic of education and encouragement on Thursday, May 9. This workshop is part of a series of outreach efforts designed to gather input on a wide variety of pedestrian and bicycle-related topics. Efforts completed thus far include workshops on bicycle parking, theft, seniors and accessibility, and focus groups on youth engagement, facility infrastructure and design. The goal of the year-long planning process is to identify tangible methods for making Eugene a more walkable and bikeable community. Members of the Eugene community are th encouraged to attend the May 9 workshop to provide feedback on existing educational and encouragement programs in the Eugene area and to suggest fresh ideas for new programs. Ideas generated at the workshop will lead to strategic plan actions that can be taken on by City staff, local community partners and individual citizens. The evening agenda includes a presentation on the City’s current educational and promotional efforts, interactive small group discussions centered on the themes of community culture, increasing use, safety, connectivity and accessibility, and opportunities to suggest and comment on new educational and promotional ideas. The event runs from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at the First United Methodist Church located at 1376 Olive Street in Eugene. Refreshments will be provided. For more information about the workshop and the pedestrian and bicycle strategic plan see www.eugene- or.gov/walkbike, or contact Lee Shoemaker, bicycle and pedestrian coordinator at 682-5471 or lee.shoemaker@ci.eugene.or.us. EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 2 May 3, 2007