04/23/09 - City Council Newsletter

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that provides basic training for the engineers, and the engineering students who delay their graduation but gain valuable experience through working internships. The goal of the program is to provide students with the experience to be job-ready when they graduate, provide an improved learning environment at the university, and attempt to keep as much of the technical talent produced at Oregon universities working in Oregon. The participating companies get access to first-rate students who are talented and eager to learn and grow in their profession. The program uses two six-month internships with employers who will treat students as if they were recent graduates and give them professional experience. Students are paid approximately 70% of a starting engineer’s salary. The City of Eugene recently was recognized at the MECOP/CECOP biennial banquet for employing dozens of student interns during 10 years as a member agency. City Engineer Tom Larsen was recognized for 10 years of service on the Board of Directors. This Traffic Engineer Tom Larsen (left) and City Engineer summer, two OSU civil engineering students will be participating in Mark Schoening six-month internships on Public Works Engineering project teams. For more information, contact Tom Larsen at 682-4959. City Programs Use Twitter as Outreach to Public Several City of Eugene programs are making use of Twitter.com to reach out to the public in a variety of new ways. Twitter.com is a micro blog that is accessible using the Internet or smart phones, and that has recently gained in popularity. Many businesses and agencies around the nation have set up free Twitter accounts to communicate with customers and the public. The Eugene Airport has had a Twitter account for eight months and now has more than 400 followers. The site is used to promote fare specials and send out updates about happenings at the Eugene Airport. The airport communicates directly with passengers via Twitter direct messages. Hult Center staff are using Twitter to share an inside perspective on what’s happening, including upcoming performances, ticket contests and specials. They also share YouTube videos, and give a peek into what happens backstage, including load-ins, sound checks, and dress rehearsals. Since starting in the middle of March, the Hult Center already has 104 followers and there may be a star sighting soon. This week, the Eugene Public Works Department and Eugene Police Department both began using the service as well. Public Works is sending out road work ‘tweets.” With a very busy road repair season coming up, this is another communication tool the department is using to quickly disseminate accurate information about lane closures, traffic delays and detours. Eugene Police is using Twitter to provide the public with breaking news regarding crash road closures and to highlight new information featured on its website. Eugene Police frequently posts short videos on crime prevention topics, which can be found on the Internet site www.eugene-or.gov/thelatest. Eugene Planning and Development is testing the waters with Twitter, using it for announcements about activities and development downtown. Information on these City of Eugene services can be found at: Eugene Airport: Twitter/flyEUG Eugene Public Works: Twitter.com/EugenePW Eugene Police: Twitter.com/EugenePolice Eugene Planning and Development: Twitter.com/DowntownEugene Hult Center for the Performing Arts: Twitter.com/Hult Center For more information, contactCathryn Stephens of the Eugene Airport, at 682-5430; Eric Jones of Public Works, at 682-5523; Melinda Kletzok of the Eugene Police, at 682-5124; Laura Hammond of Planning and Development, at 682-6021, and Billie Moser of the Hult Center, at 682-8383. EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 4 April 23, 2009