09/17/09 - City Council Newsletter

Home Browse Search

The document will be available on the Internet at www.eugene-or.gov/pw by September 19. Printed copies may be obtained at Eugene Public Works (1820 Roosevelt Boulevard and 410 River Avenue), Lane County Public Works (3040 North Delta Highway), River Road/Santa Clara Volunteer Library (105 Oakleigh Lane), and the Eugene th Public Library (100 West 10Avenue). Comments must be submitted by October 19, 2009, at 5:00 p.m. for consideration in finalizing the plan, and may be sent directly to Therese Walch, Eugene Public Works, 99 East Broadway, Suite 400, Eugene, 97401. Please contact Therese Walch at 682-5549 with questions. Comcast Telecommunications Expansion in Downtown Eugene Currently, many areas of downtown Eugene are not served by Comcast. This has resulted in problems for some businesses that need cable television stations and high-speed Internet access. After encouragement from downtown staff, and planning meetings involving staff from Public Works, Planning and Development, and Information Services, Comcast has embarked on a significant network infrastructure investment. Soon Comcast’s high-speed network will be available in the core of Eugene’s downtown. The project will enable Comcast to offer state-of-the-art voice, data, and video services to commercial businesses within the expanded footprint which extends roughly from Pearl Street west to Charnelton Street, and 11th Avenue north to 8th Avenue. Comcast will initially offer high-speed Internet services with up to 50Mb download speeds and a variety of voice and video services and even faster Internet speeds in the near future are anticipated. In conjunction with provisions of the renewed public rights-of-way use, License/Franchise, Comcast will receive a $20,000 City Telecommunications Project contribution when the project is completed. For more information, please contact Telecommunications Program Manager Pam Berrian at 682-5590 or pam.c.berrian@ci.eugene.or.us Eugene Tapped for Sustainability Networking Meetings City of Eugene and Lane Council of Governments staff will meet with colleagues from across the country in five days of strategic discussions on land use, transportation and sustainability initiatives. Eugene was selected for participation in the Climate Leadership Academy: Reducing Carbon Emissions through Smart Transportation & Land Use Policies and Practices and the first annual Urban Sustainability Directors’ Network meeting, both occurring in Chicago, September 21-25. Staff will join peers from other communities including Portland, Oregon; Seattle, Washington; Austin, Texas; and Atlanta, Georgia. Sponsoring organizations have obtained funding that essentially provides scholarships allowing Eugene and other participants to attend at little or no cost to their organizations. Heading to the sessions are Eugene Planning Director Lisa Gardner, Transportation Planning Manager Rob Inerfeld, City Manager’s Office Division Manager Keli Osborn, and Transportation Program Manager at Lane Council of Governments Andrea Riner. Eugene’s participation in the meetings not only demonstrates the local commitment to planning and implementing more sustainable land use and transportation decisions, but also recognizes the continuing related work of the Mayor and City Council, Sustainability Commission, City staff and the greater community. For information, please contact Keli Osborn, City Manager’s Office, 682-5406 or keli.m.osborn@eugene.or.us. EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 3 September 17, 2009