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<br /> More information is available at The Jazz Station’s new website www.thejazzstation.org or contact Amanda Nobel <br />Flannery at 541-682-5535. <br /> <br />Comments Sought on Eugene’s Stormwater Monitoring Plan <br />The City of Eugene is seeking public comments on its revised Stormwater Monitoring Plan. The City has held a <br />federal National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit since 1994 for discharges from the <br />municipal stormwater system to receiving waterways, including Amazon Creek and the Willamette River. In <br />December 2010, the City received its third NPDES permit from the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, <br />and has revised its Stormwater Monitoring Plan to incorporate some additional requirements and clarify the City’s <br />monitoring program so that it is informative to the general public. <br /> <br />The City’s NPDES permit includes monitoring and reporting requirements and a set of best management practices <br />that, collectively, reduce the discharge of pollutants from the municipal stormwater system to the maximum extent <br />practicable. From a national perspective, the NPDES permitting program has been a major force in the country’s <br />efforts to protect and restore the quality of the rivers, lakes and coastal waters. While water quality gains have been <br />made since the program was initiated, increases in population and development activities stress infrastructure and <br />threaten the water quality improvements made nationally. At the same time, water quality protection has become <br />increasingly complex – scientifically and socially. Modifications to Eugene’s Stormwater Monitoring Plan reflect this <br />national perspective, and include additional monitoring sites, a longer list of water quality parameters, and greater <br />clarity in the plan itself. <br /> <br />The revised Stormwater Monitoring Plan is available on the internet at www.eugene-or.gov/stormwater (see “Permits <br />& Regulations” and select “National Pollutant Discharge Eliminations System”) or by calling Water Resources <br />Manager Therese Walch at 541-682-5549. <br /> <br />Comments received by 5 p.m. Friday, Apr. 22, will be summarized in the City’s Stormwater Monitoring Plan submittal <br />to DEQ. Comments received after Apr. 22 will be taken into consideration for possible future modifications to the <br />City’s monitoring program. Written comments may be sent to NPDES Permit, Eugene Public Works, 99 East <br />Broadway, Suite 400, Eugene, OR 97401. Email comments may be sent to therese.walch@ci.eugene.or.us. <br /> <br />Disc Golf Course Considered in Alton Baker Park <br />Over the past year, Parks and Open Space (POS) and Recreation staff have been working together to consider the <br /> <br />addition of an 18-hole disc golf course in West Alton Baker Park. The second public meeting was held on Feb. 23at <br />the Hilyard Community Center, where over 50 citizens came to hear a presentation on the current proposal. The <br />presentation was followed by a lively question-and-answer period, after which attendees were requested to provide <br />feedback via a web-based survey on the POS disc golf webpage: www.eugene-or.gov/discgolf. <br /> <br />In order for the City to incur no additional maintenance <br />costs, the course would be built, maintained and <br />managed by a vendor under contract with the City. The <br />proposed plan is for an 18-hole ‘pay-to-play’ course that <br />would be carefully designed to avoid conflicts with <br />existing uses. The course would be temporarily permitted <br />for a period of up to five years, with annual permit review, <br />and renewal based on specific conditions being met. A <br />temporary permit is proposed due to the number and <br />extent of existing and approved future facilities in the <br />park’s master plan. Although not all the master plan <br />facilities are constructed yet, if or when they are, the <br />park’s capacity to accommodate all the people and cars <br />drawn into the park due to the facilities would be at its <br />upper limit. <br /> <br />The web survey for public feedback on the proposal was open through Sunday, Mar. 13, and received over 230 <br />responses, the highest response POS has had for a web survey. Staff is reviewing the survey response, and <br />continuing discussions with key stakeholders. A decision about the proposal is expected this spring. For more <br />information, contact Neil Bjorklund at 541-682-4909. <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 3 <br />March 24, 2011 <br />