Laserfiche WebLink
Ms. Taylor commended the presentation. She said that the City was building on what people living in <br />earlier times had started, which she thought was great. She asked if there were still gaps in the Ridgeline <br />Trail to be filled. Mr. Wold said yes. He identified two areas on a map where those gaps existed. He <br />said in addition, the City had acquired some land in other areas for the trail but had not been able to <br />financially afford to construct the trail. <br />Ms. Taylor asked if there was a plan for bicycle parking at the west end of the trail at 52 Avenue and <br />Willamette Street. She suggested that if such parking existed, people could ride their bicycles to the trail <br />and leave them to access the trail. Mr. Wold did not believe there was bicycle parking at any trailhead in <br />the system and said he would give the matter some thought. <br />Responding to a question from Ms. Taylor, Mr. Wold confirmed that there were rattlesnakes living on <br />Spencer Butte. He further confirmed that the signage on the Spencer Butte trail had been improved, and <br />many of the planned capital improvements were intended to address conditions on that trail, including <br />muddy conditions. Ms. Taylor asked how the City addressed vandalism at the trailheads. Mr. Wold <br />acknowledged that such vandalism was a challenge for many of the City's remote sites. He reported that <br />the main parking lot at Spencer Butte was equipped with digital motion - sensitive cameras to capture <br />images and staff continued to work to improve that system and the images that it produced. He hoped it <br />served as some deterrent. <br />Responding to a question from Mr. Poling about who made the determination that an area had high <br />habitat value, Mr. Wold said those areas were identified in a series of public meetings and with the <br />assistance of staff from various public agencies. He clarified that the intent was not to acquire all the <br />private lands that contained high - quality habitat, but rather that the habitat values might be preserved <br />through the efforts of willing private owners. Mr. Poling asked how much bond money was left for <br />ridgeline acquisitions. Mr. Wold said once the pending acquisition was completed, the money for <br />ridgeline expenditures would be exhausted. <br />Responding to a question from Mr. Poling about funding sources for operations and maintenance, Mr. <br />Wold believed there was the potential to secure some grant finding for capital restoration and trail work. <br />He said more routine operations and maintenance activities were generally not grant- eligible. Staff <br />attempted to be as efficient in its operations and maintenance practices as possible. <br />Mr. Poling asked if the operations and maintenance backlog would grow as quickly as the transportation <br />system backlog. City Manager Ruiz said yes. He said all infrastructures had a similar aging curve and at <br />some point deterioration occurred at an increased pace. <br />Mayor Piercy suggested that the council and staff consider the example of Awbrey Park, where volunteers <br />had assumed some maintenance responsibilities. She asked how the City could continue to build such <br />public investment in the parks system with understanding of the limits of that resource. <br />Mr. Farr noted the extensive volunteer contributions made to other parks such as Golden Gardens and <br />Irwin parks. Speaking to the mayor's remarks about the economic impact of the City's park system, Mr. <br />Farr said he recently discussed why people live in Eugene with a developer, who believed it was because <br />of the beautiful surrounding environment that existed in the community. <br />Speaking to Ms. Taylor's question about vandalism, Mr. Farr suggested the City take advantage of the <br />presence of local firms who might be able to help with technology solutions. <br />MINUTES — Eugene City Council May 11, 2011 Page 3 <br />Work Session <br />