09/22/11 - City Council Newsletter

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Eugene Groundbreaking on Regional $8.3 Million Broadband Improvement Project Installation of fiber-optical cable that will bring high-speed Internet access to Eugene-Springfield area schools, fire stations and medical facilities will begin in earnest in the next few weeks. A groundbreaking ceremony will occur at 10 a.m. Friday, Sept. 23, at Irving Elementary School, 3200 Hyacinth Street in Eugene with remarks by the Director of the Broadband Technology Opportunities Program at the National Telecommunications and Information Agency, Anthony Wilhelm. The project is made possible by an $8.3 million grant from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration as a part of the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and the Broadband Technology Opportunities Program, to expand broadband access to rural communities as well as to “anchor institutions” that are critical to providing key public services, such as schools, medical service providers and public safety agencies. Administered by the Lane Council of Governments, and in conjunction with the work of the Regional Fiber Consortium, of which Eugene is a member, the grant will fund the installation of broadband cable in Lane, Douglas and Klamath counties, and will cover 21 communities including Eugene, Springfield, Coburg, Cottage Grove, Veneta, Lowell, Florence, and Oakridge. In the Eugene-Springfield area, the grant will assist the following agencies and organizations with broadband access:  Eugene fire stations 8, 9, 11 and 15  Several Bethel School District facilities, including Danebo, Meadow View, Prairie Mountain, Fairfield and Irving schools  The Springfield School District’s Walterville Elementary School  The Lane County Fairgrounds  Several area medical facilities Specific to Eugene, the grant will provide critical fiber-optic infrastructure connections to Eugene’s Fire Station 8, Fire Station 9, Fire Station 11, Fire Station 15, Petersen Barn, and a backup fiber path to the proposed new police building. The 2010 grant application received critical support from the Governor’s Office and the Oregon Public Utilities Commission as well as from the communities to be served. Others who helped were Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden, and Congressmen Peter DeFazio. Project information is at www.connectingoregon.org. For additional information, contact Randy Kolb at 541-682-5075 or Pam Berrian at 541-682-5590. Grant to Advance Police Forensics Evidence Unit A new grant will help the Eugene Police Department’s Forensic Evidence Unit make some significant advances. The Eugene Police Department (EPD) received notification it was awarded a Paul Coverdell Forensic Science Improvement Grant for $40,000. This grant program is funded through the U.S. Department of Justice's Office of Justice (National Institute of Justice) to improve the quality and timeliness of forensic science services, including services provided by units of local government. The EPD Forensic Evidence Unit (FEU) will use the award to obtain American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors/Laboratory Accreditation Board (ASCLD-LAB) certification, to train forensic laboratory and quality assurance personnel assisting with certification and for overtime to eliminate backlog in the analysis of forensic evidence. ASCLD/LAB is a recognized organization that accredits forensic laboratories within the United States and throughout the world. ASCLD/LAB accreditation reflects adherence to internationally recognized management and scientific procedures for forensic laboratories. Obtaining accreditation is an important step toward ensuring that the laboratory meets the highest professional standards. Accredited laboratories are better able to face challenges presented in court and bring additional credibility in judicial proceedings. Accreditation provides for an independent, impartial, objective system by which the laboratory can get a total operational review. It also provides a means by which the agency can be measured and monitored over time in the overall quality assurance of laboratory services provided to the Criminal Justice System. FEU provides high quality and timely forensic processing for EPD cases as well as federal agencies. Currently, the number of forensic laboratories in Oregon that have achieved ASCLD-LAB accreditation include one state laboratory and two federal laboratories. FEU will be the first local agency laboratory in Oregon to achieve ASCLD-LAB EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 4 September 22, 2011