08/02/12 - City Council Newsletter

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Drywell Elimination Project Starts in Shirley Street Area The first in a series of projects to eliminate drywells in parts of River Road and Santa Clara begins Aug. 6. Sixteen drywells in the Shirley Street area in Santa Clara will be removed and the stormwater from that neighborhood will be redirected to flow into a specially designed swale in nearby Ferndale Park, under a $570,000 contract awarded by the Eugene Public Works Department to Eugene Sand Construction Inc. The goals of the drywell elimination program are to improve drainage and to protect local groundwater quality. Drywells collect stormwater runoff and direct it into the ground, as opposed to directing it to a piped system or waterway. The two most common types of drywell configurations in Eugene are a horizontal perforated pipe embedded in a rock-filled trench and a vertical manhole structure with perforated sides. There is not a piped stormwater system on Shirley Street; however, there is a unique solution that includes creating a large infiltration swale in an undeveloped area in nearby Ferndale Park. The storm runoff will be piped to the swale where it will filter through vegetation, infiltrate into the ground and, as needed, flow to the existing drainage way in the park, which is part of Spring Creek. Because the solution involves the use of a park, the City worked closely with neighbors and the Friends of Ferndale Park on design options for the swale and on how the project could improve the park. Many of their suggestions were incorporated into the project including enhancement of the existing segment of Spring Creek, replacing invasive non-native plants with substantial native plantings, and construction of a gravel path alongside the new swale. Construction is scheduled to take 10 weeks to complete. No costs will be charged directly to local property owners. Funding for the project comes from stormwater user fees paid by City of Eugene residents and businesses. Over the next several years, the City plans to remove City drywells throughout the River Road-Santa Clara area and is working closely with Lane County to remove drywells in unincorporated areas of River Road-Santa Clara. For more information about Eugene’s drywell elimination program, visit www.eugene-or.gov/drywell, or contact Project Manager Doug Singer at 541-682-8460. Parking Conference Coming to Eugene in 2013 The City of Eugene was selected to host the 2013 Pacific Intermountain Parking and Transportation Association’s (PIPTA) Conference & Tradeshow, which will bring over 150 new visitors to downtown Eugene next summer. PIPTA is a regional organization that represents parking and transportation professional in the states of Alaska, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming. Jeff Petry, the City of Eugene’s parking services manager, was recently elected as vice president of the PIPTA Board of Directors. For more information, contact Jeff Petry at 541-682-5079. Risk Services Has Another Successful Year Reducing Costs for City In FY12, the Risk Services Division was able to save a total of $1,035,751 for the organization in the following program areas: Damage to City Property - $223,370 Recovery for City property damaged mainly due to third-party vehicle accidents, including City vehicles, fire hydrants, trees, street lights, traffic signals, traffic signs, etc. The funds collected are returned directly to the affected City work units to offset expenses for the damage. Approximately $700,000 has been recovered over the past five years. For more information, contact Claims Coordinator Jan Bergquist at 541-682-5662. Workers’ Compensation Program - $559,138  Medical Bill Audit – $475,562 The City audits medical billings received for workers’ compensation claims to assure that payment for medical services does not exceed the state’s approved fee schedule. A total of $1.4 million has been saved over the past five years. EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 2 August 2, 2012