HomeMy WebLinkAbout12/19/13 - City Council Newsletter
City of Eugene
125 East 8 Avenue, 2 Floor
thnd
Eugene, Oregon 97401
(541) 682-5010
(541) 682-5414 (FAX)
www.eugene-or.gov
Two-Week Edition of the
EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER
December 19, 2013
IN THIS EDITION
PUBLIC WORKS CLEANING UP AFTER MAJOR WINTER STORM
CITY SUSTAINABILITY LIAISON ATTENDS UNITED NATIONS-SPONSORED MEETING
ONE-DAY TRIALS TAKE GUESSWORK OUT OF CLASSES
WINTER BREAK FOR KIDS AND TEENS AT EUGENE PUBLIC LIBRARY
VIDEO ENCOURAGES PET OWNERS TO BE WELL-TRAINED
AROUND THE CITY
Public Works Cleaning Up after Major Winter Storm
Public Works has entered the recovery phase of a major winter storm event that put the department in emergency
response mode for seven days.
Public Works opened its emergency command center (ECC) early
on Friday morning, Dec. 6, and operated round-the-clock until 6
a.m. on Friday, Dec. 13. It quickly became apparent that the volume
of snow and the continued sub-freezing temperatures were more
than had been forecast, and an ice-snow emergency was declared
several hours after opening the ECC on Dec. 6.
Using priority route maps and constant field reports, staff used a
combination of plowing, sanding and deicing to clear roadways or
provide traction when the packed snow and ice became too hard
to plow effectively. Crews also cleared snow and ice from a
number of downtown access ramps, sidewalks, pedestrian bridges
and bikeways.
Over the course of the seven-day emergency response, crews applied 957 cubic yards of gravel and 6,583 gallons of
magnesium chloride deicer. Response crews logged nearly 4,000 hours. Total costs of the effort to date are in the range of
$125,000. Public Works budgeted about $100,000 in road and stormwater funds for emergency storm responses in FY14,
and some of the $125,000 is for regular personnel costs and equipment costs the department would have incurred for
other activities (such as leaf collection) had the storm not occurred, so it appears that any non-budgeted expenses can be
met through some thoughtful prioritization of road and stormwater activities for the rest of the fiscal year.
Meanwhile, the snow is gone, but the event lives on in the recovery phase. City sweepers are making a concerted effort to
clear the sand from arterial routes by the end of this week, and then the effort will shift to the south hills, where much of
the traction sand was applied. The sweepers will be doing double duty as they also are needed to support the leaf collection
program, which resumed on Monday.
For more information, please contact Surface Operations Manager Eric Johnson at 541-682-4904.
City Sustainability Liaison Attends United Nations-Sponsored Meeting
Sustainability Liaison Babe O’Sullivan was recently invited to attend a meeting of the North American Roundtable on
Sustainable Production and Consumption (NARSPAC) at the invitation of the United Nations Environmental Programme, a
trip paid for by the UN. The group is a consortium of American and Canadian government representatives, academic and
international organizations working to advance the UN’s 10 Year Framework of Programmes on Sustainable Consumption
and Production.
EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 1
December 19, 2013
The meeting provided a broad overview of international sustainable development goals as well as focused discussion of
strategic opportunities such as sustainable purchasing, outreach and communication, research to support policy and
implementation and partnership with cities. Participants included representatives from the Environmental Protection
Agency, Department of Agriculture, State Department, United Nations Environmental Programme, Integrative Strategies
Forum, Sustainable Purchasing Leadership Council, Sustainable Consumption Research and Action Initiative (SCORAI),
Center for a New American Dream and others.
For more information, contact Babe O’Sullivan at 541-682-5017.
One-Day Trials Take Guesswork Out of Classes
Eugene Recreation is offering a variety of free one-day classes from Jan. 3 – 15 for
participants to try before committing to an entire session of classes. These classes include:
Aikido and Tai Chi; land fitness, including yoga and Zumba; and water fitness. Also for free,
try belly dancing, folk dancing, line dancing or Nia, as well as oil or water painting and an
Italian language class. Those who attend one of three free walking groups or a biking group
on specified dates will receive a free hot drink.
While there is no charge for Try-For-Free classes, preregistration is required (except for
water fitness). See the entire list of Try-For-Free classes with dates, times and locations.
Register online.
For more information, call Recreation Programmer Tom Powers at 541-682-5318.
Winter Break for Kids and Teens at Eugene Public Library
During winter break, all locations of the Eugene Public Library will host a free clown show for kids. The delightfully
hilarious Heather Pearl (shown in picture) stars in Mz. Pearl’s Variety Show filled with physical comedy, juggling,
underpants, magic, and dance. Each performance includes a hands-on Circus Workshop for kids to get into the act. Join the
fun on Friday, Jan. 3, at 1 p.m., at Bethel Library, or at 3 p.m., at Sheldon Library. On Saturday, Jan. 4, there will be shows at
the Downtown Library at 1 and 3 p.m. (downtown only: pick up free tickets starting 30 minutes before each show).
Heather Pearl has been making people laugh for almost 20 years. Currently an artistic
director of the Nomadic Theatre Co. in Portland, she has also performed with DoJump!
Extremely Physical Theatre, the SF Women’s Circus, Dell’Arte Players, and Clowns
without Borders.
Teens are invited to get creative at “Duct Tape Crafts” at the Downtown Library on
Thursday, Jan. 2, at 2 p.m. Also on Jan. 2, middle and high schoolers can start applying for
the winter session of Teen Team, volunteering at the Downtown Library. This session of
Teen Team will meet on Tuesdays, from 4 to 5 p.m., from Jan. 28 through Mar. 18. Teens
volunteer together to help staff prepare items for check out, set up crafts projects for
kids’ programs, create displays, clean and organize books, and more. Pick up applications
at any Library location.
For more information, contact the Eugene Public Library at 541-682-8316 or www.eugene-or.gov/library.
Video Encourages Pet Owners to Be Well-Trained
The popularity of dogs in urban areas creates problems when pet waste washes
into local waterways. Many people fail to pick up after pets because they don’t
realize that bacteria stay in the environment and travel in stormwater.
“Canines for Clean Water” is an outreach program that combines education with a
reward—a bright blue bandana for dogs and their owners who pledge to pick up
after their pet. A video written, filmed and edited by Jeffrey Jane Flowers, visual
communications specialist for Public Works, provides a humorous canine
perspective on the challenge of “untrained humans” and the reward of a free
bandana. View the one-minute video on www.eugene-or.gov/cleancanines.
For more information, contact Jeffrey Jane Flowers at 541-682-8482.
EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 2
December 19, 2013