HomeMy WebLinkAboutJune 26, 2014 - 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
EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER
June 26, 2014
IN THIS EDITION
NEW GRANT-FUNDED WEBSITE HIGHLIGHTS WETLAND PRAIRIE RESTORATION TECHNIQUES
EUGENE TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM PLAN POLICY REVIEW
RECREATION DIVISION’S SUMMER CAMPS BEGIN
DOWNTOWN EUGENE PUBLIC LIBRARY TO REDUCE SUNDAY HOURS
ROAD REPAIR PROJECTS IN FULL SWING
SAVE MONEY AND TIME: DISCOVER THE INFO HUB AT EUGENE PUBLIC LIBRARY
AROUND THE CITY
New Grant-Funded Website Highlights Wetland Prairie Restoration Techniques
A new website represents the capstone to a 10-year U.S. Environmental Protection Agency- (EPA) funded project
undertaken by Parks and Open Space staff. Wetland Prairie Restoration: An Online Resource is a comprehensive
introduction to the history and ecology
of wetland prairies in the Willamette
Valley and overview of the restoration
process. The new webpage, which is
hosted on the Cascadia Prairie Oak
Partnership website, was created by
students in the University of Oregon’s
Environmental Leadership Program.
The online resource is based on the
soon-to-be-completed Practical
Guidelines for Wetland Prairie
Restoration in the Willamette Valley,
Oregon, which distills 10 years of
research and lessons learned in the
Willamette Valley region. The
restoration guide was developed by the
City of Eugene, Lane Council of
Governments, and the Institute for
Applied Ecology to share how-to
recommendations with wetland
restoration practitioners and promote
effective wetland conservation.
In addition to the website and guide, Parks and Open Space staff, along with partners at the Institute for Applied Ecology
and Jeff Krueger Environments, hosted a workshop to train over 90 wetland experts in wetland prairie restoration
techniques using the City’s Coyote Prairie as a demonstration site. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency generously
provided funding to support this 10-year project through multiple Wetland Program Development Grants to the City and
its partners.
For more information, contact Natural Areas Restoration Supervisor Trevor Taylor at trevor.h.taylor@ci.eugene.or.us or
541-682-4888.
EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 1
June 26, 2014
Eugene Transportation System Plan Policy Review
On Monday, June 30, the Transportation Community Resource Group (TCRG) will discuss goals and policies that will direct
Eugene’s transportation priorities and expenditures for the next 20 years. These policies, once adopted by the City Council,
will be a key component in Eugene’s Transportation System Plan (TSP). The TSP will be an element of Envision Eugene,
the City’s long-range plan for creating a future that is livable, sustainable, beautiful and prosperous.
The TSP is important because it will determine how the City spends its limited transportation monies, for what purposes,
and in what order. The goals and policies were structured to integrate “triple bottom line” sustainability considerations
(i.e., economy, equity, and environment) into the transportation plan from the outset. The TCRG, a broad-based committee
of citizen advisors to City staff, also used this sustainability framework to prioritize a list of potential transportation
projects and programs.
Next steps include preparing cost estimates for the proposed projects and 20-year revenue projections, analyzing how
traffic will function as the city grows as portrayed in Envision Eugene, and packaging the Transportation System Plan for
adoption.
The public is invited to comment on all phases of Eugene’s Transportation System Plan. The Transportation Community
Resource Group will review the draft policies on June 30 from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in the Eugene Public Library,
Bascom-Tykeson Rooms. A set of draft policies, a list of recommended projects, and comment forms are available at
www.EugeneTSP.org. For more information about the Transportation System Plan, please contact Senior Transportation
Planner Kurt Yeiter at 541-682-8379.
Recreation Division’s Summer Camps Begin
This week, dozens of children, youth and teens began attending one of 19 summer camps offered by the Recreation
Division. Recreation has more than 150 summer camps on tap, all of which will be held by the end of August. The week-
long camps range from “Magical Make Believe” for three- to five-year-olds, to
“Virtue-Oso-Good,” for six- to 11-year-olds that includes a trip to the AC
Gilbert Discovery Museum in Salem; camps for teens such as Junior Aquatics
Staff, Opal Arts Camp, the Four Rs: Ropes, Rock, Ride & Raft camp, and
Counselor-in-Training. Recreation’s free playground program, Fun for All, will
be held each weekday at seven neighborhood parks, beginning June 30.
The Recreation Division has 300 camp counselors and 40 lifeguards on staff
for the summer. Each received training to ensure that campers have fun and
learn new things in a safe, respectful and supportive environment. Many of
Recreation’s regular employees got their first job working for the City as a
camp counselor or lifeguard.
For more information about Recreation’s summer camps, contact Recreation Services Director Craig Smith at 541-682-
5334.
Downtown Eugene Public Library to Reduce Sunday Hours
Starting July 6, the Downtown Eugene Public Library will be open on Sundays from 1 to 6 p.m. Previously, the Downtown
Library opened at 10 a.m. on Sundays. The reduction in open hours is one of the cost-saving measures taken to balance the
City of Eugene budget for the coming year (Fiscal Year 2015).
The new budget’s effects on Eugene Public Library services are: Bethel Branch will remain open; Sheldon Branch will
remain open for one year while options for future funding are explored, and the Downtown Library will be open fewer
hours on Sundays. Hours at the Library’s Bethel and Sheldon branches, and all outside book returns, will not change. Open
hours at the Bethel and Sheldon branches were previously reduced as part of the 2012 budget.
According to Library Director Connie Bennett, “The decision to reduce these particular hours at the downtown location
was based on an analysis of patterns of public use. Our goals included ensuring as much access as possible to library
services, and best use of tax dollars to meet community needs in a fiscally sustainable manner.”
For more information, contact the Eugene Public Library at 541-682-5450 or www.eugene-or.gov/library.
EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 2
June 26, 2014
Road Repair Projects in Full Swing
Road and multi-use path repair projects are in full swing around the city as the height of summer approaches. Primary
sources of funding for the projects come from the voter-approved 2012 bond measure to fix streets and the City’s local gas
tax. Several of the most visible projects include:
Construction on the 2014 bicycle and pedestrian
improvements project began this week and will continue until
Labor Day. The project will construct improvements at various
locations throughout the City – including Acorn Park, Green Acres
Road, Fern Ridge Path near the east end of the Lane County
Fairgrounds, Amazon Parkway at 24 Avenue, Hilyard Street at
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28 Avenue, and 30 Avenue at University Street – and includes
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several access ramps, a pedestrian refuge island with a
rectangular rapid-flashing beacon and a pedestrian hybrid
beacon.
Work continues on 13 Avenue between Polk and Washington
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streets. The contractor will complete top-lift paving on Monday.
The remainder of the week will be spent adjusting manholes and
water valves to the new pavement surface. The project schedule
is designed to have all work finished on this section of 13
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Avenue before the Lane County Fair begins. After the fair is over,
the contractor will begin pavement repairs on the section
Workers from Knife River shovel asphalt on West 13th
between Garfield and Polk streets.
A $975,000 project to stabilize and enhance Amazon Creek between Chambers and Garfield streets has resumed. On
Monday July 7, the portion of the Fern Ridge multi-use path between Chambers and Hayes streets will be closed for an
extended period to allow trucks to haul excess soil away and bring rock into the site. Cyclists and pedestrians will be
directed to use a detour route along 15 Avenue. The section of Amazon Creek from Chambers to Garfield has had erosion
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problems and creek bank failures. City natural resources specialists and engineers developed this project to stabilize the
eroded banks, improve stormwater conveyance and enhance habitat potential. Last summer the contractor completed
much of the work between Garfield and Hayes streets.
Initial construction is under way on Marshall Avenue from Echo Hollow Road to Hughes Street and on Dillard Road
from East 43 Avenue to North Shasta Loop and Firland Boulevard. In the coming week, the contractor will be
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reconstructing sidewalk ramps and sawcutting the asphalt roadway for base repairs.
The concrete paving on Coburg Road at the south end of the Ferry Street Bridge is expected to begin in mid- to late-July.
Reader boards will be set up a week in advance of the work. This work will consist of a single lane closure in one direction
over a period of four weekends, Friday night through early Monday morning. Also coming up in mid- to late-July, are
repairs to West First Avenue, Madison Street and Monroe Street.
Weekly road reports are provided to the local media and can be viewed online at www.keepusmoving.info. For more
information about road projects, visit www.eugene-or.gov/pwprojects or contact Pavement Preservation Program
Manager Jenifer Willer at 541-501-0376.
Save Money and Time: Discover the Info Hub at Eugene Public Library
There are lots of great sites on the Internet – but it’s hard to know which to rely on. Plus, many of the best sites require
payment. Experts at the Eugene Public Library have evaluated the quality of these services for the public. These premium
resources and tools can be used free of charge through the Library website.
The Info Hub at the Library’s website connects to excellent sites covering dozens of topics including genealogy, language
learning, job search, health, consumer info, homework help, test preparation, newspapers and magazines, and much, much
more.
Learn more at “Discover the Info Hub,” a free workshop at the Downtown Library on Thursday, July 3, at 1:30 p.m.; at the
Bethel Branch on Tuesday, July 15, at 6 p.m.; and at the Sheldon Branch on Tuesday, July 22, at 6 p.m. For more
information, contact the Eugene Public Library at www.eugene-or.gov/library or 541-682-5450.
EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 3
June 26, 2014