HomeMy WebLinkAboutCC Newsletter - 06/01/06
EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER
June 1, 2006
City of Eugene
777 Pearl Street, Room 105
Eugene, Oregon 97401-2793
(541) 682-5010
(541) 682-5414 (FAX)
www.eugene-or.gov
IN THIS WEEK’S EDITION
GRANT AWARDED TO “HULT PRESENTS!”
CITY OF EUGENE LAUNCHES PESTICIDE-FREE PARKS PILOT PROGRAM
HULT CENTER - GROWING E-NEWS
WATER QUALITY-PROTECTED WATERWAYS OUTREACH UNDERWAY
AROUND THE CITY
Grant Awarded to “Hult Presents!”
Meg Trendler, chair of the Lane County Cultural Coalition, announced today that Hult Presents! was
awarded a grant for $1,800.00. The grant, submitted by Cultural Services employees Carol Philips and
Theresa Sizemore, is in support of the five performances of Danny, King of the Basement, one of the
family Hult Presents! selections for the FY06/07 season.
Danny was selected for the Hult Presents! family series this year in direct support of the City Council
priority to “Develop a strategy to help the homeless in Eugene.” The Canadian production is focused on
the story of Danny, a 10-year-old homeless child who harbors a deep secret—he cannot read.
Congratulations to staff for successfully securing this recognition and financial support. The award will be
presented at a special event, on Friday, June 1, 5:00 to 5:30 p.m. at the Hult Center, just prior to the First
Friday Art Walk. For more information, contact Theresa Sizemore at 682-5242.
City of Eugene Launches Pesticide-Free Parks Pilot Program
The City of Eugene is joining cities across the northwest, including Portland and Seattle, in launching a
pesticide-free parks pilot program. Eugene has chosen five parks to be maintained without the use of
pesticides during the one-year pilot program. Alternate methods such as flame weeding, hand weeding,
and mulching will be used to control weeds in the selected parks.
The overuse and misuse of pesticides is a significant source of chemicals that find their way into local
rivers, lakes, and other natural systems. The City’s pesticide-free parks program will be a showcase for
the many alternate methods available to solve pest problems. Five neighborhood parks from five of
Eugene’s six park districts were selected for the pilot program: Awbrey Park, Berkeley Park, Scobert
Gardens Park, Shadow Wood Park, and Gilbert Park. The City of Eugene Parks and Open Space
Division and the Northwest Coalition for Alternatives to Pesticides will host a kick-off celebration on
th
Saturday, June 3, from noon to 3 p.m. in Scobert Park, located at 1180 West 4 Avenue. There will be
live demonstrations of pesticide-free techniques, native plant giveaways, and children’s activities. For
more information contact Kevin Finney, parks maintenance manager, at 682-4809 or
kevin.p.finney@ci.eugene.or.us.
Hult Center – Growing e-News
E-mail is part of almost everyone’s daily life, especially the younger generations who rely on electronic
media for a large portion of their communications. In keeping with the techno-trends, one of the Hult
Center’s goals is to reach more ticket-buyers via its website and via e-mail.
EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 1
June 1, 2006
The Hult Center works actively to provide updated information on its consumer website,
www.HultCenter.org, which is managed in-house. The website, developed and maintained primarily to
inform the consumer of all events and create sales, has been upgraded over the past 18 months to
display a more colorful and trendier look.
For well over two years, the Hult Center has provided an e-News service, communicating all events,
coming attractions and additional important (and fun) news. The primary goal is to grow the e-News
subscriber list through ongoing cross-marketing of e-News and contests (a “win tickets” contest in March
gained 80 new subscribers), and by continually strengthening opportunities to subscribe. For instance, a
hot-link to the subscriber page has been included in the confirmation e-mail when a patron purchases
tickets from HultCenter.org. These strategies have increased the subscriber base to over 2,400.
Interested individuals may sign up for e-News via HultCenter.org.
In order to keep e-News fresh and exciting, new e-News templates, which match the look of the website,
are now in use, moving from text-only to html and text formats. This allows for more vibrant, colorful
and exciting ways to communicate. The first of the new templates was “premiered” with an invitation to
Hult Center subscribers to sign up for the resident companies’ own e-News letters. Subscribers confirm
that the new presentation is much appreciated.
Hult Center staff is proud that the Open and Click-thru rates of e-News communications are consistently
at or above the national average for the entertainment industry. Nationally, open rates are at 11.18% -
15.22%; the Hult Center’s are 26.7%-38.9% depending on the day of the week. Nationally, click rates are
at 1.11%-2.11%; the Hult Center’s are 0.6%-5%. Staff consistently works to gain subscribers, increase
click and open rates, and improve on bounce rates.
Representative of the electronic communications environment, web ticket sales are strong and growing
stronger. From FY 03/04 to FY 04/05, increases were +12% in ticket sales (dollars) and +25% in the
amount of tickets sold. From FY 04/05 to FY 05/06, increases are +18% in ticket sales (dollars) and
+14% in the amount of tickets sold. It is essential to invest financial and labor resources to maintain this
important medium, and to grow and advance the sophistication of the e-News sales-oriented
communication. This is an example of the Cultural Services Division fulfilling its mission to enrich the
cultural life of the region by actively seeking new patrons and by developing future audiences. For more
information, contact Billie Rathbun-Moser, marketing manager, at 682-8380.
Water Quality-Protected Waterways Outreach Underway
Next week, more than 5,000 local property owners will receive a fact sheet and an invitation to an open
house to learn more about water-quality protected waterways and how efforts to further protect
waterways may affect property uses.
The City of Eugene is proposing new requirements for protecting water quality-impaired waterways
(WQPW) as part of the City’s overall program for reducing urban stormwater pollution. The fact sheet
provides a summary of why protections are needed, what they include, the process and schedule for
adoption, and how to get additional information and participate in the process.
At the heart of the effort is recognition that waterways provide significant benefits, that land development
practices can have water quality impacts, and that Eugene is required to bring any “water quality-
impaired” waterways into compliance with state and federal water quality regulations. The Willamette
River, Amazon Creek, Amazon Diversion Channel, A3 Channel and Willow Creek are all listed as “water
quality- impaired” waterways on the Environmental Protection Agency’s 303(d) list. Local plans and
policies also seek to protect headwater streams, including those in the South Hills area.
The open house will be held Thursday, June 15, from 4:30 to 7 p.m. at the Hilyard Community Center
Multi-Purpose Room, 2580 Hilyard Street. Additional information, including a detailed map showing
potential buffer zones around specific waterways, will be posted on the City’s web site prior to the open
house. For more information, contact Therese Walch, WQPW project manager, at 682-8647.
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June 1, 2006