HomeMy WebLinkAbout04-09-15 - City Council Newsletter
City of Eugene
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Eugene, Oregon 97401
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www.eugene-or.gov
EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER
April 9, 2015
IN THIS EDITION
WEST EUGENE WETLAND MITIGATION BANK HAS SOLD ITS FINAL CREDITS
WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT TOURS REVEAL LOCAL EFFORTS TO PROTECT WATERWAYS
2014 TOXICS RIGHT-TO-KNOW PROGRAM DATA NOW AVAILABLE
METRO TV CHANNEL 21 RECEIVES INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL FILMS ON SPECIAL LOAN
AROUND THE CITY
West Eugene Wetland Mitigation Bank Has Sold Its Final Credits
The West Eugene Wetland Mitigation Bank recently sold its final credits and will formally close its ledger. The West Eugene
Wetlands Mitigation Bank was the first mitigation bank in the state of Oregon. Beginning in the mid-1990s, it set an
example of wetland restoration excellence that helped propel wetland
mitigation, and broader ecological restoration, in the Willamette Valley
and beyond. The bank provided developers with a reliable way to meet
mitigation requirements, thereby allowing permitted development
projects to proceed in a predictable manner. In short, the first wetland
bank was a huge “win-win” for the environment and sound urban
development.
Over its 20-year existence, the bank sold over 135 credits and restored
almost 260 acres of wetlands in west Eugene. Lessons learned through the
bank contributed to production of a seminal guide and website for wetland
prairie restoration (http://cascadiaprairieoak.org/resources/wet-prairie-
guide) used by practitioners throughout the Willamette Valley. The success
of the West Eugene Bank also helped staff start a second mitigation bank
(Coyote Prairie North Mitigation Bank), which continues to restore land and generate new credits. Wetlands restored
through the West Eugene Wetland Bank will benefit the community for many generations to come.
For more information, contact Natural Areas and Urban Forestry Manager Eric Wold at 541-682-4842.
Wastewater Treatment Plant Tours Reveal Local Efforts to Protect Waterways
As national Water Week (April 12 - 18) nears, it’s a good reminder to take note of local efforts to protect the health of
waterways. Every hour of every day, an important public service is quietly working to help keep the water and
environment clean. The Metropolitan Wastewater Management Commission or
MWMC (a partnership of Eugene, Springfield, and Lane County) protects the health
and safety of the local community and environment by effectively managing
wastewater treatment.
The City of Eugene Wastewater Division operates and maintains all regional
wastewater treatment facilities in the Eugene, Springfield, and urban growth boundary areas, under an intergovernmental
agreement with the Metropolitan Wastewater Management Commission (MWMC). In-depth tours of the Regional Water
Pollution Control Facility (aka wastewater treatment plant on River Avenue) are a great way to learn more about how
wastewater is managed regionally. Each year, more than 700 people – the majority of them students from area schools –
tour the plant. Free tours are available to interested groups year-round, Monday through Friday.
To book a tour, email regional staff at mwmcpartners@springfield-or.gov or call Michelle Cahill, director of the Public
Works Wastewater Division, at 541-682-8606.
EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 1
April 10, 2015
2014 Toxics Right-to-Know Program Data Now Available
With Eugene’s Toxics Right-to-Know Program now in its 19 year, 2014 Materials Balance Reports have been filed
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electronically by all 33 businesses that are required to report. Data from the 2014 Toxics Reports are available on the
Toxics Program’s website at www.eugene-or.gov/toxics, and in printed form at the Eugene Public Library as required by
the City Charter.
For more information on the Eugene Toxics Right-to-Know Program, contact Jo Eppli at 541-682-7118.
Metro TV Channel 21 Receives International Film Festival Films on Special Loan
Lane County Metro TV Channel 21 has been loaned two indie films from two area international juried film festivals, with
the permission of the filmmakers and through the auspices of the City of Eugene’s Telecommunications and Cable Program.
Metro TV staff review and accept each film.
The opportunity to view these two feature length, family-friendly films accepted by 2015 film
festivals, provides a rare occasion for Community TV to showcase indie films currently on the
festival circuit. Each film will be loaned for a month with no limitation on the number of
times that Channel 21 can air the film. The titles and schedules of the films will be
announced on Channel 21 after the festival donating the film has concluded.
One film is being loaned by the non-profit DisOrient Asian American International Film Festival(www.disorientfilm.org),
sited in Eugene, which is celebrating its 10 Anniversary from April 17- 19 (with a special production workshop on April
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16 at the New Hope Center) at the Bijou Art Cinemas on 13 Avenue. Mayor Kitty Piercy will provide opening comments.
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The second film is being loaned by the non-profit Archeology International Film Festival
(archaeologychannel.org/events-guide/international-film-and-video-festival) also headquartered in
Eugene. This organization’s 2015 Film Festival is May 15 - 17, at the Shedd Institute.
Metro TV is operated within the Comcast broadcasting areas of Eugene, Springfield and Lane County.
Community TV channels are an effective means of reaching cable audiences on a wide range of issues via
channels provided through a contract with Comcast TV related to its long-term use of the public rights-
of-way.
For additional information about this new programming opportunity for Metro TV Channel 21, please contact
Telecommunications Program Manager Pam Berrian, Information Services Division, at 541-682-5590, or Robert Lewis,
Metro TV, at 541-682-3799.
EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 2
April 10, 2015