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Home My WebLink About07/16/15 - 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 July 16, 2015 IN THIS EDITION SIX THOUSAND PARTICIPANTS EXPECTED AT JULY 26 SUNDAY STREETS EVENT CITY STAFF RECEIVES GUBERNATORIAL APPOINTMENT FIFTH ANNUAL YOUNG WOMEN’S FIRE CAMP A SUCCESS BRIDGE CONSTRUCTION WILL BENEFIT PEOPLE WHO DRIVE, BIKE, WALK AND USE TRANSIT OAK SAVANNA AND CONIFER WOODLAND RESTORATION TO BEGIN AT MURRAY HILL AROUND THE CITY Six Thousand Participants Expected at July 26 Sunday Streets Event The first Eugene Sunday Streets event of the summer is fast approaching, and promises to be the biggest Sunday Streets yet, with over 6,000 participants, 200 volunteers and three activity centers. This free, fun, family-friendly event is made possible through volunteer and community support. Downtown Eugene from the Park Blocks to Kesey Square and all the way down Broadway to Monroe Park will be car-free and filled with fun on Sunday, July 26,from noon to 4 p.m. Participants can enjoy a relaxing roll or stroll through a cornucopia of food, music, fitness classes and bike demos. New activities at Sunday Streets this year include “Art on a Box,” offering 20-minute open mic sets from local artists, a dunk tank at Monroe Park, and an upcycle T-shirt decorating competition sponsored by MECCA and St. Vincent DePaul’s. There will be live music at Kesey Square and Monroe Park, and the Park Blocks will host a BMX bike clinic and dancers from Flex Studios. The Emerald City Roller Girls will be running open rec practices in Oak Alley. Truly there will be something for everyone. Volunteers are the key to making this free community event a success, and there are still openings for various roles. Volunteer time slots average two hours, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Volunteer training is offered Tuesday, July 21, from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m., and Wednesday, July 22, from noon to 1 p.m. Take note of July 26, and stay tuned for a September event in the Friendly Neighborhood on Sunday, Sept, 20, from noon to 4 p.m. For more information, contact Emily Farthing, Eugene Sunday Streets coordinator, at 541-501-0390, email SundayStreets@ci.eugene.or.us, or visit online at www.EugeneSundayStreets.org. City Staff Receives Gubernatorial Appointment Finance Director, Sue Cutsogeorge, has been appointed by Governor Kate Brown to a position on the Oregon Short Term Fund Board. The recommendation for this appointment was made to Governor Brown by the League of Oregon Cities. The Oregon Short Term Fund Board advises the Oregon Investment Council and the Oregon State Treasury Investment staff in the management of the Oregon Short Term Fund (OSTF). The Oregon Short Term Fund Board further assists local governments in the development of policies concerning funds invested outside of the OSTF. The Oregon Short EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 1 July 16, 2015 Term Fund Board is comprised of the Oregon State Treasurer or designee, three public members appointed by the Oregon State Treasurer and three local government members appointed by the Governor. Appointed board members serve a four-year term without compensation. The OSTF, which totaled $12.5 billion as of December 2014, is a short-term cash investment vehicle available for state and local governments to use for deposits of idle cash. All State agencies are required to use the fund. Oregon local governments have an option to invest in the Oregon Local Government Investment Pool (LGIP), a part of the OSTF. Oregon's LGIP was created by the legislature in 1973. Since its inception, over 900 local governments in Oregon have participated in the pool. For more information about the Oregon Short Term Fund Board, contact Finance Director Sue Cutsogeorge at Sue.L.Cutsogeorge@ci.eugene.or.us or call 541-682-5589. Fifth Annual Young Women’s Fire Camp a Success Last week, Eugene Springfield Fire hosted its fifth Annual Young Women’s Fire Camp. There were 13 campers between the ages of 13 and 18, and seven other young women who returned for their second summer to serve as support staff to the six female firefighters who coordinated and led the camp. The goals of the camp are to teach participants self-confidence, leadership, team building, social skills and FUN, along with basic training in firefighting, emergency medical treatment, and self-defense. On the final day, the campers witnessed a live fire demonstration and entered the fire training building escorted by fire department personnel. This gave campers the opportunity to wear firefighting gear and experience live fire in a controlled environment. Additionally, Assistant City Manager Sarah Medary participated in several sessions, and joined campers in the live fire exercise. To learn more about how to prepare to become a firefighter paramedic, or to inquire about next year’s camp, visit www.eugene-or.gov/fire, http://www.ci.springfield.or.us/dept_fir.htm, or contact Training Chief Matt Ennis at 541-682-7131. Bridge Construction Will Benefit People Who Drive, Bike, Walk and Use Transit This summer, the West Eugene EmX project will widen the bridge on West 11 Avenue that spans Amazon Creek and th the Fern Ridge Path between Bailey Hill and Bertelsen roads. The goal is to maintain traffic flow on West 11 Avenue th while providing EmX service along the busy corridor. To reach this goal, West 11Avenue and the bridge will be th widened by two lanes. This design will retain two eastbound lanes, two westbound lanes, and a center turn lane for regular traffic. The additional east- and westbound EmX lanes will be shared with motorists for making right turns. During this summer’s construction, one eastbound lane on West 11Avenue will be restricted from travel, and the south- th side sidewalk will be closed. The bridge-widening work also will close a portion of the Fern Ridge Path to bicyclists and pedestrians this summer. A detour route using Bailey Hill and Stewart roads will allow path users to travel around the Photo simulation of a new bike-pedestrian bridge closed area. Also this summer, the EmX project will build two new bicycle/pedestrian bridges over Amazon Creek to connect the Fern Ridge Path with West 11 Avenue and nearby neighborhoods. One bridge will be built between Bailey Hill and th Bertelsen roads; the second bridge will be built near Buck and Seneca streets. The City of Eugene will build a third bridge for pedestrians and cyclists in 2016. The third bridge will be located between Bertelsen Road and the Randy Papé Beltway, near Target in west Eugene. EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 2 July 16, 2015 The three new bicycle-pedestrian bridges will give path users more convenient ways to reach businesses and the new EmX stations that will be placed on West 11 Avenue. Total cost of the three bridges is $5.8 million, with $2.9 million th coming from a ConnectOregon grant and the balance coming from federal EmX funds and City matching funds. Those who wish to receive West Eugene EmX project updates can visit weemx.ltd.org or email weemx@ltd.org. For more information, contact Lee Shoemaker, the City’s bicycle-pedestrian coordinator, at 541-682-5471. Oak Savanna and Conifer Woodland Restoration to Begin at Murray Hill Work is slated to get under way in late July on a project to restore and enhance habitat conditions at Murray Hill Park. The work is being funded under an Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board (OWEB) grant for $123,500 awarded to the Parks and Open Space Division and the Long Tom Watershed Council. The project will restore the site’s oak savannas, oak woodlands, and conifer woodland, with the objectives of improving conditions for wildlife, reducing wildfire risk, enhancing forest health, and providing native ecosystems for enjoyment by the community. The target ecosystem, oak woodland and savanna, are regionally rare and are used by over 200 Willamette Valley species including western bluebirds, western gray squirrels, many native plants and associated pollinators. Protecting and restoring these habitats has been identified by many organizations and planning efforts as a conservation priority in Oregon, with some of the best remaining oak habitat found in and around Eugene. The project also offers the opportunity to enhance the quality of Murray Hill’s conifer forest areas. When complete, the work will release large, legacy savanna oaks from shading and competition, and the conifer forest health will be improved, promoting development of old-growth Douglas fir. The project will also reduce fuel loads throughout the southern half of the park reducing the vulnerability of the area to the hazards of wildfire. Project activities are planned for late July through the end of August. A small forestry crew will remove overstocked and encroaching trees, primarily Douglas fir, from conifer woodland and oak habitats using restoration forestry practices. Although there are no official trailheads or trails at Murray Hill, the site will be closed for the duration of the project for the public’s safety. For more information, please contact Ecologist Emily Steel at emily.c.steel@ci.eugene.or.us, or call 541-682-4874. EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 3 July 16, 2015