HomeMy WebLinkAbout09/10/15 - 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
September 10, 2015
IN THIS EDITION
HAZARDOUS FUELS REDUCTION AND HABITAT RESTORATION BEGINS AT WILD IRIS RIDGE
PARKING SUPERVISOR EARNS GREEN GARAGE ASSESSORS CERTIFICATE
EUGENE SPRINGFIELD FIRE DEPARTMENT RECEIVES RECOGNITION FOR FIREFIGHTER GRANTS
BRING HOME AND GARDEN TOUR SUNDAY
AROUND THE CITY
Hazardous Fuels Reduction and Habitat Restoration Begins at Wild Iris Ridge
Work began this week on a project to remove dense vegetation from an overstocked forest stand at Wild Iris Ridge
Park, a 228-acre site in the southwest hills. Once an open oak savanna, this area has become overgrown with Douglas fir
and invasive cherry trees. City contractors will remove a subset of these trees and
dense brush from a 20-acre portion of the site to improve oak habitat and reduce
hazardous fuels.
Removing dense understory and other wildfire fuels decreases the chances of wildfire
near a residential area and improves the ability of firefighting personnel to respond if
needed. The work is being funded by a Community Assistance Grant from the U.S.
Bureau of Land Management (BLM) awarded to the Parks and Open Space Division.
The grant is being implemented in partnership with the BLM Eugene District office
and the Eugene Springfield Fire Department.
Fuels reduction activities are consistent with the City's habitat management goals for
the site described in the 2008 Wild Iris Ridge Management Plan. For public safety
purposes, the public is asked to stay out of the restoration site while the project is
under way. The site will likely reopen at the end of the month.
Oak trees at Wild Iris Ridge
For more information, please contact Ecologist Emily Steel at
emily.c.steel@ci.eugene.or.us, or call 541-682-4874.
Parking Supervisor Earns Green Garage Assessors Certificate
City of Eugene Parking Supervisor Travis Hargitt has earned his Green Garage Assessors Certificate. Green garage
assessors are parking professionals trained by the Green Parking Council on the Green Garage Certification Standard
and the certification process.
The Green Garage Certificate is the world’s only rating system that defines and
recognizes sustainable practices in parking structure management, programming,
design and technology. The program strives to provide a more environmentally and
economically sustainable parking garage by increasing energy efficiency and
performance, reducing environmental impacts, efficiently managing parking spaces,
integrating sustainable mobility services and technologies, providing a range of
mobility options, and forming stronger community relationships.
As a certified assessor, Hargitt will be able to put his skills to use at City-owned
parking garages to help them be more environmentally and financially sustainable.
For more information, contact Jeff Petry at 541-682-5079.
EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 1
September 10, 2015
Eugene Springfield Fire Department Receives Recognition for Firefighter Grants
The Eugene Springfield Fire Department is currently being highlighted on the Federal Emergency Management Agency
(FEMA) website for its work in obtaining Assistance to Firefighters Grants (AFG). The article specifically discusses the
2012 equipment grant.
The department was awarded $612,480 to purchase and upgrade high-
priority training equipment. Grant funds were used to purchase two high-
definition, 3-D, driver-training simulators used to provide driver training
and an evaluation for new and veteran personnel. Although some on-
street driving is an important component of driver training, the simulators
reduce fuel consumption and allow drivers to experience low-frequency,
high-risk events that aid in driver development.
AFG grant funding also helped purchase electronic EMS training manikins to facilitate realistic emergency medical
training on a variety of skills. The balance of the grant was used to upgrade the existing Airport Rescue Fire Fighting
(ARFF) live fire trainer located at the Eugene Airport. This trainer is used to meet FAA firefighter training
requirements.
For more information on the highlights provided by FEMA, please visit its website for the full article at
https://www.fema.gov/assistance-firefighters-grants-success-stories-eugene-or. For additional information on this or
any other grants, please contact Finance Manager Julie Lindsey at 541-682-7107.
BRING Home and Garden Tour Sunday
The seventh annual BRING Home and Garden Tour, The Art of Sustainable Living, explores the latest in sustainable
home design and gardening and celebrates the ingenuity that defines this community. The tour will take place this
Sunday, Sept. 13, from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Co-hosted by the City
of Eugene and Eugene Water & Electric Board (EWEB), the
tour involves hundreds of volunteers, green builders,
designers, businesses, and experts of all kinds.
“Evolution in Action” is the theme of the 2015 BRING Home
and Garden Tour. This self-guided tour of 10 homes and
gardens creates ideas and inspiration for low-impact living.
Enjoy all that Eugene has to offer in the following topic areas:
Green building
Creative reuse
Energy/water efficiency
Urban agriculture
Tiny homes
Outdoor living
Click here to volunteer and get in free! View all of the sites and purchase tickets ($9 in advance, $12 the day of the tour)
by visiting the tour website. All proceeds benefit BRING, a nonprofit working to change attitudes and behaviors
regarding waste. For more information, please contact Waste Prevention and Green Building Analyst Stephanie Scafa, at
541-682-5652.
EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 2
September 10, 2015