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Home My WebLink About10/08/15 - 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 October 8, 2015 IN THIS EDITION SPENCER BUTTE SUMMIT TRAIL EARNS PROJECT OF YEAR AWARD GRAND OPENING OF POLK STREET APARTMENTS – AFFORDABLE HOUSING FOR FOSTER CARE YOUTH “THE MOCKINGBIRD NEXT DOOR” AUTHOR AT THE DOWNTOWN LIBRARY CARGO BIKE EVENT TO TEST EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS OF CYCLISTS AND FAMILIES AROUND THE CITY Spencer Butte Summit Trail Earns Project of Year Award A project to build the Spencer Butte Summit Trail this past summer has been selected to receive a 2015 Project of the Year award from the Oregon Chapter of the American Public Works Association (APWA). The project earned top honors in the category of structures under $5 million. Also recognized in the award are Oregon Woods, Inc., as the primary contractor; Larry Wilson as the prime consultant; and Northwest Trails, Inc., as the technical consultant. In making the award decision, a seven-member judging panel considered a variety of criteria, including community need, project safety, sustainable practices, environmental considerations and community relations. In the section for unusual accomplishments and special considerations, the application noted that the use of helicopters was critical to the success of the project. “As protection of the below-treeline trail was identified as a project goal, and the pure logistics of moving the necessary construction equipment and tons of rock needed to the summit of the butte, use of helicopters were necessary every one to two weeks during the four-month project,” the application said. The award will be presented to construction project manager Adam Steffen along with contractor and consultant representatives at the Oregon APWA fall conference in Canyonville on Oct. 21. Key project staff included Philip Richardson (landscape architect with Parks Planning), former staff member Trevor Taylor (natural areas restoration supervisor), Ryan Turner (technical Project manager Adam Steffen on steps carved from bedrock specialist with Natural Areas) and Jason Miller (landscape designer and project inspector with Engineering), among others.For more information, please contact Project Manager and Landscape Architect Adam Steffen at adam.r.steffen@ci.eugene.or.us, 541-682-5040, or visit the Spencer Butte Summit Trail web page at www.eugene-or.gov/spencerbutte. Grand Opening of Polk Street Apartments – Affordable Housing for Foster Care Youth City of Eugene affordable housing funds helped the Neighborhood Economic Development Corporation (NEDCO) acquire and rehabilitate 12 one-bedroom apartments located at 89 North Polk Street in the Whitaker Neighborhood. The City provided the development with $670,323 in HOME funds for the acquisition of the property, $273,170 in Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Rental Rehabilitation Loan funds, and a 20-year low-income rental housing property tax exemption. The project also leveraged $342,000 in private financing and donations of building materials, furniture and supplies. The development will be the first in Oregon dedicated to housing and services for young adults entering independence from foster care. NEDCO will provide services to tenants in partnership with Looking Glass, an agency dedicated to youth EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 1 October 8, 2015 services. Looking Glass reports that affordable housing is one of the most significant barriers former foster youth face, because of cost, lack of credit history, lack of rental history and other issues. Five of the apartments will be set aside for households earning less than 30 percent of the area median income (AMI), and six apartments will be set aside for households earning less than 50 percent AMI. One unit will be set aside for an on-site manager. A full rehabilitation of the building was included as part of the project and one unit was converted to be fully accessible for a tenant with disabilities. Initial rents are proposed to be $444 - $555 depending on income level. The project site is conveniently located near jobs, public transit, shopping, parks, schools, and other services. The Grand Opening event will be held on Thursday, Oct. 15, at 2 p.m., at the project site to celebrate resilient youth, supportive community, trusted relationships and a brighter future. For more information, contact Ellen Meyi-Galloway at 541-682-5532. “The Mockingbird Next Door” Author at the Downtown Library Marja Mills, author of "The Mockingbird Next Door: Life with Harper Lee” will speak at the Downtown Eugene Public Library on Monday, Oct. 26, at 6 p.m. Admission is free; books will be available for purchase and signing courtesy of the University of Oregon Duck Store. Lee’s "To Kill a Mockingbird" is one of the best-loved novels of the 20th century. Despite being published 50 years ago, it's also one of the past year's most talked-about books, due to Mills' bestselling memoir and the subsequent publication of Lee's own "Go Set a Watchman." Mills' book became a New York Times, USA Today, and national indie bestseller. It tells the story of her friendship with author Nelle Harper Lee and her sister, who invited the journalist into their lives in 2001. A few years later, with the Lees’ blessing, Mills moved into the house next door. She spent the next 18 months there, sharing coffee at McDonalds, trips to the laundromat, feeding the ducks, going out for catfish supper, and exploring lower Alabama with the Lees and their inner circle of friends. Mills was given a rare opportunity to know Nelle (as her friends call her), to be part of the sisters' life in Alabama, and to hear them reflect on their upbringing, their corner of the deep south, and how "To Kill a Mockingbird" affected their lives. Lee shared her love of history, literature, and the southern way of life with Mills, as well as her keen sense of how journalism should be practiced. "The Mockingbird Next Door" is a testament to the Lee sisters' intelligence, wit, and tremendous storytelling power. Mills is a former reporter and feature writer for the Chicago Tribune, where she was a member of the staff that won a Pulitzer Prize for a 2001 series about O’Hare Airport entitled “Gateway to Gridlock.” For more information, contact Eugene Public Library at 541-682-5450 or www.eugene-or.gov/library. Cargo Bike Event to Test Emergency Preparedness of Cyclists and Families A partnership between the City of Eugene, University of Oregon and many other community partners is bringing together bike-friendly habits and disaster preparations in a unique way. The Disaster Relief Trials (DRT), on Oct. 17, at Alton Baker Park, is a cargo bike event to demonstrate the capabilities of bikes in disaster situations. This is the third annual DRT in Eugene with similar events in Seattle, Portland, San Francisco and other cities. Registered bike riders will navigate a course through Eugene to designated check points to fulfill the criteria of the trials, using fully loaded bikes on city streets. At each check point, riders will encounter obstacles, or complete tasks to assist response teams, such as a neighborhood Community Emergency Response Team. “Eugene-Springfield is well-known as being bike friendly, and the Disaster Relief Trials puts a new twist on how useful cycling is to the greater community,” said City of Eugene Transportation Options Coordinator, Lindsay Selser. “As more EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 2 October 8, 2015 citizens prepare for a possible earthquake or other disasters, we need to consider transportation and how people-power may be crucial to each of us.” The DRT is also a fundraiser for Eugene-Springfield’s Safe Routes to School Bicycle Education Program. During the DRT event, a Resiliency Fair will be held from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the start and finish line at Alton Baker Park. Information will be available about emergency preparedness supplies, bikes, resiliency gear, and other aspects of sustainable and prepared lifestyles. The Resiliency Fair will also include music, vendors, community booths, family activities, frequent visits from DRT participants and the award ceremony at 4 p.m. In addition to the DRT event, a “Fiets of Parenthood” short obstacle course is available for family cargo bikers and younger riders. To register, visit www.eugeneDRT.wordpress.com. Prices range from $15 to $40 for riders. For more information, contact Transportation Options Coordinator Lindsay Selser at 541-682-5094. Celebrate in Downtown Eugene before Duck Games Travel Lane Country, the University of Oregon (UO), and the Eugene Area Chamber of Commerce are cooperating with the City of Eugene on an invitation to community members to celebrate wonderful downtown Eugene, Fridays before home football games. Join fellow Duck fans and guests in the newest family-friendly venue downtown, HiFi Music Hall. Enjoy music by the University of Oregon a capella group - Mind the Gap, a visit from Puddles the Duck, and share team spirit with the UO cheer team. DWNTWNEUG swag bags filled with deals from local merchants will be available, too. Downtown Eugene is a fantastic place to kick off the weekend. Go Ducks! For more information, contact Jan Bohman at 541-682-5587. EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 3 October 8, 2015