HomeMy WebLinkAbout11/05/15 - 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
November 5, 2015
IN THIS EDITION
ADAPTIVE RECREATION OFFERS VARIETY OF OPPORTUNITIES FOR VETERANS
EUGENE VOTERS: “YES” FOR LIBRARY LEVY
AROUND THE CITY
Adaptive Recreation Offers Variety of Opportunities for Veterans
As Veterans Day approaches on Nov. 11, the City of Eugene’s Adaptive Recreation Services program has been taking the
lead in working with injured and disabled vets in Eugene. The program provides many opportunities for these veterans
and their families to stay active, including: sailing, hiking, trapshooting, archery, dragon boat racing, rafting, rock-climbing,
snowshoeing, kayaking, cycling, and swimming.
During the past year, Adaptive Recreation Services has also:
Supported the Heroes 2 Oregon Dragon Boat Paddle Challenge, with 16 teams of 10 people each, paddling dragon
boats and raising $9,523 to allow veterans to participate in recreation activities for free;
Partnered with National Alliance For Mental Illness (NAMI), providing social events for more than 100 veterans
and their family members;
Sent five injured and disabled veterans to the VA National Veterans Summer Sports clinic in San Diego where they
learned sailing, kayaking, surfing, cycling,
archery and rowing;
Provided 12 adaptive bicycles for
veterans to try at Heroes in Summer in
Redmond;
Brought two veterans to say the
Pledge of Allegiance at the City Council
Meeting on Nov. 10, 2014, and
Contributed to the Department of
Housing and Urban Development’s
Veteran Affairs Supportive Housing (HUD-
VASH) program, by providing recreation
activities during the annual picnic
attended by 75 veterans who are homeless
or have transitioned into housing.
For more information, visit the City of Eugene Recreation Veterans Page or watch the Working City Video.
Eugene Voters: “Yes” for Library Levy
On Nov. 3, 2015, City of Eugene voters approved Measure 20-235 to fund expanded Eugene Public Library services for five
years starting in July 2016. The funds will provide increased hours, free programs, and materials and technology at all
Eugene Public Library locations: Downtown, Bethel, and Sheldon.
According to Library Director Connie Bennett, “All of us at Eugene Public Library look forward to this opportunity to do
more for the community. We thank the voters for this support of the Library. The added hours, programs, materials, and
technology will mean greater benefits to community members educationally, economically, and for entertainment as well.”
EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 1
November 5, 2015
Mayor Kitty Piercy added, “The Eugene Public Library makes valuable services available to everyone – children and
families, teens, seniors, job searchers, small businesses, and more. I see it as a key part of who we are as a city. I am
particularly pleased that this will expand services to those who need them the most. The City of Eugene greatly appreciates
the voters being willing to provide this additional support for more hours and materials so we can continue to have top
quality library services for everyone in our community.”
The new funding will increase hours at the Bethel and Sheldon Branches by 22 hours weekly, bringing each branch to a
total of 48 open hours across six days each week. At the Downtown Library, Sunday morning hours will be restored.
Events, storytimes, and classes will be increased by 33 percent with a particular focus on priorities identified by the
community: support for young readers and their parents; activities for teens, and “maker” opportunities (access to tools
and skills-training for individuals and small businesses, including new technologies).
The Library’s budget for books, movies, eBooks, etc., will be returned to 2009 levels, providing quicker availability of in-
demand items. New computer tablets and laptops for on-site use will double Internet access at the Bethel and Sheldon
branches.
The levy will provide $2.7 million annually for five years, about $36 per year for a typical Eugene property tax statement or
$.17 per $1,000 assessed value. To ensure accountability and transparency, the measure specified provisions including:
separate levy fund budget and accounting (as per state law); annual staff summary of spending and performance measures;
annual review by the citizen Library Advisory Board, and an annual City Manager’s report to the City Council.
More information is available at the City of Eugene Library Levy website page or by calling the Eugene Public Library at
541-682-5450.
EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 2
November 5, 2015