The URL can be used to link to this page

Home My WebLink About12/17/15 - 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 December 17, 2015 SPECIAL THREE-WEEK EDITION MAYOR PIERCY ATTENDS WEST COAST MAYORS SUMMIT PASSENGER RAIL LEADERSHIP COUNCIL RECOMMENDS ROUTE FOR INTERCITY RAIL IMPROVEMENTS NATIONAL PREPAREDNESS MONTH A SUCCESS INERFELD TAPPED FOR LOC TRANSPORTATION POLICY COMMITTEE WINTER BREAK FUN FOR KIDS AND TEENS AT EUGENE PUBLIC LIBRARY BOOK ON HISTORY OF CITY OF EUGENE RECREATION NOW AVAILABLE AROUND THE CITY Mayor Piercy Attends West Coast Mayors Summit Mayor Kitty Piercy was invited to participate in the West Coast Mayors Summit held in Portland on Dec. 10 and 11. The summit convened the mayors from Portland, Los Angeles, Seattle, San Francisco, and Eugene to advance solutions to two pressing issues affecting all West Coast cities - homelessness and climate change. Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Julian Castro and Executive Director for the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness Matthew Doherty, also participated in the summit with the goal of deepening federal-local partnerships toreduce homelessness. The first day’s activities and discussions around homelessness resulted in a letter to federal partners thanking them for their support thus far and asking for additional support, including increases in funding for affordable housing development, federal rental assistance for homeless households, access to critical support services, and regulatory flexibility and alignment. The mayors also reiterated their commitment to do everything in their power to address this growing crisis and to work on the challenge together. On day two of the summit, the mayors signed the West Coast Mayors’ Climate Declaration, which states a commitment to reducing carbon emissions by at least 80 percent by 2050. Other goals identified in the declaration included engaging the private sector and community-based organizations in finding low-carbon solutions, transitioning municipal operations toward cleaner and more efficient options, expanding the West Coast Electric Vehicle Highway, advancing Zero Waste initiatives, supporting low-carbon transportation options and renewable energy, and advancing comprehensive and sustainable climate policy. To see the full declarations, click here. For more information, contact Ethan Nelson at 541-682-5245. Passenger Rail Leadership Council Recommends Route for Intercity Rail Improvements The Oregon Passenger Rail Leadership Council reached agreement on Dec. 8 to support the recommended preferred alternative to improve Oregon’s intercity passenger rail over the next two decades. The Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) will advance this alternative to the next step, a draft environmental impact statement. ODOT recommended using the existing Union Pacific alignment instead of building a new rail line along I-5. This is consistent with earlier direction provided by the Eugene City Council. Of the two options, only the Union Pacific alignment would continue to use the Eugene Depot as the terminus station for Amtrak Cascades trains. EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 1 December 17, 2015 The study area encompasses the Eugene-Springfield and Portland-Vancouver urban areas and is part of the federally- designated Pacific Northwest Rail Corridor. The Leadership Council, led by co-chairs Eugene Mayor Kitty Piercy and John Russell, agreed with ODOT’s Oregon Passenger Rail Project team that Alternative 1, using the existing Union Pacific alignment, is the preferred option because it provides more frequent and reliable rail service in a cost-effective way. The recommended preferred alternative increases Amtrak Cascades intercity passenger rail service between Eugene and Portland from two daily round trips to six daily round trips over the next 20 years. This planned increase in passenger rail service in Oregon will also match scheduled train service north of Portland Union Station into Washington and British Columbia. The recommendation was developed after years of technical analysis, robust public engagement and Leadership Council deliberation. The recommendation is a major milestone toward making Oregon eligible to compete for future federal funding when it becomes available, such as the recently approved FAST (Fixing America’s Surface Transportation) Act transportation bill. Echoing many of the group members, Leadership Council member Representative Nancy Nathanson, wrote: “Alternative 1 is the best opportunity to advance passenger rail in Oregon. It provides a cost-effective choice that will increase the reliability and frequency of rail service near population centers in the Willamette Valley, with shorter travel times and an ability to implement incrementally when funding becomes available. While true high speed rail is not precluded from future consideration, Alternative 1 has the support of our federal partners at the Federal Railroad Administration and is something Oregon should support building.” For more information, please contact Transportation Planning Manager Rob Inerfeld at 541-682-5343 or rob.inerfeld@ci.eugene.or.us. National Preparedness Month a Success September was National Preparedness Month and the City’s Emergency Management Program offered a full schedule of events that included a Disaster Preparedness Vendor Fair at Kesey Square, several emergency preparedness presentations for both employees and the public, and participation in many local events, reaching over 1,000 community members in September alone. In support of employee and family preparedness, the Emergency Management Program also facilitated employee purchases of emergency supplies. Emergency Management staff conducted demonstrations and received orders from over 60 employees from every City department. The most popular items were emergency radios, water filtration bottles, five- gallon BPA-free water containers and 72-hour kits. This was the third year in a row that the City has facilitated employee purchase of emergency supplies for home preparedness. Having supplies at home for their families makes it easier for employees to respond to work events knowing that they have provided for their households. For more information, contact Senior Program Coordinator Patence Winningham, City of Eugene Emergency Management Program, Central Services Department, at 541 682-5860 or patence.m.winninngham@ci.eugene.or.us. Inerfeld Tapped for LOC Transportation Policy Committee Transportation Planning Manager Rob Inerfeld, in Public Works Engineering, will join Eugene City Councilor Greg Evans as a member of the League of Oregon Cities’ (LOC) Transportation Policy Committee in 2016. The Transportation Policy Committee reviews policy decisions and recommends legislative positions and strategies related to streets and roads, traffic safety, public transit, and rail. “We expect a very busy couple of years as we advocate for healthy Oregon cities, and your role in developing policies and a legislative agenda for cities is a critical one,” LOC President Peter Truax wrote in announcing Inerfeld’s appointment to a two-year term on the policy team. For more information, contact Inerfeld at 541-682-5343 or rob.inerfeld@ci.eugene.or.us. Winter Break Fun for Kids and Teens at Eugene Public Library While school’s out, come on in to the Eugene Public Library for free, fun, and educational activities for kids, families, and teens!Kids love Mz. Pearl’s Variety Show featuring Heather Pearl’s delightful and hilarious physical comedy, juggling, magic, and more. See it at the Downtown Library on Tuesday, Dec. 22, at 1 and 3 p.m. (Due to limited space, pick up free tickets starting 30 minutes before each show.) Or catch the show on Saturday, Jan. 2, at 1 p.m., at Bethel Branch, or at 3 p.m., at Sheldon Branch. EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 2 December 17, 2015 On Wednesday, Dec. 30, at 2 p.m., teens will create zipper jewelry and other wearables using upcycled vintage zippers with artist LeBrie Rich at the Downtown Library. Starting on Jan. 2, teens aged 13 – 17, can apply for the winter session of Teen Team: Weekly Group Volunteering from late January through mid-March. Pick up an application at the Downtown Library’s Teen Desk. For more information, contact the Eugene Public Library at www.eugene-or.gov/library or 541-682-8316. Book on History of City of Eugene Recreation Now Available The recently published A History of City of Eugene Recreation gives a brief snapshot of significant points in time and the chronology of Recreation facilities, paralleling Eugene history and significant events of the time. Thebook’s author, Bruce Steinmetz, is a retired Recreation staff member. His research included sifting through shelves full of old files, binders, and boxes of historic information specific to Recreation. He read meeting notes from the 1950s and newspaper articles, and viewed photos, master plans and Recreation guides that collectively provided pertinent history. Steinmetz also interviewed past Recreation staff who still live in the Eugene area. Anne Borland, also a Recreation staff member, completed the layout and design. The book is available to check out in the downtown Library and at each community center and pool. EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 3 December 17, 2015