HomeMy WebLinkAboutCity Council Newsletter - 08/30/07
EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER
August 30, 2007
City of Eugene
777 Pearl Street, Room 105
Eugene, Oregon 97401-2793
(541) 682-5010
(541) 682-5414 (FAX)
www.eugene-or.gov
IN THIS WEEK’S EDITION
NEW AIRPORT NAVIGATOR PROGRAM
‘CARE AND SHARE’ FUNDRAISER BENEFITS SENIOR SERVICES
LIBRARY HOSTS SLUG QUEEN SILVER JUBILEE FOR FIRST FRIDAY
AUGUST STATUS REPORT ON MAJOR CAPITAL PROJECTS NOW ONLINE
FOUR PROJECTS CONSTITUTE 2007 WASTEWATER REHABILITATION EFFORTS
ROSETTA STONE PROGRAM EN FUEGO
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LIGHTEN UP AT 1 ANNUAL BIKE LIGHTS PARADE
POLICE PROGRAM TEACHES LIFE-SAVING LESSONS TO PRE-K KIDS
AROUND THE CITY
New Airport Navigator Program
The first members of the Airport Navigators team are helping to make
travel through the Eugene Airport more pleasant.
Dressed in bright red, green and blue Hawaiian shirts, the volunteer
Airport Navigators also wear large “Ask Me” buttons to let visitors to the
Eugene Airport know they are there to help answer questions and give
directions. Navigators provide a first point of contact for passengers
and act as ambassadors for the city of Eugene, the greater western
Oregon region and the state of Oregon.
“Airport volunteer programs have been very successful at several
airports across the country,” said Eugene Airport Director Tim Doll.
“Eugene is the largest non-hub airport in the nation and already our
navigators have been a huge hit with passengers.”
The first group of navigators includes community members from
diverse backgrounds. “I love people. I feel alive when around people,
it does something good for me.” said Patria Robbins, a former flight
attendant and Airport Navigator. “I wanted to do this because it brings
happiness to me to be able to help people, communicate with people.”
More Airport Navigators are needed. The qualifications include the ability to smile and be friendly, have
four hours a week to volunteer, learn and share information about the community and pass an FBI
background check. For more information, contact Cathryn Stephens, director of marketing and public
relations, at 682-5430.
‘Care and Share’ Fundraiser Benefits Senior Services
Make a difference in the lives of hundreds of fellow citizens. Attend the inaugural “Care and Share”
barbecue and silent auction fundraiser from 4:30 – 7 p.m. on Friday, September 7, at Campbell
Community Center, 155 High Street. Tickets are $15 when purchased by August 31 and $20 after
August 31.
EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 1
August 30, 2007
Proceeds from the event will go to the Care and Share Team, which supports a number of senior
programs provided by Campbell Center, including the Restless Leg Support Group, Diabetes Support
Group, Healthy Steps to Aging Walk, and the Senior Companions Program in co-sponsorship with Lane
Community College. Additionally, the funds will contribute toward the purchase of turkeys and roast beef
for the Holiday Dinner Program, a stove and refrigerator for the kitchen, woodshop equipment, and
holiday food boxes in co-sponsorship with the U.S. Post Office.
Items in the silent auction include gift certificates to several local stores and restaurants, a golf package,
a hotel stay, and tickets to regional entertainment. For more information, contact Yvaughn Tompkins at
682-6315.
Library Hosts Slug Queen Silver Jubilee for First Friday
Eugeneans are hereby summoned to delight in the Slug Queen
Silver Jubilee! Celebrate the 25th Anniversary of Queendom with
a free First Friday show at 6:30 p.m. on September 7, at the
Eugene Public Library.
Swoon to the tunes and talents of Royal Highnesses of yore,
including Queens Scarlett O'Slimera, Frank Slugsnotra, Darcy,
Inspira, and Slugretha Latifah Uleafa Gastropodia Jackson.
Hosted by beloved Very Old Queen Bananita, the event will
feature musical accompaniment by Rich “The Duke” Glauber.
Through October, Eugene’s Queens display their history in
photographs, along with select pieces of royal attire and
accessories, in the display cases on the Downtown Library’s 2nd
and 3rd floors. For more information, call the Eugene Public
Library at 682-5450.
August Status Report on Major Capital Projects Now Online
The Facility Management Division’s status report for August 2007 is
now online. A link to the project report, as well as previous reports,
can be found on the division’s current projects page at:
http://www.eugene-
or.gov/portal/server.pt?open=512&objID=210&PageID=723&cache
d=true&mode=2&userID=2
The status report provides an update on the progress of major
capital projects under the divisions management. The projects in
=
this status report make up a small portion of the roughly sixty active
building preservation projects currently managed by Facilities, and
represent either the higher budgeted projects or projects with
significant public interest. This quarter’s report highlights Hult
Center, Airport and safety-related projects. For additional
information on Facility Management projects, please contact Mike
Penwell by phone at 682-5547 or by email at
michael.j.penwell@ci.eugene.or.us
Four Projects Constitute 2007 Wastewater Rehabilitation Efforts
The Public Works Engineering Division is using four techniques this year to repair underground
wastewater lines around the city.
The most effective technique for repairing the collection system is the "less-trench" method, using cured-
in-place pipe liners. Wherever possible, existing sewer services within the right-of-way are excavated
and replaced with watertight PVC pipe to reduce the infiltration of groundwater. The “pipe bursting”
method of sewer service replacement is also being utilized. This process involves expanding and
bursting the existing service from inside the pipe while simultaneously pulling a high density polyethylene
pipe into the void that remains. This method reduces the impact to surface features and traffic. H&J
Construction is the prime contractor for the $940,000 project that will begin on September 4 and continue
through early November at various locations around the city.
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August 30, 2007
At $500,000, the community wastewater extensions project provides a means of direct access to
properties that are not adjacent to the collection system. Beginning September 4, Wildish Construction
Company will build new wastewater mains and services in neighborhoods near the Lane County
fairgrounds, south of the UO campus and near Skinner Butte Park. This project eliminates privately
owned, aging and leaking wastewater "systems" serving more than one property. Construction will be
complete in early November.
An entirely open trench repair project in the Beltline/Barger area involves the excavation and repair of
isolated defects in the system as opposed to lining an entire segment. The contractor for this project is
Eugene Sand and Gravel. Work began in June and is expected to be completed by the end of
September at a cost of $185,000.
A trenchless repair project of the collection system, also in the Beltline/Barger area was completed in
June at a cost of $50,000. The contractor, Michels Corporation, performed chemical grout sealing of
isolated infiltration points. Funding sources for these projects is coming from wastewater user fees and
wastewater SDCs. For more information, contact Project Manager David Starns at 682-8306, or
David.Starns@ci.eugene.or.us.
Rosetta Stone Program En Fuego
When the Eugene Fire & EMS Department offered line firefighters the opportunity to learn Spanish
through the Rosetta Stone interactive software program, more than 60 responded, creating an immediate
need to consider expanding what had been proposed as only a pilot program.
The department purchased the software pursuant to its strategic goal of developing and maintaining a
workforce that represents the communities the department serves. Greater Spanish proficiency among
Eugene's firefighters and medics will help the department move toward three objectives related to the
goal: 1) continue to promote cultural awareness and competency of the current workforce; 2) engage
women and minority groups in the fire and emergency medical services industry; and 3) enhance
accessibility for non-English-speaking members of the community. Even more fundamentally, the
department believes that service in the field will be improved. For the first round of training, 18
personnel were selected, representing all three shifts and representing the ranks of Captain, Lieutenant,
Engineer, Firefighter and Medic. After two months, when the pilot program is finished, it will be
evaluated and, in all likelihood, additional personnel will be selected for the training until all who
expressed interest have been trained. For more information, please contact Training Chief Lance Lighty
at 682-7130.
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Lighten Up At 1 Annual Bike Lights Parade
Area cyclists are invited to “lighten up” at the first annual Bike Lights
Parade at the Eugene Celebration beginning at dusk on Saturday,
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September 8, at the LTD Plaza, 10 Avenue and Olive Street in
downtown Eugene.
The night light festivities will begin at 8 p.m. with a competition for the
best illuminated and best decorated bikes. Past slug queens Slugretha
Latifah Uleafa Gastropodia, Inspira, Scarlett, and Frank from prior
Eugene Celebrations will be passing their royal judgment on the
competition for Best Illumination and Best Decorated Bike. For those
looking to add bike décor, a limited supply of decorations will be
available at 7:30 p.m. The parade, which circles the perimeter of the
Eugene Celebration, begins at promptly at 8:30 p.m. Door prizes will
be offered throughout the event, and the first 50 cyclists to arrive and
participate in the parade will receive free weekend passes to the Eugene Celebration.
The Bike Lights Parade is part of the City of Eugene’s ongoing bike safety education outreach and is
funded in part through a grant from the Community Cycling Center and in partnership with Lane Transit
District and Commuter Solutions. For more information contact Cindy Clarke at 682-5285,
cindy.j.clarke@ci.eugene.or.us, or Lee Shoemaker at 682-5471, lee.shoemaker@ci.eugene.or.us, or visit
the Eugene Celebration online at www.eugenecelebration.com.
EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 3
August 30, 2007
Police Program Teaches Life-saving Lessons to Pre-K Kids
Four dozen pre-kindergarteners graduated last Friday from a
comprehensive program offered by the police department to teach
valuable safety lessons to young children.
The two-week day camp, Safety Town, is a nationally recognized
program that introduces young children to safety awareness and
accident prevention through hands-on safety education. The
Eugene Police Department partners with the Eugene Kiwanis Club
each year to offer the Safety Town program for children entering
kindergarten in the fall.
Safety Town teaches life-saving lessons on pedestrian, bicycle,
vehicle, school bus, playground, poison, fire, water and home
safety, with much of the information taught through fun activities
and educational play. Teaching tools include a child-sized town
complete with streets, crosswalks, stop signs and traffic signals, to
teach bicycle and pedestrian safety, as well as a real fire truck,
police car and school bus the kids can explore.
Safety Town is expected to be offered again in 2008. For more
information, please contact the School Resource Team supervisor,
Sergeant Mike Galick, at 682-8189 or
Mike.A.Galick@ci.eugene.or.us.
EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 4
August 30, 2007