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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCity Council Newsletter - 10/04/07EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER October 4, 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 CITIZEN SAFETY CLASS GRADUATES SATURDAY “CELEBRATING HULT 25” CREATES MEMORIES AND MEETS GOALS RIVERLOOP CONNECTION - FIRST OLYMPIC TRIALS PREPARATION PROJECT KICKS OFF TRAFFIC CALMING DEVICES TO BE CONSTRUCTED IN FAIRMOUNT NEIGHBORHOOD LAURELWOOD GOLF COURSE UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT PRESCRIBED BURNS SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED IN WEST EUGENE WETLANDS PLANNING DIVISION WORK PROGRAM SURVEY IS LAUNCHED ONLINE BANNED BOOKS WEEK: LOIS LOWRY AT EUGENE PUBLIC LIBRARY CURRENT DELTA PONDS PROJECT NEARING COMPLETION EUGENE AIRPORT RANKED #1 FOR FACILITY MANAGEMENT EXCELLENCE AROUND THE CITY Citizen Safety Class Graduates Saturday Eugene's elected officials are cordially invited to observe final practical exercises and graduation ceremony for the newest class of 30 graduates from the City's Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training. CERT training provides local citizens with professional training in emergency response skills including basic emergency medical treatment, fire extinguisher operation, light search and rescue, ham radio operation, disaster psychology, and other critical areas. City fire and emergency management personnel, along with medical professionals in the community, have been providing the training -- which covers approximately 30 hours of instruction and exercises altogether -- since 1999. Thus far, approximately 200 citizens have graduated. The events of this coming Saturday will begin at 9 a.m., when the class will gather on the drill field of the Emergency Services Center (2nd and Chambers) and proceed through a series of final practical exercises in a disaster scenario that will include most of the skills covered in the training. The practical exercises will conclude at 11:30 a.m., and class members will then assemble in Classroom 4 of the main ESC building for the graduation ceremony. Elected officials are welcome to attend and observe all or any part of the exercises and graduation. Fire & EMS personnel will be available to explain the exercises. For more information, please contact Fire & EMS Training Chief Lance Lighty at 682-7131. “Celebrating Hult 25” Creates Memories and Meets Goals The five-month-long, Celebrating Hult 25 festivities, presented by the City of Eugene, came to an end last weekend, but the celebration continues with the 2007/08 performing season, the Hult Center’s 25th. The months of October through June 2008 will bring a full array of world-class performances by the eight resident companies and numerous local, regional and national performing groups to the Hult. Fourteen events were presented as part of the Celebrating Hult 25 festivities, 10 of which were admission-free. In addition, the City of Eugene held five events in preparation for The Talents of EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 1 October 4, 2007 Tomorrow event. Preliminary numbers show that the Hult Center served 10,585 patrons; of those, 5,443 attended admission-free events.Celebrating Hult 25 met its goals well. Four programs were designed specifically to meet the goal of“honoring and commemorating the leaders of the community who worked hard to make the dream of a performing arts center into a reality”. With regard to “developing programming to attract new audiences,” attendance shows that 3,225 new audience patrons were served (representing approximately 30% of all patrons served) through four programs designed to meet this goal. Additionally, parts of the Community Celebration and Open House and three outdoor Hult Center Plaza Summer @ the Hult concerts also met this goal. All 14 events were designed to meet the primary goal of the celebration, to “develop programming to attract all members of the larger community to visit the Hult Center at least once during the celebration months.” To “create once-in-a-lifetime festive, celebratory events to allow for the making of many new memories th for the 50 anniversary,” five of the 14 events were first-time-ever events held at the Hult Center, designed to create a very special, celebratory atmosphere surrounding Celebrating Hult 25. For information, contact Cultural Services Director Laura Niles, 682-2697. Riverloop Connection - First Olympic Trials Preparation Project Kicks Off This week, community members gathered to help kick off the Riverloop Connection project and honor Representative Nancy Nathanson and members of the legislative delegation for their work in securing State of Oregon funding for this and other projects related to the upcoming Olympic Trials. Riverloop Connection is a Eugene Parks Foundation initiative aimed at enhancing the Ruth Bascom Riverbank Trail and making it easier and safer to use by creating a map and installing wayfinding signage along the trail. In partnership with the City of Eugene, the Eugene Parks Foundation expects to complete this project prior to the 2008 Olympic Trials in order to make the most of this amazing community Representative Nancy Nathanson and Senator Vicki Walker feature and encourage visitors to bike and walk receive honors for their work in securing preparatory funding for between venues. the 2008 Olympic Trials Riverloop Connection received $30,000 in seed money as part of $500,000 in State of Oregon funding directed to the Eugene/Springfield area for Willamette River corridor enhancement projects and safety during the Olympic Trials. For more information contact Carrie Peterson, Park Development Coordinator, at 541- 682-4907 or carrie.a.peterson@ci.eugene.or.us Traffic Calming Devices to be Constructed in Fairmount Neighborhood Construction of traffic calming devices on several streets in the Fairmount neighborhood is scheduled to begin during the second week of October. Over the last few years, City staff has worked collaboratively with the Fairmount Neighbors and University of Oregon to develop a traffic calming plan for the area th bounded by Agate Street, 19 Avenue, 15th Avenue, and Fairmount Boulevard. th A total of 12 speed humps will be installed on 17 Avenue, Moss Street, Villard Street, and Orchard Street and three speed tables will be installed on Walnut Street. The objective of the traffic calming plan is to both slow down vehicles driving on neighborhood streets and to discourage drivers from using these streets as a cut-through route. The entire construction cost of $43,000 is being funded through the City’s traffic calming program budget. For additional information and construction updates, contact Transportation Planning Technician David Roth at 682-5727. EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 2 October 4, 2007 Laurelwood Golf Course Under New Management Market Properties, LLC, is the new operator of Laurelwood Golf Course, a contractor with the City of Eugene Recreation Services. The new managers, Todd Matthews and Will Benson, share the City’s desire to obtain certification of the course as an Audubon Cooperative sanctuary and are committed to providing diverse recreational experiences at the city facility, including the future introduction of disc golf, something the growing disc golf community strongly supports. The new operators have provided all new electric rental carts and new course maintenance equipment, ensuring the finest maintenance practices. Following a short closure while the operators transition into their new role, the course will reopen at 7 a.m. on Friday, October 5, with tee times available by calling 687-5321. On behalf of the City, Recreation Services Division Manager Sarah Medary extends appreciation to Irv Carlisle, who operated and cared for the course and was a part of the Laurelwood neighborhood for more than 18 years. For information, contact Dave Battaglia, Athletics Manager, 682-5212. Prescribed Burns Successfully Completed in West Eugene Wetlands The West Eugene Wetlands Partnership (WEW Partnership) implemented a very successful prescribed burn program this fall. During a small window of suitable weather conditions from September 20-25, the WEW Partnership accomplished eight separate burns totaling 98 acres. One of these burns was completed on 20 acres of the City’s Meadowlark Prairie on September 21. Other burns were conducted on lands owned the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM), the Nature Conservancy, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. This year, the Eugene Fire & EMS Department (EFD) partnered with the Parks and Open Space Division to plan and implement the prescribed burns. This collaboration resulted in a training Fire staff manages prescribed burn at Meadowlark Prairie opportunity for EFD crews while also accomplishing management goals for the natural areas. EFD participated in burn planning, supported a BLM burn with staff and engines, and played a key role leading and supporting the City’s Meadowlark Prairie burn. Participation by WEW partner crews, nearby rural fire districts, the U.S. Forest Service, and the Oregon Department of Forestry, also enabled EFD to engage in interagency communication around a burn at the wildland-urban interface, providing valuable experience in training for fighting unplanned wildfires. The prescribed burns also provided community education and outreach. A fire ecology class from the University of Oregon observed a burn, learning implementation of land management techniques. Members of the public recreating at the Meadowlark Prairie outlook were treated to a front-row seat along the prairie edge, and could interact with POS and EFD staff during and after the burn, posing questions and observing the process. For more information, please contact Trevor Taylor, natural area restoration supervisor, at 682-4888, or Lance Lighty, EFD training chief, at 682-7131. Planning Division Work Program Survey Is Launched Online The Planning Commission is developing the Planning Division’s Work Program for Fiscal Year (FY) 2008 and is soliciting public input. A survey was posted on the City’s website on September 19 and as of October 1 there were over 100 responses. The survey – found at www.eugene-or.gov/planningsurvey - asks citizens which projects or programs should receive high-priority status, and provides an opportunity for more broad-based feedback on the draft work program. The survey webpage provides a link to the EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 3 October 4, 2007 Draft FY08 Work Program and describes the Planning Division’s four work program areas: Land Use Code Implementation; Community Character; Regional Coordination; and Supporting Roles. Survey results will be forwarded to the Planning Commission and City Council as they finalize the work program. For more information about the online survey, contact Bill Almquist at 682-5437 or via e-mail at bill.j.almquist@ci.eugene.or.us. Banned Books Week: Lois Lowry at Eugene Public Library In honor of Banned Books Week, the Eugene Public Library will host a free talk by internationally-acclaimed writer Lois Lowry on Wednesday, October 10, at 6:00 p. m. in the Downtown Library. Dave Fidanque, Executive Director of the ACLU of Oregon, will introduce Lowry. This Author!Author! event celebrating free speech, the power of fiction, and the love of reading is co-sponsored by the Eugene Public Library Foundation, with the University of Oregon Bookstore providing author-signed books for sale on-site. A two-time winner of the prestigious Newbery Award -- and many other honors -- Lois Lowry is a prolific author whose works appear on “favorites” lists of readers of all ages. Her best-known title, the modern classic The Giver, is among the most frequently challenged books in the U.S. (A challenge is a formal, written attempt to remove a book from a library or classroom.) Lowry’s many novels range from the serious – a family engaged in the Danish Resistance to Nazism (Number the Stars) – to the hilarious (her Anastasia and Gooney Bird series). Nevertheless, she says, “it seems that all of them deal, essentially, with the same general theme: the importance of human connections.” Commenting on the impulse to censor, Lowry suggests that “each time a child opens a book, he pushes open the gate that separates him from Elsewhere. It gives him choices. It gives him freedom. Those are magnificent, wonderfully unsafe things.” To learn more about Lois Lowry, visit www.loislowry.com. During October, the Eugene Public Library's drop-in book groups for adults, teens, and ‘tweens share views about The Giver. Lowry's provocative tale is set in a society with no poverty, crime, or sickness. When young Jonas is chosen to be the community's Receiver of Memories, he learns the disturbing truth behind his “utopian” world. For more information about events at the Eugene Public Library, call 682- 5450 or visit www.eugene-or.gov/library. Current Delta Ponds Project Nearing Completion On October 22, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is scheduled to complete the latest in a series of projects to enhance water quality, wildlife habitat and recreational opportunities in the Delta Ponds area. As soon as the Corps has approved completion of the current project, the East Bank Trail will be reopened to bicycle and pedestrian traffic. In July, Pro Landscape, working under a contract managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, began the work of installing two, 9-foot-wide, arched culverts beneath the East Bank Trail. The culverts are designed to improve seasonal flows from the Willamette River into the Delta Ponds and also are gated to allow for flood control. The new culverts are the first of several that will establish hydrologic connections between the ponds and the Willamette River. Construction of the next culvert under Goodpasture Island Road is anticipated in the summer of 2008. TwinculvertsinstalledatDeltaPonds EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 4 October 4, 2007 The goal of the Delta Ponds project is to re-establish vital habitat for native wildlife and provide recreational opportunities for residents in the area. The project began in 2004 with the removal of invasive non-native vegetation, construction of paths and parking areas, and excavation of inlets to improve water flow. In fall 2005, weirs were excavated to connect the Willamette River to the ponds. The Delta Ponds project is an ongoing collaboration between the City of Eugene, the Corps of Engineers and other resource agencies. Sixty-five percent of the estimated $6.2 million multi-year project funding is provided through Section 206 of the federal government’s Water Resource Development Act. The City’s share of approximately $2 million over the life of the project comes from stormwater fees and 1998 parks bond measure funds. For more information, contact Scott Milovich, project manager, at 682-6086. Eugene Airport Ranked #1 for Facility Management Excellence The Eugene Airport was awarded the International Facility Management Association's (IFMA), Airport Facility Council Award for Facility Management Excellence. A panel of IFMA Airport Facilities Council judges determined the award winners in five categories based on the airport’s number of annual passengers. For airports with enplanements of less than one million, the . Eugene Airport was ranked number 1 Award submissions were evaluated using five criteria: leadership, innovation, sustainability, customer service and operational efficiency. IFMA is the world’s largest and most widely recognized international association for professional facility managers, supporting more than 18,500 members in 60 countries. For further information, please contact Cathryn Stephens, Eugene Airport, 682-5430. EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 5 October 4, 2007