HomeMy WebLinkAbout02/21/08 City Council NewsletterEUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER
February 21, 2008
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
KOREAN GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL MEETS WITH MAYOR PIERCY
IMPROVEMENTS ADDED TO CITY WEBSITE
ELECTION UPDATE
LIBRARY STORYTIME CELEBRATES BLACK HISTORY MONTH
FIRE & EMS RELEASES 2008 STANDARDS OF RESPONSE COVERAGE REPORT
PUBLIC WORKSHOPS SCHEDULED IN FEBRUARY FOR WATERWAYS STUDY
APPLICATIONS FOR COMMUNITY GARDEN PLOTS ACCEPTED THROUGH MARCH 17
FREE TALK EXPLORES MENTAL HEALTH AND AGING ISSUES
AROUND THE CITY
Korean Government Official Meets with Mayor Piercy
Mr. P.K. Yuh, of the Consulate General of the Republic
of Korea in Seattle, was in Eugene last weekend to
participate in the Asian Celebration, and to meet with
Mayor Piercy to discuss economic and trade issues
between Oregon and South Korea.
Mr. Yuh was accompanied by Mr. Sung-won Lee,
consular staff member, Mr. Jim Choi and Ms. Esther
Yoon, of the Korean-American Association in Eugene.
Ms. Yoon is the president of that group.
Noting that the Eugene Asian Celebration was among
the best he had ever attended, Mr. Yuh also noted how
supportive the community is of the event and thanked
the local Korean-American Association for its work on the event, as well as the work of the Eugene-Jinju
Sister City Committee.
Mr. Yuh presented a recording of traditional Korean music to Mayor Piercy as a gesture of the continuing
friendship between Korea and the United States, as well as between the sister cities of Eugene and Jinju.
For further information about the Sister City program, please contact Mary Walston, City Manager’s
Office, 682-5406.
Improvements Added to City Website
In continuing efforts to respond to public input, Information Services Division (ISD) added expanded
search capabilities and enhanced site resources to the public website the week of February 11. Changes
and improvements were developed and implemented in response to input received by the ISD
E-government team from citizens and staff during the City Website Public Improvement Project
)
(http://www.eugene-or.gov/input.
The latest round of improvements follow website changes announced previously, which included the
ability to list relevant City web pages as top search results, and the addition of a City-wide calendar of
meetings
EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 1
February 22, 2008
and additional features are accessed through the "header"
and City events. The newest changes top
portionsite's w
of the eb pages. They include:
Search Improvements.
The basic search entry area has a new design, intended to give clarity to
your search, and to indicate that a Site Search searches only the content found on the City site,
rather than on the entire World Wide Web.
Deeper Search Function.
A new More Searches! link displays a page where you can refine your
search, using more than the word or phrase you might use with the basic Site Search.The More
enriching search access to
Searches page also includes a list of links to the other City Web pages,
other resources such as the Library Catalog, Building Permits, and the City-wide calendar.
The
page collects, in one location, links to searchable databases the City now includes on its website.
Site Resources Collection
Contact Us Link.
The Contact Us link, found in the horizontal bar with links and related menus
under the main page banner near the top of the page, displays a new Site Resources page
collection.
Site Resources.
The feedback contact form is found in this collection, along with links to new
pages displaying a City Telephone Directory, Website Policies, Short Web Addresses, and to a
The telephone directory listings are the same alphabetical service
redesigned Site Map page.
listings available in the Qwest Dex blue pages.
Short Web Addresses.
The Short Web Addresses page provides a complete list of all the short
web addresses available for pages on the City site. These addresses can be used as browser
favorites, shortcuts or included as references in e-mails or printed materials.
Online Help.
The Site Resources collection also provides another link to the City site's online
Help (Demos and Tips). This link to City-specific Help is available at the top of each page, and on
a number of pages within the site. The new More Searches page, for example, includes links to
search-related Help topics.
For more information, please contact Rande Wilmarth, Information Services Division, at 682-5588 or
rande.k.wilmarth@ci.eugene.or.us.
Election Update
During the past week, the following candidates have completed the filing process for Eugene elected
positions:
Kitty Piercy for Mayor;
Rich Cunningham for EWEB Wards 6 and 7
One new candidate turned in a prospective petition this week: Larry Newby for EWEB
Wards 6 and 7.
Signature gathering for the referendum petition on the two cents per gallon gas tax continues. Petitions
must be turned into the City Recorder no later than 5 p.m. Wednesday, February 27. If at least 6,365
signatures are submitted (the minimum number required), petitions will be forwarded to Lane County
Elections for signature verification. For more information, contact City Recorder Mary Feldman at
682-8353.
Library Storytime Celebrates Black History Month
In honor of Black History Month, the Eugene Public Library's pre-school storytime hosts free
performances of the Drinking Gourd School’s play “On the Road to the Great Zimbabwe.” Catch the
show Wednesday, February 27, 10:15 and 11 a.m., at the Downtown Library.
The play is performed by Drinking Gourd students ages 5 - 8 with participation by kids in the audience.
Adapted from the book Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters, it's the tale of two sisters -- one greedy, the other
generous -- who travel to an ancient golden city to meet the king. For more information, call the Eugene
Public Library at 682-8316.
EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 2
February 22, 2008
Fire & EMS Releases 2008 Standards of Response Coverage Report
The Fire & EMS Department's Standards of Response Coverage report for 2008, which provides an
analysis of community safety factors and the fire suppression and emergency medical response
resources addressing them, has now been released by the department, and a copy has been placed in
the City Manager's Office for the review of elected officials and other interested parties.
The 96-page report includes statistics on population, call volume by type, configuration of response
packages, and response times. There are also analyses of response reliability by area, temporal
distribution of calls, concentration of resources, and a chapter providing some historical perspective. The
final chapter outlines the department's future needs and recommendations for service improvement. In
addition to providing organized benchmarking of performance data, the Standards of Response
Coverage report also serves as one basis for maintaining the department's accredited status. For more
information, please contact Fire & EMS Chief Randy Groves at 682-7115.
Public Workshops Scheduled in February for Waterways Study
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, in partnership with the City of Eugene, City of Springfield, Eugene
Water & Electric Board, and Lane County, has developed a series of waterway enhancement proposals
for Amazon Creek in the Eugene area and Cedar Creek in the Springfield area as part of the Eugene-
Springfield Metro Waterways Study. The proposed enhancements are multiobjective and include
improvements to habitat, water quality, physical condition, and recreation.
Two public workshops are scheduled in February to discuss these proposed enhancements. The intent
of these workshops is to describe the proposed waterway enhancements and to receive feedback. Both
workshops begin at 6:00 p.m. with an overview presentation, followed by an opportunity to review and
comment on specific proposals. The specific dates and times of the workshops are:
Amazon Creek Planning Area Workshop:
Wednesday, February 27, 6 to 8 p.m. in
the Eugene Public Library,
BascomTykeson Room.
Cedar Creek Planning Area Workshop: Thursday, February 28, 6 to 8 p.m. in the Springfield City
Hall, Library Meeting Room.
Development of these waterway enhancement proposals marks a key milestone in the multi-year Metro
Waterways Study. The overall goal of the study is to identify and evaluate problem areas and
opportunities related to the function and health of our local waterways. More specifically, the study has
examined issues related to flood protection and drainage management, conservation of wildlife and
aquatic habitat, water quality, open spaces, and recreational and educational opportunities.
For more information on the study and workshops, please contact Eric Wold, Natural Resources
Manager, at 682-4842, or visit the project web site at www.metrowaterways.org.
Applications for Community Garden Plots Accepted Through March 17
The public is once again invited to sign up for a garden plot in one of Eugene’s six community gardens.
Last year, more than 200 community members
participated in the program.
The City of Eugene has six community gardens at the
following locations:
Amazon Garden at 27th Avenue and High Street
Mathews Garden at 15th Avenue and Hayes Street
Whiteaker Garden at the end of North Polk Street
River House Garden at 301 North Adams Street
Alton Baker Gardens on Day Island Road in Alton
Baker Park
Skinner City Farm at the west end of Skinner Butte
Park (north end of Washington Street)
EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 3
February 22, 2008
Rent is $60 per year for a plot approximately 500 square feet in size. It includes access to tools, water,
and a garden site manager. Eugene’s Community Gardens Program has been offering residents the
opportunity to cultivate a plot of land since 1978.
(click on community gardens), at the Parks
Applications are available online at www.eugene-or.gov/parks
and Open Space Division office at 1820 Roosevelt Boulevard Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to
5 p.m., or by calling 682-4800. The deadline for submitting applications is Monday, March 17.
Garden plots will be awarded by a lottery drawing to be held on Monday, March 24. For information about
plot vacancies at specific garden locations, call 682-4800. For more information about the community
gardens program, contact Josiah Sheehan, community gardens manager, at 682-4825 or
.
Josiah.l.sheehan@ci.eugene.or.us
Free Talk Explores Mental Health and Aging
Eugene Recreation presents many free talks ranging from health and legal issues to sustainability issues.
On Wednesday, February 27, Joanna Vervoon will discuss the facts and myths about mental health and
aging. The talk will be held at 10:30 a.m. on at Hilyard Community Center.
Vervoon will explain strategies to renew mental and social wellbeing for you, a friend or a loved one. She
will provide information about dedicated mental health outreach resources in the community that work to
prevent and treat mental illness, raise awareness and fight the stigma of mental health. For information,
contact Patty Prather at 682-6365.
EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 4
February 22, 2008