The URL can be used to link to this page

Home My WebLink About05/29/08 City Council NewsletterEUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER May 29, 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 BAILEY HILL ROAD SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS PUBLIC PROCESS CONTINUES BEAM DEVELOPMENT UPDATE BROCHURES NOTIFY CUSTOMERS OF NEW WASTEWATER AND STORMWATER USER FEES PREPARATIONS UNDER WAY FOR 2008 SAFETY FEST PLANNING DIVISION HIRES CONSULTANT TO BEGIN LANDS ASSESSMENT "BACH AT THE LIBRARY" MINI-CONCERT NEWSLETTER HIGHLIGHTS HEALTHY LAWNS, PESKY MOSS & OTHER NATURE-FRIENDLY TIPS AROUND THE CITY Bailey Hill Road Safety Improvements Public Process Continues On the evening of Wednesday, May 7, neighborhood residents, project stakeholders and City staff from a variety of departments participated in a walking tour of the Bailey Hill Road project site. The tour provided participants with a first-hand look at opportunities and challenges for various options, including a possible reconfiguration of the four-lane undivided roadway to a two-lane roadway with a center turn lane. One of the notable outcomes of the walking tour was the ability for participants to experience the site from the perspective of a pedestrian. Immediately preceding the walking tour, City staff gave a presentation recapping the first workshop held in April and outlining the process goals and desired outcomes. The primary goal of the process is to th gauge community support for design alternatives between 18 Avenue and Warren Street that increase the safety for all road users while also ensuring that existing and future traffic volumes are accommodated. City staff will present a preliminary concept design that takes into account feedback received to date at a third community meeting on Wednesday, June 4, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at the Churchill High School Library, 1850 Bailey Hill Road. Additional information is available at www.eugene- or.gov/pwprojects, or by calling David Roth, Associate Transportation Planner, at 682-5727, or through email at david.f.roth@ci.eugene.or.us. Beam Development Update On May 23, 2008, Beam Development signed a Purchase and Sale Agreement (PSA) with the Urban Renewal Agency (URA) for the purchase of the Centre Court building and adjacent vacant lot, and the Washburne Building. Beam also paid $50,000 in additional deposit money and assumed responsibility for the URA’s existing $470,000 deposit. The purchase prices for the properties total $3.6 million. The URA is scheduled to purchase the properties on or before July 7, 2008, followed by the sale of the properties to Beam for their redevelopment project. Beam plans to renovate the Centre Court building for retail and office uses. They are also proposing to construct a new retail and office building on the adjacent vacant lot. Renovations and construction are estimated to begin in the spring of 2009. Beam is planning to renovate the Washburne Building in a subsequent phase. For additional information, contact Denny Braud in the Planning and Development Department at 682-5536 (denny.braud@ci.eugene.or.us). Brochures Notify Customers of New Wastewater and Stormwater User Fees The City’s annual wastewater and stormwater rate notification brochures will be distributed via EWEB utility bills beginning in June. The rate notification brochure informs customers of rates and provides an EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 1 May 29, 2008 overview of City services supported by these fees. Copies of the rate notification brochure are available in the City Manager’s Office. Wastewater fees are applied to all properties connected to the public wastewater system. Eugene provides local wastewater collection services, and the Metropolitan Wastewater Management Commission (MWMC) operates the regional wastewater treatment facilities. The purpose of the regional wastewater program is to protect public health and safety and the environment by providing high-quality wastewater management services to the Eugene-Springfield metropolitan area. The MWMC regional wastewater rate increase is necessary to fund operation and maintenance of the existing wastewater treatment facilities and implement planned capital improvement projects. The local wastewater user fee increase is necessary to maintain current operating service levels while also funding necessary capital improvements. The combined effect of the local and regional wastewater fee increases for a typical residential customer reflects an increase of $1.84 per month, from the current $20.78 per month to $22.62 per month. Of this typical increase, $1.57 is related to the regional portion while $0.27 is from the local portion of the fee. Other user categories will see similar effects in terms of the percentage increase, with dollar amounts varying depending on volume and strength of wastewater discharge. Stormwater fees are applied to all developed properties in Eugene. The fees support services that maintain flood protection and drainage services, maintain and enhance stormwater-related natural resources, and improve water quality. These services include street sweeping, seasonal leaf pick up, maintenance of underground stormwater pipes and efforts to reduce pollutants and adhere to water quality standards. Stormwater customers in the medium residential category, typical of most residential customers, will see an increase of $0.36 per month, to a total of $9.40. The City Manager approved the rate increase by administrative order on May 4. The new rates will become effective on bills issued in July. For more information about the wastewater and stormwater fee increases contact Tish Peterson at 682-6087 or by e-mail at tish.a.peterson@ci.eugene.or.us. Preparations Underway for 2008 Safety Fest Every summer, thousands gather at Alton Baker Park to be a part of the Safety Fest organized by the Eugene Fire & EMS Department's Water Rescue Team. This year's event is scheduled for Saturday, June 21, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., and admission is free. Continuing a tradition that began in 2001, the Safety Fest will feature safety-related demonstrations and activities, life jacket and bike helmet giveaways, food, music, sunshine, and a wealth of information about a wide range of safety topics. Public agencies scheduled to participate include Eugene Fire & EMS, Springfield Fire & Life Safety, Eugene Police, and the Lane County Sheriff's Office. A number of local safety-related commercial enterprises will also be on hand to provide information. The event has grown over the years (last year an estimated 10,000 attended), and at its current scope would not be possible without donor and vendor support. The Water Rescue Team would like to thank principal sponsors KVAL-TV, Bi-Mart, State Farm Insurance, and Willamalane Park & Recreation District. For more information, please contact District Chief Craig Callicotte at 682-7100. EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 2 May 29, 2008 Planning Division Hires Consultant to Begin Lands Assessment The Eugene Planning Division has selected ECONorthwest as the consultant to conduct the Eugene Comprehensive Lands Assessment. The consultant contract is expected to be signed the first week of June 2008. ECONorthwest will be working with the Lane Council of Governments, Winterbrook Planning, and Ulum Associates to complete the mapping, analysis, public engagement and reporting required by this large project. The Lands Assessment will address the requirements of House Bill 3337 that call for the City to conduct an analysis of the supply and demand for residential lands for a 20-year planning period. The assessment will also study commercial and industrial lands, natural resource areas and park lands, and is planned for completion in December 2009. For more information about the Eugene Comprehensive Lands Assessment, please contact Neil Björklund, at 682-5507 or via email at neil.h.bjorklund@ci.eugene.or.us. "Bach at the Library" Mini-Concert On First Friday, June 6, at 6:00 p.m., the Oregon Bach Festival (OBF) will offer a free mini-concert at the Downtown Eugene Public Library. Hosted by the Festival’s George Evano, the evening's entertainment will reflect the wide variety of the Oregon Bach Festival 2008 offerings, including tango and a tribute to the upcoming Olympic Trials. Barbara Baird and Julia Brown, who headline the OBF's July 10 "Organ Interlude" concert, will perform on harpsichord and a portative (portable) pipe organ built by Eugene's own David Petty. They will present works by J.S. Bach and his sons Carl Phillip Emmanuel, Wilhelm Friedemann, and Johann Christian, all noteworthy composers in their own right. For more information, call Eugene Public Library at 682-5450. Newsletter Highlights Healthy Lawns, Pesky Moss & Other Nature-Friendly Tips What does it take to create an attractive, low-maintenance lawn that has a positive environmental impact? Why bother to take a cautious approach with products and activities around our homes? Because preventing pollutants from reaching neighborhood storm drains has a direct connection to healthy, vibrant streams and rivers. Although storm drains may remove pollutants from our view, problems can linger on when the ultimate destination is our local waterways. Articles in the newsletter Stormwater Connections typically address seasonal or current issues about surface water and natural resource issues in our community and cover at least one subject of interest to our younger citizens. Over the next week, Eugene area residents will receive the spring issue via mail. EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 3 May 29, 2008 Some of the topics in this issue include ideas on how to tackle unwanted moss in the yard or on the roof or what it takes to boost soil with a hardworking network of volunteers. Read about the latest improvements to Delta Ponds and several avid birdwatchers who were inspired to organize a forest adoption group. And worth considering is the article about kids, pets and pesticides. Copies of the newsletter have been placed in the City Manager’s Office. For more information or additional copies of the newsletter contact Kathy Eva, public information specialist for the Stormwater Management Program, at 682-2739. EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 4 May 29, 2008