HomeMy WebLinkAboutCity Council Newsletter - 07/20/06
EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER
July 20, 2006
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
FUN IN SPANISH AND ENGLISH AT DOWNTOWN LIBRARY
BUILDING PERMIT INSPECTION REQUEST SYSTEM RECEIVES UPGRADE
CONSTRUCTION UNDERWAY TO IMPROVE 10 LOCAL PEDESTRIAN CROSSINGS
PEOPLE POWERED FESTIVAL WRAPS UP JULY-IN-MOTION CAMPAIGN
THAT’S THE TICKET! AND THAT’S THE TICKET!2
AROUND THE CITY
Fun in Spanish and English at Downtown Library
All ages are invited for free bilingual events on Tuesday, July 25, 6:30 - 8:00 p.m. at the Downtown
Eugene Public Library.
At Intercambio Conversation Circles, adults and teens talk casually in
small groups -- in Spanish for 30 minutes and in English for 30 minutes.
Participants get the opportunity to practice whichever language they are
less fluent in, as well as the chance to help new friends practice the
language they're learning. Intercambio is hosted by a skilled bilingual
facilitator, and is held the second and fourth Tuesdays of each month.
At the same date and time, kids in grades 1 - 6 can enjoy Hora de
Diversión. On July 25, guest presenters Ximena Torres and Andres
Montenegro of Chile teach kids about the dramatic animals of the
Amazon Jungle, including sculpting anacondas (snakes) and yacarés
(alligators). (Younger children may stay with adults at Intercambio.)
¡Nos vemos! For more information, call the Eugene Public Library at 682-5450 - for English, press 2; for
Spanish, press 5.
Building Permit Inspection Request System Receives Upgrade
Building and Permit Services in 2001 implemented an IVR (interactive voice response) system for
managing the City’s inspection requests. On a typical work day, there can be 250 - 300 inspection
requests from residents and contractors. The IVR system lets callers make requests and leave messages
about their projects 24 hours a day/7 days a week through an efficient, automated process which requires
minimal intervention by City staff.
The IVR system was recently upgraded. Although most of the changes are behind-the-scenes and won't
be visible to permit customers who use the system all of the time, there is one exciting addition to the
system that will allow homeowners and contractors to request inspections and listen to inspection results
in Spanish. English-language service will continue to be available, as well. The number for requesting
inspections is 682-5282. For more information about the IVR system and inspection requests, please
contact Permit Coordination Supervisor Debbie Wells, 682-6828 or debbie.l.wells@ci.eugene.or.us.
EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 1
July 20, 2006
Construction Underway to Improve 10 Local Pedestrian Crossings
Construction is underway to improve pedestrian crossings at 10 locations in Eugene. The City of Eugene
received a $125,000 grant from the Oregon Department of Transportation to construct pedestrian
crossing islands, curb ramps, signs and crosswalk striping at Lane Transit District (LTD) bus stops. The
City of Eugene and LTD provided the required 10% local match for the project.
The new crossing islands will make it easier and safer for pedestrians to cross busy streets by providing
a refuge between the travel lanes until vehicular traffic clears. The islands will provide pedestrians with
a better view of oncoming traffic and allow drivers to clearly see pedestrians.
The new pedestrian crossing islands will be on River Road (two locations), Goodpasture Island Road
(two locations), Jefferson Street, 1st Avenue, Roosevelt Boulevard, Country Club Road (two locations)
th
and 19 Avenue. Construction will be completed by the end of July with the exception of the crossing
islands on Country Club Road, which will be installed as part of a pavement preservation project
scheduled for next summer.
For more information, please contact Pedestrian and Bicycle Coordinator Lee Shoemaker at 682-5471 or
lee.shoemaker@ci.eugene.or.us.
People Powered Festival Wraps Up July-in-Motion Campaign
The People Powered Festival will be celebrated on Thursday, July 27, 4
to 7 p.m. on the East Park Block in downtown Eugene. The event will
include live music by local band Riffle playing a variety of music from
the ‘80s and ‘90s, an exhibition by the McCornack Unicycle Club, the
Maltese Fulcrum kinetic sculpture and eccentric wheeled scooters
(whymcycles or hiccup bikes), free ice cream from Prince Pucklers, and
information and prizes from local bike shops and manufacturers. There
will also be a chance to meet with some members of local biking, bike
racing, and walking clubs. The Center for Appropriate Transportation
(CAT) will be on hand to provide free valet bicycle parking.
The People Powered Festival celebrates the end of the July-in-Motion
campaign which encourages community members to commit to using a
non-motorized method of transportation at least one day a week during July. For more information, call
Alternative Modes Coordinator Cindy Clarke at 541-682-5285.
That’s the Ticket! and That’s the Ticket!2
Partnering with local business and organizations and creating more value for each Hult Center ticket are
the primary goals for the That’s the Ticket! program.
For over four years now, the Hult Center has offered That’s the
,
Ticket! a cooperative program with Downtown Eugene Inc. (DEI)
and downtown restaurants. Hult Center patrons enjoy special
discounts and treats at participating restaurants before and/or after
events at the Hult Center generating sales and foot traffic in
downtown. Currently, 15 local restaurants are participating and
reporting strong sales.
Now, in partnership with the Convention & Visitors Association of
Lane County Oregon (CVALCO), the Hult Center is proud to
announce That’s the Ticket!2. Staff expects great success with the three fabulous Bed & Breakfasts that
are offering special treats to Hult Center patrons.
Marketing for these two special programs includes a dedicated web page on www.HultCenter.org which
lists every restaurant and B&B with the discount offer, and hotlinks to the program’s business partners,
as well as the DEI and CVALCO websites. The That’s the Ticket! marketing icon is used consistently
on the home page of www.HultCenter.org and in every OVATION, the Hult Center’s quarterly events
EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 2
July 20, 2006
calendar. This colorful and informative print publication is distributed to the 34,000 ticket-buyer
households plus 6,000 copies are distributed directly with an emphasis on the female target market (hair
salons and spas). In addition, That’s the Ticket!will receive one page in the Hult Presents 2006-07
season brochure (9,000 copies). A press release will be sent in early September to local and out-of-town
newspapers to gain positive coverage. That’s the Ticket!2 is also listed on CVALCO’s Special Packages
website, which gives it great out-of-town visibility. In a truly cooperative spirit, the participating
restaurants and B&Bs market the program as well, thereby boosting Hult Center ticket sales.
The Hult Center is dedicated to promoting both of the That’s the Ticket! programs. That’s the Ticket!2
is a wonderful new vehicle to create transient room tax (hotel-tax) dollars for Eugene, a lifeline for
Cultural Services. Cultural Services receives more transient room-tax dollars than General Fund dollars
to subsidize division operations. Over the last seven years, for every $1 of transient room tax spent on
Cultural Services (Hult Center) operations, $5 was generated and returned back into the economy.
(Source: City of Eugene)
For further information, please contact Marketing and Public Relations Manager Billie R. Moser at
billie.c.rathbunmoser@ci.eugene.or.us; 541-682-8380.
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July 20, 2006