HomeMy WebLinkAboutCity Council Newsletter - 08/17/06
EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER
August 17, 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
CITY GAUGING INTEREST IN RE-USE OF CITY HALL
AIRLINE MAGAZINES FEATURE EUGENE AREA AND ITS DIVERSITY
FREE WIRELESS INTERNET ACCESS AT ALL EUGENE PUBLIC LIBRARY LOCATIONS
MULTICULTURAL FESTIVAL DRAWS DIVERSE CROWD
CITY PROMOTES ‘SUSTAINABLE SUNDAY’ AT LANE COUNTY FAIR
AROUND THE CITY
City Gauging Interest in Re-Use of City Hall
As part of the City Hall Complex master planning process, the Eugene City Council has decided to
proceed with a plan to build a new city hall, because renovating and expanding the existing building for
continued use would be more complicated and costly. In order to make informed decisions about siting
the new structure, the City Council wants to determine the level of community interest in acquiring the
existing city hall building and/or site at 777 Pearl Street.
To gauge the possibilities for use by other parties, the City is contacting over 300 non-profit
organizations, government agencies, developers, and any other persons or entities with a potential
interest in the Eugene City Hall property.
An informational meeting will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday, August 22, 2006, in the McNutt Room at
City Hall. Information about the existing building will be available at the meeting and City staff will be on
hand to answer questions and to conduct a tour of the building. An information packet can also be
obtained by calling Em Jenson, real property officer in the Facility Management Division at 682-5190 or
by email to: emmy.r.jenson@ci.eugene.or.us.
The City is requesting that anyone interested in obtaining the current City Hall property submit a
statement of interest by September 7, 2006. The information packet includes a form outlining the
information to be included in the statement of interest. A summary of the expressions of interest
received from the community will be presented to the council at the September 20 work session on City
Hall siting.
For more information on the City Hall Complex master planning process, please call Mike Penwell,
facilities design and construction manager, at (541) 682-5547 or by email to:
michael.j.penwell@ci.eugene.or.us
Airline Magazines Feature Eugene Area and Its Diversity
“Exploring Eugene” is featured in the August issue of Destination Oregon, a special section of Alaska
Airlines and Horizon Air magazines. In the article, freelance writer Terry W. Sheely describes how
diversity – geographic, climatic and social – makes Eugene a unique area. Photos include pictures of
the local farmers market and the Oregon Electric Station in downtown Eugene, as well as rural shots of a
covered bridge and the McKenzie River.
“The region is so socially diverse that even the state tourism agency, the Oregon Tourism Commission,
has proudly trumpeted the area as ‘a place where Bach and boot-scootin’ live in harmony, where tie-dye
and tuxedos are equally trendy, where small-town charm meets big-city panache,’” Sheely notes in his
EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 1
August 17, 2006
article.
Horizon Air, sister carrier to Alaska Airlines, offers daily service to and from Eugene. A copy of the
inflight magazine has been placed in the Council Office. For more information, contact Airport Manager
Bob Noble at 682-5430.
Free Wireless Internet Access at All Eugene Public Library Locations (Wi-Fi)
Free wireless Internet access is now available at all Eugene
Public Library locations: the Downtown Library, Bethel Branch,
and Sheldon Branch.
Anyone with a wireless-equipped notebook can log on from
anywhere in the Library. The Downtown wi-fi “hot spot” extends
into the Entry Garden and coffee shop area, and even to the
café tables outside, when the doors are open for warm
weather.
Internet access is an important and popular Library service.
Now that people who carry their own notebook computers can
access the Internet by wi-fi, more time on the Library's public
Internet access computers is available to better meet demand.
Along with websurfing, wi-fi allows users to sit wherever they
choose and visit the EPL website, www.eugene-or.gov/library, to access Library services such as the
catalog, library card accounts, and many of the Library’s specialized databases. Wi-fi is especially
appreciated by people who need or prefer to use their own computers, such as business people,
teachers, or students who need access to their own software or stored information while using the Web.
Increasingly, travelers rely on wi-fi hot spots both to stay in touch and to get information about the areas
they’re visiting.
Wireless Internet access at the Library is made possible by the support of the Eugene Public Library
Foundation, which has committed to sponsoring this service for the next three years. For more
information, contact the Eugene Public Library, 682-5450.
MultiCultural Festival Draws Diverse Crowd
An estimated 1,600 people representing a broad cross-section of
the community attended the fourth annual MultiCultural Festival
held at Sheldon Community Center Park on August 11. Library,
Recreation and Cultural Services presented the free event that
included pre-event swimming, one of the Concerts in the Parks
Series (The Vipers with Deb Cleveland), Kid Zone arts and games,
and cultural crafts by the Library.
Recreation Programmer Kim McManus, who organized the event,
noted a wide diversity in the attendees this year. She said that
while the concerts remain a key draw, participation in all festival
activities was up from previous years. The festival’s International
Marketplace also realized a 50% increase craft vendors, including seven representatives from the
Regional Association of International Non-profits (R.A.I.N.) that is
based in the Willamette Valley, but works internationally on projects in developing countries. R.A.I.N.
vendors sold items from Nepal, Zimbabwe, Burma, Darfur, Guatemala and Kenya.
The MultiCultural Festival meets the City Council goal of “Accessible and Thriving Culture and
Recreation,” and furthers the council’s priority to strengthen and promote the community’s arts and
outdoors assets by integrating arts and recreation at a free, public event held at an outdoor venue. For
more information, contact Sandy Shaffer, recreation manager, 682-6338.
City Promotes ‘Sustainable Sunday’ at Lane County Fair
A sampling of the City’s sustainable activities will be on display Sunday at the Lane County Fair. Staff
EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 2
August 17, 2006
from several City departments will be on hand at a booth to provide information on City services and
systems that embrace economy, equity and the environment. Some of the more visible sustainable
activities include the alternative modes program, the new pesticide-free park projects and the expanded
use of hybrid vehicles. Other programs such as energy management systems for existing buildings,
partnerships to provide affordable housing, and the promotion of literacy through library programs may
be less apparent but contribute significantly to the long-term sustainability of this community.
The booth will feature displays and handouts with information about program areas such as solid waste
and recycling, cultural services, planning and development services, parks and open space programs,
volunteer opportunities, the City’s stormwater management program, and “green” buildings. Facility
Management's electric vehicle will be on display next to the booth. The booth will be open from
11 a.m. to 8 p.m. and will be located in the concert mainstage area. For more information, contact
Stormwater Education Specialist Kathy Eva at 682-2739 or kathy.a.eva@ci.eugene.or.us.
EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 3
August 17, 2006