HomeMy WebLinkAboutCity Council Newsletter - 09/28/06
EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER
September 28, 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
EUGENE TAKES TOP HONORS FOR PERFORMANCE MEASUREMENT
NEIGHBORHOOD PLANNING WORKSHOPS SCHEDULED FOR CREEKSIDE PARK, VIDERA PARK
FIRE& EMS PARTNER WITH COMMUNITY
‘TREMENDOUS COMMITMENT’ EARNS EUGENE SILVER CYCLING AWARD
IN AMERICA: STORIES OF TODAY’S IMMIGRANTS AND REFUGEES
BLUEGRASS AND HIKING AT FIRST FRIDAY @ THE DOWNTOWN LIBRARY
AROUND THE CITY
Eugene Takes Top Honors for Performance Measurement
The City of Eugene was awarded a Certificate of Distinction by the International City/County
Management Association (ICMA) Center for
Performance Measurement. The Certificate of
Distinction, the highest honor the ICMA bestows for
performance measurement, recognizes Eugene for its
exceptional use of performance information in the
management of local government.
“I’m very proud of our performance management work,”
said City Manager Dennis Taylor, who received the
award at the ICMA’s annual conference in San Antonio
this month. “It’s clear when I talk to city managers from
other communities that Eugene is ahead of the curve.”
The City has a well-developed performance measurement system, collecting data across thirty-five
services, and using it to inform management decisions and report on the City’s performance. Eugene
benchmarks its performance against 160 jurisdictions through the ICMA’s Center for Performance
Measurement, using that information to look for top performers and best practices. The City has also
been working with the National Center for Civic Innovation to develop ways of making performance
information more accessible and useful to the public.
In addition to using performance measurement effectively to manage its own services, Eugene has taken
a leadership role in improving the practice of performance measurement in the region. The City co-
founded an organization that brings Oregon state and local government staff together to address key
performance management issues. Eugene also helped launch a performance consortium that gives
Oregon communities access to regional comparative data for a broad range of local government
services. Additionally, the City is part of an effort that brings together government and non-profit
agencies in the Pacific Northwest and British Columbia to look for innovative ways of measuring and
reporting on the outcomes the public cares most about.
Joining Eugene in receiving the Certificate of Distinction were Austin, Texas; Bellevue and Vancouver,
Wash.; Fairfax County and Prince William County, Va.; Henderson, Las Vegas, Reno, and Washoe
County, Nev.; Long Beach, San Jose, and Santa Barbara County, Calif.; Miami-Dade County, Palm
Coast, and Sarasota County, Fla.; and Phoenix, Ariz.. The jurisdictions receiving the Certificate of
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September 28, 2006
Achievement are: Bryan and San Antonio, Texas; Des Moines, Iowa; Gainesville and Orlando, Fla.;
North Las Vegas, Nev.; Richmond, Va.; St. Charles, Ill.; and University Place, Wash. For more
information, contact Terrie Monroe at terrie.e.monroe@ci.eugene.or.us or 682-5412.
Neighborhood Planning Workshops Scheduled for Creekside Park, Videra Park
Follow-up park planning workshops are scheduled in early October on two area parks – Creekside Park
in north Eugene and Videra Park in west Eugene.
Creekside Park
On Wednesday, October 4, from 6:30 to 8 p.m., Creekside Park neighbors are invited
to preview the draft design for their 3.17-acre neighborhood park. The park is located
at the far north edge of Eugene’s Cal Young neighborhood, one block west of Gilham
Road, off Crimson. The workshop will be held at Gilham Community Church, located
at 3633 Gilham Drive.
Parks and Open Space staff based the draft concept plan on input from the first workshop, which was
held on June 27. The proposed improvements include a children’s play area, sand play area, small
basketball court, park furniture such as benches and picnic tables, paths and access improvements,
trees and shrubs.
The City of Eugene Parks and Open Space Division purchased the property in 2000 using funds from the
1998 Parks and Open Space bond measure. Parks SDC (systems development charge) funding is now
available for improvements to Creekside Park. For more information on Creekside Park, please contact
Parks Planning Principal Landscape Architect Robin Hostick at 682-4915 or
robin.a.hostick@ci.eugene.or.us.
Videra Park
On Thursday, October 5, from 6:30 to 8 p.m., Videra Park neighbors are invited to
preview the draft design for their 5.88-acre neighborhood park. The park is located in
the far south of the Churchill neighborhood, at the intersection of 29th Avenue and
Randy Lane. The workshop will be held at Churchill Estates, located at 1919 Bailey
Hill Road.
Parks and Open Space staff based the draft concept plan on input from the first
workshop, which was held on July 18. The proposed improvements include a small
children’s play and picnic area, natural paths, play features, natural area
improvements, trees and shrubs.
The City of Eugene Parks and Open Space Division purchased the property in 2003 using funds from the
1998 Parks and Open Space bond measure. Parks SDC (systems development charge) funding is now
available for improvements to Videra Park. For more information please contact Philip Richardson, City
of Eugene Parks Planner, 682-4906, or Philip.A.Richardson@ci.eugene.or.us.
At both workshops, community members of all ages are encouraged to participate in evaluating the draft
concept plan and identifying funding priorities. To view the report from the first round of workshops, visit
www.eugene-or.gov/parks and select either Creekside Park or Videra Park from the drop-down list on the
Parks and Open Space home page.
Fire & EMS Partner With Community
In an effort to expand the City's partnership with community businesses, the Eugene Fire & EMS Billing
Department has joined Sacred Heart Medical Center in improving business transactions through the use
of technology. Both businesses have partnered to implement a software program that permits Sacred
Heart data pertinent to EMS calls to be retrieved by the Eugene Fire & EMS Billing Department. This will
improve the accuracy, processing, and collection of the City’s service fees. For more information,
please contact A/Deputy Chief Administrative Services Mike Thrapp at 682-7130.
In another community partnership, the Eugene Fire & EMS Department’s Hazardous Materials (HazMat)
Team is working with the Eugene Police Department and Sacred Heart Medical Center to develop an
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September 28, 2006
emergency response plan around the installation and operation of the hospital’s new surgical device
known as the Gamma Knife. In spite of the name, it is not actually a knife at all, but a medical
instrument that emits 201 finely focused beams of gamma radiation. Gamma Knife radio surgery will
give doctors pinpoint-accuracy in treating a number of brain disorders, including tumors, all without ever
opening the skull. Although Gamma Knife technology has been successfully used across the county for
over two decades without incident, it is still important for Fire and Police response teams to have
awareness and mitigation training. For more information please contact A/Deputy Chief Line Operations
Randy DeWitt at 682-7130.
‘Tremendous Commitment’ Earns Eugene Silver Cycling Award
The League of American Bicyclists recently honored the City of Eugene with the coveted award of
Bicycle Friendly Community at the Silver level. The League of American Bicyclists is a 300,000-member
organization that promotes bicycling for fun, fitness, and transportation and advocates for bicycle safety
education and funding.
This is the second Silver award received by the City of Eugene in recognition of local efforts to improve
conditions for bicyclists. Only eight cities across America have received a higher award at the gold and
platinum level. The League of American Bicyclists evaluated Eugene’s bicycle system in the following
five categories to determine if Eugene has continued to improve its extensive bicycle system:
engineering, education, encouragement, enforcement, and evaluation/planning. The league also
interviewed local bicyclists as part of its evaluation.
The league’s executive director Andy Clarke saluted Eugene and the other 11 communities receiving
Bicycle Friendly Community awards “for their tremendous commitment to improving conditions for
bicyclists.”
Public Works staff will conduct a Eugene Walking and Biking Summit on Saturday, October 7, from
8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. to seek public input about how to make this community a safer and more inviting
place to bike and walk. The Summit, which will take place at the Erb Memorial Union on the University
of Oregon campus, will kick off a new Pedestrian and Bicycle Strategic Planning process for the City of
Eugene. For more information, contact Pedestrian and Bicycle Coordinator Lee Shoemaker at 682-5471
or lee.shoemaker@ci.eugene.or.us. (For more information about the summit, go to www.eugene-
or.gov/walkbike.)
In America: Stories of Today’s Immigrants and Refugees
The topic of immigration sparked debate nationwide this year, from Congress to everyday conversations.
This fall, the Eugene Public Library offers a great opportunity to learn about different immigrant groups in
the U.S. and the challenges they face in their new land and communities by presenting the documentary
film series In America: Stories of Today’s Immigrants & Refugees.
The Downtown Library will show four highly-recommended films in October, on Sundays at 3 p.m. with
facilitated discussion following each. Admission is free. All films in the series are available for check-out
as well.
Beginning the series on Sunday, October 1, is The Letter by Ziad Hamzeh, a film about Somali refugees
establishing a home in Lewiston, Maine, igniting tensions and dueling rallies by white supremacists and
peace activists. On Sunday, October 8, the featured film is Becoming American: The Chinese
Experience, by Steve Cheng and Thomas Lennon, narrated by Bill Moyers. Becoming American
examines Chinese immigration after 1965 including struggles with discrimination and the balance
between maintaining one's culture and embracing a new one.
,
On Sunday, October 15, Brothers and Others by Nicolas Rossier, documents the post-September 11
hardships on Muslims and Arabs living in America due to government investigations and the dire
economic impact of the attacks. Closing the series on Sunday, October 22, is the Sundance award-
winning Farmingville, by Catherine Tambini and Carlos Sandoval, in which citizens of a Long Island
suburb react to hate-based crimes against Mexican day laborers.
Says Librarian Lorie Vik, “This film series builds on the successful one we held last year, which focused
on human rights topics. We believe a crucial part of the Library’s role in the community is to bring
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people together to learn and talk about issues that matter locally, nationally, and globally.” For more
information, call 682-5450.
Bluegrass and Hiking at First Friday @ the Downtown Library
On First Friday @ the Downtown Library, October 6, at 6:30 p.m., toes'll be tappin' with the Poodle Crick
Pickers band. The group specializes in lively bluegrass, western swing, and country tunes. Also at 6:30,
enjoy the scenery indoors when Bill Sullivan presents a talk and slideshow about "New Hikes in
Northwest Oregon." Well-known as the author of many books about hiking, Sullivan offers tips on trails,
where to stay, local history, and outdoor lore.
The Downtown Library stays open until 8 p.m. the first Friday of each month. In addition to free
entertainment and educational events, all library services are available. For more information, contact
Eugene Public Library, 682-5450.
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