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Home My WebLink About09/04/08 City Council Newsletter EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER September 4, 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 WILLAKENZIE PARK GRAND RE-OPENING CELEBRATION WASTE PREVENTION REACHES NEW HEIGHTS AT 08 OLYMPIC TRIALS SUMMER CONCERT A “MIRACLE” FOR EUGENE WOMAN COLLEGE FINANCIAL AID AND JOB HUNT WORKSHOPS AT LIBRARY HULT CENTER JOINS FORCES WITH DOWNTOWN NEIGHBOR ROOSEVELT BOULEVARD TO GET ASPHALT OVERLAY THIS MONTH CITY’S FIRST DOGGIE DIVE A “HOWLING” SUCCESS WORK SCHEDULED TO IMPROVE NORTH GAME FARM ROAD FIRE RECRUITS NOW IN TRAINING PROPOSED METER RATE INCREASE IN CAMPUS PARKING DISTRICT AROUND THE CITY Willakenzie Park Grand Re-Opening Celebration On Tuesday, September 2, over 350 community members came out to celebrate the grand re-opening of Willakenzie Park. The celebration featured music by the Oregon Old-Time Fiddlers Association, as well as BBQ hot dogs, apple pie, youth pick-up softball and field games, and grange activities including a tomato contest and history displays. The revitalized park received a new children’s playground that features a sand and water play area with an historic agricultural theme; new picnic tables, benches, bike racks, and a drinking fountain; native plants and trees; interpretive signage and art tiles in the picnic area which reflect the rich history of the site; a multi-use path along the perimeter of the park; and an ADA van-accessible parking bay. The $600,000 to fund the project was made available in 2006 through parks systems development charges (SDCs). The celebration was a collaborative effort between the City of Eugene, Willakenzie Grange, and Harlow Neighbors. For more information contact Carrie Peterson, park development coordinator at 682-4907 or carrie.a.peterson@ci.eugene.or.us. Waste Prevention Reaches New Heights at 08 Olympic Trials The numbers are in, and volume and weights have been calculated. Every garbage container, water bottle, wood scrap, and paper plate has been accounted for. The recovery rate (by weight) for the Eugene 08 Olympic Trials shows that 69 percent of the material generated at the trials was composted, recycled or donated, while just 31 percent of the waste generated went to the landfill. Categories of recyclables from most weight to least weight included: commingled recycling, compost, wood, glass, donated food, plastic film, miscellaneous plastics, and electronic waste. Total materials diverted totaled 132,917 pounds or 66.45 tons, and trash landfilled amounted to 58,595 pounds or 29.30 tons. These figures compare favorably with other, smaller events – ranging from April’s one-day Earth Day event at EWEB with a 68 percent recovery rate and 1,900 participants, to the four-day Good Earth home show last January with 81 percent recovery and 28,000 attendees. (More than 165,000 attended the trials.) The Local Organizing Committee and project managers promoted the “think zero waste” effort. Cooperation of food vendors and their commitment to serve food and drink with compostable plates, cups and utensils were key – as were the volunteers willing to sort materials ensuring that only the cleanest streams of source-separated recyclables left the venue. Many lessons were learned from this experience, including: No matter how many volunteers you have, it is never enough; and top-down support is critical to the success of an event like this, with continued expression of that support needed throughout all phases. For additional information, please EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 1 September 4, 2008 contact Anne Donahue, Planning & Development Department, at 682-5542, or anne.c.donahue@ci.eugene.or.us. Summer Concert a “Miracle” for Eugene Woman Last week, the Hult Center made assisted listening devices (ALDs) available at a Summer Concert in the Park at Sheldon Community Center. The Hult Center has made this service available for in-house events for quite some time and was happy to provide it at the park concert as well. Hult Center Programming Manager Carol Philips, and Guest Services Manager Jeff Goodyear arranged for the devices to be transported and set up for the Blue Skies Big Band concert on Thursday, August 21, at Sheldon Community Center. Afterwards, Carol heard from Pam Jarvis, a local resident: “My mom [Helen Saunders] has been unable to hear music for a very, very long time, and it has been an immense loss for her. Tonight was like a miracle, and meant more to her (and us) than you can imagine. The Blue Skies Big Band concert was an answer to our prayers, and a night we will never forget. It was an incredible gift.” The true source for inspiring and helping to make the Summer Concert music available to Ms Saunders was Andrea Cabral, who Ms. Jarvis met at the Hearing Loss Association. It was Andrea who put her in touch with Andy Fernandez at the Hilyard Community Center who then contacted the Hult Center. For more information, contact Billie Moser at 682-8380. College Financial Aid and Job Hunt Workshops at Library A workshop at the Eugene Public Library, Applying for College & Financial Aid,will cover how to complete a successful application, write an effective entrance essay, fill out financial aid forms, and more. At the Downtown Library on Saturday, September 20, 3:00 - 5:00 p.m., guest experts from the University of Oregon offices of Admissions, and Student Financial Aid and Scholarships, will share valuable tips. Librarian Scott Herron will introduce the Library's electronic resources including LearningExpress (practice tests and guidance), Foundation Directory Online (scholarships from 77,000+ sources), and Oregon Career Information System (information about schools and financial aid throughout the U.S.). Looking for work? Find online resources for researching job opportunities and creating résumés at the “Job Search and Résumés” hands-on computer class, Saturday, September 27, 10:00 – noon at the Downtown Library. Participants will learn about tools such as Microsoft Word's Résumé Wizard, Oregon Career Information System, and LearningExpress (practice exams), plus Internet resources including Craigslist, Monster.com, and the Oregon Employment Department website. Basic computer and Internet skills are required. Pre-register at 682-5450 (press 2). On September 27 from 1:00 – 3:00, job hunters can get advice and information directly from the pros at “Finding a Job.” Staff from the Oregon Employment Department will join Terri Harley of High-Gear Training Institute to talk about how to navigate the job search process. This session will cover locating opportunities, crafting résumés, preparing for interviews, and more. Find out how to tap into Lane County’s “hidden job market” – and bring questions. All programs at the Library are free-of-charge. For more information contact the Eugene Public Library at 682-5450 or www.eugene-or.gov/library. Hult Center Joins Forces with Downtown Neighbor The Hult Center is pleased to collaborate with one of its downtown neighbors, Red Agave Restaurant, to co-market two events. For Hult Presents Marsalis Brasilianos featuring Grammy award-winner Branford Marsalis on Thursday, Oct. 2, Red Agave will offer “Experience São Paulo without leaving Eugene.” Red Agave will serve sumptuous Brazilian dishes in harmony with the music of Marsalis Brasilianos. For Hult Presents Ronald K. Brown/EVIDENCE, A Dance Company (“One of the most profound choreographers of his generation,” - The New York Times), on Sunday, October 26, Red Agave will offer one of its famous Longtables, a family-style supper featuring guest chefs from around the region. Red Agave’s owner, Brian Heeb, will open the restaurant earlier than usual on October 26 to accommodate the end time of the matinee performance. The menu and theme of the longtable will be announced soon. For more about Red Agave’s longtable, go to http://redagave.net/?page_id=12, or contact Billie Moser at 682-8380. Roosevelt Boulevard to Get Asphalt Overlay This Month Plans to repave a 2.7 mile section of Roosevelt Boulevard will move ahead this fall following a bid opening on August 28 that brought lower-than-expected bid results. Eugene Sand Construction submitted the apparent low bid of $1.7 million to mill and overlay Roosevelt Boulevard from Chambers Street to Beltline Highway. The work will be done in two phases: ? Phase 1: Chambers Street to Seneca Road is scheduled to begin later this month and be substantially completed by mid-November. ? Phase 2: Seneca Road to Beltline Highway will be done next spring or early summer, as weather permits. EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 2 September 4, 2008 In both phases deteriorated pavement will be removed with roto-milling equipment and then the roadway will be repaved. In sections where pavement has completely failed, the pavement and base rock section will be removed and replaced. In addition, ADA-compliant ramps will be replaced on the north side of the intersection of Roosevelt Boulevard and Bertelsen Road as well as the southeast corner of Foch Street. Prior to construction, Public Works staff worked cooperatively with EWEB to have the utility replace deteriorating water lines under the roadway. In general, the working hours for the project will be 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. The milling and paving work between Lassen Street and Seneca Road will be done at night from 7:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. Postcards have been sent to all residents and businesses along Roosevelt Boulevard. Staff from the Public Works Engineering Division were concerned that rapidly escalating asphalt costs might cause the project to be postponed. However, the bids that came in were actually lower than expected. Funding for the project comes from a combination of local gas tax revenue and federal Surface Transportation Program- Urban (STP-U) funds made available through ODOT’s local certification program. For more information, please contact Project Manager Matt Rodrigues at 541-682-6036. City’s First Doggie Dive a “Howling” Success Some 35 dogs and their human owners participated in the first ever “doggie dive” at Echo Hollow Pool on Saturday, August 30. The water- loving dogs had a great time paddling around and some owners got in the pool with them. Many pet-owners expressed their approval of the event and were glad to have theopportunity to share the pool with their pet. The free event was held the day before the pool is closed for annual maintenance and cleaning. For more information, contact Rich Fay at 682-5331. Work Scheduled to Improve North Game Farm Road A project to improve a section of North Game Farm Road is scheduled to begin the week of September 8. Delta Construction, working under contract with the Eugene Public Works Department, will improve the section of Game Farm Road between Old Coburg Road and the I-5 overpass to match the improvements previously constructed by Lane County and Springfield. The Eugene project includes widening and repaving the roadway to allow for six- foot-wide bicycle lanes on each side of the roadway and an extended center turn lane, constructing concrete walks and grassy swales on both sides of the road, and installing additional illumination along the road. The project is designed to extend the life of the pavement for an additional 20 years. It also will provide a safe, illuminated connection for pedestrians and bicyclists from Coburg Road to Crescent Avenue and eventually to the Gateway area of Springfield, once Chad Drive is extended. Funding for the $500,000 project is coming from the federal Surface Transportation Program, local system development charges, and future assessments to abutting property owners. Even though federal funds are being used for the project, Eugene retains authority for design and contract management decisions under ODOT’s local certification program. The schedule calls for the project contractor to close North Game Farm Road to northbound traffic while the eastern side of the roadway is widened. The road will be open to two-way traffic for the remaining work, although drivers should expect delays. Weather permitting, the roadway work is scheduled to be completed by mid-October, with the lighting work to be done by mid-November. For more information, contact Project Manager Jenifer Willer at 682-5364. Fire Recruits Now In Training Eugene Fire & EMS Recruit Class #10 is now undergoing training at the department's 2nd & Chambers headquarters facility. The 11-member class is being hired to fill vacancies caused by retirements and other normal attrition in the ranks. Among the recruits, nine are men and two are women; 10 are certified paramedics and the other is a certified EMT-Intermediate. Almost all of this year's recruits have some previous firefighting and/or emergency medical experience. The Fire & EMS training academy began in late August and will continue on a full-time basis for 13 weeks. Training is divided into about two-thirds hands-on drills and one-third classroom instruction. Following successful completion of the academy, recruits are placed in stations on probationary status, and undergo observation and further training by an experienced Fire Captain for the remainder of a full year. Class #10's graduation from the academy is scheduled for November 21. The Mayor and City Council will receive invitations to that ceremony. For more information, please contact Training Chief Lance Lighty at 682-7131. EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 3 September 4, 2008 Proposed Meter Rate Increase in Campus Parking District The City of Eugene has posted two administrative orders that create a “Campus Parking District” and increase the parking rate from $0.75 to $1.00 per hour in the district. The meter rate change is the first since 1999. The map at right outlines the proposed Campus Parking District. Written comments on the proposed changes are encouraged and welcomed during the 30-day appeal period. Comments may be emailed to the City Council and Mayor, City Manager, or Parking Services. Jeff Petry, parking services manager, is also available to talk about the proposed changes at 682-5729 or parking@ci.eugene.or.us. EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 4 September 4, 2008