HomeMy WebLinkAbout09/14/08 City Council Newsletter
EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER
September 11, 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
EUGENE AREA SOLAR AND GREEN BUILDING TOUR
BOWLING COMES TO CAMPBELL CENTER
EUGENE EMS INSTRUCTOR RECEIVES STATEWIDE HONOR
JUSTICE BETTY ROBERTS TO SPEAK AT LIBRARY
EUGENE PLANNING STAFF PRESENTING FORM-BASED CODES AT STATE CONFERENCE
CITY OF EUGENE PROVIDES FUNDING TO COMMUNITY EVENT ORGANIZERS
LAND USE AND NUISANCE INQUIRIES SPIKE OVER SUMMER
CITY OFFERS TOUR OF NEIGHBORHOOD GRANT PROJECTS
NATIONAL PUBLIC WORKS ASSOCIATION NAMES CITY ENGINEER PROFESSIONAL MANAGER OF YEAR
AROUND THE CITY
Eugene Area Solar and Green Building Tour
The 2008 Eugene Area Solar and Green Building Tour will take place on Sunday, October 5, 12:30 p.m. to 5:00
p.m., starting at EWEB (500 East 4th Avenue.) This event, sponsored by the City of Eugene, EWEB and
Northwest Energy Education Institute, will feature four buildings that incorporate energy efficient and passive solar
design, solar electric, solar hot water, rainwater harvesting, green building materials and other green technologies.
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Tour sites include The WaterShed (3 & Mill), Sustainable
Centennial (Good Company and Advanced Energy Systems
office building), Coho townhouses, and a residential remodel.
Tour sites are centrally located in downtown Eugene and easily
accessible by bicycle. Each location will have a site
representative to discuss features and answer questions, allowing
tour participants to learn directly from practitioners about the
benefits of going green.
John Reynolds, chair of the board of the Advanced Solar Energy
Society, will kick off the event with a presentation about
incentives for energy efficiency and the status of solar
technologies in this community. Tickets for the tour are $5 and
are available on the day of the event. Visit
http://solartour.nweei.org/ to learn more and to pre-register. This tour is one of 15 to be held across Oregon in
coordination with the American Solar Energy Society’s National Solar Tour, the largest grassroots solar event in
history. For more information about other solar tours in Oregon, visit www.solaroregon.org/tours. For more
information, please contact Jenna Garmon, Planning and Development Department at 682-5541 or
jenna.r.garmon@ci.eugene.or.us.
Bowling Comes to Campbell Center
Twenty-five seniors participated in a bowling tournament at Campbell Community
Center on September 9, despite the fact that the center has no bowling lanes.
Instead of wooden lanes and pins, bowlers hit the "virtual lanes" using Nintendo's
Wii™ game system. Winners, including Betty Frost, Ada Muth and Bill Crafts
(pictured), were awarded medals for their accomplishment. The free event was the
first Wii™ Bowling Tournament for older adults held in the Eugene community. It was
sponsored by Health Net of Oregon. The event was such a success, the Senior
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September 11, 2008
Program is planning to schedule another free Wii™ event on October 7, at which seniors can sample bowling and
other Wii™ games.
Eugene EMS Instructor Receives Statewide Honor
Karen Anderson, EMS Training Coordinator for the Eugene Fire & Emergency Medical Services Department, has
been named EMS Educator of the Year for 2008 by the Oregon Department of Human Services’ Public Health
Division. Anderson has served as the Fire Department’s principal EMS instructor since 2000, providing ongoing
up-to-date training to Eugene’s 179 emergency response personnel on all
aspects of emergency medical treatment in the field, up to and including
advanced life support skills such as airway management, administration of
medications, and “packaging” patients for ambulance transport. A primary
aim of Anderson’s work is to see that continuing education requirements
are met so that all personnel maintain current EMT certification which, in
turn, ensures that quality patient care is provided in emergency situations.
Before coming to Eugene Fire & EMS, Anderson worked for 15 years in
Sacred Heart Hospital’s Emergency Department. A registered nurse, she
still serves at the hospital part-time. Anderson holds a Bachelor’s Degree
in nursing in addition to her registration and other nursing and instructor
certifications. “This award is totally unexpected,” the modest Anderson said. “It’s really an honor, because there
are so many excellent EMS educators in Oregon.” For more information, please contact EMS Chief JoAnna
Kamppi at 682-7104.
Justice Betty Roberts to Speak at Library
The Eugene Public Library is honored to host one of the most influential leaders in modern
Oregon history, Justice Betty Roberts, on tour with her new memoir With Grit and by
Grace. Justice Roberts will speak at the Downtown Library on Sunday, September 21 at
2:00, with an introduction by U.S. District Court Judge Ann Aiken.
In the 1950s, going to college was a radical act for a wife and mother. But Betty Roberts
didn’t stop there. She earned a law degree, won a seat in the Oregon Legislature, was the
first woman to serve on the Oregon Court of Appeals, and ultimately became Oregon’s first
female Supreme Court Justice. Justice Roberts began her career during a politically
complex time — the Civil Rights Movement was in full swing, sentiment against the
Vietnam War was growing, and the women's movement would soon burst on the scene. As
a legislator, she was instrumental in the passage of Oregon's first legalized right to
abortion and the state's ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment, as well as path-
breaking land-use and environmental legislation including the Bottle Bill. Roberts will speak at the Library with her
trademark candor and humor about accomplishments, disappointments, and the dedication required to make a
difference. This free event is co-sponsored by the UO Bookstore/Duck Store, providing copies of With Grit and by
Grace for sale and signing. For more information, contact the Eugene Public Library at 682-5450 or www.eugene-
or.gov/library.
Eugene Planning Staff Presenting Form-Based Codes at State Conference
Eugene Planning staff will be joined by a Portland architect and private planner to present an overview of
designing a form-based code at the Oregon Planning Institute Conference (www.oregonplanninginstitute.com) on
September 12, 2008. Eugene's Planning Division strives for new ways to address and balance community
concerns such as planning for growth while addressing neighborhood compatibility, protecting natural resources
and open space, and providing a vibrant, sustainable city for all. Rather than traditional zoning codes which divide
the landscape by segregating uses, form-based codes emphasize the physical design of a place. Implemented in a
growing number of communities, including Hercules, California, Farmers Branch, Texas, and Arlington, Virginia,
form-based codes have been used as an effective tool to ensure compatible development and economic
revitalization. Form-based codes are generally site specific in contrast to the traditional zoning one-size-fits-all
approach and are created through community involvement and vision. Several planning staff received training
from the Form-Based Codes Institute (www.formbasedcodes.org) and the department now has in-house expertise.
For more information, contact Lydia McKinney at 682-5485 or lydia.s.mckinney@ci.eugene.or.us.
City of Eugene Provides Funding to Community Event Organizers
The City of Eugene collects a business privilege tax from telecommunications and cable television providers and
dedicates those funds for City communications technology projects of community benefit. Projects may be funded
for up to three years. One project provides up to $2,000 to selected Eugene community event organizers who
advertise their Eugene event using the cable television communication medium. The process is competitive as
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September 11, 2008
funding is limited. Events are reviewed for consistency with one or more of four selected City Council goals:
Strengthen and Promote Community "Arts and Outdoors" Assets, Strategy to Help the Homeless in Eugene,
Enhance Understanding of Race Issues/Improve Community Relationships, and Neighborhood Initiatives.
Eugene events which are most consistent with City priorities are funded until funds are exhausted. Among the
2008 events funded were:
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The 2008 Eugene International Film Festival for their upcoming Oct 3, 4, 5, events at Regal Cinemas-
Valley River (www.eugenefilmfest.org). In FY07, three films were purchased for national distribution at
the Eugene Festival, including “The Garage” which is being loaned for screening at DIVA Sept 13,
7:00p.m. (no charge) as part of the Eugene Celebration. Hollywood Producer Carl Thibault will be
present at the showing for Q & A.
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The Mid-Oregon Production Arts Network (based in Eugene) for their annual area Open House
(www.mopan.org).
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DisOrient, for their April 2008 Asian Film Festival (www.disorientfilm.org).
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The Sheldon High School ESSAY Youth Benefit Fashion Show which supports their multi-cultural
activities throughout the year
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Eugene Playwright Marty Cohen’s play “So Far from Shore” about fleeing one’s abusive past
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The Archaeological Legacy Institute www.archaeologychannel.org
The Fiscal Year 2009 grant awards process is underway; 12 applications were received. For more information
about this project, please contact Pam Berrian, telecommunications and cable program manager at 682-5590.
Land Use and Nuisance Inquiries Spike Over Summer
Summer is the busiest time of year for code enforcement staff
in Land Use Management, who received 153 complaints this
June, July and August. In addition to inspecting signs, parking
lot landscaping and other development requirements, the
City's four land use inspectors (3.5 FTE) also work with
community residents to resolve zoning, nuisance, natural
resource protection and private property camping violations.
The typical increase during the summer months corresponds
with the time of year when individuals are spending more time
outdoors, increasing their awareness of neighbor activities.
Land Use staff prioritizes the complaints and responds with
onsite inspections and remote investigations, before setting
out compliance plans and taking enforcement action.
Requests for service included garbage accumulation, noise,
roosters, over-height fences, illegal uses, and potential loss of
trees and other natural resources. For more information about the Land Use Management enforcement program,
please contact Mike McKerrow of the Planning & Development Department, at 682-5251, or
mike.j.mckerrow@ci.eugene.or.us.
City Offers Tour of Neighborhood Grant Projects
To celebrate the successes of the Neighborhood Matching Grant Program, the City of Eugene Planning, and Parks
and Open Spaces divisions, are sponsoring a bus tour of select project sites from 10:00-1:00 p.m., September 25,
2008. The tour will visit four sites that represent a diversity of neighborhood groups, project ideas and
partnerships:
Eugene Masonic Cemetery – Eugene’s oldest cemetery has been the recipient of four matching grants which
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have contributed to historic renovations and entrance improvements and will support a future event marking
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the site’s 150 anniversary.
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22 & Garfield Intersection Repair Project – A colorful mural that “repaired” the intersection in the sense that
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a portion of the public space has been reclaimed for the whole neighborhood by bringing people together rather
than just moving cars.
Churchill Community Garden – The program helped establish the garden in 2000. Subsequent grants have
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helped improve and expand this community asset that provides food to persons in need and serves as an
outdoor classroom for students.
Lafferty Park – Grant funds were used to support a highly motivated group of volunteers provide a makeover
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of this neighborhood park. The project resulted in a new playground, picnic facilities, accessibility
improvements and the removal of invasive plants that were replaced with native species. Time has been allotted
for media interviews at the conclusion of the tour at Lafferty Park (Mary Lane at Arden Way) beginning at 12:00.
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September 11, 2008
Tour participants will learn about the scope of the program, tour sites and discuss the project and its neighborhood
impact with project organizers and neighborhood leaders. City elected officials, program staff, neighborhood
leaders, residents, past and potential grant applicants, and citizen advisory committee members are encouraged to
participate. The Neighborhood Matching Grant Program was established by the Eugene City Council in 2000 to
encourage city residents to collaboratively identify and actively participate in making improvements to
neighborhoods. To date, over $350,000 has been provided to 69 projects involving 19 of the 21 City-recognized
neighborhoods. To learn how you might participate in the tour, contact Michael Kinnison, Planning and
Development Department at 682-5009, or michael.j.kinnison@ci.eugene.or.us. To learn more about the
Neighborhood Matching Grant Program visit: http://www.eugene-or.gov/matchinggrants.
National Public Works Association Names City Engineer Professional Manager of Year
City Engineer Mark Schoening has been named Professional Manager of the Year/Engineering and Technology by
the National American Public Works Association. Schoening recently received the award from APWA National
President Noel Thompson at the association’s international congress in
New Orleans.
Schoening was recognized for his “ongoing effort to assure that his staff is
equipped with modern equipment and technological tools in the interest of
highest possible efficiency as he deals with the common issue of
increasing demands balanced against diminishing resources.” Examples
of the technology used by the Public Works Engineering Division include
geographic information system (GIS) capacity coupled with global
positioning system (GPS) advancements. The use of these and other
technologies means that field survey work and construction plan drafting
is now accomplished with fewer personnel and in far less time than was
possible only a few years ago.
Schoening has been Eugene’s City Engineer since January 2002. In
addition to his responsibilities as the City Engineer, Schoening serves on
the Oregon APWA Board of Directors where his responsibilities include
Mark Schoening (right) receives award from
being the board liaison to the e-APWA Committee. For more information,
APWA National President Noel Thompson
contact Mark at 682-5243 or Mark.A.Schoening@ci.eugene.or.us.
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September 11, 2008