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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCity Council Newsletter - 01/04/07 EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER January 4, 2007 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 PERSPECTIVES ON PROFILING TRAINING PUBLIC FORUM ON RASOR PARK MIXED-USE CENTER TO FEATURE “COMMUNITY COLLAGE” thth WILLAMETTE STREET STUDY (18 to 20 AVENUES) TOPIC OF JANUARY 10 MEETING FIRST FRIDAY @ THE DOWNTOWN LIBRARY FEATURES EMERGING YOUNG ARTISTS NEW YEAR’S EVE FIRE INSPECTION PROGRAM KIDS DISCOVER BRAILLE IN JANUARY AT EUGENE PUBLIC LIBRARY CITY ACQUIRES FIRE SAFETY VIDEO IN AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE PETERSEN BARNS GETS “CHICKEN COOP” AROUND THE CITY Perspectives on Profiling Training On November 29, members of the City Council, Human Rights Commission and Police Commission met jointly to participate in a training titled, "Perspectives on Profiling." The three-hour training, developed by the Simon Wiesenthal Center in partnership with the Museum of Tolerance's Tools for Tolerance for Law Enforcement, was a condensed version of a full-day training given to Police staff as part of their "in-service" training in 2006. The instructors, police lieutenants and sergeants as well as a Lane County District Attorney, took the group through several video scenarios which illustrated the complexity of both the legal and human dynamic aspects of police contacts with members of the public. The group engaged in fascinating discussions of how the 4th and 14th amendments to the Constitution affect the rights of individuals and the actions of police officers. Participants came away with a deeper understanding of the issue of profiling and of the emphasis that the Police Department puts on ethical decision-making in the field. The training was responsive to the council's priority on race that calls for enhancement of the council's knowledge and awareness of issues associated with race in the community. For more information, please contact Lauren Chouinard at 682-5663. Public Forum on Rasor Park Mixed-Use Center to Feature “Community Collage” The Rasor Park Mixed-Use Center planning process will debut on January 16, 2007, with a public forum featuring some new ways of providing opportunities for citizen involvement. Planning and Development Department staff are working cooperatively with citizens and stakeholders in the River Road area to develop a vision for the proposed mixed-use center. The outcome of the project could focus redevelopment along the southern portion of River Road to foster opportunities for the creation of new housing, neighborhood-serving commercial, and integrated open spaces in this “Gateway to the River Road Neighborhood.” Reflecting the diversity of the area, all meeting notices will be printed in both English and Spanish. EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 1 January 5, 2007 The goal of this first of four public forums is to agree on the community values that will be reflected in the project as it moves forward. To do this, volunteers from the surrounding neighborhoods were given disposable cameras and asked to take photos of features in their neighborhood and anywhere they traveled over the holidays that they either liked or disliked. The participants will then arrange the photos into a “Community Collage” that will be presented at the public forum. In addition, representatives from the River Road Community Organization have created a PowerPoint presentation that illustrates their vision for an ideal mixed-use center. These are just a few of the unique ways that citizens are getting involved in the vision for the project. The collage and the PowerPoint show will both be presented at the public forum which will take place on January 16 from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at the River Road/El Camino del Rio Elementary School, 120 W. Hilliard Lane. For more information, contact Ken Guzowski at 682-5562. thth Willamette Street Study (18 to 20 Avenues) Topic of January 10 Meeting Citizens interested in a proposal to convert Willamette Street to two-way thth traffic between 18 and 20 avenues are invited to a community meeting on Wednesday, January 10, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Washington Park Center, 2025 Washington Street. Nearly 2,000 postcard invitations have been sent to neighbors and other interested parties, and signs have been placed on Willamette Street to notify the traveling public. At the meeting, City transportation engineering staff and a local consultant will be on hand to introduce the Willamette Street study and provide background for the potential conversion of the remaining two blocks of one-way traffic on Willamette Street to two-way traffic. Also at the meeting, the process for forming a stakeholder group will be outlined, and there will be opportunities for questions and comments. In summer 2004, the Eugene Public Works Department converted Willamette Street to two-way traffic thth between 13 and 18 avenues as part of a pavement preservation project. That same summer, the City Council adopted an update to the City’s Central Area Transportation Study (CATS) but agreed that before deciding whether to convert Willamette Street between 18th and 20th avenues, staff should perform additional study and analysis and bring back to the council a recommendation and project proposal for a public hearing and approval. Additional information about the Willamette Street study is available on the Internet at www.eugene- or.gov/pwprojects (click on the Willamette Street study link) or by contacting Project Manager Chris Henry at 682-8472 or by e-mail at chris.c.henry@ci.eugene.or.us, First Friday @ the Downtown Library Features Emerging Young Artists Eugene Public Library starts the new year by shining a spotlight on emerging young artists. On First Friday, January 5, drop in at the Downtown Library between 5:30 - 8:00 p. m. to see short films made by middle and high school students at the Library's “Make Your Own Movies” workshops. Also on display are creatively-altered books by teen participants in the Library’s winter break program, and altered books by adults in the ArtChics and the Artful Book Artists groups. At 6:30 p.m., catch rising hip-hop artist The Kid Espi in a free, all- ages-welcome performance. Espi (Jacob Espinoza) is a rapper, music promoter, and University of Oregon advertising major. Hear his “Oregon Homeboy” at www.myspace.com/thekidespi. For the past three years, The Kid Espi has pursued his passion as an artist while also developing a hip-hop scene in his hometown of Salem, becoming a familiar face in the local media. The positive press has helped Espi bring hip-hop shows to venues and bars that previously held "no hip-hop" policies. He has performed all over Oregon, including Salem, Eugene, Portland, Bend, Ashland, and even “Coos Bay." The First Friday of each month, in connection with the Lane Arts Council ArtWalk, the Downtown Library stays open until 8:00 p.m. and features free cultural events as well as full library services. For more information, call the Eugene Public Library at 682-5450. EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 2 January 5, 2007 New Year’s Eve Fire Inspection Program Eugene Fire & EMS suppression companies along with staff from the Fire Marshal’s Office conducted fire safety inspections at various local restaurants, bars and nightclubs on New Year's Eve, in an effort to make the evening’s revelries as fire-safe as possible. This is the department’s third year of involvement in the New Year’s Eve Fire Inspection Program. The 31 target occupancies were located in the University of Oregon campus area, the downtown area and the West Eugene area. The Fire & EMS crews successfully worked with business owners and managers to mitigate any potential safety concerns, such as capacity issues, to ensure that exit-ways remain unlocked and not obstructed, and to confirm that there was no use of pyrotechnics planned to celebrate the New Year’s arrival. The business owners were notified in advance of the inspection program, and all of them willingly worked with Eugene Fire & EMS crews to provide this important proactive service to the community. This year, a total of 20 minor code violations were detected, and all were resolved without delay. For more information, please contact Acting Fire Marshal Doug Perry at 682-7100. Kids Discover Braille in January at Eugene Public Library Most people read with their eyes – but that’s not the only way to do it. At free Eugene Public Library programs in honor of Braille Literacy Month, kids in grades 1 - 6 will learn about Braille, and meet a real live guide dog. Guest presenter Mary Otten will show how people who are blind use their fingers to read. Otten's guide dog, Nashville, will be on hand to demonstrate how guide dogs “see” for their owners. Plus, kids will play games that use their senses, and find out what their own names feel like in Braille. Catch this fun, informative program on Wednesday, January 10, 4:00-5:00 p.m., at the Bethel Branch; Thursday, January 11, 4:00-5:00 p.m., at the Downtown Library; or Saturday, January 13, 2:00-3:00 p.m., at the Sheldon Branch. For more information, and to learn about the wide variety of Library programs for children, call the Eugene Public Library: 682-8316. City Acquires Fire Safety Video in American Sign Language A DVD presenting home fire safety information in American Sign Language has been made available to the Eugene Fire & EMS Department via the Oregon State Fire Marshal's Office. The 26-minute DVD, titled "Fire Safety for You at Home," was prepared by the Fire Protection Publications Department at Oklahoma State University. Production was funded by a federal grant. OSU subsequently made copies available nationwide. Eugene Fire has ordered 10 copies of the video, which will be made available to individuals and groups in the community through the Eugene Public Library, Human Rights Commission, and Eugene Fire Marshal's Office. The video is accompanied by a packet of information titled "Social Etiquette -- Tips for Firefighters Who Work with People with Disabilities," which will be distributed to all department staff as part of the City’s ongoing social awareness training. For more information, please contact Public Information Officer Glen Potter at 682-7118. Petersen Barns Gets “Chicken Coop” The old, rundown “white shed” used as valuable storage space at Petersen Barn Community Center recently received a major makeover by a local Boy Scout. Ben Cryer of Troop 679 used the deteriorating white shed as his Eagle Scout Project. The results were so outstanding that several Recreation staff members who work at the Barn asked if they could move in. Ben used materials donated from Allied Roofing, IB Roofing, Costal Farm Supply, Roofline, and Jerry’s to re-roof and re-side the Chicken Coop and to add a nice farm-style trim. He painted the building red with white trim to match the barn style, making it fit right in with the complex of farm buildings. A big thanks from Barn staff goes to Ben and his fellow volunteers from Troop 679. For information or a quick tour, contact Craig Smith at 682-6340. EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 3 January 5, 2007