HomeMy WebLinkAboutCity Council Newsletter - 03/08/07
EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER
March 8, 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
WETLANDS EDUCATION CENTER PLANNING PROCESS MOVES FORWARD
AIR SERVICE EXPANDING AT EUGENE AIRPORT
POLICE CELEBRATE SIX PROMOTIONS
MAYOR PIERCY MEETS WITH RUSSIANS TO DISCUSS SUSTAINABILITY
AIRPORT ADMINISTRATION PARKING LOT REHABILITATION WINS STATEWIDE PAVING AWARD
EUGENE POLICE ADVISE RESIDENTS, BUSINESSES TO DOCUMENT PROPERTY
REI, LANE METRO YOUTH CORPS, AND CITY TEAM UP TO IMPROVE CLIMBING COLUMNS
KIDS & TEENS: VOTE FOR BOOK AWARDS AT EUGENE PUBLIC LIBRARY
SMART PAINTING IS CITY’S THEME FOR HOME SHOW
AROUND THE CITY
Wetlands Education Center Planning Process Moves Forward
Plans for the West Eugene Wetlands Education Center
have surged forward in 2007 with the selection of a new
architect firm that is ready to move into a
comprehensive master planning process this spring.
The West Eugene Wetlands Partnership, through
contracts with Eugene School District 4j, City of
Eugene, and Willamette Resources & Educational
Network (WREN), selected the Eugene firm Rowell-
Brokaw Architects to guide the design and construction
of the center. The firm earned unanimous support after
review of several outstanding proposals. Other project
partners include the U.S. Bureau of Land Management
(BLM), the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, and the U.S.
Army Corps of Engineers.
Six years ago, the vision for the West Eugene Wetlands Education Center took shape in conceptual
designs. Since then much has changed; development has continued on nearby land, sustainability has
risen to the forefront as a community value, wetlands ecology is better understood, and the educational
vision has matured. The master planning process will begin with six focus groups: ecology of the site;
education program; interpretation and visitor services; transportation; accessibility; and sustainability.
The intent of the focus groups is to assemble community individuals and groups with expertise in these
areas to discuss how the education center can best meet the community’s needs. This input is expected
to influence the design process within the context of the overall vision and values of the education center
and its programs.
Equipped with the latest information, the Design Team will begin updating the master plan. This will
include cycles of public meetings and events, planning committee review, and design work. Finally, the
updated master plan will go through a review and public hearing for a conditional use permit. WREN will
announce public meeting dates and post project updates at www.wewetlands.org. For more information
on the Wetlands Education Center project, contact Mike Penwell, facilities design and construction
EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 1
March 8, 2007
manager, at 682-5547 or by e-mail at michael.j.penwell@ci.eugene.or.us. For information about the
City’s wetlands programs, contact Eric Wold, natural resource manager, at 682-4842 or by e-mail at
eric.n.wold@ci.eugene.or.us.
Air Service Expanding at Eugene Airport
Allegiant Airwill begin new, nonstop jet-service to Las
Vegas starting May 10. The announcement was made
Thursday morning by Allegiant Air and Eugene Airport
officials. This brings to five the number of air carriers at the
Eugene Airport.
The new Allegiant Air flights will operate twice weekly
betweenEugene Airport and McCarran International Airport
(Las Vegas), with service ThursdayandSunday. Beginning
May 10, flights will depart Eugene at 11:05 a.m.arriving in
Las Vegas at 1 p.m.Flights leaving Las Vegas will depart
at 8:30 a.m. arriving in Eugene at 10:25 a.m. (all flight times are local).
“We are excited about the introduction of a low-fare carrier providing direct, nonstop service from
Eugene to Las Vegas,” said Bob Noble, Eugene Airport manager. “There has always been a high
demand for this service.”
Horizon Air is making travel from Eugene faster and easier by adding nonstop service on one of its two
daily flights to Los Angeles. Starting June 4, the flight will depart Eugene at 6:00 a.m., with the return
flight arriving back at 11:30 p.m.
“The return of the direct, nonstop service to Los Angeles is huge, particularly for the business traveler
where schedule is paramount,” said Noble. “The change emphasizes the importance of Eugene’s
connection with Los Angeles and this service provides the quickest way to get there.” For further
information, please contact Marketing and Administration Supervisor Cathryn Stephens, Eugene Airport,
682-5430.
Police Celebrate Six Promotions
The Eugene Police Department this week celebrated
the recent promotions of several personnel. A formal
ceremony was held Wednesday afternoon to mark six
promotions that took place in December and January.
Pete KernsPolice Captain
, promoted to the rank of on
January 7, began his EPD career in 1981 as a reserve
police officer, before being hired as a full-time police
officer in 1983. He worked as a patrol officer for seven
years and was then assigned to the Lane County
Interagency Narcotics Enforcement Team. He was
promoted to sergeant in 1995 and supervised the unit
until promoted to lieutenant in 1999. He was a sector
Police Captain Pete Kerns’ badge is pinned on by his wife,
commander, watch commander, and acting
Joan.
investigations captain before being assigned to
Special Operations in 2003.
Pete AguilarPolice Lieutenant
, whose promotion to was effective January 7, began his police career in
1994 in Boulder, Colorado, where he served more than six years in many capacities including the crime
scene unit, emergency response team, and alcohol enforcement unit. He was also a field training officer
and academy instructor. In 2000, Pete joined the Eugene Police Department and began work in the
patrol division. He has been assigned to the campus unit and supervised the Major Collision
Investigation team, now known as the FIRST team. One of the City's many citizen soldiers, Pete served
a tour of duty in Iraq in 2003–2005, and traveled with his unit to Louisiana to assist with recovery
operations for hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
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March 8, 2007
Tony BakerPolice Lieutenant
, promoted to on January 7, started as a reserve officer and dispatcher
for the City of Cottage Grove in 1978. In 1980, he was hired as a community service officer by the City
of Eugene and became a full-time police officer in 1981. During his tenure with the Eugene Police
Department, Tony has worked in many disciplines including K-9, SWAT, School Resource Team,
narcotics, cadet advisor, field training officer, major collision investigation and crime scene
reconstruction, and cultural diversity. He has also been a department and state academy instructor on a
variety of subjects. As a sergeant, Tony managed a patrol team and supervised the Major Collision
Investigation and Critical Incident Response teams. On a special note, Tony's father, Bob, served with
the Springfield Police Department for 47 years, and his brother, Dennis, is a retired Eugene Police
sergeant with 28 years of service. In April 2004, the Bakers’ combined police service to
Eugene/Springfield reached the 100-year mark.
Michael GilbertPolice Sergeant
was promoted to on January 21. Mike began his law enforcement
career more than 26 years ago as a military police investigator for the U.S. Army in Wiesbaden,
Germany. Shortly after leaving the Army, he served as a reserve officer for the St. Helens (Oregon)
Police Department. He joined the Eugene Police Department as an officer in July 1986. With the
exception of two years on the Community Response Team, Michael has spent most of the past 20 years
in the patrol division. He has served on the Major Collision Team as a reconstructionist and spent 10
years as a drug recognition expert. He has been an academy instructor and a field training officer for
several years.
Carolyn MasonPolice Sergeant
, promoted to on January 21, became interested in policing when she
volunteered with Oregon State Police as a "disabled parking area patrol officer" in 1994. She joined
EPD in 1995 and has worked as a patrol officer, bike patrol officer/instructor, crowd control bicycle
officer, and crisis negotiator. Carolyn holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sports Medicine from Humboldt
State University and is a U.S. Navy Reserve chief petty officer with 22 years of service.
Jessica ShankleRecords Specialist A
, promoted to on December 10, began her service to the City in
December 2005 as an administrative specialist assigned to the greeter position in the records section.
While in this position, Jessica excelled in her knowledge of the department and established good working
relationships with her peers and co-workers to become an integral part of the work unit. Jessica holds a
Bachelor of Arts degree in Anthropology with a minor in Business.
Congratulations to these six City employees on their recent promotions within the Police Department.
For further information, please contact Kerry Delf, Eugene Police Department, 682-5197.
Mayor Piercy Meets with Russians to Discuss Sustainability
Mayor Piercy welcomed two Russian visitors who were in
Eugene for the Environmental Law Conference at the University
of Oregon. Marina Rikhvanova, of the Baikal Environmental
,
Wave and Sergei Bereznukof thePhoenix Fund met with
Mayor Piercy and representatives from EWEB to discuss
Eugene’s efforts and results around sustainability.
Ms. Rikhvanova won the Conde Nast Traveler's Environmental
Award for her outstanding work in defending Lake Baikal
against the placement of massive Siberia-Pacific Pipeline within
one kilometer of the shore. Mr. Bereznuk was an important
player in rerouting the terminal site of the Siberia-Pacific oil
pipeline away from a sensitive Amur leopard habitat. He won a
2006 Whitley Award for his efforts to save the endangered
Amur tigers and leopards in Russia's Far East.
Lake Baikal is a world treasure, containing approximately 20
percent of the planet's surface fresh water. At 1,620 meters
(nearly a mile deep) it is the world's deepest lake. The lake is
also home to the world's only fresh water seal, and many
species of fish and mammals. Lake Baikal is approximately 40
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March 8, 2007
kilometers from Eugene’s sister city, Irkutsk. The Eugene delegation that visited Irkutsk last summer,
which included Mayor Piercy and Councilor Betty Taylor spent several days at Lake Baikal.
Ms. Rikhvanova and Mr. Bereznuk were both very interested in learning more about the Sustainable
Business Initiative led by Mayor Piercy and received copies of the report during their visit. A photo of
Lake Baikal was presented to Mayor Piercy as a gesture of friendship and solidarity in continuing efforts
toward a sustainable community and world. For more information, contact Mary Walston at 682-5406.
Airport Administration Parking Lot Rehabilitation Wins Statewide Paving Award
A paving job at the Eugene Airport has received a statewide
award for excellence. On Tuesday, March 6, the Asphalt
Pavement Association of Oregon presented the second-place
award for commercial/industrial paving in 2006 to the City of
Eugene and Morse Bros. Inc.
The award, accepted by Project Manager Patrick Cox on behalf
of the City, was for the Airport Administration parking lot
rehabilitation, which was done August 25-27, 2006. Over the
course of the project, 680 tons of asphalt was placed in a 2-inch
lift throughout the area and 55 tons was used in pre-level areas
to correct runoff by increasing slopes in key locations. Striping
work included clarifying a pedestrian walkway, creating two 20-
minute parking bays by the entrance to the building, eliminating
parking within 10 feet of the Air Operations Area (an FAA
requirement), and creating a truck lane alongside the building for easier traffic flow.
A remarkable feature of the project was the optional schedule which was included as a bid item. All work
was to occur over a weekend starting on Friday at 3 p.m. and ending by 6 a.m. the following Monday.
The contractor, Morse Brothers, opted for this schedule. In return for choosing this schedule, Airport
staff cleared the parking lot and closed it for the contractor. The project inspector, Charley Perini,
worked a flexed schedule to inspect construction at night and on the weekend. By using the alternate
schedule, the project avoided 98% of potential usage conflicts, and minimized the amount of time and
money spent coordinating access in and out of the work site. For more information, contact Patrick Cox
at 682-6854.
Eugene Police Advise Residents, Businesses to Document Property
iPods and Xbox games, laptops and jump
drives, tools, tools, and more tools, jewelry
and bicycles, stereos and cameras, model
cars, hunting equipment — even a car seat
massager. It’s quite an array, but they all
have one thing in common: They will be sold
to the highest bidder at an auction this
weekend. These items and many more were
recovered by Eugene Police after being
stolen or lost, but their rightful owners cannot
be found because the property was not listed
in enough detail on a local theft report.
Each year, Eugene Police recover thousands
of stolen items — but hundreds of those items
have to be auctioned off when they cannot be
connected with their rightful owners. In many
burglary and theft cases, the victims are unable to provide serial numbers, detailed descriptions or
photographs, or a complete list of stolen property. When property is later recovered by police, it often
cannot be matched up with victims’ theft reports. After efforts to connect property with its owners are
exhausted, the items are sold at auction with the scant proceeds going to the City’s general fund.
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Local media on Monday were given a rare opportunity to visit the Eugene Police Department’s Property
Control Unit and photograph recovered property, in an effort to inform Eugene-area residents about this
problem and the need for every business and household to engage in basic crime prevention practices.
While there are ways to reduce the likelihood of being burglarized, not all burglaries can be prevented.
Eugene Police encourage all families and businesses to document their belongings, including recording
the serial numbers of serialized property and taking photographs of those and other valuable items, so
that a good record will exist for police reporting and insurance purposes in case of a burglary. Such
documentation also is very helpful for insurance claims in the event of a fire or natural disaster. A copy
of the property record should be kept in a safe place off-site, such as with the resident’s insurance
company or at a relative’s house. As a free service offered by the Eugene Police Department, members
of the Senior Patrol volunteer team are available to help Eugene residents produce a property
documentation record — call 682-5642 to make an appointment. For other crime prevention suggestions,
visit the Police Department’s website at www.eugene-or.gov/police.
The latest collection of unreturnable property will be sold on Saturday, March 10, at Brasher’s Auto
Auctions. This public auction also will include items from other public agencies and private companies.
For further information, please contact Kerry Delf, Eugene Police Department, 682-5197.
REI, Lane Metro Youth Corps, and City Team Up to Improve Climbing Columns
On Saturday, March 10, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., over 50
volunteers will put the finishing touches on the first
phase of renovations at the Skinner Butte Climbing
Columns. A popular place for local climbers, the
columns offer a free place to try a variety of climbing
routes up a steep face of columnar basalt. After
decades of heavy use, the area was in need of a
renovation to make it more enjoyable to users.
REI donated $5,000 to begin the project, and in
February, Lane Metro Youth Corps leveled the area,
poured cement, installed stairs, and built a new
educational kiosk with materials donated by Home
Depot. This Saturday, volunteers will plant trees, install
park benches and bike parking loops, place 50 yards of
wood chips, paint the new kiosk, replace climbing anchors, and complete a gravel walkway. Phase 2 of
the project may include restrooms and water facilities. For more information contact Matt McRae,
Volunteers in Parks Coordinator, at 682-4850 or matt.a.mcrae@ci.eugene.or.us.
Kids & Teens: Vote for Book Awards at Eugene Public Library
Each spring, youth get the opportunity to vote for their favorite
books! Starting March 15, it's election time for the Oregon Beverly
Cleary Children's Choice Awards and the regional Young Reader's
Choice Awards.
Elementary-age kids who have read three of the nominees are
eligible to cast ballots for the Beverly Cleary Children’s Choice
Awards. Find the list of nominated titles at the Library or
www.oema.net/cleary.
For the Young Reader’s Choice Awards, students in grades 4 – 12
who have read at least two nominated books can vote. See this
year's candidates listed at the Library or www.pnla.org/yrca.
All nominated titles are available to borrow from the Library. Voting begins March 15 and continues
through April 1 at all Eugene Public Library locations. For more information, call the Library at 682-8316.
EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 5
March 8, 2007
Smart Painting is City's Theme for Home Show
What’s the link between painting projects and protecting our local streams and rivers? Plenty, when one
considers that improper clean-up and disposal of paint waste can end up polluting area rivers.
Understanding what’s considered hazardous waste or where and how to clean up at the end of painting
projects can help homeowners save time and make smart choices.
Councilors are invited to stop by Booth #516 in Expo Hall # 1 to see the
Stormwater Management Program’s display of smart painting tips, including a
free project list and brochure. Spin a “bingo style” question wheel, answer a
question, and receive a free paint stick, expandable sponge or hazardous
waste wheel. Staff will be on hand to answer questions.
The City’s Stormwater Management Program focuses on a commitment to
protect local waterways while promoting environmental stewardship. For
more information, please call Kathy Eva, stormwater public information
specialist, at 682-2739 or visit www.eugene-or.gov.
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