HomeMy WebLinkAboutCity Council Newsletter - 05/10/07EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER
May 10, 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
CHALLENGE COURSE BUILDS BONDS BETWEEN MOMS AND KIDS
MINOR CODE AMENDMENT ROUNDTABLE SCHEDULED
BANK CHOSEN FOR PARKS BONDS
THIRD YEAR OF DOWNTOWN FLOWER POWER PROMISES TO BE BETTER THAN EVER
CUTHBERT AMPHITHEATER—ANOTHER GREAT SUMMER LINE-UP
MOVING LIFE FORWARD…2007 PUBLIC WORKS DAY
AROUND THE CITY
Challenge Course Builds Bonds Between Moms and Kids
Eugene Recreation invites families to give mom a special gift this Mother’s
Day: a trip to the Spencer Butte Challenge Course! On May 13, the
Challenge Course is open for moms and their families, kids ages 9 and up,
from 10:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
The Challenge Course helps team members work on building trust and
confidence in each other as users explore their own strengths and limits.
Users can choose their own level of mental, social, and physical challenge in
a safe, respectful, and supportive environment.
The Challenge Course features 12 low elements that are close to the ground,
and 10 high elements that can take the user from 20 to 50 feet in the air,
many of which are accessible for people with disabilities.
The cost of the Mother’s Day Challenge Course is $40 per person, with one
child free with each adult registration. Each person must register in advance.
For more information, call Kellie Nemke, outdoor programmer, at 682-5329.
Minor Code Amendment Roundtable Scheduled
The City of Eugene Planning Commission will be hosting a roundtable event on Thursday, May 17, 2007,
from 6 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. at the Campbell Center, 155 High Street, to discuss the next step in the Minor
Land Use Code Amendment process. Public open houses have been held over the last several months
to ask the community members how they think the land use code can be further improved as well as
potential means to prioritize the more than 200 suggested amendments. The Planning Commission will
be soliciting ideas from the public and providing guidance on how to refine the list of suggested code
amendments. The roundtable will provide an informal, interactive opportunity to discuss these issues.
For more information on the City of Eugene Code Amendment Project, visit the webpage at www.eugene-
or.gov/codeamendments, or contact Steve Nystrom, project manager, at 541-682-8385 or
steven.a.nystrom@ci.eugene.or.us.
Bank Chosen for Parks Bonds
In November 2006, voters approved a bond measure for $27,490,000 for parks, athletic fields and open
space projects. On January 8, 2007, the council authorized issuance of these bonds in a flexible format
in order to allow for the issuance of short-term or long-term debt, or tax-exempt or taxable debt, as
EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 1
May 10, 2007
needed to meet IRS requirements. One possibility mentioned to the council at that time was that the City
could use a line of credit facility to meet the IRS requirements. After additional discussions with the City's
financial advisor and bond counsel, this approach was determined to be the appropriate method for
funding parks projects at this time.
The City requested proposals from banks to provide a flexible line of credit facility. Thirteen banks
(including local banks) received the RFP, and the City received five very good proposals from Bank of
America, Key Bank, US Bank, Wells Fargo Bank, and Zions Bank.After reviewing the proposals for
various factors, such as financing approach, costs, experience of the banking team, and reporting
requirements, the City chose Bank of America to provide the line of credit facility. Bank of America
offered the City a high level of flexibility at the lowest cost. It also has a highly experienced banking team
and has worked with the City in the past, so it is familiar with the City's financial situation.
The next steps are to negotiate a contract with Bank of America, in time for a first draw on the line of
credit facility by June 1. The City has already begun spending money on projects included in the bond
measure, and the first draw on the line of credit will reimburse those expenditures. The FY08 budget
includes a property tax levy to pay principal and interest on this line of credit. For more information,
contact Sue Cutsogeorge at Sue.L.Cutsogeorge@ci.eugene.or.us or call 682-5589.
Third Year Of Downtown Flower Power Promises To Be Better Than Ever
For the last two years, the Downtown Flower Program has provided spectacular color to the Downtown
area from mid-May through mid-October. The colorful hanging baskets and sidewalk flower pots will be
back again this year, bigger and better than ever, with additional plant varieties and new colors. The
Facility Management Division’s downtown crew will begin planting the 131 sidewalk flower pots the week
of May 14th and 115 hanging baskets will be delivered and installed the following week. Funding for the
acquisition and ongoing maintenance of this seasonal beautification program is a public-private
partnership between Downtown Eugene, Inc., some downtown property owners and the City of Eugene.
For information regarding planting and maintenance, please contact Ron Sutton, Facility Management
Division, at 682-5438 (ron.w.sutton@ci.eugene.or.us). For information regarding funding, please contact
Richie Weinman, Planning and Development Department, at 682-5533
(richie.d.weinman@ci.eugene.or.us)
Cuthbert Amphitheater—Another Great Summer Line-up
After the first successful contract season, David
Leiken and Kit Kesey are back in 2007 with
another exciting summer series at Cuthbert
Amphitheater. Even more events are expected
to be added.
May 19-20: University of Oregon Cultural
Forum Willamette Valley Folk Festival
FREE to everyone. Saturday, May
19, noon to 10 p.m.; Sunday, May 20,
noon to 7 p.m.
May 26: Michael Franti and Spearhead,
with Blackalicious and Reeble Jar
opening
July 6: Willie Nelson
August 8: Diana Krall with Chris Botti
opening
August 10: Slightly Stoopid, G Love & Special Sauce with special guest Ozomatli
August 14: Los Lonely Boys, Jonny Lang
August 18: Floydian Slips
August 24: Gordon Lightfoot
To purchase tickets, go to ticketswest.com. For more information, visit www.thecuthbert.com.
EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 2
May 10, 2007
Moving Life Forward…2007 Public Works Day
More than 1,000 schoolchildren and their adult guests will visit the Public Works Maintenance Yard on
Thursday, May 17. They will be taking part in the City of Eugene Public Works Day from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
at 1820 Roosevelt Boulevard. Councilors are cordially invited to attend.
Public Works employees, joined by Mayor Kitty Piercy, will be leading the
kids on tours featuring all areas of the Public Works Department. One of
the favorite areas is the Equipment Rodeo - a “big wow” for the kids.
Their eyes light up when they get to sit in the cab of a backhoe or pretend
they’re driving a street sweeper.
Some of the other highlights of this year’s event include Tiny Park
(showcasing Eugene’s parks and open spaces, with Nearby Nature
critters), Water World (a look at the City’s stormwater and wastewater
programs in action, with Lyle and Lily the frogs), and emergency and
public safety operations, including a visit from McGruff the Crime Dog.
Public Works Day is a great time to consider all the different kinds of work being done to keep the City of
Eugene running smoothly … as seen through the eyes of a child! For more information, contact Eric
Jones, Public Works public affairs manager, at 682-5523.
EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 3
May 10, 2007