HomeMy WebLinkAbout11/26/08 City Council Newsletter
EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER
November 26, 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
THIRTY- FOUR TONS OF COFFEE GROUNDS DIVERTED FOR COMPOSTING IN 2008
INFILL TASK TEAM PREPARING ISSUES
OPPORTUNITY SITING MARKET AND FINANCIAL FEASIBILITY STUDIES COMPLETE
CANINES FEATURED IN STORMWATER NEWSLETTER
U OF O GREEK HOUSES PASS INSPECTIONS
AROUND THE CITY
Thirty- Four Tons of Coffee Grounds Diverted for Composting in 2008
The OSU/Lane County Extension Service Compost Specialist Program is a
co-operative volunteer program between the OSU/Lane County Extension
Service, City of Eugene and Lane County Master Gardener Association.
Volunteers take part in a two-day training and then volunteer 20 hours or
more in compost education outreach-related activities. Program statistics for
calendar year 2008, include: 81 active
participants volunteered 2,387 hours to
the program; 18,266 public contacts
occurred, including 3,205 with youth,
and 69,444 pounds (34.7 tons) of
coffee grounds were collected from the
Coffee to Compost diversion program.
It is estimated that over a million pounds are discarded in Lane County each
year. Since the coffee grounds diversion program began, more members of
the community are learning about the benefits of adding coffee grounds to
their composting piles and gardens. Through a cooperative program with
Market of Choice, 36,710 pounds (18.3tons) of vegetative waste were diverted to composting at private as well as
community gardens. Backyard composting workshops occurred at the River House Compost Site and the
GrassRoots Garden compost demonstration site. Additional outreach occurred through information booths at local
events including The Good Earth Home Show, Lane County Spring Home Show, EWEB Earth Day, Public Works
Day, Master Gardener Plant Sale, Lane County Fair, and the Fall Home Show. For more information about the
Master Composter program, contact City of Eugene, Oregon Green School Coordinator, Anne Donahue at 682-
5542 or anne.c.donahue@ci.eugene.or.us.
Infill Task Team Preparing Issues
As a companion project to Opportunity Siting, the
Infill Compatibility Standards Task Team has been
working since November 2007, to prevent negative
impacts of infill and encourage positive infill.
Volunteers are meeting in subcommittees on the
broad topics of single-dwelling infill, multi-dwelling
infill, and subdivisions and edge development. The
top issues the task team recommends focusing on in
these three areas were presented to the Planning
Commission on November 24, and will be presented
to the City Council in the near future. A variety of
topics will be presented, from parking impacts to
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November 26, 2008
building height transitions, to the natural resource impacts from infill subdivisions. Over the winter (January-March
2009) the general public will be invited to a series of workshops to weigh in on the issues and brainstorm potential
solutions. Alternative solutions will then be prepared in the spring, allowing for public input and feedback cycles
before final recommendations proceed through the public hearing and adoption process (slated for early summer
2009).To learn more, please visit www.eugene-or.gov/infill and www.eugene-or.gov/oppsiting or contact Project
Manager Terri Harding at terri.l.harding@ci.eugene.or.us or 682-5635.
Opportunity Siting Market and Financial Feasibility Studies Complete
Opportunity Siting (OS) is a city-wide project aimed at finding compatible places and
ways to accommodate residential infill that will help achieve the City’s Growth
Management Policies. After testing a neighborhood involvement process with
Jefferson Westside Neighbors in a two-part workshop, the project task team asked
the consulting firm Johnson-Gardner to prepare market and financial feasibility
studies of a hypothetical residential development in the neighborhood. Two density
scenarios and a variety of financial assumptions were studied. The results are
informing the work on what kinds of incentives might be necessary to facilitate the
kind of high density development neighborhoods can support. The OS task team
presented its initial findings to the Planning Commission on November 10, and will
present an update to the City Council in the near future. Next steps (January-June
2009) include additional work with the development community, City staff, and
neighborhood representatives, to develop implementation strategies that allow both
neighborhood groups and developers to propose opportunity sites. The process will
Naval Reserve Site
attempt to integrate neighborhood compatibility concerns with market conditions and
Plan – lower density
financial feasibility realities. For more information, contact Associate Planner,
Patricia Thomas, at 682-5561.
Canines Featured In Stormwater Newsletter
The Canines for Clean Water Pledge (www.eugene-or.gov/cleancanines) is a great opportunity for canines and
their human companions to proudly display their commitment to protecting local waterways, and receive a free
bandana. Read about the environmental problems caused by pet waste in the fall 2008 issue of Stormwater
Connections, due to arrive in Eugene area mailboxes over the next two
weeks. Also in this issue:
?
If the large influx of leaves cascading onto streets and lawns is making
a mess, don’t wait for leaf collection in your neighborhood. Instead, find
out how to make your own recipe for nutrient-rich compost for your
gardens or mulch for your flower beds.
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If national news about flooding in other parts of the country has you
concerned about the risk of local flooding, check out the flood hazard
section. Readers can learn about protection and preparedness tips,
what to do if flooding occurs, how to find out if you are in a flood hazard
area - and much more.
Keeping community members informed and educated about stormwater
pollution and ways to protect local waterways is a best management
practice in the City’s Stormwater Management Plan (SWMP). Articles in
Stormwater Connections typically address seasonal or current issues and
cover at least one subject of interest to younger citizens. Information
provided in this semi-annual newsletter has been produced by the Stormwater Management Program since 1994
to increase awareness of surface water and natural resource issues in the community. Copies of the newsletter
have been placed in the City Manager’s Office. For more information or additional copies of the newsletter, contact
Public Information Specialist for the Stormwater Management Program, Kathy Eva, at 682-2739.
U of O Greek Houses Pass Inspections
Since January 2000, Campus FireWatch, a national college fire safety resource, has identified more than 100
campus-related fire deaths across the United States. In Eugene, the Fire & EMS Department’s Fire Prevention
Section recently completed the annual inspections of recognized Greek fraternity and sorority houses at the
University of Oregon. In a major improvement from last year, all 17 houses achieved full compliance with fire
safety regulations, with only five re-inspections required. (In 2007, all of the houses needed to be re-inspected, in
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November 26, 2008
some cases more than once.) In the Greek fire safety program, which is funded by a contract with the University,
house managers and students are provided a fire safety checklist specifically designed for these types of
occupancies, covering the majority of potential safety issues. During the actual inspections, a member of house
management and a student occupant are required to be present. Education in fire safety theory is provided along
with the inspection, with the goal of fostering a longer-term commitment to fire safety. The contract also provides
for an annual Greek fire safety academy for students, which concentrated this year on safety items directly under
the students’ control, such as the use of candles and safe behavior during large gatherings. These are some of the
factors that fire safety officials believe contributed to this year’s dramatic improvement in safety compliance at the
houses. In a side note, this year’s Greek house fire safety program was conducted in a sustainable fashion, as
virtually all of the dozens of trips between the Fire Prevention and the University for inspections and consultations
were made on foot or by bicycle. For more information, please contact Deputy Fire Marshal Sandra Johnston at
682-5420.
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November 26, 2008