HomeMy WebLinkAbout03/19/09 - City Council Newsletter
EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER
March 19, 2009
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
ADDITION OF TRAINSONG MAKES ALL 19 NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS ACTIVE
LIBRARY AND RECREATION OFFER SPRING BREAK FUN FOR KIDS AND TEENS
JEFFERSON WESTSIDE NEIGHBORHOOD PLANJAM A SUCCESS
FUN NIGHT DRAWS RECORD ATTENDANCE
MIDDLE SCHOOL AND FIRE PREVENTION TEAM-UP ON FIRE CURRICULUM
WEST EUGENE COLLABORATIVE TO PUBLISH RECOMMENDATIONS
‘IT ALL COMES BACK TO YOU’ INSPIRES PLEDGES AT SPRING HOME SHOW
CITY AND EWEB URGE EUGENEANS TO PARTICIPATE IN EARTH HOUR
AROUND THE CITY
Addition of Trainsong Makes All 19 Neighborhood Associations Active
On Tuesday, March 3, 2009, 30 Trainsong residents met at the Bethel Community Church and elected a
neighborhood association board as the first step in reactivating their neighborhood association. Strong
neighborhood leadership, an active neighborhood watch program, a grant-
funded obesity prevention project, and assistance from the City’s
Neighborhood Services team all played an important role in organizing this
energetic, grassroots group of neighbors. The Trainsong neighborhood
forms a triangle bordered by Bethel Drive and the Union Pacific railroad to
the west, Highway 99 to the east and the Southern Pacific railroad to the
south. Important needs identified by the new association include: public
safety, positive youth activities, neighborhood clean-up, park and road
improvements, bike and pedestrian infrastructure and a neighborhood
garden. The goals of the neighborhood association are to address these
needs through greater access to City resources and for the neighbors to get to know each other better. With the
reactivation of Trainsong Neighbors, all 19 neighborhoods in the city of Eugene now have active neighborhood
associations. For more information, contact Lorna Flormoe at 682-5670 or lorna.r.flormoe@ci.eugene.or.us.
Library and Recreation Offer Spring Break Fun for Kids and Teens
During spring break, March 23-27, kids and teens can escape on a free reading
adventure spanning the globe at Eugene Public Library, or join in the fun of
spring break camps offered by Recreation.
Secret Agent Curt Nelson – a.k.a. The Man with 1,000 Faces – presents a “Top
Secret” adventure for kids with sessions at the Downtown Library, Bethel Branch,
and Sheldon Community Center. Secret Agent Nelson will share insider
intelligence, spy gadgets, magic, and highly explosive laughter with kids in
grades K - 6.
Teens are invited to catch free hot films and cool snacks at Spring Break
Cinema, while school’s out. Teen Book Club goes to the movies as well, at the
Downtown Library. Teens will talk about "Howl's Moving Castle," followed by the
film. Pre-registration and copies of the book are available at the Downtown
Library Teen Desk.
EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 1
March 19, 2009
Weeklong camps will offer adventure, soccer, water polo, arts, gymnastics, or hip hop; one camp is a sampler of
upcoming summer camps, with different activities every day. Sheldon and Echo Hollow Pools will hold special
recreation swims during spring break and the Senior Program is holding an intergenerational scavenger hunt on
March 24. For more information about Library events, call 682-8316 or www.eugene-or.gov/library/. For
information about Recreation spring break camps, call Kathy Madison at 682-6342 or www.eugene-
or.gov/recenroll.
Jefferson Westside Neighborhood PlanJam a Success
On Saturday, January 24, 39 members of the Jefferson Westside Neighbors (JWN) neighborhood association met
at César Chavez Elementary school for PlanJam Workshop #2. The second of two workshops, funded through the
Neighborhood Matching Grants program, continued the work of JWN in developing infill standards for R2-zoned
“heritage” areas (HA-JWR2).
Participants included resident and
non-resident property owners, renters
and business owners. The first
PlanJam Workshop in November set
the stage for PlanJam #2 in
describing and cataloging the
positive characteristics of the
neighborhood, negative impacts of
incompatible infill and areas for
standards (setbacks, building height,
alley development, etc.).
Participants in January’s workshop
discussed the draft standards in
detail and suggested further refinements. Additional neighborhood community input has been collected through a
Web survey, list serve and neighborhood association meetings. The draft HA-JWR2 standards will be incorporated
into the Infill Compatibility Standards process. For more information, contact Rene Kane at 682-6243 or
rene.c.kane@ci.eugene.or.us.
Fun Night Draws Record Attendance
Attendance at Recreation’s Friday Family Fun Night skyrocketed to some 400 people last Friday, more than four
times the usual draw. Youth and Family Services present these free events twice a month: on the first Friday of
the month at Petersen Barn Community Center; and, on the second Friday at Sheldon community Center and
Pool. The event includes family activities, games, and dinner, as well as swimming and a movie at Sheldon pool,
all for free. Staff was ready for the crowds at Sheldon last Friday, with help from volunteers from Sheldon High
School. The carnival-themed event included 12 carnival games, a karate demonstration, gymnastics course, Zoltar
the Fortune Teller, a huge community puzzle, and a midway-type meal of hot dogs and chips. For more
information, contact Melissa Perkins at 682-8837.
Middle School and Fire Prevention Team-up on Fire Curriculum
Fire Prevention’s Deputy Fire Marshal Sandra Johnston has partnered with Prairie
Mountain Middle School’s Christina Coombs and her seventh grade health class to co-
facilitate the new fire curriculum, created by the
Oregon State Fire Marshal’s Office and approved by
the Oregon Department of Education. The
curriculum meets health standards for state
benchmarks and was designed in a self-directed
format to teach several lessons on general fire
safety. Fire services encourage the joined
facilitation to ensure that technical questions and
information will be addressed. The Oregon State
Fire Marshal’s Office provided the training and
materials for this curriculum. During Sandra’s visit,
the students were able to see real life safety
features that are built into the school they attend
every day. Some of the topics included: accessing resource information,
analyzing influences, self-management, learning concepts of fire safety, and
making safe decisions. The curricula are available for grades 1-5 and 6-8 and
are based on consecutive building blocks. For more information, please call Sandra Johnston at 682-5420.
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March 19, 2009
West Eugene Collaborative to Publish Recommendations
The West Eugene Collaborative
(WEC) has developed a set of short-,
medium- and long-term
recommendations to address
transportation, land use and
environmental issues in and around
west Eugene and will release its
report at a press conference on
Friday, March 20, at 10:00 a.m. at the
American Red Cross, 862 Bethel
Drive. Representatives of the group
will discuss the recommendations and
answer questions. Copies of the 44-
page report will be distributed at the
Green is sign of consensus for members of West Eugene Collaborative
conference. The report will also be
made available electronically on the group’s website: www.odrc.state.or.us/WestEugeneForum.php.
The 27-member WEC includes west Eugene business owners, community business leaders, leaders of
neighborhood groups, and leaders within the environmental community. The group includes a doctor who practices
in Veneta, as well as residents of Elmira, Pleasant Hill, and Cottage Grove. It has experts in transportation and
land use planning, development, real estate, construction, and wetlands. The WEC also incorporates elected
officials and staff from Eugene, Veneta, Lane County, Lane Transit District, Lane Council of Governments, Oregon
Department of Land Conservation and Development, and the U.S. Bureau of Land Management.
The purpose of the West Eugene Collaborative has been to “develop an integrated land use and transportation
solution, supported by stakeholders, that will facilitate movement of people and commerce from/through/to west
Eugene and west of Eugene while enhancing community, business and the environment.” For more information,
contact Landscape Architect Emily Proudfoot at the Eugene Public Works Department at 682-4915 or
Emily.a.proudfoot@ci.eugene.or.us; Jan Wostmann at 485-1394 or jw@efn.org; or Gary Wildish at 228-6284 or
gwildish@chambersconstruction.com.
‘It All Comes Back to You’ Inspires Pledges at Spring Home Show
A colorful showcase display in the Expo Hall at the Lane County Home Show last week was a good reminder to
visitors of the steps they can take to save money, reduce pollution and protect the local environment. The booth
featured a small house, garden area, smart car and information station. Sustainable living messages and handouts
were available throughout the display and staff was on hand to answer questions. Participating visitors who
completed pledges to make a few earth-friendly choices received a raffle ticket for a drawing with multiple prizes,
donated by 10 local businesses and several agencies.
This interactive booth was created and staffed by the Pollution
Prevention Coalition, a group that works together to share
information and inform and educate residents about pollution
prevention tips. These agencies include: City of Eugene
Stormwater Program and Wastewater Management Program,
City of Springfield Environmental Services, Dept. of
Environmental Quality (DEQ), Lane County Public Works-
Recycling and Household Hazardous Waste Programs,
Springfield Utility Board (SUB), Lane Regional Air Protection
Agency (LRAPA), Department of Human Services - Drinking
Water Program, and Eugene Water & Electric Board (EWEB).
Berg Enterprises, sponsor of the Lane County Home Show, also
assisted with the booth display.
th
Coming up on Saturday, April 18, is the 11 annual Earth Day Celebration at the EWEB Plaza in Eugene. This
popular event, which focuses on ideas for sustainable living, features vendors and non-profit agencies, the John H.
Baldwin film and lecture series, an afternoon of music, and the “procession of all species” parade for kids and
adults. For more information, please call Stormwater Management Program Public Information Specialist Kathy
Eva, at 682-2739 or visit the web at www.eugene-or.gov. The City’s Stormwater Management program focuses on
a commitment to protect local waterways while promoting environmental stewardship. For more information about
EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 3
March 19, 2009
this year’s Earth Day, visit the website earthdayoregon.com.
City and EWEB Urge Eugeneans to Participate in Earth Hour
The City of Eugene and Eugene Water & Electric Board are urging Eugeneans to use their light switch to “Vote
Earth” on the last Saturday in March. March 28 will be the third annual “Earth Hour,” an international event that
asks households, businesses, schools and governments to turn off their non-essential lights and electrical
appliances for one hour to raise awareness of the need to address climate change.
The City and EWEB are participating by turning off non-essential lighting at the Eugene Public Library and the
utility’s headquarters building for one hour starting at 8:30 p.m. on March 28. Certain essential lighting needed for
operations and to ensure public and employee safety will remain on.
“Extinguishing non-essential lights in City government buildings for one
hour and urging all businesses and citizens to do the same will send a clear
message that the people of Eugene are concerned about climate change
and stand with the rest of the world in seeking solutions that will help stop
climate change,” said Eugene Mayor Kitty Piercy, who on February 23
signed a proclamation supporting Earth Hour. “We encourage Eugene
businesses, families and organizations to join us in this demonstration of
our commitment.”
Earth Hour’s “Vote Earth” campaign will count each participant as a vote in
favor of combating climate change. The World Wildlife Fund, which started
Earth Hour, will present the list of “Earth votes” to world leaders at the
Global Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen later this year. This
meeting will determine official government policies to take action against
climate change, which will replace the Kyoto Protocol.
Earth Hour began in Sydney, Australia, in 2007, when 2.2 million homes and businesses switched off their lights
for one hour. In 2008, 50 million people switched off their lights. Global landmarks such as the Golden Gate Bridge
in San Francisco, Rome’s Coliseum, the Sydney Opera House and the Coca Cola billboard in Times Square all
stood in darkness. In 2009, the Earth Hour campaign has a goal of 1 billion participants. Nearly 1,000 cities and
towns in more than 80 countries and territories have pledged support for Earth Hour. Learn how to be a part of
Earth Hour at www.earthhour.org. For more information, contact Sustainability Manager Felicity Fahy at 682-5017
or felicity.m.fahy@ci.eugene.or.us.
UPCOMING
COUNCIL BREAK: MARCH 12 – APRIL 8
4/8 W Noon All Council Work Session McNutt Room
4/13 M 5:30pm All Council Work Session/URA McNutt Room
4/13 M 7:30pm All Council Meeting/URA Council Chamber
4/15 W Noon All Council Work Session McNutt Room
4/20 M 7:30pm All Council Public Hearing Council Chamber
4/22 W Noon All Council Work Session McNutt Room
4/27 M 5:30pm All Council Work Session McNutt Room
4/27 M 7:30pm All Council Meeting Council Chamber
4/29 W Noon All Council Work Session McNutt Room
4/29 W 5:30pm All Budget Committee Bascom/Tykeson Rm
UNAVAILABLE FOR CITY COUNCIL BUSINESS
Mayor Piercy: April 19 - 21
** Denotes changes or additions to calendar
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