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Home My WebLink About04/16/09 City Council Newsletter EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER April 16, 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 TEEN CAREER FAIR HELD AT TRAINING CENTER "ALWAYS ON DUTY" EPD VOLUNTEER FEATURED IN NATIONAL MAGAZINE DOWNTOWN URBAN RENEWAL LOAN FILLS GAP FOR MCDONALD THEATER PURCHASE LOCAL STORIES TO BE MEMORIALIZED THROUGH STORYCORPS BILINGUAL FUN FOR FAMILIES AT EUGENE PUBLIC LIBRARY SWIM, PLAY AND WIN PRIZES ON “APRIL POOLS DAY” CITY TO FILE COMMENTS ON BROADBAND GRANT PROGRAM STORY TIME AND DISPLAY CELEBRATE FAIR HOUSING MONTH WORKSHOPS ON LOW-IMPACT DEVELOPMENT DESIGN TOOLS TH ARBOR DAY TREE PLANTING CELEBRATES 30 TREE CITY USA AWARD CITY INFORMATION BOOTHS AT EARTH DAY CELEBRATION AROUND THE CITY Teen Career Fair Held at Training Center Last week, 27 students from local area high schools attended a Teen Career Fair at the Fire & EMS Training nd Center at 2 and Chambers. The students attended a career fair in the morning which gave them opportunities to talk to vendors in the Fire & EMS fields. Lane Community College, the Red Cross FAST Team, 911 Communications Center, Eugene Human Resources Department and Rural Metro Ambulance were all vendors that provided information to the students on careers in emergency medicine, nursing, dispatching, fire fighting, and first aid. The purpose of the career fair was to get hiring and enrollment information directly into the hands of the students that will soon be joining the workforce and encourage them to consider Fire & EMS as possible career choices. The afternoon was spent giving the students tours of the fire station, 911 Communications Center and rides in an antique fire truck. The students were then given an opportunity to perform some real firefighting tasks such as using a fire extinguisher, using a fire hose to put out a live fire and using the tools of a fire fighter in an obstacle course. For more information on this or future career day opportunities, contact Cinimint Harper at cinimint.k.harper@ci.eugene.or.us or 682-7120. "Always On Duty" EPD Volunteer Featured In National Magazine Eugene Police Department's Squad Car Maintenance Team and Seniors on Patrol volunteer, Cliff Flesch, is a retired State Farm insurance underwriter. In May, four representatives from State Farm visited Eugene to interview and photograph Cliff for an article in State Farm Red Magazine. Click on the link http://www.eugene- or.gov/portal/server.pt/gateway/PTARGS_0_2_323252_0_0_18/AlwaysOnDutyCliffFlesch- StateFarmRedMagazineArticle2009.pdf to read the recently published article, "Always on Duty." Cliff retired from EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 1 April 16, 2009 State Farm in 2002 and has been volunteering for EPD since 2004. He had served 3,577 hours as of March 31. For more information, contact CVA Volunteers in Policing Program Manager Carrie Chouinard, Eugene Police Department, at 682-5355 or email carrie.f.chouinard@ci.eugene.or.us. Downtown Urban Renewal Loan Fills Gap for McDonald Theater Purchase The City used its Downtown Urban Renewal Loan Program to provide $250,000 in gap financing for Kesey Enterprises to purchase the historic McDonald Theatre Building at Willamette Street and 10th Avenue. Primary financing for the purchase came from Wells Fargo. Kesey Enterprises has leased space and operated a performing arts venue in the McDonald Theatre since 2001. The one-quarter-block, 34,224 square-foot building, which includes the McDonald Theatre and eight retail tenant spaces, is located next to Lane Transit District’s downtown station. Retail tenants include the following: Burrito Boy, Kitsch Local Vintage Resale, New Odyssey Juice & Java, Potala Gate, Savona's Imports, Station Market, Un Solo Pueblo and World Flavors restaurant. Kesey says his immediate plans are to settle into the new role of owner while also continuing to manage spring programming at the McDonald, shifting to summer programming at the City-owned Cuthbert Amphitheatre and production of the Eugene Celebration in September. “The building purchase solidifies our commitment to provide high-quality entertainment in Eugene,” he explains. “The City of Eugene is very happy to be involved in this project,” says Mike Sullivan, community development manager. “The McDonald Theatre generates a lot of activity downtown and supports the City’s vision of a vibrant city center. Kesey’s purchase will secure the music venue’s future and improve the level of care for the building.” For more information, contact Amanda Noble Flannery at amanda.nobelflannery@ci.eugene.or.us or 682-5535. Local Stories to be Memorialized through StoryCorps StoryCorps is coming to Eugene. Since 2003, tens of thousands of people have shared their stories and life experiences with StoryCorps, fulfilling its mission to honor and celebrate one another’s lives through listening. Many of these conversations air regularly on National Public Radio and each is preserved at the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress. Local public radio station KLCC is sponsoring StoryCorps’ visit to Eugene and the City’s Cultural Services Division is hosting the location of the StoryCorps booth at the Broadway Plaza in downtown, May 7-30. Cultural Services will also be reaching out to members of diverse groups to encourage them to record their stories. Sign-ups to record stories will be taken on a first-come, first-serve basis, beginning at 10:00 a.m. on April 23. Those with stories to tell can sign up online, at www.StoryCorps.net or by phone at (800) 850-4406. For more information, call Laura Niles at 682-2697. Bilingual Fun for Families at Eugene Public Library Celebrate spring in Spanish and English at Eugene Public Library’s Family Fiestas. The free family gatherings feature stories, songs, and snacks. Kids will learn to make bouquets of Mexican tissue paper flowersBilingual Family Fiestas are scheduled for Saturday, April 18, at the Downtown Library at 11:00 a.m., and at the Bethel Branch at 3:00 p.m. All library locations will honor the international holiday “Día de los Niños / Día de los Libros” (Children’s Day/Book Day) at Preschool Storytimes during the last week of April. The guest presenter will be Amy Costales, an award- winning author of books for young children. For more information, contact the Eugene Public Library at 682-8316 or www.eugene-or.gov/library. Swim, Play and Win Prizes on “April Pools Day” The City’s Aquatics program’s third annual April Pools Day, offers a free, fun family day of swimming and learning about water safety from 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, April 25, at Echo Hollow Pool. Kids and families can swim for free, check out a fire truck and water rescue boat, win prizes, and – by far the favorite attaction – try a kayak in the outdoor pool. The event also includes water safety information, games, scoop-a-duck prize give-away, and an opportunity for parents to enter to win valuable prizes, including a 10-visit punch card, kids’ lifejackets, towels, goggles or a summer family swim pass valued at $150. The day promises to be great fun for everyone. For more information, call Rich Fay at 682-5525. City to File Comments on Broadband Grant Program The City of Eugene has been a member of the National Association of Telecommunications Officers and Advisors (www.natoa.org) since the City Council’s policy work related to the Federal Telecommunications Act of 1996. EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 2 April 16, 2009 Eugene, along with over 130 communities and organizations, has filed comprehensive comments in response to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration’s (NTIA) Request for Information on how to implement the broadband grant program created by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. The comments address how NTIA can best go about following the intent of Congress under Section 6001 of the Act. In the comments, the City stresses that local governments were explicitly permitted to apply for and receive grant funding from NTIA, and that the numerous public interest provisions contained in the Act should guide NTIA’s implementation of the program. The comments also caution against giving states too great a role in determining what projects are funded with broadband grant dollars, and emphasize the need to create definitions that reflect the reality of competing in a global economy. The comments, 10 key points, executive summary, and appendices are all contained within one PDF file, which can be accessed at: http://www.natoa.org/documents/NTIA-RUS%20RFI%20Comment%20FINAL%204-10-09.pdf. Considering the City’s long and active history of developing communications technology projects of community benefit, Eugene was happy to participate in this filing. The City of Portland and the Oregon League of Cities also filed comments. For additional information, please contact Telecommunications Program Manager Pam Berrian, ISD, at 682-5590. Story Time and Display Celebrate Fair Housing Month In honor of Fair Housing Month, Eugene’s Planning and Development Department invites children and parents to a special story time at the Eugene Public Library. City Councilor Chris Pryor, who serves on the City’s Housing Policy Board, will be reading A Pig Is Moving In, by Claudia Fries, at the Downtown Library on Monday, April 20 at 10:30 a.m. This charming story is great for kids ages 4-8, but the whole family can enjoy it. A brief history of th housing discrimination in Oregon will be on display in the Atrium at 99 West 10 Avenue. State Labor Commissioner Brad Avakian will join Eugene City Councilor Chris Pryor, the Oregon Fair Housing Council, and local leaders to celebrate the Governor’s proclamation naming April as Fair Housing Month in Oregon, and reaffirm Oregon’s commitment to fair housing and civil rights. This re-declaration will take place in the Atrium at 11:00 a.m., just after the story time. Fair Housing Month celebrates progress made in opening the doors of housing opportunity regardless of race, gender, color, nationality, religion, family status, or disability. It is also a time to acknowledge the fair housing challenges that remain. According to the National Fair Housing Alliance, there are more than 3.7 million instances of discrimination each year against African-Americans, Latinos, Asian-Americans, and American Indians in rental and sales markets. This estimate does not include instances of discrimination against persons with disabilities - the group that files the highest number of complaints with Housing and Urban Development (HUD) each year - nor discrimination based on religion, sex, color, familial status or other ethnicities. For more information, contact Community Outreach Coordinator Laura Hammond at 541-682-6021 or Laura.A.Hammond@ci.eugene.or.us. Workshops on Low-Impact Development Design Tools The City of Eugene is participating in two low-impact development workshops sponsored by Oregon Environmental Council in April. These workshops are designed to inform participants about stormwater management using low-impact development tools such as vegetated swales, rain gardens, and bio-filtration among other methods. City staff participated in planning meetings for the workshop which included representatives from local governments, developers, landscape architects and consultants. The purpose of these meetings was to determine the current needs pertaining to use of low-impact development in Lane County. The first workshop on April 3 was considered very successful with approximately 50 participants including City staff from Parks and Open Space, Public Works Maintenance and Public Works Engineering divisions. The workshop concluded with a tour of local stormwater facilities within Eugene that showcase several alternative stormwater designs including vegetated swales, green roofs and rain catchments th systems. Included in the tour was a stop at the East 18 Avenue Workshop participants visit vegetated storm pedestrian and bicycle improvement project where three flow-through water treatment facility along 18th Avenue planters were put in place by the City to handle stormwater runoff down EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 3 April 16, 2009 th 18Avenue. City staff helped coordinate the tour and set up the transportation and speakers at each site. The next workshop will be held on Thursday, April 30. For more information, contact Parks and Open Space Environmental Regulations Coordinator Rachel Burr at 682-4944, or rachel.a.burr@ci.eugene.or.us. th Arbor Day Tree Planting Celebrates 30 Tree City USA Award On Saturday, April 11, close to 100 community members gathered downtown to celebrate Arbor Day. Mayor Kitty Piercy helped kick off the celebration in front of Balzhiser & Hubbard th Engineers by accepting Eugene’s 30 consecutive Tree City USA award from State Forester Marvin Brown. Tree City USA, a program of the National Arbor Day Foundation and sponsored by the Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF), recognizes cities that have developed programs that plant and care for trees. The volunteer team that planted 30 trees around th the block at 13 Avenue and Olive included members of the Eugene Tree Foundation, REI staff, Boy Scouts of Oregon Trail Council Pack 26, Tree Stewards, and nearby residents. Tree pruning demonstrations were given by volunteer Tree Mayor Piercy and State Forester Marvin Brown, help volunteers plant a Stewards. tree on Arbor Day at the old downtown library site. The “Trees for Concrete” project in honor of Arbor Day was organized by the City of Eugene’s NeighborWoods program and the Eugene Tree Foundation in an effort to create a more livable and green urban environment. Crews from Public Works Maintenance excavated sections of concrete sidewalks creating planting areas for the street trees. For more information about Arbor Day or NeighborWoods projects, including Tree Stewards, contact NeighborWoods Coordinator Rick Olkowski at 682- 4831 or Urban Forester Mark Snyder at 682-4819. City Information Booths at Earth Day Celebration th The 11 annual Earth Day Celebration on Saturday, April 18, at EWEB’s River Edge Plaza will have something for everyone. This year’s event theme is “Small Steps, Big Changes” and features educational activity booths, the John H. Baldwin Film and Lecture Series, a music stage, the Procession of All Species, and much more. What better time to discover what makes the Eugene- Springfield area such a great place to live. Staff from several City of Eugene programs will share information with attendees, and Mayor Kitty Piercy will be the opening speaker at the Earth Day Celebration at 11:30 a.m. The Public Works Stormwater Management Program will be on hand to register canines and their companions for the Canines for Clean Water program. This pledge-based program offers a free bandana to dog owners who pledge to clean up after their pooches and prevent waste from entering local storm drains. A photo display will be featured with registered canines wearing their signature bandanas. In addition, free canine coloring pages will be available to booth visitors. The City of Eugene Solid Waste and Green Building program will be rolling out its new program, guide2Green, this weekend. The guide2Green program provides technical support, education, and incentives to encourage green building and waste prevention practices in Eugene. As part of the kick-off, staff will be giving out reusable grocery bags to the first 200 visitors who complete a short survey. City staff will share a large booth with the OSU Extension Service compost specialists where kids can take a turn at the worm wheel and win gummy worms when answering questions on composting. Everyone who stops by can enter a raffle to win an Earth Machine backyard composter. For more information about City participation at the Earth Day Celebration at EWEB Plaza, contact Public Works Public Information Specialist Kathy Eva at 682-2739, or visit www.earthdayoregon. Event hours are 11:00 a.m. to EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 4 April 16, 2009 5:00 p.m. For more information about the Solid Waste & Green Building program, contact Green Building Analyst Jenna Garmon, at 682-5541. 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