HomeMy WebLinkAbout04/23/09 - City Council Newsletter
EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER
April 23, 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
SUMMER RECREATION GUIDE HAS NEW LOOK, THEME AND STORIES
FIRE & EMS PURSUES AMBULANCE RELICENSING
FAMILY FUN AT THE LIBRARY: GLITTERARY WORD FESTIVAL
PARKS AND OPEN SPACE RECEIVES $150,000 FOR NATIVE PLANT CONSERVATION
WALNUT STATION VISION BEGINS TO TAKE FORM
PICK FAVORITE BROADWAY TUNE AND WIN TICKETS
EUGENE’S PEDESTRIAN AND BICYCLE STRATEGIC PLAN WINS NATIONAL AWARD
CITY RECOGNIZED FOR COMMITMENT TO ENGINEERING STUDENTS
CITY PROGRAMS USE TWITTER AS OUTREACH TO PUBLIC
AROUND THE CITY
Summer Recreation Guide Has New Look, Theme and Stories
The newly designed Summer Recreation Guide is being delivered this week. The design of the cover has been
changed and now sports a “full bleed” photo. The change is one of several that were recommended by Recreation
staff to make the guide livelier and increase its functionality.
The Recreation Guide contains stories from patrons about their experiences using
Recreation programs. A parent named Heidi, tells the story of how the KidCity
program at Sheldon Community Center is helping her son recover from a head injury;
Linda’s story is about how an Aquatics staff member made her and her service dog,
Gwen, feel welcome at Sheldon Pool; 94-year-old Jerry Freeman tells of kayaking the
entire Willamette (one segment at a time) through the City’s Outdoor programs; Ann
Seals, who is 77 years-old, says the programs at Petersen Barn “…have opened a
whole new world for me;” and Lisa says she found “a whole new world of freedom”
after she rented a handcycle from Hilyard Community Center.
This summer’s guide also has the theme “Staycation Eugene: Summer in the City.”
With the economy putting the pinch on many family vacations, the guide includes a
long list of free and low-cost things to do that will make it a great summer without
leaving town. The guide describes how LRCS is enriching lives. For more
information, call Kathy Madison at 682-6342.
Fire & Ems Pursues Ambulance Relicensing
Fire & EMS is in the process of completing ambulance licensing for 2009-2010.
Every year the ambulance license is renewed with the Department of Human
Services, EMS Section. This license allows the City of Eugene to operate the
ambulance side of the department. The licensing ensures compliance with state
laws, and confirms that certain policies and other certifications are in place at
Eugene Fire & EMS. It also ensures that the ambulances are equipped and
personnel are trained at a standard level to provide advanced life support care to
the patients of this community. For questions regarding ambulance licensing,
please contact EMS Chief JoAnna Kamppi at 682-7104.
EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 1
April 23, 2009
Family Fun at the Library: Glitterary Word Festival
On Saturday, April 25, the Eugene Public Library and the Young Writers
Association (YWA) team up once again for the annual Glitterary Word Festival. It’s
a family play day for all ages at the Downtown Library, inspired by the 2009 theme
"Home." Admission is free.
The day begins at 11:00 a.m. with a “story dance” traveling around the Library,
performed by choreographer, Margo Van Ummersen, and storyteller, Louisa
Lindsay-Sprouse. At noon, school-age kids, and the adults with them, are invited to
a writing workshop with Lawson Inada, Oregon’s Poet Laureate. Starting at 2:00
p.m., kids can drop in for creative activities with writers, educators, and performers.
Kids will also have the opportunity to record their writings on Elsie, KLCC Radio’s
studio on wheels.
At 4:00 p.m., winners of YWA’s writing contest will read their works, then cake will
be served in celebration of YWA’s 15th birthday. The Glitterary Word Festival is funded in part by Lane Arts
Council with support from the City of Eugene Cultural Services Division. For more information, contact the Eugene
Public Library at 682-8316 or www.eugene-or.gov/library.
Parks and Open Space Receives $150,000 for Native Plant Conservation
The Parks and Open Space Division received a $150,000 Native Plant Conservation Initiative grant from the
National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF), to protect populations and conserve habitat of rare, threatened,
and endangered plant species in the West Eugene Wetlands (WEW), including three species listed under the
federal Endangered Species Act. The WEW Threatened & Endangered Plant Recovery Project will bring together
the City of Eugene and WEW partner organizations to work toward recovery of
these native species and their habitats by using a multi-faceted approach of on-
the-ground work, planning, monitoring, and outreach.
The three federally listed plant species that occur in the WEW are the Willamette
daisy, Bradshaw’s lomatium, and Kincaid’s lupine. The Kincaid’s lupine is the host
plant for the federally endangered Fender’s blue butterfly, also found in the
WEW. The WEW is a treasured biological resource in the community, and within
the wetlands, several small, isolated populations of these species are located on
lands belonging to several different entities. Each existing population is critical to
the future survival of these species, and management of prairie habitats is
essential for keeping the populations viable. A coordinated effort is the optimal
way to achieve native species conservation goals for the ecosystem as a whole.
Bradshaw’s lomatium
The core knowledge of professionals in the WEW Partnership, long-standing
inter-agency relationships, and well-coordinated project implementation will be an
asset to this project.
The NFWF funds will be spent between April 2009, and March 2011, and will
support a suite of projects to be implemented by the City of Eugene and WEW
partners. The City will receive $50,000 to conduct invasive species and woody
vegetation control in the WEW and $20,000 to oversee the development of a
landscape-scale action plan for recovery of threatened and endangered plant
species in the WEW. The Long Tom Watershed Council will receive $15,000 for
prairie restoration on private land in the Long Tom watershed. The Institute for
Applied Ecology will receive $30,000 to monitor rare plants and their habitats on
Bradshaw’s lomatium and camas
U.S. Bureau of Land Management properties, and the Willamette Resources and
Educational Network will receive $30,000 for creation of a citizen science program. Each organization will provide
a one-to-one match for the grant, for a total project value of $300,000. The City’s match dollars will come from
existing programs focused on prairie habitat restoration, management, and native plants. Therefore, the NFWF
grant funds represent revenue coming in to the City and add capacity to existing programs. For more information,
contact Restoration Ecologist Emily Steel at emily.c.steel@ci.eugene.or.us or 682-4874.
Walnut Station Vision Begins to Take Form
On April 27, 28, and 29, the City of Eugene will host a three-day public meeting called a “charrette” at the
University of Oregon’s Erb Memorial Union Fir Room to refine the vision for the Walnut Station Mixed Use Center.
This three-day public event builds on several years of planning work for Walnut Station. It will be another
opportunity for the public to contribute to the development of the area through discussion and hands-on design
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April 23, 2009
work. The Walnut Station study area is located along Franklin Boulevard east of downtown Eugene, between the
University of Oregon and the Willamette River.
On the morning of April 27, the design team will present several development options in the form of computer
models and drawings for areas within Walnut Station and then collect feedback throughout the day and into the
evening. On April 28, the plans will be refined into a single option for each area based on stakeholder and public
input. The third day will integrate comments from the previous evening into the design plans in preparation for the
final presentation at 6:00 p.m. on April 28. This promises to be a dynamic, exciting event.
Results from the charrette process will be used to draft form-based code for the Walnut Station area. Form-based
code is a new planning tool that provides a visual representation for the future development of mixed-use areas.
Gathering and incorporating input from all stakeholders early in the process is core to the success of creating a
form-based code. For more information visit the website at www.eugene-or.gov/walnut or contact Lydia McKinney
at 682-5485 or via e-mail at lydia.s.mckinney@ci.eugene.or.us.
Pick Favorite Broadway Tune and Win Tickets
Hult Presents is offering a fun contest for everyone, especially all fans of Broadway musicals. Participants can
vote for their favorite Broadway song and see it performed live by five stars of Neil Berg’s 100 Years of Broadway
at the Hult Center on Friday, May 15, at 8:00 p.m. There will be 13 songs to
choose from, and everyone can vote for their top three. The song with the most
votes will be the winner and performed live. The contest runs through Monday,
April 27, at 5:00 p.m. Five winners, randomly selected from the votes cast for
the winning song, will be announced on Wednesday, April 29, and will receive
two tickets to experience Neil Berg’s 100 Years of Broadway. Cast a vote by
visiting the HultCenter.org website and clicking the icon on the lower right-hand
corner of the homepage. For more information, contact Marketing and Public
Relations Manager Billie Moser at 682-8380 or billie.c.moser@ci.eugene.or.us.
Eugene’s Pedestrian and Bicycle Strategic Plan Wins National Award
Each year, the American Planning Association (APA) recognizes outstanding projects by students in accredited
planning programs that contribute to advances in the field of planning. This year, the APA is recognizing Eugene’s
Pedestrian and Bicycle Strategic Plan as one of three student projects worthy of national recognition at its 2009
national conference in Minneapolis. The award for student projects will be presented
on Tuesday, April 28.
The University of Oregon’s Community Planning Workshop, a
service/learning/consulting program in which graduate students are supervised by
professional planners, played a critical role in compiling research, organizing meetings
and events, facilitating workshops,and providing technical writing and graphic design
for both the planning process, and development of the final plan. As a measure of the
Strategic Plan’s success a little over one year after its release, many of the 80 actions
designed to make Eugene a more walkable and bikeable community, are underway.
Eugene’s Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee (BPAC) is actively engaged in
assisting and monitoring plan implementation.
More information about the Strategic Plan, Eugene’s BPAC, and that group’s current
Bicycle and Pedestrian Business Awards program, is available at www.eugene-or.gov/bpac or by calling Associate
Transportation Planner, David Roth at 682-5727.
City Recognized for Commitment to Engineering Students
About 12 years ago, civil engineers in the Willamette Valley got together and worked with Oregon State University
(OSU) to expand a multidisciplinary internship program to include a strong civil engineering component. Civil
engineers, particularly those in public agencies, typically have a different role than their counterparts in the
mechanical, industrial, electrical and computer engineering fields. That initial effort led to the formation of
CECOP, the civil engineering branch of MECOP (Multiple Engineering Cooperative Program). A board of
volunteers, one from each company, oversees the program, the selection process and employment evaluation.
The program started at OSU but now includes Oregon Institute of Technology and Portland State University
engineering colleges.
MECOP is a three-way partnership between the agencies and companies who employ engineers, the university
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April 23, 2009
that provides basic training for the engineers, and the engineering students who delay their graduation but gain
valuable experience through working internships.
The goal of the program is to provide students with the experience to
be job-ready when they graduate, provide an improved learning
environment at the university, and attempt to keep as much of the
technical talent produced at Oregon universities working in Oregon.
The participating companies get access to first-rate students who are
talented and eager to learn and grow in their profession. The
program uses two six-month internships with employers who will
treat students as if they were recent graduates and give them
professional experience. Students are paid approximately 70% of a
starting engineer’s salary.
The City of Eugene recently was recognized at the MECOP/CECOP
biennial banquet for employing dozens of student interns during 10
years as a member agency. City Engineer Tom Larsen was
recognized for 10 years of service on the Board of Directors. This
Traffic Engineer Tom Larsen (left) and City Engineer
summer, two OSU civil engineering students will be participating in
Mark Schoening
six-month internships on Public Works Engineering project teams.
For more information, contact Tom Larsen at 682-4959.
City Programs Use Twitter as Outreach to Public
Several City of Eugene programs are making use of Twitter.com to reach out to the public in a variety of new
ways. Twitter.com is a micro blog that is accessible using the Internet or smart phones, and that has recently
gained in popularity. Many businesses and agencies around the nation have set up free Twitter accounts to
communicate with customers and the public.
The Eugene Airport has had a Twitter account for eight months and now has more than 400 followers. The site is
used to promote fare specials and send out updates about happenings at the Eugene Airport. The airport
communicates directly with passengers via Twitter direct messages.
Hult Center staff are using Twitter to share an inside perspective on what’s happening, including upcoming
performances, ticket contests and specials. They also share YouTube videos, and give a peek into what happens
backstage, including load-ins, sound checks, and dress rehearsals. Since starting in the middle of March, the Hult
Center already has 104 followers and there may be a star sighting soon.
This week, the Eugene Public Works Department and Eugene Police Department both began using the service as
well. Public Works is sending out road work ‘tweets.” With a very busy road repair season coming up, this is
another communication tool the department is using to quickly disseminate accurate information about lane
closures, traffic delays and detours.
Eugene Police is using Twitter to provide the public with breaking news regarding crash road closures and to
highlight new information featured on its website. Eugene Police frequently posts short videos on crime prevention
topics, which can be found on the Internet site www.eugene-or.gov/thelatest.
Eugene Planning and Development is testing the waters with Twitter, using it for announcements about activities
and development downtown.
Information on these City of Eugene services can be found at:
Eugene Airport: Twitter/flyEUG
Eugene Public Works: Twitter.com/EugenePW
Eugene Police: Twitter.com/EugenePolice
Eugene Planning and Development: Twitter.com/DowntownEugene
Hult Center for the Performing Arts: Twitter.com/Hult Center
For more information, contactCathryn Stephens of the Eugene Airport, at 682-5430; Eric Jones of Public Works,
at 682-5523; Melinda Kletzok of the Eugene Police, at 682-5124; Laura Hammond of Planning and Development,
at 682-6021, and Billie Moser of the Hult Center, at 682-8383.
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April 23, 2009