HomeMy WebLinkAbout06/25/09 City Council Newsletter
EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER
June 25, 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
THOUSANDS ATTEND FIRE & EMS SAFETY FEST
NEW NEIGHBORHOOD MATCHING GRANT CYCLE TO OPEN JULY 1
“BE CREATIVE!” AT EUGENE PUBLIC LIBRARY
FUN FOR ALL IN NEIGHBORHOOD PARKS BEGINNING JUNE 29
CITY SPONSORS FREE TRAINING FOR ARCHITECTS AND DESIGNERS
NEIGHBORHOOD SUMMIT PLANNING TEAM HOSTS POTLUCK
BREAKFAST AT THE BRIDGES A SUCCESS
VOLUNTEERS CLEAN FOUR MILES OF WILLAMETTE RIVER
RIBBON TRAIL RECONSTRUCTION TO BEGIN IN JULY
SMOKE TESTING OF SEWER LINES IN SOUTH UNIVERSITY AREA
AROUND THE CITY
Thousands Attend Fire & EMS Safety Fest
This year’s Safety Fest at Alton Baker Park, organized by the Fire & EMS Department’s Water Rescue Team, was
again a rousing success as thousands of area residents took advantage of the opportunity to see safety
demonstrations and exhibits and participate in the event’s many activities. Approximately 600 life jackets and
1,200 bike helmets were given to
young people. State
Representative Nancy
Nathanson made a ceremonial
presentation as part of the life
jacket giveaway. The hours and
scope of the event were reduced
this year as the Fire & EMS
Department was not in a position
to absorb the overtime costs that
had been associated with past
safety festivals (Saturday’s was
the ninth annual); but corporate
and government co-sponsors
made it possible to continue the
tradition. In particular, the
department would like to thank
KVAL-TV, the Weyerhaeuser
Corporation Foundation,
Sanipac, Bi-Mart, Les Schwab,
and Hamilton Construction
Company for their contributions.
Other participants included the
Citizen Emergency Response
Team, Lane County Sherriff’s Posse, Lane County Fire Co-Op, and Northwest Youth Corps. Despite the long
lines, appearances indicated that a good time was had by all. Attendance was estimated at 3,000 to 5,000 people.
For more information, please contact Cinimint Harper at 682-7120.
EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 1
June 25, 2009
New Neighborhood Matching Grant Cycle to Open July 1
The next City of Eugene Neighborhood Matching Grants cycle opens on July 1, 2009, with $50,000 available in
funding for neighborhood improvement or community building projects. Projects may include, but are not limited
to:
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Physical improvements that involve recreation or
public safety facilities, natural resource features,
public art and spaces or community gardens
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Public school partnership projects that benefit
school children and the immediate neighborhood
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Neighborhood-based events and celebrations
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Capacity-building initiatives that serve to create,
diversify, or increase participation in a
neighborhood-based organization or promote an
understanding of issues important to
neighborhood residents.
Grant guidelines and application materials are available
at www.eugene-or.gov/matchinggrants, and at the Permit
and Information Center, the Downtown, Bethel and
Installation of kiosk by Friendly Area Neighbors as part of the Friendly
Sheldon libraries, the Amazon, Hilyard, Sheldon, and
Park improvements, a grant funded project completed in early 2009.
Peterson Barn community centers and the Campbell
Senior Center.
All applications will be required to undergo a pre-review by November 1, 2009. This process will help make sure
the applications have all the required information. Final applications are due on February 1, 2010. Awards will be
announced in March 2010.
For more information about the Neighborhood Matching Grants Program, contact Cindy Clarke, Neighborhood
Services, 682-5272 or cindy.j.clarke@ci.eugene.or.us.
“Be Creative!” at Eugene Public Library
In tune with this year’s Summer Reading theme, “Be Creative!” the downtown Eugene Public Library will host a
lively night of local arts on First Friday, July 3. Toes start tapping at 6:00 p.m. with a free concert by The Oregon
Old Time Fiddlers Association. Enjoy hoedowns, waltzes, cowboy songs, and more with this talented and
experienced group of local musicians.
Meet local artists and see their work. Hanging in the spiral stairway,
Judith Sparks’ giant, translucent silk paintings present viewers with
two options: water full of salmon in their many incarnations, or
water empty of salmon except for their bones and ghosts. The Plein
Air Painters of Eugene-Springfield exhibit landscapes on the walls
of the Magazines & Newspapers room, including works by Paul
Bourgault, Bets Cole, Brooks Hickerson, Nancy Koblas and Jackie
nd
Lukowski. Also on the 2 floor, display cases will be filled with a
wide variety of pieces by the artists of Imagine Gallery, including
Noelle Dass (paintings), Tim Giraudier (photography), Eli Mazet
(glass), Josh Mazet (pottery), Toni Zybell (fused glass), and Shalini
Palianio (tapestry bags).
While at the Library, sign up for Summer Reading. Adults will
receive a coupon for a free coffee at Novella Cafe or $1 off books
purchased at the Friends of the Library’s bookstore, Second Hand
Prose. Reading ideas are offered in new booklists featuring novels about artists, characters re-inventing their lives,
and other creativity-related themes. Later, use a new feature of the Library catalog: reader reviews. To share
opinions and read thoughts, just find a title and click the review link under its image.
Coming up for adults in August: an illustrated talk and workshop on creativity by cartoonist and author Lynda
EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 2
June 25, 2009
Barry.
For more information, contact the Eugene Public Library at 682-5450 or www.eugene-or.gov/library.
Fun For All in Neighborhood Parks
Fun For All offers dozens of free recreational programs, events, fun and
lunch for children and youth ages seven and up (under seven if
accompanied by someone 15 or older), beginning June 29.
The program is held weekdays in eight locations and two days a week in
two other locations, through August 28. At seven of the sites, the
program includes a free lunch every day, provided by Food for Lane
County; the other sites offer a small snack.
Each summer, Fun For All draws some 18,000 participants and serves
more than 16,000 free lunches.
This year, the Fun For All theme, Hitch Your Wagon to the Time Dragon,
th
celebrates Oregon’s 150 birthday with high energy games popular over
the past 150 years. The programs also include the Eugene Public
Library’s Roving Story Teller and art with the University of Oregon’s
Roving Artist.
The Summer Resource Guide includes a complete list of Fun For All events and activities, as well as many other
no- and low-cost summer family activities such as Movies in the Parks. The guide was distributed through Eugene
4J and Bethel school districts, and is available at any City of Eugene community center, the Eugene Public
Library, or online at www.eugene-or.gov/recyouth. For more information, call Peter Chavannes at 682-5521.
City Sponsors Free Training for Architects and Designers
The City of Eugene Green Building Program is sponsoring a training to help architects and designers incorporate
energy efficiency measures into residential projects. The Energy Trust of Oregon offers tools, such as ready-made
architectural plans, to make it easier for architects and designers to make new homes more energy efficient.
Designers get lasting value from these already developed and proven plans that they can use for multiple projects
and adjust them to suit their needs. Energy Trust also offers ongoing support and will keep the plans updated to
changing industry standards. This training will also address the most relevant energy-efficiency design topics and
how designers can get the most for their money.
This free training will occur on Tuesday, July 7, at the Eugene Downtown Library. For more information, please
contact Jenna Garmon at 682-5541 or jenna.r.garmon@ci.eugene.or.us, or visit www.eugene-
or.gov/greenbuilding.
Neighborhood Summit Planning Team Hosts Potluck
The 2009 Neighborhood Summit planning team is hosting a post-summit potluck (finger food) from 4:00 to 6:00
p.m. on Sunday, June 28, at the Hilyard Community Center. The event will build on collaborative ideas generated
during break-out sessions at the March 7 neighborhood summit. This is a great opportunity to connect with others
interested in the topics of the summit and organize around moving ideas forward.
Participants will learn how the top collaborative ideas relate to existing
initiatives or programs of the City, community organizations, ad hoc
groups or other neighborhood organizations. These resources will help
support those taking leadership roles. The information is also available
http://www.eugene-or.gov/summit.
online at
Connecting summit collaborative ideas to work that is already happening
makes sense in a time of scarce resources. However, if good ideas
require breaking new ground, there will be opportunities to connect
people and groups who would like to collaborate to explore the
possibilities.
EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 3
June 25, 2009
Everyone who participated in the March 7 summit is invited: neighborhood association representatives, City staff
and boards, elected officials, and community organizations. All current neighborhood board members and key
volunteers (family and friends, too) are welcome - whether or not they attended the summit - to share food and
discussion at this informal drop-in event. Please RSVP by June 26 to Neighborhood Services Program Manager
Michael Kinnison at 682-5009 or michael.j.kinnison@ci.eugene.or.us.
Breakfast at the Bridges a Success
The Transportation Planning team held its first Breakfast at the Bridges event this summer on Friday, June 19,
from 7:00 - 9:30 a.m. at the Amazon Path at 24th Avenue. With help from GEARs and Collin’s Cycle Shop, the
team provided free bike maps, bike bells, bike tune-ups, and information about the scheduled Amazon Path
repairs this summer. Wandering Goat Coffee Company, Bagel Sphere, and Springfield Creamery donated free
bagels and coffee.
Breakfast at the Bridges will continue through the summer and will be held the third Friday of every month at
different locations. Future dates and locations for 2009 are:
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July 17 - Greenway Bike Bridge from 7:00 - 9:30 a.m.
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August 21 - DeFazio Bike Bridge from 7:00 - 9:30 a.m.
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September 18 - Blue Heron Bike Bridge from 7:00 - 9:30 a.m.
For more information, contact Sarah Thorpe at 682-5378 or www.eugene-or.gov/transportation.
Volunteers Clean Four Miles of Willamette River
On Saturday, June 20, approximately 80 volunteers took part in the
annual Willamette River Clean-Up. Volunteers collected over 20
yards of debris from the banks and islands of the Willamette River,
stretching from Island Park in Springfield to the Beltline in Eugene.
Items gathered included water-logged sleeping bags, tents, more
than 70 hypodermic needles, a metal picnic table, cell phones, a
digital camera and numerous bags of trash. Following the clean-up,
REI hosted a volunteer recognition pizza feed to celebrate the effort.
The City of Eugene Stream Team joined with REI, Willamalane,
EWEB, City of Springfield, Oregon by Kayak and Keen to organize
and support the event.
For more information, contact Stream Team Coordinator Mike
Bellmore at mike.bellmore@ci.eugene.or.us or 682-4850.
Ribbon Trail Reconstruction to Begin in July
This summer, thanks to funding received through the Oregon Youth Conservation Corps (OYCC), the City of
Eugene Parks and Open Space Division (POS) will reconstruct the Ribbon Trail. The Ribbon Trail connects
Hendricks Park to the Ridgeline Trail system, and has been used sporadically for decades.
In the mid-1980s, a volunteer group built the first developed
trail on privately-owned lands along a route that was used
unofficially for many years. Over time, the route became
unsafe and substantially unusable. In 2000, with funding from
the 1998 POS Bond measure, POS purchased a 200’ x 2500’
public corridor for the purpose of providing a permanent trail
connection to Hendricks Park from the south. In 2004, and
2005, POS, in consultation with a professional trail engineer,
designed a new trail which would be safer, have a more
accessible slope, and be less obtrusive to neighbors.
Unfortunately, funds for trail construction were not available
at that time.
Recently, POS was awarded funding from the OYCC Oregon
City staff walk the existing Ribbon Trail.
Youth Employment Initiative. This grant opportunity was
made available through the Federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.The initiative was
designed to provide employment opportunities for youth between the ages of 18 and 24 in the fields of natural
EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 4
June 25, 2009
resources and conservation education. With this funding, POS is now able to complete the trail as a ‘shovel-ready’
project. The 2005 alignment has been revisited and mapped. The trail construction will not require removal of
large trees, and a plant survey has ensured that important patches of uncommon plants will be avoided.
For more information, contact Natural Resource Maintenance Supervisor John Clark at 682-4826 or
John.T.Clark@ci.eugene.or.us.
Smoke-Testing of Sewer Lines in South University Area
Approximately 31 miles of sanitary sewer lines in south and east Eugene are scheduled to be smoke-tested
beginning Monday, June 29. The testing locates defects and improper connections that allow stormwater runoff
and groundwater to enter the public wastewater collection system. The testing also will measure the effectiveness
of recent wastewater system repairs and provide some insights into the conditions of the private sewer lines
serving homes and businesses.
This year's testing includes portions of the wastewater collection system in the Downtown, Fairmount, Far West,
Southeast, South University and West University neighborhoods. Testing will begin in the South University
rd
Neighborhood near Patterson Street and East 23 Avenue. The entire project is expected to take several months
to complete. During the tests, which are endorsed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, non-toxic, white
smoke is released into underground sewer lines to identify problems. Residents are notified before testing begins
in their neighborhood. The smoke will not harm plants or animals and will quickly dissipate leaving no residue or
stains.
After smoke is blown into a sewer line, crew members watch for tell-tale signs of deteriorated lines or improper
connections. White smoke rising from the ground generally indicates a crack or other defect in a sewer line.
Smoke coming from a roof gutter, downspout or area drain indicates that a storm drain is improperly connected to
the wastewater collection system. Deteriorated sewer lines and improper stormwater connections cause a problem
called inflow and infiltration. The region's wastewater collection and treatment system is designed to carry a
specific amount of water and sewage. Inflow and infiltration of stormwater runoff and groundwater can overload
the system, increasing the difficulty and cost of transporting and treating wastewater.
If smoke-testing reveals a defect in the public portion of the wastewater collection system, the defect is corrected
as soon as possible. If extensive defects are found, capital rehabilitation projects are planned, funded and
completed to correct the problem. If smoke-testing identifies a stormwater connection prohibited in the City Code,
such as a roof drain connected to the sanitary sewer, the property owner is notified and is required to correct the
problem. If the testing indicates a defect in the private portion of the sewer (usually in the line that connects the
building to the public sewer), the owner is notified of potential problems with the sewer, and repair or replacement
of the defective line is recommended.
For more information, contact I/I Investigation Project Manager Carla Spangler at 682-4894 or check online at
www.eugene-or.gov/smoketesting.
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June 25, 2009