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HomeMy WebLinkAbout08/27/09 - City Council Newsletter EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER August 27, 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 FIRE & EMS FINDS NEW USE FOR SHREDDED PAPER LTD WEST EUGENE EMX UPDATE SUMMER READING BREAKS RECORDS AT EUGENE PUBLIC LIBRARY NEW WATERFOWL MANAGEMENT EFFORTS BEGIN IN ALTON BAKER PARK STORMWATER SURVEY REFLECTS SEVERAL CHANGES IN OPINION AND BEHAVIOR FALL RECREATION GUIDES IN THE MAIL FUN FOR ALL INCLUDES LRCS LEADERSHIP A NOVEL RAFFLE AT EUGENE PUBLIC LIBRARY EUGENE/KAKEGAWA SISTER CITY COMMITTEE PLANS OCTOBER DELEGATION TO JAPAN AROUND THE CITY Fire & EMS Finds New Use for Shredded Paper What once was waste now serves a purpose, and that purpose could contribute to saving lives. In keeping with the principles of the City’s Green Team, and pursuant to the City’s sustainability goals, training personnel in the Fire & EMS Department now regularly collect shredded paper generated in the City’s Archives section in the basement of the South Park Building. Documents no longer required to be retained are shredded by Archives personnel on a fairly large scale, to the tune of 15 to 30 large bags each week. The bags used to be collected and taken to the landfill by building maintenance personnel. What does the Fire Department do with the shredded paper? Burn it, of course. The material makes perfect kindling for training fires in the nd department’s concrete burn building on the drill field at 2 & Chambers. There, probationary and veteran firefighters alike routinely build their fire suppression skills in a controlled environment. In the past, the department paid for shredded paper to start training fires, but that line item was a victim of budget cuts, and Fire & EMS looked for other sources of kindling. The idea of using the shred produced by Archives was generated during discussions between fire training personnel and Green Team members, and Lynne Eichner-Kelley, sustainability operations analyst in the City’s Facilities Division, was able to connect the parties in the new arrangement to make the system work. Now, each week, firefighters collect the unwanted shred and transport it to the drill field, where it takes its useful place in the instruction of Eugene’s firefighters. For more information, please contact Karen Rich, Fire & EMS Department, at 682-7113. LTD West Eugene EmX Update Planning and public involvement activities are continuing on LTD’s West Eugene EmX Extension project, with current efforts focused on sharing the latest conceptual engineering designs with business and property owners. LTD staff has held one-on-one meetings with business and property owners of lots that may be impacted by the project. These include impacts to existing buildings and parking. More meetings are being scheduled and will include a EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 1 August 27, 2009 review of the designs and a dialogue with the property owners on possible means to mitigate or minimize the impacts. LTD also will be communicating with other property owners and businesses along the corridor. Councilor Chris Pryor will host a conversation about the project on Tuesday, September 1, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at Goodwill Industries, 855 Seneca Road, Eugene. City of Eugene and Lane Transit District staff will be on hand to provide information on the project’s process and timeline. New design graphics will be available that will th show proposed station locations, how traffic will flow on West 11 Avenue with EmX (turns, property access, flow of through-traffic), and design challenges and opportunities. For more information, contact City of Eugene Transportation Planning Manager Rob Inerfeld at 541-682-5343, or Rob.Inerfeld@ci.eugene.or.us. Summer Reading Breaks Records at Eugene Public Library This year, Summer Reading programs at Eugene Public Library drew more readers of all ages than ever before. Inspired by the “Be Creative” theme, more than 7,300 children and teens signed up. Each one got to choose a free book to keep, courtesy of the Friends of the Library. The 2009 sign-up total represents an increase of 1,900 young readers beyond last year. Summer Reading activities at the Library were attended by 3,300 children and teens. Summer story times served 3,900 young children and their grown-ups. Weekly activities at the Library engaged youth in writing, visual arts, drumming, and movies. Special events ranged from the annual Teddy Bear Picnic to a “Twilight” vampire party for teens. The season’s end was celebrated with a family swim party and an impressive youth talent show. Summer Reading programs are fun as well as important to the community’s well-being. Studies show that summer reading programs help keep student reading skills up while school is out. In addition to the success of the programs for children and teens, 600 adults signed up for Summer Reading. Books recommended by booklists and Library staff flew off display shelves. Visiting cartoonist and author Lynda Barry gave a talk on creativity that left her large audience both inspired and rolling in the aisles laughing. Community partners involved in making this success possible included dozens of Library volunteers, the Friends of the Library, Novella Café, and the UO Bookstore/Duck Store. For more information, contact the Eugene Public Library, (541) 682-5450; www.eugene-or.gov/library. New Waterfowl Management Efforts Begin in Alton Baker Park This week the City of Eugene began implementing a number of changes around the pond in Alton Baker Park that will improve water quality and public health, and create a more natural and sustainable home for the ducks and geese. Parks and Open Space staff, contractors, and volunteers will be working together over the next several months to: ? Remove the concrete on the south side of the pond and replace it with native plantings ? Relocate the domestic white geese to a more suitable habitat ? Encourage the Canada geese to seek a natural and less urban environment While the City of Eugene is in the process of seeking more This Canada goose at Alton Baker Park suffers from suitable homes for the domestic white geese, two specially Angel Wing caused by a diet high in carbohydrates. trained Border collies and their handler are working to encourage the Canada geese to return to natural areas. Eugene’s park system includes over 3,000 acres of natural areas offering high quality habitat where Canada geese are welcome. All waterfowl management activities practiced by the City of Eugene are following protocols approved by the Humane Society of the United States. Each year more waterfowl are choosing to take up year round residence in Eugene’s urban parks and become EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 2 August 27, 2009 dependent on food handouts. Although feeding and interacting with waterfowl can be enjoyable, it can also cause long-term health problems for these animals, potential health risks to humans, and environmental degradation. For more information contact Rob Hallett, Parks and Open Space Turf and Ground Supervisor, at 682-4935, 968-7677 or rob.hallett@ci.eugene.or.us. Additional information about the project is located at www.eugene- or.gov/waterfowlmanagement. Stormwater Survey Reflects Several Changes in Opinion and Behavior Results are in from this year’s biannual stormwater opinion survey. The survey has been conducted biannually since 1993. It is used as a tool to determine changes in attitudes and opinions of city residents regarding the City of Eugene’s stormwater management program. A local market research firm conducted the survey, which polled 415 Eugene residents through phone interviews using a random list of Eugene residents. The survey asked participants a range of questions about their awareness, knowledge and opinions about stormwater-related programs and issues. While most categories tend to have minor or no fluctuations, several saw notable changes. This year, 73% of residents were aware that the stormwater system is separate from the wastewater system, compared to 67% in 2007. And, 69% knew that the stormwater system empties directly into local waterways. Regarding stormwater user fees, 42% felt they pay the right amount in user fees – an increase of 8% compared to two years ago. On the same question, 23% felt that they pay too much, 5% felt they pay too little, 23% didn’t know what they pay and 7% didn’t know if it’s the right amount. The most dramatic shift is in the use of weed killing chemicals such as Roundup or Weed & Feed. Fifty percent reported that they use yard chemicals – a 21% increase from the 2007 survey. Asked whether Eugene is giving the right amount of attention to protecting local waterways, 49% said yes (compared to 44% in 2007), 22% said no, and 26% say they didn’t know. Educating and informing community members about stormwater pollution and ways to protect local waterways is a best management practice in the City’s Comprehensive Stormwater Management Plan (SWMP) and the City’s municipal stormwater permit. The plan was approved in 1993 by the City Council to meet Environmental Protection Agency requirements to protect waters of the state. The City’s stormwater permit is approved and regulated by the Department of Environmental Quality. An executive summary of survey results is available at www.eugene-or.gov/stormwater. For more information about the survey, contact Kathy Eva, public information specialist for the Stormwater Management Program, at 682-2739 or e-mail Kathy.a.eva@ci.eugene.or.us. Fall Recreation Guides in the Mail The fall Recreation Guide includes a wide variety of ways Eugene residents can have fun, learn something new, improve their health, make friends, and build community. The guide will arrive in city resident mailboxes this week. The cover of the new guide features adult soccer players from one of the Recreation Division’s many adult leagues that annually attract more than 100,000 participants. For the first time, this guide also includes full descriptions for all Adult Service Program activities. Previously, the guide contained only brief or headline descriptions for most adult programs and full descriptions were included in two separate guides, the Campbell Courier and Barnies’ news. With this change, the activities offered by Adult Services will be more visible and the need to publish separate guides is eliminated. One of the new activities offered this fall is Argentine Tango for Persons with Parkinson’s disease. Research shows that some movements of the Tango are especially helpful to individuals living with that disease. Also this fall, a sampler of free, one-day adult exercise and art classes are being offered in early September so patrons can try out an activity before signing up for an entire class. One of three patron stories in the fall guide tells how staff at Petersen Barn Community Center helped a young girl avoid bad behaviors. EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 3 August 27, 2009 A number of special events are planned for young and old alike this fall, including monthly, free, Family Fun Nights (now at Petersen Barn, Sheldon and Amazon community centers), monthly Barn Dances, Wii Bowling, Spooky Splash Dance, House of Spiders, Halloween Lunch, Boo Barn, Thanksgiving and Holiday meals for seniors, and the perennial favorite: Breakfast with Santa. The calendar may say August, but online registration is already open for most programs. For information, contact Kathy Madison at 541-682-6342. Fun For All Includes LRCS Leadership Members of the LRCS Leadership Team found out what the “fun for all” is all about recently when they visited two Fun For All (FFA) sites, operated by Recreation Service’s Youth and Family Program. The free, drop-in playground program offers organized games, art activities, and free lunches for children, provided by Food For Lane County, all summer long in 10 neighborhood parks. The Leadership Team members played “Super Hero Dominator” and “Capture the Flag,” painted bottle caps and boards for their own tic-tac-toe game, designed their own flag, and dipped their toes in the wading pools, all of which gave them great appreciation for the job FFA staff do to make sure those attending have a fun summer. The 2009 Fun For all season ends August 28. This year’s attendance has not yet been tallied; however, in past years, upwards of 15,000 children and youth have participated in FFA over the summer months. For information, contact Peter Chavannes, 541-682-6359. A Novel Raffle at Eugene Public Library In advance of a visit by award-winning, bestselling author Luis Alberto Urrea on October 2, Eugene Public Library will hold a free raffle to win copies of his new novel, “Into the Beautiful North.” To enter, visit any Library location September 1st through 6th. Or, drop in to enter at the Downtown Library during the Eugene Celebration. In addition, many copies of the novel are available to borrow from the Library. “Into the Beautiful North” is the serious, hilarious story of Nayeli, just out of high school, and dedicated to saving her beloved Mexican village from the drug lords threatening to take over. It’s “a lush, rollicking novel of quests, self-discovery, and romance” featuring a “21st-century female Don Quixote” (BookList). For more information, contact the Eugene Public Library at (541) 682-5450 or www.eugene-or.gov/library. Eugene/Kakegawa Sister City Committee Plans October Delegation to Japan The Eugene/Kakegawa Sister City Committee is accepting applications from area residents, City staff, and elected officials interested in traveling to Japan as members of a 12-person, 10-day delegation, October 9-16, 2009. Delegates will celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Eugene/Kakegawa relationship and promote cultural exchange and international friendship between the two sister cities. The trip will include a multi-day stay with homestay families in Kakegawa City and one night at a traditional Japanese Ryokan (inn), followed by an extended period in Kyoto and Nara. Timing for the delegation was chosen to correspond with Kakegawa's great festival "O-Matsuri" which includes dancing of the biggest lion costume in Japan. For more information and an application, contact John Simpson, president of the Eugene/Kakegawa Sister City Committee at 345-0858 or riverfish@comcast.net. COUNCIL BREAK: AUGUST 13 – SEPTEMBER 9 EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 4 August 27, 2009 EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 5 August 27, 2009