HomeMy WebLinkAbout09/10/09 - City Council Newsletter
EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER
September 10, 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
NEIGHBORHOOD LEADERS TRAINING VERSION 2.0
SCHOOL AND WORK: EXPERT INFO AT THE LIBRARY
FALL EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES MEET ADULT PROGRAM’S MISSION
SURVEY SETS SIGHTS ON NEIGHBORHOOD IMPROVEMENTS AND PARTICIPATION
COOPERATIVE PAVING EXERCISE PRODUCES A WIN-WIN-WIN OUTCOME
AROUND THE CITY
Neighborhood Leaders Training Version 2.0
On August 11, 26 neighborhood leaders from nine Eugene neighborhood associations gathered for the second
neighborhood leaders training. To date, one-third of the board members of all neighborhood associations have
attended the two sessions. The twice-annual training, facilitated by Neighborhood Services staff, provides an
orientation to a broad array of City services available to neighborhood associations. The training also provides a
forum for both new and experienced leaders to explore how to actively involve their neighbors and serve as an
effective link to City services and programs. A handbook, “Toolkit for Effective Neighborhood Leadership,” was
provided to all attendees and is available on the Web at http://www.eugene-or.gov/NLToolkit. The toolkit provides
additional information and serves as a resource and reference for neighborhood leaders, boards and other
interested residents.
Participants who attended the first
training on July 14, provided valuable
feedback about the structure and
content of the training. The format of
the second training was changed to
be more interactive, allowing time for
neighborhood representatives to
engage with one another and share
challenges and successes. Small
groups of participants were involved
in lively discussions around questions
such as: What is effective
neighborhood community
engagement, and, how do you sustain
an active neighborhood association?
Neighborhood leader trainings are coordinated by Neighborhood Services staff as part of a larger effort to develop
a robust training program and build the capacity of Eugene's volunteers and neighborhood organizations. For
more information about training opportunities for neighborhood leaders, contact Neighborhood Planner Rene Kane
of Neighborhood Services at 682-6243 or rene.c.kane@ci.eugene.or.us.
School and Work: Expert Info at the Library
Students and/or parents can learn aboutApplying for College and Financial Aid at 3:00 p.m. on Saturday,
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September 10, 2009
September 26, at the Downtown Library. This free workshop will provide valuable tips on completing a successful
college application, writing entrance essays, filling out financial aid forms, and more. Participants will get the
practical advice of experts from the University of Oregon’s offices of Admissions and Student Financial Aid, and
Scholarships. Additionally, Library staff will introduce electronic resources available for free at the Library,
including LearningExpress (practice tests and guidance), Foundation Directory Online (scholarships from 77,000+
sources), and Oregon Career Information System (information about schools and financial aid throughout the
U.S.).
Community members looking for work can learn to make the most of online resources at Job Search & Resumes,
a free, hands-on computer class at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, October 10, at the Downtown Library. Topics will
include how to research employment opportunities, create an effective resume, access free library tools such as
Microsoft Word's Resume Wizard, and use Internet resources from Craigslist to the Oregon Employment
Department website. Internet experience and pre-registration are required. To pre-register, call 682-5450 (press 2).
Professionals from the Oregon Employment Department and Goodwill Industries will offer guidance and
information about Finding a Job at 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, October 10, at the Downtown Library. Drop in for this
panel presentation covering topics from locating opportunities to preparing for job interviews. Also, learn about the
latest in employment resources and services available at the Library.
For more information, contact the Eugene Public Library at 682-5450.
Fall Events and Activities Meet Adult Program’s Mission
Whether one’s goal is self-discovery, learning about another culture or a new technology, making a new friend, or
making the world a better place, the Recreation Division’s Adult Services Program has the answer. This fall, the
program offers a number of free presentations, including one on how
changing one’s thinking can lower stress. An outing called “Ethnic
Excursions” takes attendees to another world – at a local restaurant.
Another free presentation explains how to volunteer for the Peace
Corps – the oldest volunteer was 86.
Classes offered this fall include several on computer technology, such
as how to use Craigslist. The program also offers many social
activities, including movie matinees, meals, Wii Bowling, barn dances
and the ever popular Campbell Center Holiday Bazaar.
The eclectic programming reflects the program’s mission to promote
and maintain health and well being, enhance the participant’s quality of
life, strengthen support networks and assist individuals in remaining active, productive, and independent. For more
information, contact Yvaughn Tompkins at 682-6315.
Survey Sets Sights on Neighborhood Improvements and Participation
The City of Eugene and its neighborhood associations want to know what
people like about their neighborhoods and what they would like to improve.
A city-wide effort, including online and in-person surveys, is collecting
information on transportation, parks, safety and many other topics. The
survey also asks people about what barriers need to be addressed and what
incentives might be needed to increase participation with neighborhood
associations. Survey responses are being collected through October 2009.
Anyone who lives, works, attends school or owns property in Eugene is
encouraged to take the survey.
Neighborhood association members, volunteers, and City staff will be distributing the survey at a number of
community events and locations throughout the city. It is also available at www.eugene-
or.gov/neighborhoodsurvey. All survey materials are available in Spanish and alternate formats. The survey is
estimated to take five minutes or less to complete, and participants are eligible to win an iPod or tickets to a Hult
Center performance.
Information gathered from the survey will be used to help improve City services and help neighborhood groups
with planning and outreach efforts. Neighborhood associations will be able to use the information as baseline data
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September 10, 2009
for their Strategic Neighborhood Action Plan (SNAP). SNAPs are an opportunity for a neighborhood to take a
proactive, comprehensive look at their neighborhood’s needs and create a plan to help address these needs.
SNAPs can cover a wide-range of topics including traffic management, housing/homelessness, natural resources,
community building, land use, historic preservation, parks, public safety, and economic development. For more
information on the SNAP program go to www.eugene-or.gov/nap.
For more information about the Eugene Neighborhood Survey project, to get the survey in an alternative format or
to arrange to take it orally, please contact Neighborhood Planner Lorna Flormo at lorna.r.flormoe@ci.eugene.or.us
or 682-5670.
Cooperative Paving Exercise Produces a Win-Win-Win Outcome
A cooperative training experience this week yielded benefits to public works crews from Eugene and Springfield
and to residents in a north Eugene neighborhood.
Crews from the Eugene and Springfield public
works maintenance divisions teamed up to apply a
thin overlay to an unimproved section of Country
Club Road between Willagillespie Road and Sand
Avenue. It was an opportunity for crews from both
cities to improve working relationships, cross-train
on various types of equipment and paving repair
techniques, and learn how to more effectively share
resources.
“It’s smart business and a good example of
innovation between our two cities,” says Stacey
Kintigh, maintenance supervisor for Springfield
Public Works. “And we are able to share
information as well as equipment,” adds Damon
Joyner, street maintenance supervisor for Eugene
Public Works. “What we learn from each other will
allow us to make the best use of limited resources
Chad Mickelson from Eugene operates the paving machine as Pat Davis from
and produce more uniform street repairs throughout
Springfield tests the paving depth.
the metro area.”
For residents along the pot-holed section of Country Club Road, the exercise meant a one-inch-thick “maintenance
overlay” of asphalt paving. Springfield provided its paving machine, which is better equipped to handle this size of
project than Eugene’s antiquated paver. Both agencies brought crews, trucks and other equipment to support the
full-scale paving operation. Eugene paid for the 130 tons of asphalt, and also reimbursed Springfield for equipment
and personnel costs because it was a Eugene street that was being repaired.
For more information, contact Eric Johnson, surface operations manager for Eugene Public Works at 682-4904.
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September 10, 2009