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HomeMy WebLinkAbout10/08/09 - City Council Newsletter EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER October 8, 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 EUGENE COUNTS COMMUNITY WORKSHOP, SURVEY HELP FOCUS CITY’S EFFORTS MEETING THE CHALLENGE TASK FORCE BEGINS WORK EPD TO HOLD SECOND ANNUAL PREVENTION CONVENTION EMILY JEROME ELECTED OCAA PRESIDENT AWARD-WINNING AUTHORS AT WINDFALL READING BILINGUAL FAMILY FIESTA GREAT SUCCESS!/¡FIESTA BILINGUE PARA LA FAMILIA GRAN ÉXITO! CELEBRATE DAY OF CULTURE IN EUGENE DEMAND HIGH FOR ENERGY ASSISTANCE PARK OPERATIONS FUEL CONSUMPTION REDUCTION INITIATIVE SUMMER 2009 – A SEASON OF PARK CELEBRATIONS SPEED HUMP CONSTRUCTION AHEAD COLDER WEATHER BRINGS SPACE HEATER WARNING AROUND THE CITY Eugene Counts Community Workshop, Survey Help Focus City’s Efforts What do you want for your community? How will you know whether we’re achieving those results? Those are the questions Eugene residents are invited to answer on Wednesday, October 14, at the Eugene Counts Community Workshop. The workshop will run from 5:30-7:30 p.m. in the Council Chamber at City Hall, 777 Pearl Street. “Eugene Counts will help us focus the City’s work on getting the tangible results people in our community value the most,” said Mayor Kitty Piercy who, along with the City Council and City Manager Jon Ruiz, developed the Eugene Counts effort to identify, measure, and transparently share information with the public about the City’s progress toward meeting the community’s goals. Piercy was drawn to the double meaning in the name Eugene Counts. “It captures the idea of being accountable to those we serve, and how clear focus makes a difference,” explained Piercy. “And it says that the community’s voice counts in guiding that focus.” The resulting insights into public priorities will help inform decision-making in a number of ways, ranging from how services are provided to how the City allocates resources. The upcoming workshop is part of a larger public engagement effort providing multiple modes of participation. The discussions, focus groups and surveys (available online at http://www.eugene-or.gov/EugeneCounts) are aimed at gathering information broadly across the community. “We are using innovative outreach methods so anyone who wants to can get involved,” said Ruiz. “With an emphasis on going where people are already gathering, you can participate in Eugene Counts in your neighborhood, at the Saturday Market, on Facebook, or even at a Duck football game.” The public engagement phase of Eugene Counts will continue through the month, and results will be available in December. For more information, visit http://www.eugene-or.gov/EugeneCounts or contact Terrie Monroe at EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 1 October 8, 2009 terrie.e.monroe@ci.eugene.or.us or 682-5412. Meeting the Challenge Task Force Begins Work What is Meeting the Challenge about? It is an effort initiated by the City Manager to work with a group of engaged citizens who will recommend one or more new General Fund revenue sources that can lead to adoption of a sustainable budget. The Task Force membership includes John Barofsky, Merle Bottge, Dave Funk, Gerry Gaydos, Dave Hauser, Gretchen Pierce, Michael Redding, David Tam and Jean Tate. What is a Sustainable Budget? A sustainable budget funds services that achieve desired outcomes by matching on-going revenues and expenses, including the cost of capital and equipment, and maintains appropriate reserve levels. The Meeting the Challenge Task Force held an initial meeting on Wednesday, September 30. At that meeting, City Manager Jon Ruiz discussed the charge of the task force with team members. All the task force members were aware of the deteriorating financial condition of the General Fund. In preparation for future discussions on potential revenue sources, the group received a brief presentation on the financial condition of the General Fund as reported in the FY10 Budget and the $12 Million Savings Plan. The task force reviewed benchmark data on revenues, expenditures and property taxes per capita and received some criteria for evaluating revenue options. The task force will meet four additional times before the end of the calendar year and report to the City Manager in January. For more information, please contact Dee Ann Raile at 682-5041. EPD to Hold Second Annual Prevention Convention The Eugene Police Prevention Convention is the ultimate education in crime prevention for kids, teens and adults. This year, the free event is back and will be held Saturday, October 17, from 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. at Sheldon High School. Eugene Police Prevention Convention was set up with individuals and families in mind. Adults can sit in on crime prevention workshops, while kids and teens are kept enthralled by programs designed for them. There are also classes offered in Spanish. Presentations for all ages will be given by the K-9s, SWAT team, Bomb Squad, Crash Team, Forensics and Crime Lab – and there will be a host of vendors and booths. This event is brought to the community in partnership with Eugene area radio stations and sponsored by Oregon Community Credit Union. For more information, please contact the Crime Prevention Unit at 682-5137 or go online to http://www.Eugene-or.gov/preventionconvention. Emily Jerome Elected OCAA President At the October 2, 2009, Oregon City Attorneys Association (OCAA) annual meeting, Deputy City Attorney Emily Jerome was unanimously elected OCAA President for 2010. Emily has been a frequent speaker at the city attorney’s continuing legal education programs for many years on land use topics. She was elected to the OCAA Executive Committee in 2005, and most recently, has served as the association’s vice-president. Emily joined the City in July as the Deputy City Attorney and had been representing the City (and other local governments) on land use issues since 1995. For more information, please contact Amy Matthews at 682-8447. Award-Winning Authors at Windfall Reading “Alchemy & Science” will be the topic for the Windfall Reading Series on Tuesday, October 20, at 5:30 p.m. at the Downtown Eugene Public Library. Endi Bogue Hartigan will read from her first book, “One Sun Storm,” winner of the Colorado Prize for Poetry. The collection was just named a finalist for the 2009 Oregon Book Awards’ Stafford/Hall Award for Poetry. Widely published in journals, Hartigan also co-founded and edited the poetry magazine “Spectaculum.” She holds degrees from Reed College and the University of Iowa Writers’ Workshop, and currently lives in Portland. Thomas Hager has been highly praised for making science history read like a novel. The words “entertaining,” “fascinating,” and “compelling” appear frequently in reviews of his books. His latest, “The Alchemy of Air,” about the development and consequences of modern fertilizers, is subtitled “A Jewish Genius, a Doomed Tycoon, and the Scientific Discovery that Fed the World but Fueled the Rise of Hitler.” Hager lives in Eugene, while writing for publications such as The Wall Street Journal and speaking on C-SPAN’s BookTV and many National Public Radio programs. The Windfall Reading Series is sponsored by the Eugene Public Library, Lane Literary EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 2 October 8, 2009 Guild, Friends of the Library, Eugene Public Library Foundation, and the Cultural Services Division of Lane Arts Council. For more information, go to www.eugene-or.gov/library or call 682-5450. Bilingual Family Fiesta Great Success!/¡Fiesta Bilingue Para La Familia Gran Éxito! A wonderful crowd of some 120 folks tapped their toes and clapped their hands to the lively rhythms of traditional dances of Mexico, brought to the Eugene Public Library by the enthusiastic and skilled dancers of “Los Niños de Bethel Ballet Folklórico” and their coordinator Mago Gilson. Participants enjoyed watching the dances and then were invited to join in dancing “La Raspa,” traditionally the last dance in their program. Tasty snacks, including galletas de México y chicharrones, rounded out the celebration of Mexican culture. The financial support of the Friends of the Library and Eugene Public Library Foundation made this program possible. For more information, contact Connie Bennett at 682-5363. Celebrate Day of Culture in Eugene The Hult Center is happy to celebrate with local arts groups Oregon’s 2nd Annual Day of Culture on Thursday, October 8, 2009. October is National Arts and Humanities Month and the October 8 marks the anniversary of Oregon’s unique cultural tax credit. There’s no better way to celebrate than to participate in the free "Meet the Arts" at the Midtown Arts Center, 1590 Willamette Street, from 5:00 to 6:30 p.m. Raise a toast to the arts, take a tour, meet and greet members and supporters of the arts scene, watch a dance class, visit the gallery of architectural design, and enjoy refreshments and door prizes. Participating arts organizations include the Eugene Ballet Company, Eugene Concert Choir, Eugene Opera, Lane Arts Council, Oregon Bach Festival, Oregon Mozart Players, American Institute of Architects, Eugene Ballet Academy and Oregon Festival Choirs. To find out more about Oregon’s Day of Culture, visit the Oregon Cultural Trust website. Demand High for Energy Assistance Recreation’s Adult Services Program began taking calls for energy assistance on October 1, and by 10:00 a.m. the next day, potential disbursements had surpassed the $48,000 available for the month through the Eugene Water & Electric Board’s (EWEB) Customer Cares utility subsidy. Adult Services administers both the EWEB program and the federal Low Income Energy Assistance Program (LIEAP), which does not begin until November. City staff interviews applicants to determine if they meet age and income eligibility for the subsidy and disburses funds accordingly. As part of the interview process, City staff also refers seniors to other social services available to them through Lane County and other organizations. Low-income adults, 60-years-old or older, may receive up to $300 per household to pay toward their EWEB utilities through EWEB’s program. A total of 160 intake appointments are scheduled for October. People interested in EWEB’S utility subsidy program are encouraged to call the first working day of the month just after 8:00 a.m. for appointments. In November, EWEB’s funding is expected to be only $7,000, but the LIEAP program will begin, providing an additional $150-$300 in utility subsidies per applicant. EWEB’s program ends September 2010 and LIEAP ends June 2010. For more information, contact Rayna Luvert at 682-5354. Park Operations Fuel Consumption Reduction Initiative In late 2008, Parks and Open Space staff learned from the City's Climate Action and Energy Plan team that nearly 90 percent of the greenhouse gas emissions generated by their work in parks and open spaces comes from the consumption of gas and diesel fuels. Park Operations staff recognized that reducing fuel consumption would advance several of the team’s goals, including reducing their carbon footprint and overall cost of park services. In January 2009, Park Operations staff teams challenged one another to reduce their fuel consumption by five EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 3 October 8, 2009 percent in 2009, without reducing the level of service provided. In response to the challenge, crews and supervisors worked together to develop approaches for re-thinking their work and reducing fuel consumption. Several strategies were developed including reducing the use of less fuel- efficient vehicles, redesigning maintenance routes, using the Maintenance Management System to better organize work geographically, working with two or more staff per vehicle when feasible, replacing a pickup truck with a hybrid sedan for inspection work, and reducing engine idling time whenever possible. Staff began implementing their fuel efficiency strategies in January of 2009, and, despite atypical weather early in the season which required more turf mowing and tree work than normal, by the end of September, fuel consumption for the Park Operations section had been reduced by 20 percent from the previous year. Over 3,000 gallons of gas and diesel fuels have been conserved and additional savings are being realized through the reductions in vehicle miles driven and vehicle maintenance and repairs. For more information, contact Park Operations Manager Kevin Finney at 682-4809 or kevin.p.finney@ci.eugene.or.us Summer 2009 – A Season of Park Celebrations The Parks and Open Space (POS) Division enjoyed a busy summer meeting neighbors throughout the city at seven park celebrations honoring recent park renovations and developments. The process of bringing new life to a neighborhood park is a community effort from the early stages. POS worked with neighborhood groups to ensure each celebration reflected the surrounding community’s values. The celebrations were kicked off with a dedication from Mayor Kitty Piercy and featured everything from polka music and a motorcycle show, to hand-cranked ice cream and sack races. West University Park started things off in mid- Filbert Meadows Park Celebration May when the park’s native landscaping was in bloom. This urban park celebration brought neighbors and college students together to enjoy marimba music and raffle prizes donated by neighborhood businesses. The Golden Gardens Park grand opening offered guided tours of the park’s many safety and habitat enhancements to over 100 attendees. At Fairmount Park, kids enjoyed music, ice cream from Prince Pücklers, and splashing around in the new spray play area. Friendly Park neighbors celebrated recent renovations under their park’s old shade trees on a very hot summer night. The celebration of Rosetta Park, Eugene’s newest pesticide-free park, featured vegetarian cuisine, solar oven brownies cooked in the park and high-energy foot races for kids of all ages. The Candlelight Park grand re-opening was held in conjunction with National Night Out, and offered neighbors pizza from two local pizzerias, raffle prizes, and an exercise exhibit by a neighborhood gym. The final celebration was held on a warm September evening at Filbert Meadows Park where guests listened to music by the Junction City Polka Band and took turns hand-cranking ice cream made with local organic fruit and nuts. Each and every gathering featured the sight of neighbors visiting with one another, some for the very first time - just one of the many ongoing benefits of healthy and vibrant neighborhood parks. For more information, contact Carrie Peterson at 682-4907 or carrie.a.peterson@ci.eugene.or.us. Speed Hump Construction Ahead Traffic-calming projects on three streets are planned to be completed by the end of October 2009 (weather permitting) by Eugene business Knife River Corporation with a combination of public and private funds. Following a series of public meetings last fall, over two-thirds of affected residents polled favored publicly funded installation thth of six traffic-calming speed humps on Fillmore Street (between 19 and 24 avenues) and four speed humps on East 32nd Avenue (between Alder and University streets). On Praslin Street, the Avalon Village Homeowner’s EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 4 October 8, 2009 Association approved private funding for three additional speed humps to complete the development’s original traffic-calming concept. Traffic-calming is one way to reduce speeding on neighborhood streets. Residents may submit a petition for a traffic-calming speed study on their street to see if it qualifies for treatment. If speeds are found to be sufficiently high, the street is ranked against other requests for development of a publicly funded traffic-calming project. Speed humps are an effective way to reduce speeding on local streets but they also slow emergency vehicle response times and damage equipment. The City offers a radar gun training program where citizens learn how to monitor speeds on neighborhood streets. Questions regarding the construction project may be directed to Josh Christiansen at 501-0385 or PWEngineering@ci.eugene.or.us. For more information about Eugene’s traffic calming program, go to www.eugene-or.gov/trafficcalming or contact Chris Henry at 682-8472 or chris.c.henry@ci.eugene.or.us. For information about the radar training program, call 682-5188. To request speed enforcement throughout the city, contact the Eugene Police Department Traffic Enforcement Unit at 682-5157. Colder Weather Brings Space Heater Warning The evenings are becoming chilly in the Willamette Valley, and fire safety officials are urging residents to pay particular attention to home heating devices, many of which are designed to self-activate thermostatically when temperatures drop. It’s common during warmer weather to disregard space heaters, perhaps allowing flammables such as papers and clothing to accumulate near or even on top of them. During the fall each year, local fire crews respond to house fires caused by this type of neglect. The Eugene Fire Prevention Section offers these tips for the start of cold weather: ? Check every heat source in the home. ? Make sure any flammable item (curtain, bedskirt, etc.) is at least 18 inches away from heat sources. ? Do not overload circuits; heating devices draw more power than other appliances. ? If in doubt, consult an electrician. ? Use only UL-approved electrical devices, and only in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions. The Fire & EMS Department is in favor of warmth, but even more in favor of safety. Anyone wishing for additional information regarding home fire safety is encouraged to call the Fire Prevention Section at 682-5411. EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 5 October 8, 2009