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Home My WebLink About12/03/09 - City Council Newsletter EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER December 3, 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 WALNUT STATION HOLDS OPEN HOUSE DECEMBER 10 EUGENE PUBLIC LIBRARY RECEIVES NATIONAL RANKING SECOND PHASE OF IMPROVEMENTS TO AMTRAK DEPOT SUBSTANTIALLY COMPLETED INDOOR ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY PRESENTATION PROMOTES HEALTHY BUILDINGS LIBRARY OFFERS EXPERT ADVICE FOR JOB-SEEKERS EVENT SHOWCASES HAND-CRAFTED GIFTS FIRE & EMS SCHEDULES AWARDS CEREMONY EPD CRIME PREVENTION PROVIDES ANTI-THEFT OUTREACH IN KINSROW AREA AROUND THE CITY Walnut Station Holds Open House December 10 The City of Eugene Planning Division is holding a public open house on the Walnut Station Mixed Use Center. The open house will be at the Eugene Library Bascom/Tykeson rooms on December 10 from 5:30 – 7:30 pm. Walnut Station is a planned mixed-use center located across from the University of Oregon and at the eastern gateway of Eugene along Franklin Boulevard. The EmX bus rapid transit line, which is a critical feature for creating a quality urban neighborhood with a mix of business and housing and a reduced reliance on the automobile, also runs through Walnut Station. The area has the potential to become a vibrant, pedestrian-friendly, mixed use center. Community stakeholders, including neighbors, property owners, University of Oregon, and City of Eugene have been working together to create a shared vision for the area and are now at the stage where the implementation tools are being fine-tuned. Staff will present background information on the process and the project, and will outline the current proposal for transportation and code changes. Please attend the open house to hear more about the plans for the area and provide your feedback. For more information, contact Lydia McKinney at 682-5485 or via e-mail at lydia.s.mckinney@ci.eugene.or.us. Eugene Public Library Receives National Ranking The Library Journal has ranked the Eugene Public Library (EPL) among the top three percent of 7,268 public libraries it examined nationwide for their excellence at providing key services compared with their spending peers. Based on 2007 data, libraries were judged on two typically standard measurements: circulation and visits, and also on program attendance and public Internet computer use, two statistics that more clearly define libraries' increasingly crucial role in their communities. Only 258 libraries received the Library Journal index “star” status. Besides EPL, the Multnomah County Public Library in Portland was the only other library in Oregon to be ranked among the top libraries by the Library Journal. For more information, contact Connie Bennett at 682-5363. EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 1 December 3, 2009 Second Phase of Improvements to Amtrak Depot Substantially Completed The second phase of improvements is substantially completed at the Amtrak Depot. Phase 2 was a site improvement project to promote better access and ease of use for the people using passenger rail services in Eugene. The project included repair of badly deteriorated paving and improvements of pedestrian and vehicular circulation conditions. The project budget is $1 million, of which $178,000 was ARRA (federal stimulus) funds, allowing more durable paving materials to be used and a more comprehensive project scope. The contractor was Delta Construction, the prime design firm was OBEC Consulting Engineers, and the consulting design architect was PIVOT Architects, all located in Eugene. In the initial phase of the depot project, the City purchased the historic 1908 Southern Pacific Passenger Railroad Depot and associated property in 2002 and completed a rehab of the building in 2004. The renovated 5,500-square-foot "Richardsonian" style building reopened in fall 2004, as a modern facility meeting transportation needs while honoring the area’s architectural and civic heritage. It included accessible restrooms, a larger public lobby with new but historically accurate lighting and benches, an energy-efficient heating and cooling system, and improved staff work spaces. The small wooden "bunkhouse" dating from the 1890s was refitted as a train crew support facility and moved to a location at the northwest corner of the depot site. An existing sculpture really stands out in the newly improved entryway and parking area at the historic Amtrak Depot. The Oregon Department of Transportation administered both phases of the project, with Congressman Peter DeFazio securing significant funding. The sculpture at the center of the improved entry area was installed as a 1% for Art element at the completion of the initial phase in 2006. The sculpture is entitled "Point of Origin" and the artists are David Thompson and Betsy Wolfston of Eugene. Amtrak offers daily service with passenger trains and buses that connect Eugene with Vancouver, B.C., and the other cities in the Pacific Northwest High Speed Rail Corridor. For more information, contact Project Manager Russ Mecredy at 682-6024. Indoor Environmental Quality Presentation Promotes Healthy Buildings Ihab M.K. Elzeyadi, Ph.D., FEIA, LEED AP, a professor at the Department of Architecture, University of Oregon, will give a presentation on Indoor Environmental Quality on Tuesday, December 8, from 12:00 p.m. to 1:20 p.m. at the Downtown Library Tykeson Room. Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) refers to the air and environment that contributes to the health and well-being of occupants inside buildings - homes, schools and workplaces. Designing for good IEQ means effectively using design solutions that both encourage a higher performance of the building and enhance the occupants’ health and productivity. The presentation will cover the principle components of IEQ and key considerations in building design, as well as case studies that illustrate costs and benefits associated with good IEQ design. The event is sponsored by the City of Eugene guide2Green program and the Cascadia Region Green Building Council. It is free and open to the public. To get more information or RSVP, contact Green Building Analyst Jenna Garmon at 682-5541 or email jenna.r.garmon@ci.eugene.or.us. Library Offers Expert Advice for Job-Seekers On Saturday, December 5, Eugene Public Library will hold a Jobs & Career Options workshop that will be helpful to those who have just been laid-off, as well as those considering new directions. Expert information, assistance, and encouragement will be provided by Ann Guthrie of Goodwill Industries and librarian Scott Herron. Starting at 3:00 p.m. at the Downtown Library, the session will provide professional tips on career options, networking, and job EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 2 December 3, 2009 search strategies to help participants find employment in any field. All Library programs are free of charge. For more information, call the Library at 682-5450 or visit www.eugene-or.gov/library. Event Showcases Hand-Crafted Gifts The Adaptive Recreation Program invites everyone to the Art Careers Art Show and Sale from 10:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. on Friday, December 4. The show features gifts and collectables made by students in the Art Careers Program. This free event is held at the Hilyard Community Center. Proceeds from sales go directly to the artist. This is a wonderful opportunity to meet the artists in the program and purchase unique gifts. For more information, contact Molly Elliott at 682-6307. Fire & EMS Schedules Awards Ceremony The Mayor and City Council are cordially invited to the 2009 Fire & EMS Department Awards Ceremony, at which department personnel, citizens, and corporate partners are recognized for going above and beyond the call of duty in service to the department’s central mission of preserving life and property in the community. This is always a heartwarming occasion that is well attended by firefighters, administrative staff, and family and friends. The department would be honored if any elected officials want to say a few words as part of the program; please contact the department if interested in this opportunity. It is scheduled for Thursday, January 21, 2010, at 3:00 nd p.m., in classrooms 1 and 2 at the Eugene Emergency Services Center, 2 & Chambers. This year’s ceremony will be relatively low-profile in view of the budgetary circumstances that all departments are facing. An informal reception in the lobby with light refreshments will follow the program. For more information, please contact Cinimint Harper, Fire & EMS Department, at 682-7120. EPD Crime Prevention Provides Anti-Theft Outreach in Kinsrow Area Between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day, the Eugene Police usually see a spike in burglaries and thefts from vehicles, especially in neighborhoods with a high concentration of students. For the Kinsrow and Commons area - from January through October 2009 - there was an 8.9 percent increase in burglaries, thefts from vehicles, unauthorized entries of motor vehicles, and vehicle thefts compared to the same period in 2008. In order to help reduce the number of people who become victims, the Eugene Police Crime Prevention Unit focused crime prevention efforts in the Kinsrow area December 3 through December 6 from approximately 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. A mobile sub-station was in the area to provide handouts and fliers, help with preventing stolen vehicles and thefts from vehicles, and burglary prevention. Eugene Police Volunteers also assisted. For more information, contact Sgt. Lisa Barrong of the Crime Prevention Unit at 682-8248. EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 3 December 3, 2009