HomeMy WebLinkAbout10/21/10 - City Council Newsletter
EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER
October 21, 2010
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
LEAF PROGRAM EMPHASIZES STORMWATER QUALITY, SAFETY FOR CYCLISTS
CITY OF EUGENE NAMED AMONG TOP 10 HEALTHIEST EMPLOYERS IN OREGON
EUGENE AIRPORT RUNWAY PAVING PROJECT EARNS ‘PROJECT OF THE YEAR’ RECOGNITION
ENVISION EUGENE OPEN HOUSE/MAP ROOM NEXT WEEK
BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT LOAN HELPS GROW PLANT SCIENCE COMPANY
EUGENE PUBLIC LIBRARY EARNS NATIONAL STAR RATING
RECREATION STAFF READY FOR HALLOWEEN EVENTS
AROUND THE CITY
Leaf Program Emphasizes Stormwater Quality, Safety for Cyclists
The City of Eugene’s annual leaf program is gearing up for another busy fall season. For
both operations and outreach, a goal is to maintain the levels of service established last
year. This includes enhanced service on approximately 25 miles of designated priority bike
lanes, focused messaging to the community to emphasize the importance of keeping leaves
out of bike lanes, and a suite of online services that allow residents to more easily request
leaf deliveries, report leaves and other debris in bike lanes, and get the most current
information on leaf collection operations.
As in 2009, when the City collected more than 17,200 cubic yards of leaves during two rounds of collection on 470
centerline miles of streets, a key message is that leaves are a sustainable natural resource that can be used as
mulch or compost material. In keeping with this value, none of the leaves collected by the City wind up in the landfill.
Instead, more than half of the collected leaves are delivered to local residents, and more than 7,000 cubic yards are
used at community gardens and parks.
There’s also continued emphasis on not placing leaves in the streets until the weekend before collection is scheduled
in the neighborhood. This is a particularly important message early in the season, when rain, wind and sudden drops
in the temperature can accelerate the fall of leaves well before the start of scheduled collections. Keeping leaves out
of catch-basins prevents flooding and protects the water quality in local streams – two of the main objectives of the
stormwater-funded leaf program.
Postcards have been mailed to approximately 1,700 property owners along priority bike routes, as well as several
dozen landscaping companies, reminding them to find alternatives to placing leaves in bike lanes. Public Works
Maintenance staff has met with the Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee, and information to neighborhoods
will be going out this week. Eugene, Springfield and Lane County are working together to provide weekly updates to
local media.
For more information about the leaf program, including detailed collection schedules and links to online services, go
to www.eugene-or.gov/leaf or call Surface Maintenance Supervisor Damon Joyner at 541-682-4835.
City of Eugene Named Among Top 10 Healthiest Employers in Oregon
The City of Eugene was named one of Oregon's top 10 healthiest employers for its size in 2010 by the Portland
Business Journal. The award was created to recognize organizations with innovative wellness programs and
worksite wellness initiatives. Organizations were assessed in six key categories: Culture and Leadership
Commitment, Foundational Components, Strategic Planning, Communications and Marketing, Programming and
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Interventions, and Reporting and Analysis. The City's Health & Fitness Program includes on-site fitness facilities,
fitness classes, health and wellness workshops, health risk appraisals, biometric health screenings, smoking
cessation programs, and employee flu clinics.
For more information, contact Health & Fitness Director Steve Auferoth, Risk Services/Central Services Department,
at 541-682-5610.
Eugene Airport Runway Paving Project Earns ‘Project of the Year’ Recognition
A $9.5 million project to repave the main runway at the Eugene Airport this summer has been named “project of the
year” by the Oregon Chapter of the American Public Works Association (AWPA). The association announced the
award October 14 at its fall conference in Pendleton.
The project to overhaul and modernize the airport’s 8,000-foot main
‐
runway was the largest project ever handled “inhouse” by the Public
Works Department, with more than half-a-million dollars in design and
construction services. The project included more than 60,000 tons of
asphalt and over $2 million worth of electrical upgrades.
The project also met a number of sustainability objectives. To prepare
the existing runway surface for paving, nearly 90 percent of it was
rotomilled. The contractor, Wildish Construction, used a portion of the
millings to construct an onsite employee parking lot for this project.
The vast majority of the millings, approximately 14,000 tons, were
reclaimed for use in recycled asphalt pavement. This behind-the-
scenes sustainable practice conserved hundreds of tons of asphalt
oil, and reduced aggregate mining pound-for-pound. Additionally, the electrical upgrade included a second circuit and
new fixtures that allow the Eugene Airport to illuminate the centerline solely to the north or solely to the south. When
this option is exercised, half the energy previously needed is conserved. Finally, the project included installing a
remote weather information system that transmits weather and pavement conditions to a receiver in the airfield
offices, resulting in fuel savings by reducing the number of ground-vehicle operations needed to observe the
conditions in person.
In presenting the award, APWA officials noted that an incredible amount of work was completed in less than a month
under adverse weather conditions and that not a single flight was canceled due to construction. For more
information, contact City Engineer Mark Schoening at 541-682-5243.
Envision Eugene Open House/Map Room Next Week
How and where should Eugene grow over the next 20 years? The next
Envision Eugene general public event will show how public input is
,
shaping the answer to this question on ThursdayOctober 28, from 4:00-
7:00 p.m., in the Bascom-Tykeson Room of the Downtown Eugene Public
Library.
Over the summer, staff has been analyzing different methods of planning
for growth, using public input, Community Resource Group input, and
technical analysis. Everyone is invited to come downtown to see and hear
about findings and themes that are helping form a draft plan for how and
where Eugene should grow. Participants will be able to learn more about
key elements of the plan at stations that focus on mixed-use
redevelopment along transit corridors, planning for the next generation of
jobs in the community, and strengthening neighborhoods while planning
for new ones. Maps and reports produced by the Community Resource
Group, art created by Eugene 6th graders, and visualizations of what the
future community could look like will also be on display.
In addition to next week’s public event, there are on-line opportunities to learn more about Envision Eugene and
provide input including:
New information and materials on the Envision Eugene website at www.EnvisionEugene.org;
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A selfguided tour of close-in transit corridors, neighborhood hot spots and neighborhood edges – including an
interactive map which allows the viewer to add comments and thoughts; and
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A visioning exercise for neighborhoods or other groups to submit their ideas, comments and maps to help inform
the creation of a draft plan for how Eugene will accommodate growth.
For more information, contact Envision Eugene Public Involvement Manager Terri Harding at
terri.l.harding@ci.eugene.or.us or 541-682-5635.
Business Development Loan Helps Grow Plant Science Company
Floragenex, a local bioscience company, recently received a $35,000 Business Development Fund (BDF) loan from
the City of Eugene. The loan will be used for working capital and is matched with investor’s equity.
Floragenex was founded in 2006 by Dr. Eric Johnson and Nathan Lillegard as a spinoff of the University of Oregon
Technology Entrepreneurship Program. The co-founders and employees share a vision of bringing advanced
genomic technology to underserved markets in plant science and basic research. The company develops and
delivers innovative, flexible applications and genetic sequencing tools and technology to researchers and companies
working to solve problems in plant sciences.
The City’s BDF program provides loans to new and existing businesses via the federal Community Development
Block Grant program. Established to create jobs and stimulate private sector investment, the BDF has loaned over
$17 million to over 220 Eugene businesses, leveraging an additional $54 million in private investment. Since 1984,
the BDF has helped to create over 1,200 new jobs in Eugene.
For more information, contact Amanda Nobel Flannery at 541-682-5535 or amanda.nobelflannery@ci.eugene.or.us.
Eugene Public Library Earns National Star Rating
The Library Journal has named the Eugene Public Library (EPL) a “Star Library” for the second consecutive year.
The Star Library designation indicates that EPL rates among the top three percent of libraries in the nation. EPL is
one of only two libraries in Oregon to earn this designation.
The designation is based on a library’s cost effectiveness. The Library Journal’s annual statistical
study rates libraries on delivery of key library services per dollar, per capita. Researchers compare
libraries with similar-size budgets, and then look at the volume of services provided in the context of
the number of people in their service areas. The study uses a four-factor formula: number of visitors,
number of items borrowed, public Internet computer use, and attendance at programs (events and
classes).
Now in its 133rd year of publication, Library Journal is a comprehensive publication for librarians, covering
technology, management, policy, and other professional concerns. For more information, contact LaVena
Nohrenberg at 541-682-8314.
Recreation Staff Ready for Halloween Events
Things are getting spooky as the Recreation Services staff prepares for three big Halloween events next weekend. At
Petersen Barn Community Center, a Halloween luncheon for seniors will be held on Thursday, October 28, starting
at 11:59 a.m., and the ever popular Boooo Barn will welcome dozens of families on
Friday, October 29, from 4:30 - 7:30 p.m.
Adults age 50 and older are invited to enjoy a “spectacularly bewitching and delicious”
Halloween luncheon they won’t soon forget. Costumes are encouraged and prizes will be
awarded for the most creative attire. The cost is $5 and pre-registration is required. For
more information, contact Diane Sconce at 541-682-5521.
The Boooo Barn is a free family event celebrating the fall season that last year drew more
than 700 attendees. Costumes are encouraged. Activities include a maze with stops for spooky crafts and
experiments in the mad doctor’s lab. Snacks and “witch’s brew” punch will be provided. This event is drop-in; no
registration required. For more information, contact Kenya Luvert at 541-682-5521
More than 100 people have registered for the Halloween Dance at the Hilyard Center on Friday, October 29, from
6:30 - 9:30 p.m. Designed for individuals with developmental disabilities, this event features an evening of dancing,
music, food and friends. The cost is $5 and pre-registration is required. For more information, contact Carly Schmidt
at 541-682-5311.
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