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Home My WebLink About07/28/11 - City Council Newsletter EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER July 28, 2011 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 PROSPERITY INITIATIVE MOVES REGIONAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PLAN FORWARD TH ALTERNATE ROUTES RECOMMENDED AS PROJECT TO REPAIR 18 AVENUE STARTS MONDAY SPRAY PLAY COMES TO LIFE AT WASHINGTON PARK PUBLIC WORKS WASTEWATER DIVISION RECEIVES HIGH MARKS FOR ENVIRONMENTAL CERTIFICATION AROUND THE CITY Prosperity Initiative Moves Regional Economic Development Plan Forward As part of the Regional Prosperity Economic Development Plan, the Eugene Area Chamber of Commerce is partnering with the City to concentrate on developing and nurturing local industry. The result is the recently established Regional Prosperity Initiative. Since national studies have shown that 80 percent of new job growth comes from companies that are already established within a local economy, the chamber is working with its public and private partners to identify industries where job growth is projected, such as in the software and technology sector, to focus limited resources and leverage job creation. Eugene’s software and technology industry is comprised of a wide array of companies with exciting growth potential; indeed, 11 percent employment growth is projected in this sector between 2008 and 2018. Importantly, the 2009 average annual wage for a worker in software and computer systems design was $64,837, or 83 percent higher than county averages. This is even higher than scientific research and development workers, who averaged $40,958 in 2009, according to the State of the Workforce Report 2010. Several collaborative efforts are currently underway to develop and attract software technology workers as well as coordinate marketing and branding of the industry. A workforce committee is cataloguing vacant jobs, discovering industry skill sets and collaborating with educational partners to ensure that students are graduating with the abilities necessary to obtain employment within the industry. Meanwhile, a marketing group is building a report that will provide recommendations on how to best promote Eugene’s software and technology businesses. While this is only the beginning of a three-year effort, the initiative and partnership between the City and the chamber is already helping promote regional prosperity. For more information, please contact Mike Sullivan at 541-682-5448. th Alternate Routes Recommended as Project to Repair 18 Avenue Starts Monday A $1.3 million project to repave an 11-block section of 18th Avenue between Patterson and Washington streets begins Monday, Aug. 1. Significant traffic impacts are anticipated, and notices have gone out to more than 2,000 residents and businesses letting them know that the work is about to begin. Knife River Corporation, with local offices in Eugene, has been hired by Eugene Public Works as the general contractor for the project, th which also includes surface repairs to the badly deteriorated intersection of 18 Avenue and Jefferson Street and th sidewalk and access ramp repairs at a number of locations along 18 Avenue. Funding for the project comes from the 2008 voter-approved bond measure to fix city streets. EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 1 July 28, 2011 The company’s schedule calls for sidewalk and access repairs to begin Monday at Washington Street and move to the east. Excavation and paving work will be done in several phases. Most of the section between Washington and Willamette streets will be reconstructed, which means removing the old roadway and rebuilding it from the ground up. One lane of traffic in each direction will remain open; however, motorists may experience delays, and north-south th street crossings on 18 Avenue will be closed at times. The section of street between Willamette and Pearl streets will be repaired by grinding off the top layer of deteriorated asphalt and constructing a new asphalt surface. This work goes much quicker than reconstruction; however, a one-night closure will be required to complete top-lift paving. th The sections of 18 Avenue between Pearl and Patterson streets also will be reconstructed. This will require closing th the section of 18Avenue between Patterson and High streets for approximately three weeks and the section between High and Pearl streets for about one week. These closures are tentatively scheduled to begin in late th August. The intersection of 18 Avenue and Jefferson Street will be closed for less than a day while that repair work is being done. th Motorists are encouraged to use alternate routes such as 19 Avenue to avoid detours and delays. Updated project information will be posted at www.keepusmoving.info. For more information, contact Project Manager Doug Singer at 541-682-8460. Spray Play Comes to Life at Washington Park On Thursday, July 14, the community gathered to celebrate the anxiously awaited opening of Eugene’s newest and largest spray play at Washington Park. More than 800 people attended the celebration and helped Mayor Kitty Piercy and a half dozen SLUG Queens count down to the inaugural splash at exactly 5:15 p.m. on a lovely summer evening. Parks and Open Space, Recreation, and the Eugene Parks Foundation partnered to organize a smashing party including a free hot dog BBQ, ice cream, live music by the Barn Friends, sidewalk chalk art, face painting, crafts and exciting activities. Screams of delight and giggles filled the air, and served as a refreshing reward for staff and volunteers who had worked on the project for over two years. In 2009, changes in state health regulations prompted the permanent closureof all City wading pools, including the pool at Washington Park. The Eugene Parks Foundation spearheaded the fundraising effort involving neighbors, businesses, and the larger community to convert the empty concrete shell into an innovative concept in water play that is safe, accessible, interactive, attractive, eco-friendly and, most of all, fun. More than 250 donors helped raise nearly $150,000 in cash and in-kind materials and services. A river theme creates a flowing space filled with natural elements, textured concrete and oval designs. Benches, a dry river bed, decorative seating-walls, inscribed natural boulders, native plantings, and shade trees complete the area, making it an inviting place to spend the day. The water sprays are activated by the simple push of a button, creating the element of surprise and serving as an important water conservation feature. The water is on and can be activated from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. seven days a week during the season Natural elements found throughout the park inspired its design and artistic features. Whimsical pathway and seating- wall art tiles created by local artist Betsy Wolfston have been placed throughout the spray play area. About one-third of the pathway tiles were installed prior to the grand opening. The remaining tiles along the pathway and all of the seating-wall art tiles will be installed in September. Limited remaining sponsorship items including boulders, benches, and art tiles can be purchased by contacting the City of Eugene Park Development Coordinator at 541-682-4907 or Katie.a.blair@ci.eugene.or.us. For more information about the Washington Park Spray Play project, contact Project Manager Emily Proudfoot, landscape architect, at 541-682-4915 or Emily.a.proudfoot@ci.eugene.or.us. EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 2 July 28, 2011 Public Works Wastewater Division Receives High Marks for Environmental Certification This week, an audit of the Public Works Wastewater Division Environmental Management System (EMS) was completed by NSF, an organization that does industry audits around the world to make sure Industry Standards Organization (ISO) standards are met. The Wastewater Division’s EMS program is ISO 14001-certified and is reviewed by external auditors annually. The auditor was impressed with the number of staff knowledgeable about key EMS objectives and targets and their commitment to using and incorporating environmental policies and procedures into daily operations. The audit outcome recommended continuation of Wastewater’s EMS certification. Continuation of the EMS program assures that the Wastewater Division stays focused on continual improvement, meeting regulatory requirements and pollution prevention. For more information, contact Wastewater Finance and Administration Manager John Huberd at 541-682-8603 or john.c.huberd@ci.eugene.or.us. EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 3 July 28, 2011