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HomeMy WebLinkAbout09/15/11 - City Council Newsletter EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER September 15, 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 EDITION 2011 EUGENE GREEN HOME AND GARDEN TOUR LOTS OF ACTIVITIES ON TAP FOR EUGENE SUNDAY STREETS CITY PARTICIPATES IN NATIONAL PREPAREDNESS MONTH NEWLY AWARDED GRANT WILL FUND RESTORATION IN THE WEST EUGENE WETLANDS FREE, FUN PREVENTION CONVENTION OCTOBER 1 BANNED BOOKS WEEK READ-OUT AT EUGENE PUBLIC LIBRARY “EUPHEMANIA: OUR LOVE AFFAIR WITH EUPHEMISMS” AT EUGENE PUBLIC LIBRARY PETERSEN BARN HOSTS FUN FOR ALL OLYMPICS CITY PARTNERS TO MAKE AFFORDABLE HOMES MORE EFFICIENT WITH STIMULUS FUNDS TWO OPEN POSITIONS ON PLANNING COMMISSION EUGENE-JINJU SISTER CITY COMMITTEE INVITES DELEGATES FOR 2011 KOREA TRIP BAGS, COATS AND BOOTS TO BEAT THE COLD WEATHER DRAFT PEDESTRIAN AND BICYCLE MASTER PLAN AVAILABLE FOR PUBLIC REVIEW AROUND THE CITY 2011 Eugene Green Home and Garden Tour The City, and Eugene Water & Electric Board (EWEB) have joined with BRING to co-host this year’s green homes tour, the “BRING Home and Garden Tour; the Art of Sustainable Living,” on Sunday, Sept.18, from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. The tour is designed to inspire people to rethink their use of resources, encourage the exchange of ideas, foster individual action, and ultimately reduce the community’s collective carbon footprint. The self-guided tour of 14 homes and gardens includes new, leading-edge construction as well as low- cost, do-it-yourself remodels, passive and active solar applications, water and energy conservation, and creative reuse of materials. Participants will learn about the benefits of smaller homes and secondary dwelling units, designed for compact urban living. Workshops will be offered on ductless heat pumps, solar hot water and solar electricity. Sites are clustered in Eugene neighborhoods for easy bike and bus travel. Participants can ride the bus for free by showing their ticket or tour guide when boarding any LTD bus on the day of the tour. Water-saving plants, landscape design and stormwater features will be showcased at the Water Wise Landscape Demonstration Garden at Alton Baker Park, a collaboration of the City, EWEB, Nearby Nature, Landcurrent, Schirmer Satre Group, and other partners. Tickets are $10, two for $18, or 15 for $100. Tickets can be purchased online at www.bringrecycling.org or at one of these outlets: BRING, Capella Market, City of Eugene/Atrium Building (10th and Olive), Down to Earth, Gray's Gardens/Eugene, and Lane Forest Products. A limited number of tickets for low-income persons will be available at the City of Eugene/Atrium Building. All participants will be entered to win prizes from Burley, Down to Earth, and more. For more information or to volunteer, contact Jenna Garmon at 541-682-5541 or jenna.r.garmon@ci.eugene.or.us, or visit BRING’s website at www.bringrecycling.org. EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 1 September 15, 2011 Lots of Activities on Tap for Eugene Sunday Streets Eugene will be sponsoring its first-ever Sunday Streets event this Sunday, Sept. 18, from noon to 4 p.m. Eugene Sunday Streets will be a traffic-free route that opens three miles of City streets for people to walk, roll and dance. The two activity centers along the route will feature free, fun, and healthy activities for everyone. Washington-Jefferson Park will feature the University of Oregon Pedal Powered Stage with the Conjugal Visitors (bluegrass), Kingdom County (folk rock) and a DJ. Activities include a West African dance workshop, hoop class, slack-lining, a bike safety rodeo and a family bike ride. The Campbell Community Center will offer free yoga, tai chi, line dancing, a guided history walk, live music and much more. Fun field activities for kids will take place at Lamb Cottage. Eugene Sunday Streets will be a celebration of the central Eugene area, highlighting the many amenities and local businesses of the neighborhood while promoting healthy activities and active means of transportation. The route will go from the 5th Street Market downtown to Whiteaker’s Blair District connecting several neighborhoods and local parks. With no designated start or finish, community members of all ages can enjoy the two-way route at their own pace. Sunday Streets is expected to attract 4,000 community members. Although neighbors are encouraged to limit or postpone their driving between noon and 4 p.m. on the day of the event, there will be designated intersections to allow residents to access their homes. For more information, contact Lindsay Selser or Stella Day at sundaystreets@ci.eugene.or.us or 541-682-5094. Visit the website at www.eugenesundaystreets.org or find the event on Facebook. City Participates in National Preparedness Month The City of Eugene Emergency Management Organization will be joining other local, state, and federal partners to promote National Preparedness Month this September. National Preparedness Month creates an opportunity for people to learn more about ways to prepare for all types of emergencies, from natural disasters to potential terrorist attacks. National Preparedness Month was created by the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Ready Campaign to increase public awareness about the importance of preparing for emergencies and to persuade individuals to take action. Emergency preparedness is the responsibility of every citizen of Eugene. Citizen preparedness can begin by taking four simple steps: get an emergency supply kit; make a family emergency plan; be informed about the types of emergency that can occur in Eugene; and get involved with local preparedness organizations and efforts. National Preparedness Month creates a significant opportunity for the citizens of Eugene to learn more about ways to prepare for all types of emergencies, from natural to man-made disasters. Lessons have shown that preparing citizens for natural or man-made disasters or other large-scale emergencies is vital to the health and well-being of those communities. Populations who have difficulty speaking, reading, writing or comprehending the English language are referred to as Limited English Proficiency (LEP). Additional Communications Needs (ACN) communities are defined as individuals with sensory disabilities, including people who are deaf or hard of hearing, people who are blind or have low vision and people with speech disabilities. In order to better integrate the preparedness needs of the entire community, the City of Eugene Emergency Management will customize preparedness materials to include people with communication needs in all aspects of preparedness. Emergencies will happen, but taking action now can help minimize the impact they will have. Preparedness is contagious. What starts with one family can spread throughout a neighborhood, and every prepared community frees up emergency responders to take care of those who are in dire need. Preparedness is a shared responsibility; everyone is going to have to play a role. EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 2 September 15, 2011 To prepare for potential disasters please visit http://www.ready.gov/, the FEMA Ready.gov site or the Oregon Emergency Management site http://www.oregon.gov/OMD/OEM/. Taking these simple steps can make a big difference in ensuring the safety and well-being of one’s loved ones. For more information, please contact Stacy Burr at 541-682-5860. Newly Awarded Grant Will Fund Restoration in the West Eugene Wetlands A grant recently awarded to the City’s Parks and Open Space Division will promote healthy watersheds and provide jobs and education for youth in the West Eugene Wetlands. The federal grant, for just over $61,000, was awarded by the Eugene District Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Resource Advisory Committee (RAC). This newly funded project will restore and improve wetland habitat for plants, pollinators, grassland birds, and other animals through on- the-ground infrastructure improvements, invasive species control, and seeding with native plant species. Part of the work will be conducted by the Northwest Youth Corps, a program that uses challenging outdoor projects to teach problem-solving and positive living skills, while promoting a strong and productive work ethic in local youth. Youth in the program learn essential job skills and receive training that will enhance their ability to make a positive impact in the communities in which they live. This restoration project will add to the many successful projects that have been completed by the Rivers-to- Ridges Partnership (formerly the West Eugene Wetlands Partnership). This collaborative partnership of federal and state agencies, the City of Eugene, and non-governmental organizations has protected and restored several thousand acres of interconnected wetlands in the west Eugene area for their educational, Seed collecting at one of the sites where grant-funded restoration is recreational, and habitat values over the past 16 years. planned. The Eugene District BLM RAC is a 15-member committee that evaluates and oversees projects in Lane County and parts of Douglas and Linn counties. The goal of RAC funding is to promote healthy lands and watersheds. Committee members are appointed by the U.S. Secretary of Interior and represent diverse perspectives from throughout the community, including elected officials, non-governmental organizations, and recreational interests. Work on the project will begin in 2012. For more information, please contact Trevor Taylor at 541-682-4888. Free, Fun Prevention Convention October 1 The Prevention Convention is a free, fun and educational event that is unlike anything else in the country, a very large and unique event – the Eugene Police Department's (EPD) greatest community outreach event. There are engaging, educational presentations for all ages. This year it will be held at Sheldon High School on October 1, from 1 - 5 p.m. Included are opportunities for kids, teens, adults and Spanish-speakers. th KidZone - Kinders through 4 grade: Children rotate through 13 educational lessons, learning everything from gun safety to stranger safety getting an opportunity to see the various police special teams, including the K-9s. Teen Xtreme - Grades 5 - 8: Teens can rotate through four classes that use the fun of CSI-type science experiments and police investigations to learn the importance of reading, writing, math and science skills. This curriculum has been endorsed by local educators to provide “extra credit” for students who attend. Adult Classes (also open to high school students): There are eight classes being offered, including Gangs in Eugene, Traffic Safety, Internet Safety, Personal Safety and much more. Booths: 50 booths will include information about EPD programs, non-profits, and vendors. Mano a Mano en la Comunidad: A full curriculum of adult classes will be offered in Spanish. For more information, contact Sgt. Lisa Barrong, Eugene Police Crime Prevention, at 541-682-8248. EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 3 September 15, 2011 Banned Books Week Read-Out at Eugene Public Library To celebrate free speech and honor defenders of First Amendment rights, the Lane County Chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Oregon and local public libraries will host two Banned Books Read-Out events. Admission is free. On Saturday, Sept. 24, from noon to 2 p.m., hear the Banned Books Read-Out at the Downtown Eugene Public Library, with Mayor Kitty Piercy as the first reader. On Saturday, Oct. 1, from 2 - 4 p.m., Mayor Christine Lundberg will kick off the Banned Books Read-Out at the Springfield Public Library, 225 5th Street, inside the Springfield City Hall. Both events will feature a variety of community members reading aloud passages from books that have been challenged or banned. Everyone is invited to stop by to listen, borrow targeted books from the libraries, and pin on free “I Read Banned Books” buttons. Many people are under the impression that attempted censorship is a thing of the past or that “it doesn’t happen here.” In fact, individuals and groups continue to request - or demand - that public and school libraries remove or restrict access to particular books, music, films, and other resources. For information about recent censorship attempts in Oregon, visit the ACLU of Oregon website at www.aclu-or.org/bannedbooks. For more information about the local Banned Books Read-Out events, please contact the Eugene Public Library at 541-682-5450 or the Springfield Public Library at 541-726-3766. “Euphemania: Our Love Affair with Euphemisms” at Eugene Public Library How did “die” become “kick the bucket,” “breasts” become “bosom,” “God” become “golly,” and “having an affair” become “hiking the Appalachian trail?” Does categorizing high-risk loans as “subprime” make it easier to offer them? Do controversial tax cuts sound better when called “tax relief”? Find out. In honor of Banned Books Week, on Sunday, Sept. 25, at 2 p.m., the Downtown Eugene Public Library will host a talk by Ralph Keyes, author of “Euphemania: Our Love Affair with Euphemisms.” His witty and insightful talk will explain where verbal evasions come from, why they are used, and what they say about society. Admission is free. Ralph Keyes is a popular and prolific author and speaker. His 16 books deal with topics ranging from time pressure to human height. Hundreds of articles and essays by Keyes have appeared in publications ranging from GQ to Good Housekeeping, and he has been interviewed frequently from the Oprah Winfrey Show and 20/20 to a wide variety of NPR programs including Fresh Air, On the Media and Talk of the Nation. For more information, contact the Eugene Public Library at 541-682-5450 or www.eugene-or.gov/library. Petersen Barn Hosts Fun for All Olympics The Youth and Family Program at Petersen Barn Community Center hosted the first annual Fun for All Olympics last month. Approximately 120 youth from eight Fun for All park sites competed in sack races, balloon popping, dizzy bat relay, saltine whistle, watermelon eating, marble foot grab relay, and the ever-popular water balloon slingshot-to-parachute catch. Kids and counselors from each park site developed and shared a song and dance for the closing ceremony. Youth attending received free lunches from Food for Lane County and were treated to a lunchtime concert courtesy of Grrrlz Rock. In an astounding turn of events, there was an eight-way tie for the gold medal! Fun for All promoted Recreation’s goal of lifelong physical development and wellness through recreation over the summer. More than 13,000 youth attended Fun for All activities that were offered Monday - Friday, June 27-Aug. 26, at eight sites. For more information, contact Peter Chavannes at 541-682-5521. EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 4 September 15, 2011 City Partners to Make Affordable Homes More Efficient with Stimulus Funds For residents at Oakwood Manor, it is the new ductless heating system in their apartments that means a warmer winter and a lower utility bill. For the three local agencies that came together to make it possible, it is one of the 160 affordable housing homes that have received energy improvements to reduce annual energy use by a total of 236,854 Kilowatt hours – enough energy to power 22 average American homes for a year. For both, it is a reason to celebrate. City of Eugene Mayor Kitty Piercy, Lane County Commissioner Faye Stewart and Eugene Water & Electric Board (EWEB) General Manager, Roger Gray, will dedicate the first completed project of the Affordable Housing Energy Improvement Partnership on Tuesday, Sept. 20, 2011, at 10 a.m. at the Oakwood Manor (1665 Oak Patch Rd). St. Vincent de Paul Society of Lane County, which developed, owns, and manages Oakwood Manor, will host the event. City staff initiated the partnership with the Housing and Community Services Agency (HACSA) and EWEB after receiving $1,485,800 through the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) as a part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The Affordable Housing Energy Improvements Partnership streamlines funding and resources helping existing affordable housing developments become more energy efficient. The goals are to:  reduce energy consumption;  decrease utility costs for low-income tenants;  improve living conditions for vulnerable community residents; and  extend the life of existing affordable homes. With $160,000 in EECBG funds earmarked for affordable housing energy improvements, the agencies were able to pool their resources for a total of $594,000 in grants and incentives to fund six affordable housing energy improvement projects that were selected through an application process. Other projects include:  An improved heating system and weatherization at an emergency shelter for survivors of domestic violence and their children run by Womenspace;  Energy efficient windows in a 35-unit affordable housing development for individuals with mental illness; and  Solar water heating systems for three, local, affordable housing developments. For more information, contact Shawna Adams, Community Development Division, Shawna.l.adams@ci.eugene.or.us or 541-682-5534. Two Open Positions on Planning Commission The City of Eugene is currently recruiting for two Planning Commission positions. This seven-member body advises the City Council on land use issues, decides certain land use applications and appeals, and works closely with Planning Division staff to advance high priority projects in the community. In the coming year, the commission will be focused on Envision Eugene recommendations, as well as ongoing land use decision- making. The time commitment is generally two-hour meetings, twice per month, plus evening public hearings as necessary. The deadline for submitting an application is Sept. 28. Applicants will be selected for interviews by the City Council, and members will be appointed at a council meeting in early October. All interested community members are encouraged to apply. For more information, contact Terri Harding, Senior Planner, at 541-682-5635 or terri.l.harding@ci.eugene.or.us. Eugene-Jinju Sister City Committee Invites Delegates for 2011 Korea Trip The Eugene-Jinju Sister City Committee is seeking persons interested in joining a delegation to Jinju, Republic of Korea, from Oct. 5 – 13, 2011. The eight-day visit will include tours of cultural and historic attractions in Jinju, Seoul, and Gyeongju, and participants will be treated to the sights and sounds of the Jinju fall festivals. Language assistance will be provided at all times during the trip Jinju is located 250 miles south of Seoul, and is the cultural and educational center of western Kyungnam Province. It is home to Gyeong Sang National University and is a leader in bio industry and silk and silver production. Eugene and Jinju established a formal sister city relationship in 1961, making it the most enduring of Eugene’s sister city partnerships. EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 5 September 15, 2011 The Eugene-Jinju Sister City Committee is a group of Eugene-area citizens whose mission for over 50 years has been to promote intellectual, social, educational, cultural, and other beneficial exchanges between the cities of Eugene, Oregon, and Chinju (Jinju), Republic of Korea. Anyone interested in participating in committee activities can learn more at www.eugene-chinju.org. For more information about the October 2011 Jinju delegation, contact Ki-Won Rhew at 541-868-6505 or kiwon@rhew.us. For information about the Eugene Sister City Program, contact Beth Forrest at 541-682-5882 or beth.l.forrest@ci.eugene.or.us. Bags, Coats and Boots to Beat the Cold Weather Four years ago, a single Eugene Police officer began providing sleeping bags and cold weather clothing items for people without homes as cold weather hit. Now, the program is in its fourth year and that officer has been joined by an anonymous donor who will match any cash contributions up to $2,500 until the end of September 2011. Officer Randy Ellis is reaching out to get donations of as many sleeping bags, shoes/boots, and coats for homeless people as possible, and he is also collecting cash/check donations to be matched by the anonymous donor. The funds will be used to purchase clothing and sleeping bags for the homeless in the West University area. th Distribution of the items will be through First Christian Church and St. Mary’s Episcopal Church near 13 and Pearl, as well as through White Bird and Sponsors. During last year’s effort, $1,200 in cash was collected from employees within Eugene Police, Central Lane 9-1-1, and Springfield Police, as well as from other interested individuals, such as an ultra-marathon group. Provided were:  45 sleeping bags  16 pairs of new boots  150 pairs of new socks  80 pairs of new gloves  12 new fleece blankets  10 new tarps  30 new stocking caps  40 jackets for Sponsors th Donations can be taken to the West University Public Safety Station at 791 East 13 Avenue, or call 541-682-8350. For more information, contact Melinda McLaughlin at 541-682-5124. Draft Pedestrian and Bicycle Master Plan Available for Public Review The draft Eugene Pedestrian and Bicycle Master Plan is available for public review. City staff is seeking input on this draft plan through Oct. 14. The plan can be found at www.eugenepedbikeplan.org where there is also a link to a survey to provide input on the plan. The Eugene Pedestrian and Bicycle Master Plan provides the City of Eugene with the projects and policies necessary to create a first-class city for bicycling and walking, reduce greenhouse gas emissions from transportation, and provide for a well-designed, integrated, safe, and efficient multi- modal transportation system. The Master Plan will serve as the Pedestrian and Bicycle element of the City’s Transportation System Plan (TSP). The primary elements of the plan are as follows:  A proposed set of pedestrian and bicycle policies that are recommended for adoption as part of the TSP update;  The list of proposed capital projects and feasibility studies that will replace the pedestrian and bicycle projects in the current TransPlan;  A list of intersections that have been identified for further analysis to identify safety issues and potential improvements; and  Recommended code revisions. Staff will present the plan to the City Council on Wednesday, Oct. 12. Please contact Transportation Planning Manager Rob Inerfeld at 541-682-5343 or rob.inerfeld@ci.eugene.or.us with questions. EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 6 September 15, 2011