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Home My WebLink About02/23/12 - City Council Newsletter EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER February 23, 2012 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 THE BIG READ CELEBRATED AT EUGENE PUBLIC LIBRARY SUBPOENA SERVICE TEAM ACHIEVES FEAT AVALANCHE AWARENESS CLASS TH PAVING REPAIRS AND CYCLING IMPROVEMENTS SCHEDULED ON WEST 24 AVENUE AROUND THE CITY The Big Read Celebrated at Eugene Public Library During the month of March, everyone in Eugene/Springfield is invited to join The Big Read, a celebration of Ray Bradbury’s visionary science fiction novel “Fahrenheit 451.” Famously gripping, Fahrenheit 451 tells the tale of a society gone awry, in which firemen burn books and the state suppresses learning. More than 50 years after it was written, this literary classic and perennial bestseller is more relevant than ever. The Eugene Public Library and Springfield Public Library will host free events for all ages inspired by the book’s themes, including author talks, workshops, films, book groups, and more. Lord Leebrick Theatre Company will present the play adapted from the novel. Highlighted events include free talks by acclaimed visiting authors at the Downtown Sam Weller Eugene Public Library: , Ray Bradbury’s official biographer, on Saturday, Chris Crutcher March 3, 2 p.m.; , author and free speech activist, on Saturday, March Ursula K. Le Guin 10, 2 p.m.; and , celebrated author of science fiction and fantasy, on Saturday, March 24, 2 p.m. Book groups for adults will meet at all Eugene and Springfield library locations as well as at the Campbell Center. There will also be an online book group at the Eugene Public Library website, book groups in Spanish, and book groups for kids and teens. Other free events will include workshops on writing science fiction and making handmade books; a discussion on censorship in literature; a film series of movies based on Bradbury books; original performances by the University of Oregon (UO) Dance and Music schools; and hands-on arts events for children and families. The Big Read is a program of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with Arts Midwest, bringing communities together to read, discuss, and celebrate books and writers. The organization awarded a $17,000 grant to support The Big Read in Eugene/Springfield. Local co-sponsors of the project are the Eugene Public Library, Springfield Public Library, Lord Leebrick Theatre Company, City of Eugene, UO Duck Store, Friends of Eugene Public Library, and Eugene Public Library Foundation. For more information, go to www.eugene-or.gov/library or call the Eugene Public Library at 541-682-5450. Subpoena Service Team Achieves Feat An amazing feat was accomplished by a pair of Subpoena Service Team members. Before going to the field, the two took the time to contact recipients via phone and email, and set up appointments. As a result, when they went out, they were able to serve 38 of 39 subpoenas. This has never been done before to anyone’s knowledge. It showed some serious determination by the team. At 38 x $29 (per subpoena) the savings for the Eugene Police Department (EPD) was equivalent to $1,102 in one shift. EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 1 February 23, 2012 The Subpoena Service Team became operational in April 2010, and is a component of the EPD’s Volunteers in Policing Program. Among the 10 team members are a retired Eugene Police sergeant and a retired Reno Police Department detective. The other eight volunteers have no former law enforcement experience. Prior to forming this team, a paid contractor served approximately 1,000 subpoenas annually for the department at a cost of $30,000 - $50,000. Now, operating in teams of two, the volunteers serve subpoenas to victims and witnesses. They wear uniforms that identify them as Eugene Police volunteers and are equipped with a cell phone and police radio. Any subpoenas deemed unsafe for volunteers to serve are handled by EPD employees. In 2011, the team served 1,499 subpoenas at a savings of $43,471 (the contractor was paid $29/served subpoena). The team is led by Court Liaison Unit Administrative Specialist Tonee Webber. It was Webber’s idea to create the team, with the goal of saving money for the department and utilizing citizen volunteers. Webber stated, “The Subpoena Service Team volunteers are amazing. I cannot begin to express my appreciation and gratitude to everyone on the team for their hard work. The volunteers take time out of their lives to serve their community, taking a burden off of City resources and allowing police officers to dedicate more time to calls for service. I am thankful for their dedication and overwhelmed daily by their generosity. Their upbeat and positive attitudes touch my life in a positive way and I am sure the victims and witnesses they interact with feel it too.” The EPD is currently recruiting for retirees to serve on the Seniors on Patrol Team and the Squad Car Maintenance Team. For additional information, contact Volunteers in Policing Program Manager Carrie Chouinard at 541-682-5355 or carrie.f.chouinard@ci.eugene.or.us or visit www.eugene-or.gov/policevolunteers. Avalanche Awareness Class Recreation’s Outdoor Program will hold a class this weekend to teach individuals how to identify and avoid danger in order to ski safely in the backcountry and avalanche terrain. The class is particularly relevant given reports of recent avalanches in Washington that took the lives of several skiers. Participants will learn how to make snow stability assessments to identify safe routes. The class is for advanced skiers. Participants must provide a probe, shovel, avalanche transceiver and skis or ride gear. The day-long trip is Saturday, rd Feb. 25. A pre-trip meeting will be held Feb. 23, 7 - 9 p.m., at REI at 3 and Lawrence. Register online at www.eugene-or.gov/recenroll and use barcode #98637. For more information, call Roger Bailey at 541-682-5329. th Paving Repairs and Cycling Improvements Scheduled on West 24 Avenue th This year’s scheduled road work includes a project to repair and make transportation improvements to West 24 Avenue between Jefferson and Chambers streets. Bids were opened last week on the project, which also includes thththth paving repairs on Jefferson Street (19 to 24 avenues and 25 to 28 avenues). The bids are currently being reviewed, with a bid award anticipated in the next week or two. th The project will repair the failing pavement on 24 Avenue using voter-approved bond funds. In-place road recycling techniques will be used to expedite construction and minimize environmental impacts. Sidewalk ramp work is scheduled to start in mid-March. The bulk of the road construction won’t begin until school is out in mid-June and is scheduled to be completed in August before classes resume. th A significant improvement is the addition of striped bicycle lanes on 24 from Chambers to Friendly, using transportation SDC funds. This will provide an important transportation link and fulfill a stated goal in the City’s transportation plan. To accomplish this goal, several extruded curb “bump outs” will be taken out, and some on-street parking will be removed. An administrative order has been signed removing parking on the south side of the street, and notices have been mailed to about 30 property owners and others affected by the parking changes. The repaved street will include an innovative traffic-calming design that eliminates the centerline and narrows the apparent width of the roadway to give the street a more “local” feel. Pedestrian sidewalk ramps will be reconstructed to meet current ADA requirements. Public Works Engineering staff is continuing to work with neighbors on property-specific project design issues, and public engagement will continue as the project moves into the implementation phase to ensure that the end result is a facility that takes into consideration a wide range of transportation and neighborhood needs. For more information, contact Associate Transportation Planner Reed Dunbar at 541-682-5727or Reed.C.Dunbar@ci.eugene.or.us. EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 2 February 23, 2012