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Home My WebLink About03/29/12 - City Council Newsletter EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER March 29, 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 BIG READ FINALE AT EUGENE PUBLIC LIBRARY SPRING BECKONS – THREE EASY WAYS TO ANSWER THE CALL FAIR HOUSING TESTER TRAINING SET CITY OF EUGENE COLLABORATES ON TWO SUCCESSFUL TRANSPORTATION GRANTS POLICE DEPARTMENT’S ANNUAL REPORT NOW ONLINE AROUND THE CITY Big Read Finale at Eugene Public Library During March, the Eugene Public Library has been hosting events in connection with The Big Read, a month-long celebration of Ray Bradbury’s visionary science fiction novel Fahrenheit 451. The program has drawn hundreds of participants of all ages to author talks, workshops, and more. The Big Read Finale will be presented at the Downtown Eugene Public Libraryon First Friday, April 6, at 6 p.m. It will feature a performance of original works in honor of Fahrenheit 451 created and performed by the University of Oregon (UO) schools of Dance and Music. Department of Dance graduate students Laura Black, Carolina Caballero, Ayumi Hori, and Melanie Meenan have choreographed a new site-specific dance work using the spaces in and around the library to consider a world void of literature and artistic expression. Among the ideas explored is how censorship of thought breeds disconnection from reality and insensitivity to inhumanity. Musicians from the UO’s Nu Chapter of Mu Phi Epsilon will perform their original work inspired by the themes of Fahrenheit 451. Mu Phi Epsilon is a professional fraternity for collegiate music students dedicated to advancing music in the community, nation, and around the world with an emphasis on service through music. The Big Read is a program of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with Arts Midwest; local co-sponsors 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, contact the Eugene Public Library at 541-682-5450 or www.eugene-or.gov/library. Spring Beckons – Three Easy Ways to Answer the Call For those eager to jump into spring, here are three fun activities offered by Recreation Services. Explore the ecology and management of Eugene’s beautiful parks on the first Saturday of each month from 9 -11 a.m. Naturalists will lead these free interpretive walks. On April 7, learn about the Fern Ridge Wildlife Area. Meet at Fisher Butte parking lot off of Highway 126 (West 11th). Recreation’s Adult Services program offers two free weekly walking groups. The “Walk with Us” group meets in the lobby of the Petersen Barn Center, at 9:30 a.m. every Thursday, and walks as a group around the neighborhood for about an hour. The “Walk ‘n’ Talkers” is a self-led group that walks three to five miles at a quick pace, rain or shine, and departs Campbell Community Center every Friday at 9 a.m. sharp. EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 1 March 29, 2012 Adult Services also invites senior bike riders to participate in weekly bike rides that depart from Campbell Center for in- town rides each Wednesday. Rides begin at 10:30 a.m. (9:30 a.m. beginning in May). Helmets are required, weekly attendance is not. Rides vary in length and time depending on ability. Each of these activities is free and drop-in; no registration required. For more information, please call Kathy Madison at 541-682-6342. Fair Housing Tester Training Set The City's Equity and Human Rights Center, and Community Development, are collaborating to host a “tester training” with the Fair Housing Council of Oregon, a nonprofit organization dedicated to eliminating housing discrimination throughout Oregon. Eugene contracts with the Fair Housing Council of Oregon to help achieve federal fair housing standards and fulfill human rights obligations in the Eugene City Code. A variety of methods are used, including education and enforcement. To determine whether illegal housing discrimination is occurring, one tool the Fair Housing Council uses is "testing." Testers are “secret shoppers” who are trained and given an assignment that clearly outlines characteristics designed to pinpoint a protected class experiencing discrimination. All testers are paid $25 per phone test, and $50 per on-site visit (plus mileage reimbursement). When: Wednesday, April 4, from 6 - 9 p.m. th Where: Saul Room, Atrium Building, 99 West 10 Avenue Food: Pizza and drinks provided The public is invited to attend this training and learn how to become an active ally in the fight against housing discrimination. To attend, please contact Maribel Mora at 503-223-8197, extension104, or mmora@fhco.org by Friday, March 30.For more information, contact Equity & Human Rights Analyst Lindsey Foltz in the City Manager’s Office at 541-682-5619 or Lindsey.m.foltz@ci.eugene.or.us. City of Eugene Collaborates on Two Successful Transportation Grants The City of Eugene partnered with the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) and Point2point Solutions at Lane Transit District on two successful ODOT Flexible Fund grants. The Flexible Funds Program funds bicycle, pedestrian, transit and transportation options projects, plans, programs and services through a very competitive grant selection process. The Oregon Transportation Commission approved a total of 25 non-highway projects for $23.6 million out of the 105 applications requesting more than $89 million. Highway 99 Pedestrian and Bicycle Improvement Project The Highway 99 pedestrian and bicycle improvement project is a collaborative effort between the City of Eugene and ODOT that will greatly enhance the pedestrian and bicycle environment along Highway 99 between Roosevelt Boulevard and Garfield Street. This section of Highway 99 currently has almost no sidewalks and is in a part of Eugene with little street connectivity. Construction of the sidewalks and bike lanes on the south/west side of this part of Highway 99 will improve connectivity, environmental sustainability, and pedestrian/bicycle access along Highway 99, making this part of Eugene a more livable and walkable place for residents. The total project cost for these improvements is $2.9 million. Sidewalks and bike lanes will be constructed on the north/east side of Highway 99 in a future phase that is not funded at this time. SmartTrips Program The City of Eugene was granted $133,176 for the continuation of the successful SmartTrips Eugene program. This grant is a collaboration of the City and Point2point Solutions for a regional SmartTrips program. As part of this collaboration, Point2point Solutions will receive $209,420 to implement a SmartTrips program in the City of Springfield. In Eugene, the SmartTrips program will take a comprehensive approach to reduce drive-alone trips and increase biking, walking and public transit. It will incorporate individualized marketing and organized activities to encourage residents to reduce their drive-alone trips in the eastern portion of the Bethel neighborhood. This grant will fund a Eugene Sunday Streets event in the target neighborhood as well. The SmartTrips Bethel program will launch in the spring of 2013. The City of Eugene has previously hosted EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 2 March 29, 2012 SmartTrips programs in the Harlow/Coburg neighborhood (2010), and the Trainsong, Jefferson/Westside and Whiteaker neighborhoods (2011). For more information on the Highway 99 pedestrian and bicycle improvement project, please contact Lee Shoemaker at 541-682-5471or lee.shoemaker@ci.eugene.or.us. For more information about the SmartTrips program, contact Lindsay Selser at 541-682-5094 or lindsay.r.selser@ci.eugene.or.us. Police Department’s Annual Report Now Online The Eugene Police Department’s (EPD) Annual Report is now online for viewing at www.EugenePolice.com - the report is in the middle of the page. The direct link is http://1.usa.gov/GRFN97. The Annual Report is compiled each year as an update to citizens regarding how the EPD and its personnel have protected, served and cared for the community in 2011. The report includes an overview of the department’s service, new programs, facts and figures, budget and more. The creation of the online report takes into consideration cost and environmental savings by virtue of being paperless. While the report is online to save printing costs, citizens who don’t have Internet may access the report at the Eugene Library’s public computer, or request a copy to be picked up at the EPD’s front counter at 777 Pearl Street, Suite 107. For more information, please contact Public Information Coordinator Jenna McCulley at 541-682-5197. EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 3 March 29, 2012