HomeMy WebLinkAbout08/09/12 - City Council Newsletter
EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER
August 9, 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
NATIONAL RECOGNITION FOR PUBLIC WORKS - WASTEWATER DIVISION
NORTHWEST COMMUNITY CREDIT UNION SPRUCES UP ALTON BAKER PARK
RECREATION HITS THE BULL’S EYE
KIDS AND TEENS SHOW “EUGENE’S GOT TALENT!” AT EUGENE LIBRARY
SALAWA MEADOW ACQUIRED BY CITY
AROUND THE CITY
National Recognition for Public Works - Wastewater Division
The Public Works Wastewater Division received national recognition by way of a Platinum Peak Performance Award
from the National Association of Clean Water Agencies (NACWA). The platinum award recognized the City of Eugene
Wastewater Division for exemplary performance for five consecutive
years of 100 percent compliance with its National Pollutant Discharge
Elimination System Permit. The award was announced at the NACWA
Awards Ceremony in Philadelphia on July 16. This was the third platinum
award for the Wastewater Division. Previous platinum awards were
received in 1999 and 2007.
The Public Works Wastewater Division operates the Eugene/Springfield Regional Wastewater Treatment Facility as a
partner in the Metropolitan Wastewater Management Commission. For more information, contact Wastewater
Division Director Michelle Cahill at 541-682-8606.
Northwest Community Credit Union Spruces Up Alton Baker Park
In partnership with Eugene Park Stewards, Northwest Community Credit Union combined its annual picnic with a
community project on Aug. 4 at Alton Baker Park. In a mere three hours, and on the hottest day of the year, 250
volunteers completed a huge variety of maintenance projects.
These hard-working volunteers were provided event T-shirts;
the sea of bright green throughout the park was a truly
impressive sight. Their accomplishments were equally
impressive:
Roving crews abated graffiti, cleaned lamp posts, and
picked up trash with the help of Nearby Nature staff.
Volunteers teamed up with the Science Factory to remove
blackberries around the entry ponds.
The community garden was mowed and pathways hand-
weeded.
The Native Plant Nursery’s boundaries were expanded into
the neighboring filbert orchard, and volunteers removed ivy
and blackberries in this area so it can be used as a
Hot but still smiling: volunteers tend to the rock garden in Alton
propagation area.
Baker Park.
Hays Tree Garden had a large group of 70 volunteers who
tended 56 tree wells. They utilized a sustainable method of weed control called “sheet mulching” where sheets of
cardboard are laid prior to the mulching to help smother the weeds for a longer amount of time.
The dog park project was no small task. Volunteers spread close to 40 tons of gravel, repaired a dilapidated
doggie-washing station, resurfaced several of the pathways and spread woodchips in seating areas.
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August 9, 2012
Several gardens near the main Day Island Road entryway received complete makeovers. Volunteers removed
vegetation and leveled the gravel on the east side duck pond, weeded the Ken Neilson Memorial Garden and the
Rock Garden, and cleared out vegetation under the DeFazio Bridge to improve safety and open a nice view of the
Willamette River.
After a hot and sweaty job well done, members and volunteers celebrated with a picnic in the main shelter with plenty
of water, barbecue, salads and desserts, courtesy of Northwest Community Credit Union. For more information, or to
volunteer with Eugene Park Stewards, contact Emily Aune at Emily.r.aune@ci.eugene.or.us or 541-682-4831.
Recreation Hits the Bull’s Eye
Archery has become very popular since the release of the movie, “The Hunger Games” in which the heroine is an
archer. As usual, Recreation staff was ahead of that trend, offering archery more than a
year ago. This summer, Recreation has offered archery camps, an archery club, and on
Aug. 18, there will be an archery competition for youth ages 10 – 18, of all experience
levels, from 9 a.m. - 4 p.m., at Petersen Barn Center.
Participants may use City equipment or their own. Shooters will be divided into classes
based on age and equipment. Prizes will be awarded to the winners of each class. For
more information, call Anya Samora at 541-682-5521.
Kids and Teens Show “Eugene’s Got Talent!” at Eugene Library
The Downtown Eugene Public Library will host “Eugene’s Got Talent!,” a free variety show performed by youth, on
Thursday, Aug.16, at 5 p.m.
Auditions for the show will be held on Wednesday, Aug.15, at 4 p.m. Sign-up for a limited number of audition spots will
begin at 3:30 p.m. To audition, prepare a solo, duo, or group act that lasts three minutes or less, and includes at least
one person age 7 to 17. Bring any equipment needed. For more information, contact the Eugene Public Library at 541-
682-8316 or www.eugene-or.gov/library.
Salawa Meadow Acquired by City
With triple the benefits for partners involved, the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) recently transferred 32
acres of west Eugene wetlands to the City of Eugene.
ODOT originally purchased the property for wetland mitigation
related to the West Eugene Parkway project. Soon after ODOT
completed its restoration, the West Eugene Parkway project was
abandoned and ODOT was preparing the surplus wetland property
for sale. ODOT then found itself in need of offsetting the impacts
related to the I-5 Willamette River Bridge replacement project to
Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) property owned by
Willamalane Parks and Recreation District. The City of Eugene
partnered with ODOT and Willamalane to identify this parcel as an
appropriate mitigation site to offset those impacts. This creative
solution truly provided benefits for everyone involved:
Willamalane benefited from the transfer because it provided a
quick way to clear the park district of LWCF violations and allow
Lyre-tipped spreadwing, one of many species of dragonflies
that can be found at SalawaMeadow.
the district to receive a valuable acquisition grant that it was at
risk of losing if the violation persisted.
ODOT benefited by finding a relatively easy mitigation of its current project’s impact, using surplus lands with little
economic resale value since the land could not be developed.
The City of Eugene benefited by permanently protecting this high quality wetland site to provide valuable
recreation and education opportunities and important ecosystem services and habitat values for the community.
The site is known as Salawa Meadow, which is a Kalapuya word for tarweed, an important food and ceremonial plant
for native peoples historically living in the area. During production of Dragonflies and Damselflies of the Willamette
Valley: A Beginners Guide (2005), authors Gordon and Kerst noted that this site had the highest dragonfly diversity
among wetlands they visited. The parcel is adjacent to the Bertelsen Nature Park, owned by the U.S. Bureau of Land
Management (BLM), in west Eugene. The City will work closely with the BLM to ensure that recreation, education and
ecological benefits are coordinated across the larger landscape. This acquisition serves as an excellent example of
how partnering together can lead to efficiencies and solutions with multiple benefits for the community.
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August 9, 2012
For more information, contact Natural Area Restoration Supervisor Trevor Taylor at trevor.h.taylor@ci.eugene.or.us or
541-682-4888.
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August 9, 2012