HomeMy WebLinkAbout08/16/12 - City Council Newsletter
EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER
August 16, 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
BUILDING INSPECTION RECOGNIZED FOR INNOVATIVE FIELD MOBILITY VANS
GRANT TO ADVANCE PARALYMPIC SPORTS CLUB
SNAP IS HAPPENING
CONTROLLED ECOLOGICAL BURNS HELP NATIVE FIRE-DEPENDENT SPECIES THRIVE
HULT CENTER ENTRANCE CHANGES FOR LOBBY LIGHTING CONSTRUCTION
NEW EUGENE PARK WATCH PROGRAM AIMS TO MAKE PARKS SAFER
EUGENE REUSES: USED MERCHANDISE CREATES JOBS AND REDUCES WASTE
JOIN EPD FOR GRAND OPENING OF 300 COUNTRY CLUB ROAD FACILITY
AROUND THE CITY
Building Inspection Recognized for Innovative Field Mobility Vans
As part of the Oregon Building Officials Association annual conference, the City of Eugene Building Inspection staff
were recognized for developing field mobility vans that provide on-site service to construction projects throughout the
city. On behalf of the City of Eugene, Assistant Building Official Mark
Whitmill received the Innovative Use of Technology Award at the
conference in Bend, earlier this summer.
Over the last several years, the Building Inspection program has been
developing new and innovative ways to administer building codes, both in
the office and in the field. The field mobility vans provide a mobile
workspace for building inspectors. As demonstrated in a council work
session earlier this year, the Ford Transit Connect van has room for a
work space, large monitor for viewing plans, copy/scanner and printer, all
organized around a desk and the full computing power of the traditional
office. Currently, the City has five vans at work in the field. Harnessing
the power of technology has not only created significant on-going savings
to help keep permit fees low, it has also added to inspectors’ efficiency, allowing each inspector up to an additional
hour a day in the field.
Located within the Building and Permit Services Division of the Planning and Development Department, the Building
Inspection program preserves and improves the public’s safety, health, welfare and environment by inspecting building
and remodeling projects in the community. For more information on the field mobility vans, contact the Building
Inspection Supervisor Kyle Richardson at 541-682-8338 or kyle.richardson@ci.eugene.or.us.
Grant to Advance Paralympic Sports Club
The Adaptive Recreation Program is one of just five organizations nationwide to
receive a Strategic Planning Consulting (SPC) grant through the U.S. Olympic
Committee’s Paralympic Technical Assistance Program. The grant will provide
10 - 20 hours of consultation with Deloitte Consulting, the world's largest
management consulting firm in strategy and operations, human capital and
technology services. Deloitte Consultants will help with the organization and
strategic planning needs for Adaptive Recreation’s Paralympic Sports Club
(PSC). This grant is the first step in a series of supports from the PSC that leads
to assistance with grant writing and potential grant funding for future
programming.
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August 16, 2012
In announcing the award, Susan Rossi, U.S. Paralympics community and veterans program manager said, “This
program was very popular and highly competitive. We are excited about this offering and are very hopeful that the
assistance that Deloitte provides will allow you to grow in your ability to meet the needs of athletes with disabilities in
your area.”
Begun just six months ago, Adaptive Recreation’s Paralympic Sports Club is a community-based sports development
program that involves children and adults with physical and visual disabilities in sports and physical activity. For more
information, contact Patty Prather at 541-682-5311.
SNAP Is Happening
Neighborhood Services has opened the third Strategic Neighborhood Assessment and Planning (SNAP) cycle for new
applications. Both City of Eugene-recognized neighborhood associations, and community-based organizations, are
eligible to participate in a SNAP process. Community-based groups can initiate a SNAP, but must have the support
and collaboration of their neighborhood association. The process takes three to six months to complete, depending on
the scope of the project and capacity of neighborhood leadership. Once a SNAP is successfully completed, the
neighborhood is eligible for up to $5,000 in grant funds to implement actions from their plan.
The SNAP process offers focused staff assistance to neighborhood and community groups to assess needs and
develop a plan that identifies and outlines goals, strategies and actions to address them. The SNAP process engages
a broad community of neighborhood stakeholders, builds partnerships and collaborations with the City and other
organizations, and provides direction for neighborhood associations and community groups.
Past SNAP projects have ranged from general goal-setting, prioritization, outreach and work planning for a
neighborhood association to more specific projects such as community engagement concerning urbanization in the
Santa Clara and River Road neighborhoods, Latino business development, and urban agriculture. A proposed project
can be located in part of a neighborhood or can span multiple neighborhoods.
The updated SNAP guide and application are now available on the Neighborhood Services website:
http://www.eugene-or.gov/index.aspx?nid=233. A pre-application consultation with Neighborhood Services staff is
required by Aug. 24, and applications are due on Sept. 7. The selected neighborhood(s) will be notified by Sept. 21,
and work will begin in October. For more information, contact SNAP leads Rene Kane at 541-682-6243 or
rene.c.kane@ci.eugene.or.us or Lorna Flormoe at lorna.r.flormoe@ci.eugene.or.us or 541-682-5670, in Neighborhood
Services, City Manager’s Office.
Controlled Ecological Burns Help Native Fire-Dependent Species Thrive
This fall, the Rivers to Ridges partners will be undertaking controlled ecological burns at several West Eugene
Wetlands sites. The City of Eugene’s Natural Resources team, with the assistance of the Eugene Fire and EMS
Department (EFD), has planned a small, controlled ecological burn at the
City’s Willow Corner site. The burn planned on this six-acre City-owned
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land, at the corner of West 18 Avenue and Bertelsen Road, is part of a
much larger, controlled ecological burn planned in collaboration with the
West Eugene Wetland partner organizations, including The Nature
Conservancy and the U.S. Bureau of Land Management.
The Rivers to Ridges Partnership (formerly known as the West Eugene
Wetlands Partnership) relies on controlled ecological burning as a
restoration tool to protect valuable biological diversity in prairie and
savanna ecosystems. Removal of standing dead vegetation also benefits
the community by decreasing the chances of uncontrolled wildfires at the
wildland-urban interface. City staff works hard to make sure the
community is protected from potential negative impacts of fire. EFD and the City’s Natural Resources staff carefully
assess weather conditions and burn only on days when the wind will blow smoke away from residential areas. The
Lane Regional Air Protection Agency reviews the controlled burn plans each year, issuing a permit and conditions
under which burns may proceed. City crews mow fuel breaks around the perimeter of each burn unit to prevent fire
from traveling outside the planned burn area. Finally, controlled ecological burns are managed by experienced and
highly trained fire crews, including EFD, who are working from detailed burn plans. These plans provide extensive
prescriptions describing how to conduct the burn to provide maximum protection for the community.
Additional controlled ecological burns may be performed by Rivers to Ridges partner agencies on lands elsewhere in
the wetlands, including on lands owned by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, The Nature Conservancy, U.S.
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August 16, 2012
Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Friends of Buford Park and Mt. Pisgah. Together these
efforts will result in the enhancement and protection of many of the important natural areas enjoyed by the community.
For short-notice burn information, go to the "Willamette Valley Prescribed Fire" Facebook page at
https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Willamette-Valley-Prescribed-Fire/222587147840368 or contact Natural Area
Restoration Supervisor Trevor Taylor at trevor.h.taylor@ci.eugene.or.us or 541-682-4888.
Hult Center Entrance Changes for Lobby Lighting Construction
The Hult Center Lobby will be closed through late September due to construction and installation
of new lighting. The ticket and administration offices remain open. The new lighting will provide
energy savings and increased cost efficiencies as well as greatly improved illumination. Years of
planning the lobby lighting project will culminate in capturing the excitement of the original vision
of a vibrant community gathering place.
To access the ticket and administration offices, patrons are being directed to use the Jacobs
Gallery entrance via the stairs and wheelchair-accessible ramp access on the east side of the
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building nearest the Hilton Hotel. The entrances on 6 and 7 avenues and on the Concourse (level 3 of the parking
garage) are closed during this time; signage at those entrances will direct patrons to the Jacobs Gallery entrance. For
more information, please contact Libby Tower at 541-682-8380.
New Eugene Park Watch Program Aims to Make Parks Safer
This past spring, an interdepartmental staff team met to strategize on practical ways to reduce crime in City parks and
recreational facilities, especially during the summer months when visitation to these areas is highest. From this
meeting, the new Eugene Park Watch program was born.
Eugene Park Watch is an exciting collaboration between the community, the police, Eugene Parks and Open Space
staff, Recreation and Cultural Services staff, and other City departments. The program empowers City staff and the
community to become active in reducing crime and the fear of crime through participation. Eugene Park Watch is
designed to increase safety and reduce crime in Eugene’s parks, recreation facilities, and surrounding neighborhoods
through these efforts:
Online reporting from the City of Eugene website and sharing of information regarding problems in parks.
Visible Eugene Police Department (EPD) patrols with sworn and non-sworn assets.
Increased presence of City staff in areas needing attention.
Public events where pro-social activities are needed to stimulate positive behavior in parks.
Increased confidence and use of Eugene’s parks and recreation facilities through continuous improvement.
During the first three months of its existence, the Eugene Park Watch pilot program has focused its efforts on sending
police and other resources to specific areas with both high public use and a history of illicit activities. Among them are
the Willamette River corridor, the Amazon Creek corridor and several neighborhood parks. Vehicle and bike patrols
have noticeably increased in these parks and staff has reported a stronger sense of security compared to past
summers. For more information on the program, please contact Park Operations Manager Eric Wold at 541-682-4842
or Police Lieutenant Doug Mozan at 541-682-5164.
Eugene Reuses: Used Merchandise Creates Jobs and Reduces Waste
A recent report reviewing the economic impact of solid waste related industries and businesses in Eugene and Lane
County, revealed that the used merchandise industry contributes $16.1 million to Eugene’s economy, and $26.1 million
to Lane County’s. The study also noted that Eugene stands out for
the strength of its used merchandise industry which includes used
books, appliances, furniture, antiques, and clothes.
According to the study, Eugene employs five times the number of
people in the used merchandise industry as the rest of Oregon.
Nationally, compared to the 648 counties for which data are available,
Lane County has the second highest percent of total employment in
the used merchandise industry, second only to St. Clair County,
Alabama.
While the study did not investigate why this sector of Eugene’s
economy is so robust, it noted that there may be cultural factors
fueling the used goods market or a community preference for
environmentally friendly goods. A recent study conducted as part of the City’s Community Climate and Energy Action
EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 3
August 16, 2012
Plan found a growing awareness and support for more sustainable consumption in Eugene. Results from the study of
local attitudes indicate an emerging demand for more sustainable consumption options and a desire to support local
businesses that can provide them.
The full report is available online and was prepared for the City of Eugene’s Waste Prevention Program as a part of the
City’s solid waste system review. It was a cooperative effort between the University of Oregon Economics Department
and the Community Service Center’s University Center for Economic Development. The City of Eugene’s Waste
Prevention Program supports the elimination of waste from its source through education, outreach, and policy
guidance. For more information, contact Ethan Nelson at 541-682-5224 or Babe O’Sullivan at 541-682-5017.
Join EPD for Grand Opening of 300 Country Club Road Facility
The Eugene Police Department, together with the community it serves, will join for the official grand opening of the
new police headquarters and an exciting new chapter in the department’s history of service.
Members of the public are invited to an open
house reception Saturday, Aug. 18, between
9:30 a.m. and 12:00 p.m., that will feature
special guided tours throughout the facility,
an opportunity to speak with one of the
artists of the unique and deeply symbolic
public art features, quizzes with prizes for
youth about the property and an opportunity
to take photos with an officer and police
vehicle.
The guided tours will be available from 9:30
a.m. until 12:00 p.m. There will be an
inaugural first flag-raising during the Grand
Opening Ceremony at 12:30 p.m., when the
United States and Oregon flags are honored
for the first time at the location.
Because the department needs to maintain front counter service, the Eugene Police Department will be reserving the
public parking in front of the building for police business and parking for the open house will be available next door at
260 Country Club Road thanks to Siuslaw Bank. Shuttles will also be available to assist in traveling between the
parking lots.
For more information, contact Public Information Coordinator Jenna McCulley at 541-682-5197.
EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 4
August 16, 2012