HomeMy WebLinkAboutCC Newsletter - 09/02/04EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER
September 2, 2004
City of Eugene
777 Pearl Street, Room 105
Eugene, Oregon 97401-2793
(541) 682-5010
(541) 682-5414 (FAX)
www. ci.eugene.or, us
NEW ONLINE RESOURCE NOW AVAILABLE ON CITY WEBSITE
WILLIE NELSON COMING TO THE CUTHBERT
MENTAL HEALTH COURT
FIRST IN SERIES OF MEETINGS ON SANTA CLARA COMMUNITY PARK SLATED FOR SEPTEMBER 9
ORPA GIVES THREE CHEERS FOR PARKS AND OPEN SPACE
NEW SCHOOL ZONE SIGNS IN PLACE
NEW SERVICE RESULTS IN Big SAVINGS FOR NEIGHBORHOODS
New Online Resource Now Available on City Website
The City Manager's Office recently unveiled a new feature on its website that provides visitors to the site an
unprecedented level of access to City documents. The LaserFiche archiving system, which was purchased with
Telecomm Fund money, enables users to quickly locate, read, and print copies of agendas, minutes, newsletters and
administrative orders. All documents stored on the site are completely searchable, making cross-referencing and
complex records requests quick and easy. Future plans to optimize the use of LaserFiche include archiving ordinances,
resolutions, proclamations, and other public documents.
This new resource promises to benefit citizens, council, and staff in two significant ways. Prior to its implementation, web
access to council meeting materials was limited to the agenda and agenda item summaries. Using LaserFiche and its
related accessory software, all supplemental attachments - regardless of their size or format - are now available online.
The availability of all council meeting materials online will also enable staff to meet its "green" goals for reducing
consumption of natural resources. Fewer agenda packets will be printed each week and citizens and staff will be
encouraged to use the LaserFiche link to access only the information they desire. The response from those who have
already visited the site has been very favorable.
To access the online agenda packet and other resources, visit http://www.ci.eugene.or, us/weblink/and navigate the site
using the links provided, or try the "Search" function and witness the speed and accuracy of this exciting new feature.
For more information on LaserFiche, contact Council Coordinator Lynda Rose at 682-5017 or email at
lynda. I. rose@ci, eugene, or. us.
Willie Nelson Cominq to the Cuthbert
On Sunday, September 19, the one and only Willie Nelson will perform at Cuthbert
Amphitheater for the first time ever. Appearing with Willie as his special guest is singer-
songwriter Lucinda Williams, who will share her unclassifiable, original talent.
In his remarkable career, Willie wrote hits songs for Patsy Cline, Mary Chapin-Carpenter and
Ray Price, launched the Texas "outlaw" movement of the '70s, co-founded Farm Aid and has
starred in television and film. He was inducted into the Country Hall of Fame in 1993 and
holds three Grammy Awards. His latest release, "The Great Divide," surpasses even his own
reputation for stylistic eclecticism and musical innovation.
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September 2, 2004
After nearly a half century of musical and humanitarian contributions, Willie Nelson has become a national treasure.
Come on out to the Cuthbert for this "not to be missed" concert and enjoy an evening of country under the stars Willie
style. For more information, contact the Hult Center Ticket Office at 541-682-5000.
Mental Health Court
In September, Eugene Municipal Court will implement a new program to assist defendants with mental illness. Lane
County Health and Human Services Department received federal grant funds through the Department of Justice for
additional assessment and treatment resources, and has been working on this program since October 2003 with Lane
County Circuit Court. However, Circuit Court and the District Attorney's Office have not had the numbers of eligible
defendants going into the Mental Health Court program to provide sufficient data for grant-reporting purposes.
Defendants with mental illness who are charged with minor behavioral crimes typically have their cases filed at the
municipal court level. Circuit Court Judge Cynthia Carlson approached Municipal Court about establishing a similar
program in order to boost the number of referrals for treatment and evaluation.
The Mental Health Court program will be primarily a diversion program to encourage defendants to obtain and continue
with treatment. During the six-month diversion period, they will receive free medications, free treatment, and housing
assistance. The defendants are required to report to a specified monthly court session where the judge reviews their
progress. In some cases, instead of diversion, Mental Health Court may be identified as a condition of a defendant's
probationary period. For either diversion or probation, defendants must first be evaluated by Lane County Mental Health
staff and deemed eligible for the Mental Health Court program. Judge Mary Jane Mori and Court Operations Supervisor
Gabriele Glenn are to be commended for developing and implementing the program in Eugene Municipal Court. Judge
Wayne Allen, City Prosecutor Dan Barkovic, indigent defense counsel Dan Neal, and other court staff were also involved
in the planning effort.
In the justice system, Mental Health Court is a new type of what is known as "therapeutic" court. These courts focus on
the root causes of crime. Drug courts are another type of therapeutic court. The monthly check-in court sessions will be
very different from other court sessions held in municipal court. The judge develops a more personal relationship with
each defendant, asks about his/her family, and becomes something like a coach. At the end of the diversion period
when the case is dismissed, there is a "graduation" ceremony to congratulate the defendant on his or her
accomplishment. Indeed, for many people with mental illness, completing six months in treatment is quite an
accomplishment. For further information, contact Marilyn Nelson at 682-5580.
First in Series of Meetinqs on Santa Clara Community Park Slated For September 9
On Thursday, September 9, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., neighbors in the Santa Clara area are invited to discuss the
prospects for a community park in Santa Clara. Community members, partners, and City staff will be on hand to provide
information, answer questions, and discuss issues, solutions and opportunities regarding the land acquisition proposal for
Santa Clara Community Park. A unique urban growth boundary land trade will provide 77 acres for a new community
park and 120 acres of "smart growth" neighborhood development. The meeting will be held in the Spring Creek
Elementary School cafeteria at 560 Irvington Drive in Eugene.
For more information, including a complete report from the committee that analyzed and developed the proposal, call
Parks and Open Space Planning Manager Andrea Riner at 682-4909, or visit the project webpage at
www.ci.eugene.or, us/parks/planning/SCCP_proj.htm.
ORPA Gives Three Cheers For Parks and Open Space
A miraculous volunteer, a progressive park, and a fact-packed website caught the attention of Oregon Recreation and
Parks Association (ORPA) this year. Parks and Open Space received the VIP Marketing Award for its newly redesigned
website and the Design Award for the recently completed Oakmont Park. Ray Wiley, a park advocate, received the
Voluntary Service Award.
The redesigned Parks and Open Space website, found at www.ci.eugene.or, us/parks, won the VIP Marketing Award with
its 200 user-friendly and aesthetically pleasing pages where visitors will discover a board range of information related to
the division's services and programs. Favorite features include "Find a Park by Amenity," which allows visitors to select
specific amenities and geographical regions to find a park that meets their search criteria, and webcams that allow
visitors to view live scenes from area parks. Other important upgrades were made to improve the website's ADA
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September 2, 2004
accessibility.
The ORPA Voluntary Service Award recognized an exceptional Eugene volunteer for his years of service to Skinner
Butte Park. More than eight years ago, Ray Wiley led a campaign to save what he calls "Eugene's crown jewel" - the
Skinner Butte overlook - from closure due to excessive vandalism, trash and disrepair in the wake of cuts to
maintenance funding. Wiley wrote articles to The Register-Guard, petitioned the mayor and city council and, most
importantly, recruited the Eugene Rotary Club to adopt the butte as an ongoing community service project. Since that
time, volunteers organized and led by Wiley have made daily stops at the popular overlook area on top of the butte to
clean up and keep an eye on things, in addition to organizing annual work days to make major improvements. These
efforts have made an enormous difference. Wiley still experiences overwhelming personal gratification every time he
visits the butte. "One motivated individual can make big changes in Eugene," he says.
Oakmont Park, Eugene's newest neighborhood park, was commended the ORPA Design Award. The 5.5-acre site,
constructed during the summer of 2003, is located in an established neighborhood adjacent to the popular Oakway
Center. In response to conflicting priorities between a passive park and active recreation needs, Landscape Architect
Robin Hostick pushed the boundaries on traditional park design and did more with less to intertwine basic amenities, such
as a play area, play field, pathways and small basketball court, with experimental habitat restoration efforts. This
creative and cost-effective combination offers activities for multiple generations with diverse interests and redefines what
a neighbor-hood park could or should be.
For more information about the website, volunteering in parks or the Oakmont Park design, visit
www.ci.eugene.or, us/parks or call Therese Picado, public information specialist for the Parks and Open Space Division,
at 682-4814. For more information about ORPA, visit www.orpa.org.
New School Zone Siqns in Place
City of Eugene maintenance crews recently completed revisions to 150 school zone signs to comply with changes made
by the 2003 State Legislature. The new law mandates that most of the old signs adjacent to schools that required
motorists to slow to 20 mph "when children are present" be replaced with signs reading "at all times" if the underlying
speed limit was 30 mph or less. If the underlying speeds were 35 mph or greater, the 20 mph speed limit signs now
include posted hours such as "on school days, 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.". There are still some crossings that are on school
routes but not adjacent to schools that require motorists to drive 20 mph "when children are present."
The new law took effect on July 1. The State Traffic Engineer directed that local jurisdictions complete the sign
replacement by the beginning of the school year. For more information, contact City Traffic Engineer Tom Larsen at
Public Works Maintenance, 682-4959.
New Service Results in Biq Savings for Neiqhborhoods
Neighborhood Services staff is always looking for ways to make the neighborhood associations' mailings more cost-
efficient. Working with the Document and Distribution Services team (formerly Reprographics and Mail Services), staff
identified the need for CASS certification, as one way to achieve this. CASS certification decreases the amount of
undeliverable mail on large bulk mailings and can save a considerable amount of money. The same software also
enables Document and Distribution Services to use a new mail feature for large mailings. It adds bar codes to the
addresses as they are printed on postcards. Without the bar codes, the bulk first class postcard rate is 21 cents per item.
With the bar codes, the bulk rate drops to 17 cents per item.
For the neighborhood associations, this has resulted in noticeable savings. For example, the last Southeast Neighbors
postcard cost almost $200 less to mail than the previous postcards without the bar codes. If the total number of
neighborhood postcards is the same this year as last, the bar coding feature will save approximately $4000, allowing
neighborhood associations to stretch their public information spending authority further.
For more information on new cost-saving programs in mail and distribution services, contact Patricia Scarci, Document
and Distribution Services manager, at 682-5059 or via e-mail (patricia'a'scarci@ci'eugene'°r'us)' For information about
neighborhood associations, please contact Beth Bridges, 682-5272, or Steve Norris, 682-5009, in the Planning and
Development Department. They may also be reached via e-mail at beth.b.bridges@ci.eugene.or, us or
steve.d.norris@ci.eugene.or, us.
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September 2, 2004