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Home My WebLink About11/08/12 - City Council Newsletter City of Eugene 125 East 8 Avenue, 2 Floor thnd Eugene, Oregon 97401 (541) 682-5010 (541) 682-5414 (FAX) www.eugene-or.gov EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER November 8, 2012 IN THIS EDITION LEAF COLLECTION AND DELIVERY SERVICE BEGINS TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 13 LEARN TO USE PERSONAL TECHNOLOGY TOOLS AT EUGENE PUBLIC LIBRARY COMMUNITY FORUM LOOKS AT PLANS TO IMPROVE SOUTH WILLAMETTE STREET 2012 EUGENE GREEN HOME & GARDEN TOUR A SUCCESS (SUB)URBAN PROJECTIONS FESTIVAL TO BRIGHTEN DOWNTOWN AROUND THE CITY Leaf Collection and Delivery Service Begins Tuesday, November 13 It looks like there will be plenty of fall foliage on the ground when Eugene’s leaf collection and delivery service begins on Tuesday, Nov. 13. Public Works crews have been cleaning early leaf-fall from bike lanes for several weeks. To collect the greatest amount of leaves in the first round, Public Works has chosen mid-November as the official start of the leaf season. As in past years, the city has been divided into five collection zones. The west and central zones are scheduled to be picked up Nov. 13 - 26, followed by north Eugene (Nov. 21 - Dec. 6), southeast Eugene (Dec. 5 - 17) and southwest Eugene (Dec. 14 - 28). The second round, which includes collections on unimproved streets, starts Dec. 27. Bike safety is a key area of concern. Property owners along streets with curbside bike lanes have been notified to not place their leaves in the bike lane. Early indications show that most property owners this year have complied with this notice. Downtown businesses have also been contacted about not blowing leaves into bike or travel lanes. And, in a joint communication effort with Lane Forest Products and Rexius, local landscapers are being encouraged to bring their leaves to recycling yards rather than dumping them on city streets. Helpful tips for residents include raking more often to get smaller loads of leaves that fit into yard debris containers, using leaves as compost and mulching material around the yard, and, if leaves are placed in the street, waiting until the weekend before scheduled collections in that neighborhood. A new slideshow on the leaf website (www.eugene-or.gov/leaf) emphasizes other leaf disposal safety tips. Almost half the leaves collected by City crews are delivered to local residents. Information about home delivery and a leaf delivery request form are available on the leaf website. The website also includes interactive information tools, including a leaf pick-up progress map and online and mobile forms to report leaves or other debris in bike lanes. For more information about this year’s leaf collection and delivery program, contact Public Works Maintenance Surface Operations Manager Eric Johnson at 541-682-4904. EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 1 November 8, 2012 Learn to Use Personal Technology Tools at Eugene Public Library In a world of ever-expanding choices in information and entertainment technology, the Eugene Public Library provides user-friendly assistance to community members with new devices and interests. Workshops coming up include “eReaders for the Absolute Beginner” on Wednesday, Nov. 21, at 5:30 p.m., at the Downtown Library. This class will answer questions about how to get started with eBooks and eReaders, plus help the user determine which eReader is right for personal use or as a gift. There will even be different types of eReaders on hand to test-drive! New iPad owners are invited to “iPad for Beginners” on Wednesday, Nov. 14, at 5:30 p.m. Bring an iPad and learn how to get the most out of it. Newcomers to the web: get a strong start at “Intro to the Internet” on Saturday, Nov. 10, at 10 a.m. Learn to “Store and Share Digital Photos” on Saturday, Nov. 17, at 10:00 a.m. Planning a trip? On Sunday, Nov. 18, at 1:30 p.m., “Travel Info Online” will show where to get the best information on destinations, transportation, ticket options, saving money, and more. For more information, contact the Eugene Public Library at 541-682-5450 or www.eugene-or.gov/library. Community Forum Looks at Plans to Improve South Willamette Street The first community forum for the South Willamette Street improvement plan will be held Tuesday, Nov. 13, from 6 to 8 p.m. in the Roosevelt Middle School Cafeteria, 680 East 24 Avenue. th Everyone who drives, walks, bikes, takes the bus, lives or shops on South Willamette Street, is invited to attend the first major public event on this project. The meeting will discuss project goals, share the results of traffic studies conducted this fall, and explore alternatives for future improvements to the design and condition of Willamette Street between 24th and 32nd avenues. Meeting participants will discuss how they currently use the street and identify their priorities for improving this important corridor. The goal of this study is to help South Willamette Street become a vibrant urban corridor accessible by bicycle, foot, car, and bus. Today, Willamette Street is heavily used to reach many popular destinations, yet it is uninviting to pedestrians, bicyclists, transit riders and motorists alike. For years, many residents and business owners have shared complaints about the poor conditions on Willamette Street for walking and biking and the need to do something about it. Over the next 13 months, the South Willamette Street improvement plan will develop a complete street design plan for an active transportation corridor (providing for walking, biking, transit access, motoring and business access) that can be adopted and advanced as a capital improvement project for construction. The South Willamette Street improvement plan is being managed by the City of Eugene and is funded with a grant from the Transportation and Growth Management program of the Oregon Department of Transportation. The City and ODOT have contracted with a consultant team led by DKS Associates, which includes Cogito, locally based specialists who coordinate public involvement. The plan aims to support existing businesses and the commercial district’s vitality; create a balanced multi-modal transportation system; further City planning efforts to identify compact growth and redevelopment opportunities; and foster a well-informed and involved community supportive of the plan. For more information about the South Willamette Street improvement plan, contact Transportation Planning Engineer Chris Henry at 541-682-8472 or chris.c.henry@ci.eugene.or.us, or visit the project website at www.eugene- or.gov/SWillametteStreet. 2012 Eugene Green Home & Garden Tour a Success On Sunday, Sept. 16, a beautiful late summer day greeted participants in the fourth annual BRING Home and Garden Tour. This was the second year the City of Eugene partnered with BRING and the Eugene Water & Electric Board (EWEB) to inspire and educate the community on sustainable living strategies. EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 2 November 8, 2012 The theme, “Thinking Small to Save Big,” reflected the tour’s emphasis on making the most of small spaces. Tour-goers got a first-hand view of living on an efficient scale, including a tiny house on wheels, creative remodels, quality second units and new homes incorporating the latest in energy efficiency strategies. Approximately 700 attendees visited the 14 homes and gardens on the tour and spoke with homeowners and building professionals about sustainable home and garden strategies, including ultra-low energy use, active and passive solar, aging-in-place, rainwater harvesting, reuse of materials and water-wise landscaping. As one tour-goer put it, “I thoroughly enjoyed the day. The tour was amazing in so many ways: the turnout, the homes, the volunteers, the sponsors, the workshops and added information booths, the brochure and even the weather! Thanks for bringing such a delightful event to our community.” Ideas for homes to feature on next year’s tour may be submitted to Jenna Garmon at jenna.r.garmon@ci.eugene.or.us or 541-682-5541. (sub)Urban Projections Festival to Brighten Downtown For the second year, a team of graduate students from the Arts Administration Program at the University of Oregon are collaborating with Cultural Services to brighten downtown Eugene during the dark days of November with a (sub)Urban Projections Festival. The projections will infuse vibrancy in a medium that is not typically seen in the metro area while championing emerging artists. Details about the upcoming events are listed below. Saturday, Nov. 10, 7 - 9 p.m. MECCA, 449 Willamette, next to Amtrak and Oregon Electric Station (sub)Urban Projections: Jonathan Wu & Eugene Contemporary Chamber Ensemble Digital artist Jonathan Wu and the Eugene Contemporary Chamber Ensemble will collaborate on a string quartet instrumentation under the direction of Andrew Stiefel. Under the guidance of technology teacher Eric Schiff, students at Cal Young Middle School will be showcasing some of their work at (sub)Urban Projections this year. Much of their work will be digital videos ranging in subject matter from events in their own lives, school related issues, and beyond. Wednesday, Nov 14, 7 - 9 p.m. Top of Hult Center Parking Garage, 6 and Olive th (sub)Urban Projections: Harmonic Laboratory The Hult Center Parking Garage will light up with a fusion of dance and projection art. For more information, contact Isaac Marquez at Isaac.r.marquez@ci.eugene.or.us or 541-682-2057. EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 3 November 8, 2012