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Home My WebLink About11/15/12 - 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 15, 2012 IN THIS EDITION NEW SWALES ELIMINATE DRYWELLS IN SHIRLEY AND ESCALANTE STREET NEIGHBORHOODS EUGENE RECEIVES SILVER SAFETY AWARD RAINWATER HARVESTING WORKSHOP A SUCCESS HULT CENTER CONTINUES 30 BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION WITH POST-IT WALL TH SAND MANDALA AT EUGENE PUBLIC LIBRARY THANKSGIVING LUNCHEON DRAWS A CROWD AROUND THE CITY New Swales Eliminate Drywells in Shirley and Escalante Street Neighborhoods The City’s first two drywell elimination pilot projects have been completed, and early rain storms indicate that the “green” replacement swales are working well. The goals of the drywell elimination program are to improve drainage and protect local water quality. Drywells are stormwater management facilities that collect stormwater runoff and direct it into the ground, as opposed to directing the stormwater to a piped system or waterway. Drywells historically have been used in areas where there is not an existing pipe network or waterways to receive and convey stormwater, and where soils are suitable for infiltration. The Shirley area project is located in Santa Clara and eliminated 16 drywells. A vegetated filtration and infiltration swale was constructed in Ferndale Park, an undeveloped City of Eugene park. A new stormwater piping system was constructed to convey the stormwater Escalante area swale from the 30-arce drainage area to the park. Public Works Engineering worked with Parks and Open Space staff and the local neighborhood group to incorporate the swale into the park and allow for future park development. This swale has become an amenity to the park and includes a gravel walking path along the top bank. The Escalante project is in the River Road area and eliminated five drywells. As with the Shirley project, a swale was designed and constructed for filtering and infiltrating area stormwater. A new stormwater piping system was constructed to convey the stormwater from the neighborhood to the swale as well as a piped overflow to Flat Creek. Public Works Engineering negotiated four easements and worked with neighborhood property owners to make the project possible. The drywell elimination program is funded by stormwater user fees and did not result in any direct costs to the affected neighborhoods. For more information about the pilot projects, contact Program Manager Ferndale Park swale Doug Singer at 541-682-8460. EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 1 November 15, 2012 Eugene Receives Silver Safety Award The City of Eugene has again been recognized by the League of Oregon Cities for excellence in its safety performance and low accident rates. The annual Safety Award Program was initiated by the league to stimulate participation in loss prevention programs. The Silver Safety Award, which the City has received each year since 2001, was awarded on Sept. 28, at the League of Oregon Cities Annual Conference in Salem. For more information, please contact Safety/Loss Control & Environmental Program Manager Craig Sorseth at 541-682-5762. Rainwater Harvesting Workshop a Success Last Saturday, Nov. 10, local residents learned how to harvest rainwater to water their gardens and reduce stormwater pollution. Taught by local expert Sarah Whitney, the workshop covered how to design a safe, attractive and effective system. After the presentation, participants viewed two rainwater harvesting systems installed at the Alton Baker Park Water Wise Garden. Rainwater harvesting is a strategy of capturing rain, storing it over time, and re-using it on-site. This decreases the volume and rate of stormwater runoff and associated water pollution, flooding and erosion. Rainwater harvesting also reduces the amount of water taken from the McKenzie watershed that is then treated and pumped to homes for uses such as irrigation, that don’t require treated drinking water. This workshop is part of a series associated with the Alton Baker Park Water Wise Demonstration Garden, the result of a partnership between the City, Eugene Water & Electric Board, Nearby Nature, LandCurrent Landscape Architecture and Schirmer Satre Group. The garden showcases strategies to reduce water use and capture and treat stormwater, while creating a beautiful landscape. It features a water-saving landscape design, native, edible and low-water-use plants, an efficient sprinkler system, a rain garden, a bioswale and a 3,000-gallon rainwater cistern. Local television station KVAL covered the event. The workshop presentation is posted on the City’s website, and a video of the workshop will be available, thanks to Lane Community College. Future workshops will address sustainable garden design, raingardens, smart irrigation and plant selection and soil health. For more information, contact City of Eugene Green Building Analyst Jenna Garmon at 541-682-5541 or jenna.r.garmon@ci.eugene.or.us or www.eugene-or.gov/. Hult Center Continues 30 Birthday Celebration with Post-It Wall th Have a favorite memory of the Hult Center? Still savoring a magical moment? Come over to the Hult and post it! The Post-It Wall is a temporary artwork installed in the Hult Center Lobby as part of the center’s 30 birthday celebration and is th designed for the community to post their memories, experiences and wishes. The wall was opened for posts with a special reception for the Hult Center’s local presenters whose performances have graced the Hult’s stages over the past 30 years. The Hult wouldn’t be here without them. Over 40 representatives from these local arts organizations attended to post their pictures and well wishes on the wall. The hope is that by the end of the season the wall will be a-flutter with the memories, moments and magic of the community. The Post-It Wall is located just inside the 6 Avenue entrance; post-its and pens provided. th For more information, contact Events Manager Theresa Sizemore at 541- 682-5242 or theresa.j.sizemore@ci.eugene.or.us. Sand Mandala at Eugene Public Library The Monks of Drepung Loseling Phukhang Monastery, visiting from South India, will build a traditional Tibetan Buddhist Sand Mandala at the Downtown Eugene Public Library over the course of three days, starting Friday, Nov. 30, and ending Sunday, Dec. 2. Admission is open to all; drop-in, and free of charge. EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 2 November 15, 2012 The ancient art of creating sand mandalas is meant to inspire compassion and bring progress toward world peace. The Opening Ceremony on Friday, Nov. 30, at 10:30 a.m. will consecrate the site with approximately 30 minutes of chanting, music and mantra recitation. On Friday, Nov. 30, Saturday, Dec. 1, and Sunday, Dec. 2, the monks will draw the lines for the design, then skillfully pour millions of grains of brightly-colored sand from a funnel-shaped metal tool known as a “Chakpur” to create an astonishingly detailed work of art. The Downtown Library is open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on those days. During the Closing Ceremony on Sunday, Dec. 2, at 4 p.m., the monks will dismantle the mandala, sweeping up the colored sand “to symbolize the impermanence of all phenomena, teaching that everything that exists has a beginning, middle, and an end.” For a sense of this extraordinary experience, view CNN’s time-lapse video of the monks creating a sand mandala at Emory University. For more information, contact the Eugene Public Library at 541-682-5450 or www.eugene-or.gov/library. Thanksgiving Luncheon Draws a Crowd Nearly 100 seniors are coming to the Thanksgiving Day luncheon at the Campbell Community Center on Nov. 21, from 11:30 a.m. -1 p.m. The meal of turkey and all the trimmings is an annual event and more popular than ever. In addition to a holiday meal, the event also includes companionship, which is so important at this time of year. To feed the crowd, staff at Campbell Center will cook five turkeys in at least four different facilities. The meal will include about 40 pounds of mashed potatoes, and for dessert, 16 pies. A team of 12 volunteers will put in about 40 hours cooking, serving, and cleaning up. There is still room for a few more attendees. Register online at www.eugene-or.gov/recenroll. For more information, call Tom Powers at 541-682-5318. EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 3 November 15, 2012