HomeMy WebLinkAbout12/06/12 - 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
December 6, 2012
IN THIS EDITION
SOCIAL SERVICE AGENCIES BENEFIT FROM GENEROUS GIVING
CITY OF EUGENE’S GREENHOUSE GAS ASSESSMENT USED IN OREGON STUDY
KID-SIZE “NUTCRACKER” AT EUGENE PUBLIC LIBRARY
EMPLOYEES PLANT TREES IN HONOR OF EUGENE’S BIRTHDAY
SOLARIZE EUGENE PROGRAM A SUCCESS
MORE THAN 215 ACRES BENEFIT FROM PARTNERSHIPS IN WEST EUGENE WETLANDS
CULTURAL SERVICES OFFERS “SURVIVAL SKILLS FOR ARTISTS” CLASS
WASTE PREVENTION AND GREEN BUILDING PROGRAM BUSTS TRASH
BLOG SEES HILYARD CENTER AS “ENHANCING THE QUALITY OF LIFE”
2012 EUGENE SUNDAY STREETS FINAL REPORT AVAILABLE ONLINE
AROUND THE CITY
Social Service Agencies Benefit from Generous Giving
After an amazing outpouring of support, thousands of items were donated to community service agencies last Thursday,
Nov. 29, to help the homeless community in the area stay warm this winter.
Eugene Police Officers, organized by Officer Randy Ellis and
bolstered by donations from many City departments, along with
community contributions, were overwhelmed by the generosity of
the community. The West University Substation was bursting at the
seams with donations of clothing, shoes, socks, blankets, sleeping
bags, and personal items. Many of the items were donated while
some were purchased through the substantial monetary donations
received. When the dust settled, more than $7,000 was raised,
including a hefty matching donation from a community member.
The funds will be used for the purchase of items to supplement the
many donations.
Agencies including Sponsors, Whitebird, The Eugene Mission,
Helping Hands and First Christian Church came to the West University Station to receive the mountain of supplies that
have been collected, including more than 100 sleeping bags, bags of jeans, dozens of warm boots and socks. All of the
agencies noted an increase in requests for services so far this season and extended their gratitude to those who contributed
to help a vulnerable population of the community during these extra difficult cold weather months.
For additional information, Officer Ellis can be reached at Randy.R.Ellis@ci.eugene.or.us
City of Eugene’s Greenhouse Gas Assessment Used in Oregon Study
City of Eugene staff recently partnered with the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) to better understand
the accuracy of City estimates of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with the purchase of goods and services. Last
year, the City used the Economic Input-Output Life Cycle Assessment tool developed by Carnegie Mellon University to
estimate the upstream emissions associated with 2010 purchases as part of an update to the City’s Internal Greenhouse
Gas Inventory. DEQ ran the City’s results through its own consumption-based model and the results concurred. The
analysis lends credence to the reliability of both models and reaffirms the City’s previous findings.
EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 1
December 6, 2012
According to DEQ, “Until recently, [GHG] inventories have typically not quantified emissions associated with purchased
goods and services. Recent research – including groundbreaking work by the City of Eugene – suggest that these emissions
may in fact well exceed emissions associated with municipal use of energy and power, the historic focus of most municipal
operations inventories.” In the City inventory, the estimated upstream emissions associated with purchases was 26,300 MT
COe (metric tons carbon dioxide equivalent), more than the emissions from consumption of electricity, natural gas, and
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transportation fuel which totaled 16,700 MT COe.
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DEQ’s report of the analysis serves as a resource to leaders in the GHG inventory field and may encourage and facilitate
other Oregon agencies in selecting a path for conducting their own embodied emission inventories. The City’s inventory
informs ongoing work to increase more sustainable purchasing and reduce the organization’s carbon footprint as directed
in the Eugene Community Climate and Energy Action Plan. For more information, contact Purchasing Analyst Heather
Nelson at heather.k.nelson@ci.eugene.or.us or 541-682-5056.
Kid-Size “Nutcracker” at Eugene Public Library
The Downtown Eugene Public Library will host a performance of The Nutcracker: Short &
Suite, the Eugene Youth Ballet’s child-size version of the seasonal classic, on Wednesday,
Dec. 12, at 4 p.m. Admission is free.
This annual show is perfect for kids and family; everyone is welcome. Travel the globe with
these dancers and dream of sugarplums all night!
For more information, please contact the Eugene Public Library at 541-682-8316 or
www.eugene-or.gov/library.
Employees Plant Trees in Honor of Eugene’s Birthday
To honor Eugene’s 150 birthday, City of Eugene employees wanted to give back to the community with a legacy project of
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lasting value. On a recent rain-soaked Saturday, more than 60 City employees and their families joined the Eugene Park
Stewards to scalp sod, dig holes, plant and mulch 150 native trees along the Willamette River near Maurie Jacobs Park. It
was an interdepartmental, intergenerational, hard-working group. All 150 trees were expertly planted in a few hours...
during an unexpected break in the rain just before it really
poured!
Parks and Open Space staff and the Eugene Park Stewards did a
great job of organizing the volunteer work party, as they do with
similar projects throughout the year in the area’s parks and
natural areas.
This was a fitting project for City employees to contribute to in
honor of the community’s 150 birthday. The effort is part of
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restoration plans for the Willamette River riparian area and over
time will transform the high-maintenance, low-use, grassy area
into a native, wooded area that is lower maintenance and a
healthier, more natural river’s edge. Once the trees have developed
a canopy, under-story shrubs and wildflowers will be planted to
City employee volunteers get tree-planting instructions.
complete the conversion.
The project will improve habitat for salmon and other species which call the Willamette River corridor their home. It will
be fun to watch the transformation over time especially for the employees’ children who will get to enjoy those trees for
many years to come!
For more information, contact Community Relations Director Jan Bohman at 541-682-5587.
Solarize Eugene Program a Success
Solarize Eugene helped 60 households install renewable energy systems in 2012, and increased awareness of the value of
solar energy and energy efficiency. Solarize Eugene was a project of The Resource Innovation Group (TRIG) funded by a
Eugene Water & Electric Board (EWEB) Greenpower Grant. The City of Eugene partnered with TRIG and EWEB by helping
to promote the program, streamlining the permitting process and offering a discount on permit fees for the first 20 projects
in the door.
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December 6, 2012
Wetlands
Solarize combined a bulk purchase program with extensive education and marketing to make solar energy more accessible
and affordable. A total of 325 people attended the eight Solarize workshops, with
262 households ultimately signing up to participate. By reducing the cost and
complexity of solar installations, Solarize Eugene helped residents overcome the
traditional barriers to going solar.
Solarize Eugene also helped support the local economy. Instead of the traditional
Solarize model of awarding the equipment installation contract to one company,
Solarize Eugene gave preference to collaboration among installers, resulting in a
coalition of five local solar companies winning the contract. As a result, the
economic benefits derived from installing nearly $2 million worth of equipment
flowed to multiple local businesses. In addition, most of the solar panels installed
were produced by SolarWorld in Oregon. Solarize Eugene also spurred local job
creation.
"There is a lot of talk about the need for creation of local green jobs, but Solarize
Eugene is actually creating these jobs – including at least one new position at my
solar installation business," says Newt Loken of Solar Assist, a participating
contractor.
EWEB expects at least 35 more customers to move forward with a solar project when the 2013 solar electric incentive
funds become available in January. To learn more about EWEB’s renewable energy and energy efficiency programs, call
541-685-7000 or visit www.eweb.org/energy.
To learn more about solar permitting, please contact Jenna Garmon at 541-682-5541 or jenna.r.garmon@ci.eugene.or.us.
More than 215 Acres Benefit from Partnerships in West Eugene Wetlands
November marks the close of another successful season of restoration and habitat improvement in the West Eugene
Wetlands. In 2012, more than 1,400 pounds of 60 different native seed varieties were collected or grown and distributed
on over 215 acres of wild land in the west Eugene area.
The City has been partnering with the Bureau of Land
Management (BLM) and The Nature Conservancy (TNC) for
more than a decade to provide locally sourced, native seed and
plants for prairie and wetland restorations in the Eugene area.
Together, the partners leverage each other’s strengths to more
effectively achieve restoration goals:
The City coordinates and manages the seed production
program, including contracts with nurseries that provide
large amounts of native seed, and supervises seasonal staff;
BLM funds seed production at a federal facility that has
native plant propagation expertise and provides additional
funding for seed collection and supplies;
TNC shares the costs of propagation and assists with seed
City’s Coyote Prairie restoration site in the West Eugene
collection and technical expertise.
Restoring diverse wetland plant communities is important not only for its landscape-scale effects, such as reducing erosion
and providing flood control, but also to support an abundance of wildlife, including meadowlarks, short-eared owls, long-
toed salamanders, and rare butterflies. In fact, the local program has been so successful that others now hope to replicate it
on a Willamette Valley-wide scale.
For more information, contact Wetland Ecologist Diane Steeck at diane.m.steeck@ci.eugene.or.us or 541-682-4927.
Cultural Services Offers “Survival Skills for Artists” Class
Many artists spend hours learning the craft of their art, but are never taught how to navigate the business side of art. Art
Survival Skills is a course geared toward visual artists who are seeking the tools to move their art into the professional art
arena. The course will cover many of the practical tools and business skills that artists need to navigate the art market and
expose their work to the public.
EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 3
December 6, 2012
The 10-week course is offered by the City of Eugene’s Cultural Services Division in cooperation with Lane Community
College and will cover topics such as how to document artwork; basic Photoshop skills; designing and making business
cards, postcards and other print materials; blogs, websites and online stores; approaching and working with galleries;
entering and participating in art fairs and festivals, and considerations for operating a professional art practice. Course
instructor, Dan Schmitt, is a successful ceramic artist living in Eugene who exhibits his work regionally and nationally in
several prominent museum collections, including the National Museum of American Art and the Luce Center at the
Smithsonian. Schmitt has been an adjunct assistant professor of ceramics and design at the University of Oregon and
currently teaches at Lane Community College.
The class will begin meeting on Jan. 8, 2013, in The Studio at the Hult Center and continue to meet on Tuesday evenings
from 6 - 9 p.m. Tuition is $125/person and registration is available through the Hult Center’s Ticket Office (Monday –
Friday 12 – 5 p.m. and Saturday, 11 a.m. - 3 p.m.). For more information, contact Public Art Manager Isaac Marquez at 541-
682-2057 or isaac.r.marquez@ci.eugene.or.us
Waste Prevention and Green Building Program Busts Trash
This year, the City’s Waste Prevention and Green Building (WPGB) program was recognized as the Government Agency
“Trashbuster” for 2012 by Lane County’s Waste Management program.
According to the County, “This program has demonstrated consistent leadership
and commitment to waste reduction, reuse, and prevention in the operation of their
public services. The City's Green Building Incentive program promotes waste
reduction in private construction projects by providing permit fee reductions,
technical assistance, priority review and inspections, and publicity to construction
projects that meet a series of waste reduction standards; so far 20 projects have met
these rigorous standards. The City's Love Food Not Waste commercial compost
program has 95 participants, and has diverted over 1,000 tons of food waste in its
first year.
The City's leadership in this year’s Track Town '12 sustainability effort carried our
local event to the national level, piloting the first ever certification for multi-day
event category. The Olympic Track and Field Trials exceeded its goal by diverting over 78 percent of discard from the
landfill and back into the economy. The City's long time cooperation with nonprofits, and commitment to composting,
raises all boats for the sustainability of our community—creating access, resources, education and enthusiasm for turning
garbage in to gardens that feed our community—schools, individuals, and local businesses alike.”
For more information, contact Stephanie Scafa at stephanie.scafa@ci.eugene.or.us or 541-682-5652.
Blog Sees Hilyard as “Enhancing the Quality of Life”
“
They work hard, laugh, and cheer each other on. Every Monday at 4.30, the motto is ‘Fitness for all’ at Hilyard Community
Center....” So starts a blog post by Jana "Rabea" Stueckemann, who wrote about the City’s Adaptive Recreation Program for
a class at the University of Oregon. She says many people with disabilities have found a safe
haven in Eugene, which she calls, “a community that not only tolerates, but demands help
for people with disabilities.” And, she notes, “…the Adaptive Recreation Program is a role
model on a nationwide scale” that offers more than 2,500 activities annually.
In her blog post, Stueckemann explains that for the majority of the 800 individuals with
cognitive, emotional, mental, social, and physical disabilities it serves, the Adaptive
Recreation Program at the Hilyard Center is the only social outlet. “The center functions as
a second home, where instructors and patrons form equal members of a big family.
Participants visit voluntarily, not only to engage in fitness and health classes but to fight
loneliness.”
She recalls her conversation with Richard Miesen. “He is a developmentally delayed
individual who visits the center several times a week. Besides many friends he has also found his girlfriend at Hilyard. It is
the only place where he can feel good about himself,” she writes. At the end of the blog, Stueckemann writes again about
the fitness class. “As the class winds down…there is laughing, clapping and cheering everywhere. ‘Did you smile?’ the
instructor asks. The participants agree and embrace each other.”
Read Stueckemann’s entire blog post. For more information, contact Andy Fernandez at 541-682-5311.
EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 4
December 6, 2012
2012 Eugene Sunday Streets Final Report Available Online
The 2012 Eugene Sunday Streets final report is now available online. An
estimated 3,000 participants attended the 2012 event, an increase of 1,000
over the first Eugene Sunday Streets event in 2011. The City of Eugene
Transportation Planning Team raised over $16,000 in business
sponsorships, individual donations, vendor fees, and in-kind services and
products to support the 2012 event. In 2013, the Transportation Planning
team will host two Sunday Streets events. A grant will be used to support a
Sunday Streets event in the Bethel neighborhood, and a funding model
similar to the one used in 2012 will be used to fund a second event.
For more information, visit www.eugenesundaystreets.org or contact
Transportation Options Coordinator Lindsay Selser at sundaystreets@ci.eugene.or.us or 541-682-5094.
EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 5
December 6, 2012