HomeMy WebLinkAbout8/15/13 - 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
August 15, 2013
IN THIS EDITION
COMING UP: CHANGES TO BETHEL AND SHELDON LIBRARY BRANCH HOURS
EUGENE POLICE DEPARTMENT UNVEILS NEW PATROL VEHICLES
UNUSED PLAYGROUND BECOMES MUCH-NEEDED BIKE SHELTER
ADAPTIVE SPORT PROJECT EMPOWERS VETERANS AND ENCOURAGES HEALTHY LIFESTYLES
HARVEST SET FOR POPLAR TREES
SUMMER IN THE CITY—DOWNTOWN: ART ALFRESCO AND PLEIN AIR SHOWCASE
AROUND THE CITY
Coming Up: Changes to Bethel and Sheldon Library Branch Hours
Based on public input and an analysis of patterns of use, the Eugene Public Library will adjust the hours of the Bethel and
Sheldon branches starting Sept. 1. Each branch will be open the same number of hours as before on a new schedule to best
use tax dollars to meet community needs.
Starting Sept. 1, the Bethel and Sheldon Branches will be open Tuesday, 2 – 8 p.m.;
Wednesday and Thursday, 2 – 6 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.; and
closed Sunday and Monday.
Among other benefits, the adjusted schedule will offer evening hours on Tuesdays,
and will allow Family Storytime at each branch to return to 10:15 a.m. on Fridays.
For more information, visit www.eugene-or.gov/library or call the Eugene Public
Library at 541-682-5450.
Eugene Police Department Unveils New Patrol Vehicles
Because Ford no longer manufactures the Crown Victoria sedan, and the current Eugene Police Department (EPD) vehicles
of this make are nearing the lifespan at which they should be retired, EPD has spent two years testing patrol vehicles
presently on the market. EPD displayed each of the four tested
vehicles on Aug. 6, to show the media the differences between each.
The Police Department plans to purchase new, fuel-efficient patrol
cars that are expected to save 35 percent on fuel compared to the
older Crown Victoria models. The new model, the Ford Interceptor
SUV, was tested along with five other vehicle models and scored
highest operationally and on fuel efficiency. The Interceptor SUV
has a low profile and the capacity for the technology and patrol
equipment needed by officers. This year, EPD will purchase 23 of
the new vehicles with a total replacement of the fleet expected by
2018. Once the fleet replacement is complete, fuel cost savings are
estimated at more than $150,000 per year.
Media was given the opportunity to view the basic models tested and to get information about the replacement selection
process. The video link to the informational viewing of the new Ford SUV can be found on the Eugene Police website
at New Patrol Vehicles. For more information, contact Public Information Coordinator John Hankemeier at 541-682-5197.
EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 1
August 15, 2013
Unused Playground Becomes Much-Needed Bike Shelter
Earlier this summer, Eugene Park Steward volunteers including local skaters, McKenzie Commercial, the Rotary Club of
Eugene, and the Eugene Parks Foundation were the first to break ground for the new skatepark at Washington Jefferson
Park.
More than 30 volunteers carefully dismantled and removed the 40-year-old play
structure to make way for the new 1.2-acre skatepark, currently under construction.
The well-preserved timbers were repurposed by McKenzie Commercial into a
donated bike storage shelter at the Highway 99 Shelter Care. The timbers have
settled nicely into their new home and continue to serve the community. The shelter
is now complete and looks incredible. A huge amount of thanks is due for the
ingenuity, teamwork and resourcefulness of the Eugene Park Stewards!
For more information, contact Eugene Park Stewards West Region Coordinator
Lorna Baldwin at 541-682-4845 or lorna.j.baldwin@ci.eugene.or.us.
Adaptive Sport Project Empowers Veterans and Encourages Healthy Lifestyles
The Eugene Parks Foundation in collaboration with Adaptive Recreation Services has developed the "Veteran Adapted
Sport Project." This project will help provide funding for injured, ill and disabled veterans to engage in adaptive sports all
year long and will encourage veterans to stay active and live a
healthy lifestyle.
At Adaptive Recreation, the goal is to provide as many
recreational sport opportunities as possible. For many injured
veterans, sports and activities are an integral component of
rehabilitation and recovery. Veterans that participate in
adapted sports overcome perceived limitations and
boundaries and can exceed their own expectations. The
activity and accomplishment fosters a sense of pride and self-
esteem that carries over to participants’ daily lives, and
encourages reasonable risk taking which empowers them to
challenge themselves, and much more.
The Eugene Parks Foundation is now accepting donations to
send eight disabled veterans to San Diego for the National
Veterans Summer Sports Clinic this Sept. 15 -20. All donations are tax-deductible. For more information about the project,
visit www.eugeneparksfoundation.org/partnersVeterans.htm or contact Patty Prather at patty.l.prather@ci.eugene.or.us.
Harvest Set for Poplar Trees
The Metropolitan Wastewater Management Commission (MWMC), a partnership between Lane County and the Cities of
Eugene and Springfield, grows hundreds of acres of poplar trees. The trees are grown as an agriculture crop using recycled
water and biosolids, a nutrient-rich byproduct of the regional wastewater treatment processes.
The MWMC has entered into a contract with Lane Forest Products to harvest a 52-acre portion of the Biocycle Farm,
MWMC’s poplar plantation. As an agricultural crop, the first management unit (156 acres) must be harvested by the fall of
2015. This first, smaller harvest will help the MWMC test the market for poplar wood products and evaluate the process
prior to harvesting the remaining 104 acres of management unit one.
Lane Forest Products is scheduled to begin work the week of Aug. 19 and will work through the fall. The on-site work
hours are 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.; however, harvesting operations are limited to 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. The trees will be removed,
including root wad, and will be chipped on-site, or hauled to a different location prior to chipping. The site will be left
readied for planting at a later time.
For additional information, view an online flier or contact Public Works Wastewater Division Director Michelle Cahill at
541-682-8606.
EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 2
August 15, 2013
Summer in the City—Downtown: Art Alfresco and Plein Air Showcase
Summer in the City-Downtown brings color and paint to the Park Blocks and Kesey Square with the summer arts festival,
Create! Eugene. Plein Air Workshops and a Paint Out Competition are taking place Aug. 15 – 25 at locations in and around
Eugene. Painters specializing in various forms and mediums are offering a series of workshops designed to educate and
engage artists of all skill levels.
As part of the City of Eugene’s Summer in the City event series, a special
evening will be dedicated to the Create! Eugene Plein Air Paint Out and
Competition. On Wednesday, Aug. 21, artists will be painting in the Park
Blocks and providing free demonstrations of Plein Air techniques. In
the evening, beginning at 5:30 p.m., artworks for the Plein Air Paint Out
Competition will be on display in Kesey Square. People are encouraged
to meet the artists and watch Plein Air painting demonstrations. Kids
can make and take home projects created at a do-it-yourself art station. The event will feature live music by Soul Jazz and a
wine bar. At 8:30 p.m., winners will be announced and prizes awarded for the Plein Air Paint Out Competition.
Entries from the Plein Air Paint Out Competition will be on display at the DIVA Gallery in downtown Eugene from Aug. 23 -
31. The reception will be held on Friday, Aug. 23, from 5 to 8 p.m. The art show will be open during regular gallery hours.
DIVA is located at 280 West Broadway.
Create! Eugene is a project of the Arts and Business Alliance of Eugene (ABAE), proudly supported by the City of Eugene
and Cultural Services Division.
For information about the Plein Air activities and Create! Eugene events, visit www.CreateEugene.org. For Summer in the
City information, please contact Cultural Services and Hult Center Marketing & Public Relations Manager Libby Tower at
541-682-8380.
EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 3
August 15, 2013