HomeMy WebLinkAbout10/03/13 - 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
October 3, 2013
IN THIS EDITION
GRANT WILL HELP IMPROVE RIDGELINE PARKS
FUTURE SANTA CLARA COMMUNITY PARK EXPANDS TO 35 ACRES
NEIGHBORHOOD MATCHING GRANT CYCLE OPENS
ADULT SERVICES HELPS LOW-INCOME SENIORS GET ENERGY ASSISTANCE
EPAF PROGRAM DEVELOPED FOR INTERNAL EFFICIENCIES
EUGENE PUBLIC LIBRARY: WE WANT YOUR OPINIONS!
HULT CENTER AND SHO ANNOUNCE PROGRAMMING CHANGE
AROUND THE CITY
Grant Will Help Improve Ridgeline Parks
The Parks and Open Space Division, in partnership with the Long Tom Watershed Council (LTWC), has been awarded a
$123,500 grant from the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board (OWEB) to reduce hazardous fuels and restore oak
habitat in two Ridgeline parks – Wild Iris Ridge and Murray Hill. This grant provides an excellent opportunity to leverage
existing City operating funds to bring
additional revenue to City parkland.
The grant will add $3 for every $1 invested
by the City. The City has pledged
approximately $41,000 in match money,
which includes some donations from
neighbors living near the natural areas. The
LTWC will also provide about $3,000 in
matching funds. The project will invest a
total of $167,000 toward reducing fuel loads
and improving habitat quality in the
Ridgeline, identified as high-priority efforts
in the City’s 2008 Wild Iris Ridge
Management Plan and the 2008 Ridgeline
Area Open Space Vision and Action Plan. The
grant is officially awarded to, and will be
administered by, the LTWC under a
partnership agreement with the City.
Reducing fuel loads minimizes the risk of wildfire and improves oak habitat in the
OWEB’s watershed restoration grant
Ridgeline
program provides state funds to improve
conditions in natural areas, rivers, and wetlands, to support its mission of protecting and restoring healthy watersheds and
natural habitats that support thriving communities and strong economies. The public-private partnership between the City
and the LTWC has successfully garnered three similar, prior grants from OWEB, bringing $147,000 to the City of Eugene’s
Ridgeline parks since 2006. The award of a fourth grant by OWEB demonstrates the high regard OWEB has for the City and
the LTWC, as well as the Rivers to Ridges Partnership. This project will make a significant, long-term contribution to the
ecological health of the Ridgeline, and improve the public’s opportunities to recreate and experience nature close to home.
Work is expected to begin in 2014.
For more information, please contact Restoration Ecologist Emily Steel at emily.c.steel@ci.eugene.or.us or 541-682-4874.
EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 1
October 3, 2013
Future Santa Clara Community Park Expands to 35 Acres
Following a 10-year effort that involved many twists and turns, the City last week purchased a key 16-acre addition to the
Santa Clara Community Park site. The newly acquired parcel is
immediately east of Madison Middle School at the corner of Wilkes Drive
and River Loop 1. Together with four previously acquired parcels that
front on River Loop 2, the total area of City-owned land for the future
community park is now 35 acres. The parcel was purchased for $375,000
and funded by the 2006 PROS Bond.
The site has been leased for farming uses for a number of years, and is
bordered on the east and west by small creek channels. The PROS Project
and Priority Plan (2006) calls for the site to ultimately be developed as a
community park with lighted ball fields. Funding to design, develop and
maintain a community park at this location has not been identified;
however, a donation of $600,000 associated with the acquisition of
Suzanne Arlie Park in 2011, was earmarked by the council to help fund the
future development. In the interim, the new parcel will be planted with
The newest 16-acre addition to Santa Clara
grass so that it can be efficiently maintained with periodic mowing.
Community Park
For more information, contact Parks Planning Manager Neil Björklund at 541-682-4909.
Neighborhood Matching Grant Cycle Opens
The City of Eugene Neighborhood Matching Grants cycle is now open with $30,000 available for neighborhood
improvement and community-building projects. Community involvement and building relationships are key components
and are encouraged by requiring that the project budget include a
match amount equal to, or greater than, the grant request.
Demonstrating responsible stewardship of community assets while
balancing the community’s social and environmental values are
additional components of any project proposal submitted.
Grant guidelines and application materials are available on the City’s
website at www.eugene-or.gov/matchinggrants, at the Permit and
Information Center located at 99 West 10, or by calling Cindy Clarke
th
at 541-682-5272.
All projects must undergo a pre-review by Nov. 1, 2013. This review for
consistency with grant guidelines and existing plans and policies of the
City and other partner agencies allows for the applicant to submit a
robust and complete application for this competitive process. Final
applications are due on Jan. 14, 2014. Awards will be announced in April 2014.
For more information about the Neighborhood Matching Grants Program, contact Cindy Clarke, Neighborhood Services,
541-682-5272 or cindy.j.clarke@ci.eugene.or.us.
Adult Services Helps Low-Income Seniors Get Energy Assistance
More than 500 low-income seniors called the Recreation Division’s Adult Services program on Oct. 1 to see if they qualify
for energy assistance. Each fall and winter, the staff at Campbell Center administer an energy assistance program for
Eugene Water & Electric Board (EWEB) utility customers who are 60 and older, and
on a limited income. If they qualify, they may apply for a one-time electricity
subsidy of $200.
Campbell Center Staff also administer the Low Income Home Energy Assistance
Program, (LIHEAP). This program, designed to help low-income households with
home heating costs is funded through the U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services. It is for low-income seniors 60 and over who are customers of other
utilities in Lane County. They may apply for a one-time subsidy of $150 - $500. To
find out if they qualify, seniors should call 541-682-5354 after 8:30 a.m., beginning
Nov. 1.
EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 2
October 3, 2013
Those who received LIHEAP assistance in 2012, do not need to call; an application will be mailed to them in November.
Those who have moved should call on or after Nov. 1. For more information, call Recreation Program Coordinator Dahlia
Garza at 541-682-5318.
ePAF Program Developed for Internal Efficiencies
In 2009, the City of Eugene embarked on an important software development project designed to automate the paper-
intensive process around Personnel Action Forms (PAFs). PAFs are processed every time there is a change made to an
employee’s payroll or job information. With over 1,400 regular, plus temporary employees, this process can become
inefficient and labor-intensive for staff who produce, review and process the data for entry into the master database,
PeopleSoft.
After nearly four years of dedicated and focused work by a cross-departmental team, including staff from Human
Resources, Information Services Division Corporate Team and Benefits and Payroll, this complex and sophisticated system
went “live” on Sept. 3. The results have been impressive. In the first two weeks of use, over 185 electronic PAFs were
produced with no serious challenges - since the ePAF system was doing exactly what it was designed to do! ePAF is
significantly reducing the City’s use of paper; plus, each PAF is now produced in a fraction of the time needed to produce a
manual PAF. The system completes most of the information on the form after entries are made in just a few fields and
includes an automated workflow for approvals. Staff report that incorrect PAFs have been reduced by more than 95
percent compared to using manual methods.
The rollout of this system was nearly seamless to the organization. Very few issues have been identified owing to the
design and in-depth testing by team members. It is a tribute to the work of the design and testing teams that many users
are describing the system as “intuitive and easy to use.” These are not words used often with a new technology system
rollout. ePAF is taking critical Human Resources, Benfits and Payroll processes to a new efficient and sustainable level.
Thanks are due to all who invested their time and innovation in this project.
For more information and resources connected to PAFs, see the ceshare ePAF resource site or contact Prudence Cannata,
Human Resources, at 541-682-8824.
Eugene Public Library: We Want Your Opinions!
The Eugene Public Library invites people of all ages to share their views in a brief,
anonymous survey in order to help Library staff make informed decisions that best serve
the community.
Complete the survey at the Library’s website www.eugene-or.gov/library or on computers
at all three Library locations: Downtown, Bethel, and Sheldon. The survey is offered in
English and Spanish. Paper copies are available in both languages by request.
For more information, ask at any Library service desk, visit www.eugene-or.gov/library, or
call the Eugene Public Library at 541-682-5450.
Hult Center and SHO Announce Programming Change
Due to a shift in program focus and funding, Support Hult Operations (SHO), the volunteer organization for the Hult Center
and presenter of the SHOcase Concert Series, has elected to discontinue the SHOcase series and commit resources towards
another program. The free series was formerly programmed on the first and third Thursday of each month, October
through May in the Hult Center Lobby.
In order to address some of the funding challenges area schools are facing with youth arts programming and participation,
SHO is committing resources towards enabling more area youth to attend educational offerings at the Hult Center. The
center is pleased to partner with SHO to provide further outreach to schools and area arts organizations, and to give
elementary through high school students the educational and unforgettable experience of live performing arts.
This program change complements SHO’s existing youth-oriented programs: Bus Safety Services which assists large
numbers of students in safely crossing the busy streets of downtown Eugene in order to attend Hult Center youth-
education events; and the Performing Arts Student of the Month program designed to recognize achievements of
performing arts students at the high school level.
For more information, contact Libby Tower, marketing and public relations manager, Hult Center for the Performing Arts,
at 541-682-8380 or libby.j.tower@ci.eugene.or.us.
EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 3
October 3, 2013