SEN Land Use Report for May

We explored how we could help each other do projects involving land use.

1.Kristin wanted to let the city know that it was unreasonable for home owners to pay $5000 for a rain garden if they expanded their structure by 1000 ft- especially if they had a big yard for run off.
We suggested going to a city council meeting where they permit public feedback about anything and also to talk to Matt Keating.
2. Alden wanted sidewalks to be installed on southern Willamette street so a person could walk to Spencer’s Butte via ridgeline trail. We suggested talking to the assistant director of Move Eugene.
3. Emily was interested in protecting C2 areas in SEN neighborhood- areas bordering C1-commercial areas. Aiden sent her information on this topic.

May SEN Transportation Report

The Transportation Committee meets on Zoom on the 1st and 3rd Wednesdays of the month at 1:00-2:00 pm and the 4th Thursday of the month at 7:00, as needed.

Eugene Parks and Open Space – June 2023 Newsletter

https://us10.campaign-archive.com/?u=6e8bb448f5dab8671ba5aedce&id=7573634190

Friends of Tugman – May 2023 Report

The Friends of Tugman (aka The Tuggers) typically meet every other Wednesday from 10:00 am – 12 noon somewhere in Tugman Park. Exact time and park location is dependent on weather conditions and current project.

• We held three volunteer work events in May:  5/3, 5/17 & 5/31
• May 3^rd highlights:  weeding of the plaque circle bed and adjacent areas in the park’s north end; trash pick-up park-wide
• May 17^th highlights: weeding of the picnic shelter and restroom area beds; trash pick-up park-wide; participation in the SEN Gardening Get-Together (social and plant/seed exchange) in the early afternoon at Tugman
• May 31^st highlights: weeding of the basketball court bed; finalization of plans/projects for the Springtime Spruce Up volunteer work event on Saturday, June 3^rd from 10 am – 12 noon; assisted in the bark chip/mulch delivery from P&OS
• Following the 5/31 work event, we met with Kelsey Irvine (P&OS) to discuss:
  1. Removal of the dead Douglas Fir tree in the north end with hopeful retention of a snag for wildlife benefit. Kelsey agreed to move this request forward with pertinent P&OS (and possibly Urban Forestry) personnel, including arborist(s).
  2. Status of our proposed Fawn Lily Rise (south slope of the park) native tree and shrub planting project with hopeful inclusion in the P&OS tree budget for late 2023. Kelsey is still working on getting approval for this proposal.
  3. Status of our request to list our Tugman restoration work with the non-profit organization Homegrown National Park (https://homegrownnationalpark.org/). Kelsey has not yet initiated approval of this request but agreed to move this forward once she identifies the appropriate P&OS personnel.
  4. Possibility of uncovering or installation of a water tap in the park’s north end in order to facilitate our watering efforts there for our newly planted native trees, shrubs, forbs and grasses. This doesn’t appear possible for 2023 so we are planning to irrigate this portion of the park utilizing Amazon Creek with bucket brigades.
  5. Initial thoughts as to how we Tuggers can contribute to any possible mitigation and restoration efforts at Tugman that may come about due to the demise of ash tree species from the Emerald Ash borer insect. This is a very complex issue but we all agreed to keep in contact and to further explore what can be done at Tugman, including the planting of other tree species in the near term to replace possibly affected ash trees.
  6. The use of P&OS electric powered weed whackers for our 6/14 event whereby we plan to weed and water the young native oak trees along the Fawn Lily Rise trail.

• Periodic watering of our native plant beds park-wide has started and will continue summer-long as needed.
• Park Watch (https://www.eugene-or.gov/2411/Park-Watch—Report-A-Safety-Issue) request postings have been made recently regarding graffiti activity in the park’s north end.
• In an effort to grow our volunteer ranks and to be even more productive in our efforts at Tugman, we are hosting a Springtime Spruce Up volunteer work event on Saturday, June 3^rd from 10 am – 12 noon. Hopefully, we’ll get some new passionate volunteers to help us in our beautification and restoration endeavors at the park. A notification of this Saturday 6/3 volunteer work event has been included in our May SEN digital mailing and more recently on the SEN Facebook page.
• Our regularly scheduled bi-weekly Wednesday volunteer work events for June 2023 are:  6/14 & 6/28 (10:00 am – 12 noon).

Ready Southeast committee report         04/30/23

The Steering Committee has met twice now to discuss the details of our May 20 exercise. This training event will not only be an opportunity to practice, it will also allow us to test our plans for and capabilities in responding to an earthquake.

Organized groups of neighbors knowing one another’s skills and resources are the foundation of our program and our ability to support and care for one another until outside help arrives. Our communications network will enable us to convey information about identified hazards, injuries, and damage to infrastructure. In the event of a disaster we will ideally be able to direct neighborhood based support to where it is needed prior to the arrival of professional first responders.

Our objectives for the exercise are:

• To demonstrate our commitment to support and care for one another until outside help arrives
• To reinforce teamwork and practice the response efforts (the Nine Steps) of nearby neighbors and volunteers neighborhood-wide
• To clarify the roles and responsibilities of our volunteers and participating CERTS
• To identify needed emergency supplies in the response effort and determine and list additional supplies needed
• To develop and transmit concise and accurate messages identifying injuries and hazards

On the day of the exercise organized groups of nearby neighbors will initiate their response efforts as identified in the Nine Steps of the MYN program. A few neighbors will post a HELP sign and craft a story describing an injury to a family member, concerns with the stability of their home, or a possible gas leak.  Nearby neighbors will meet at their gathering site and in teams of two survey their block. When they find the HELP signs they’ll knock on the door to enquire about the need for assistance.

Once all the homes of nearby neighbors have been checked for signs the teams will return to their gathering site and share what they’ve learned. The volunteer who remained at the gathering site to serve as their group’s communication lead will determine the urgency of the information and transmit any “Urgent” message to their Area Coordinator. If the AC is at the gathering site this information can be immediately transmitted with their commercial radio to the ham radio volunteer serving as Net Control for the exercise.

Once the participating Block Captains have completed this first part of the exercise with their nearby neighbors they will gather at their area’s supplies box. Inside the box will be an envelope with information for the remainder of the exercise. A situation within a few blocks will be identified that requires immediate attention. The group will divide into two teams. One to determine what supplies should be taken to the situation and what skills are needed to best address the problem. The other team should assist the AC in developing a message to transmit to Net Control. In the envelope there will be three pictures one of which depicts an urgent situation and two others, either priority or routine. The AC will transmit a message to our Net Control based on the urgent picture. While the AC is conveying this message the rest of the volunteers will review the contents of the supplies box and make a list of items they think should be added to the supplies.

This information, along with any thoughts about the exercise will be shared at the online debriefing on Sunday, May 21 at 7pm.

April SEN Transportation Committee Report

The Transportation Committee meets the first and third Wednesdays of the month at 1:00-2:00 pm via Zoom, and the 4th Thursday evening of the month as needed. The Committee continues to advocate for world-class community engagement between governmental agencies and neighborhoods and people, a transportation data clearinghouse for City, LTD data,  multipurpose revitalization of Amazon Station to improve regional transportation efficacy,free buses, and a safety-first, equitable transportation network accessible to all.

Move EUG

Catherine Rohan from the transportation department will be at the May 9th SEN General Meeting to talk about Move EUG.https://www.eugene-or.gov/5062/Move-EUG

Have transportation project ideas and safety concerns? Pin them on their interactive map found here. 

Spring Boulevard Bridge and Emergency Preparedness

Lucy has a letter in outline form ready regarding the Spring Boulevard response. The Committee feels it needs to collaborate with Ready Southeast (emergency preparedness) on transportation issues like evacuation routes designed to remain open after a seismic event and additional emergency egress routes (for example, downhill from Pine Canyon). Members would like the 4th Thursday evening meeting, May 25th, to invite Ready Southeast and other neighborhoods.

Linda has volunteered to be the communication bridge between Councilor Keating and the Transportation Committee and has reached out to Councilor Keating to encourage communication.

Neighborhood Sidewalk Cleanup

In May, the team will distribute the Google Form to sign up for sidewalk cleaning as well as volunteer sign up. It will go out on the digital newsletter for May. This will be announced as well at the May 9 General SEN Meeting. Barring big rain/snow/no sign ups, we were thinking of the morning of June 10th being sidewalk clearing day for this spring.

LTD

Jess will be diving into LTD’s proposed budget during the first week of May and attending the budget meeting as a committee person. The Budget meeting is Tuesday, May 2nd at 5:30 and the public is invited to make comments.

Linda attended the Future of Transportation event at the Knight Alumni Center in April and submitted notes to the committee with key takeaways. She is very encouraged by James Auten’s understanding of the need to create a system based on the needs of the public and extensive public engagement. The committee would like to invite James Auten to a SEN meeting.

City Club of Eugene hosted a meet the new general manager forum with James Auten, which can be seen here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oa1TD7KIeK4

May 17th is the next LTD Board of Directors meeting.

Speeding in the Neighborhood

The Transportation Committee will submit new speed radar requests to the SEN chairperson for Eugene Police Department as requests come in. Given the lack of enforcement resources at EPD and lack of speed reducing road design funding, the Transportation Committee will discuss and debate its support of House Bill 2095, which allows cities to introduce ticketing by speed radar.

Scooters in the Neighborhood

If you’ve wondered what the bright green and black scooters parked on sidewalks and junctions are, they are part of the Superpedestrian network of rentable electric scooters. Users can download the app onto a phone or tablet and locate any available scooter, as well as manage payments. Plans are available for low income riders. Scooters are not allowed to be ridden on sidewalks and helmet laws apply. Rules for riding the scooters are listed here: https://eugene-or.gov/DocumentCenter/View/69679/Scooter-FAQ?bidId=

For more information on the program, visit:

https://eugene-or.gov/4937/E-Scooters

Eugene Parks and Open Space – May 2023 Newsletter

https://us10.campaign-archive.com/?u=6e8bb448f5dab8671ba5aedce&id=60db494db7

SEN Hybrid Board Meeting Agenda, 7pm, May 2, 2023 

Hilyard Community Center, 2580 Hilyard St. & Zoom Link

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/88574713250 

Call to Order 

•As a reminder, this meeting will be recorded, personal audio and video arepermitted but only with prior disclosure to meeting attendees. Personal videoand audio recordings may not be reproduced in any form without informedconsent of the individuals represented ie: non-board members of theaudience.

•If a member of the online audience wishes to make public comment, pleaseraise a hand.

Public Comment (5 mins) 

Message from Co-Chairs: Request to Committee Chairs (5 mins) 

Consent Agenda (see additional documents) (<3 mins) 

1.Approve Past Meeting Minutes

2.Approve Final Draft By-Laws

3.Approve ESC informational items for digital distribution

Treasurer’s Report: Christina/Dennis (see email report) 

Committee Reports (see email reports unless otherwise noted below) 

•Disaster Preparedness – David Monk

•Transportation Committee – Jess

•Communications Committee/Website/FB—Dennis, Ela

•Land Use Committee—Emily/Kristen

•Tugman Park Volunteers—John Ostrom

•Environmental Stewardship Committee—Devon

Old Business: 

•Meet ‘n Greet Location/Sign-Up Update? (5 mins)

New Business: 

•SEN Mailchimp (5 mins)

•Overview of May Election Meeting (15 mins)

Adjourn

The Environmental Stewardship Committee (ESC) meets on the third Tuesday of each month at 10am Hideaway Bakery. The meeting was held on April 18^th and 5 people were in attendance.

We discussed:

• Gas Powered Leaf Blowers (GPLB)
• An educational article for SEN neighbors regarding GPLBs will be reviewed by the SEN Board in early May, in anticipation of it being broadcast to the neighborhood. This article is a result of the GPLB survey sent out earlier this year.
• Senate Bill 525 (at the state level) has been referred to the Joint Committee on Ways and Means. This bill directs the Environmental Quality Commission “to adopt standards prohibiting engine exhaust and evaporative emissions from new small nonroad engines beginning January 1, 2026, unless a later date is required by federal Clean Air Act.” Full information about the bill can be found here: https://olis.oregonlegislature.gov/liz/2023R1/Measures/Overview/SB525
• The City of Eugene Sustainability Commission put forth a proposal for a Gas-powered Leaf Blower Exploratory Committee at its most recent monthly meeting on April 19^th.
  • The Committee voted unanimously to create the GPLB Committee and is awaiting Council approval. 

• Monthly ESC educational pieces
• In line with the GPLB educational material coming out in May, future monthly environmental stewardship articles will be created and sent to the SEN Board for approval prior to dissemination to SEN neighbors.
  • Topics will include home composting, waterwise tips, ways to increase biodiversity in one’s yard, and how an idea becomes Oregon law.

• Plastics Reduction, locally and state-wide
• Current progress on state legislation on plastics reduction was briefly discussed. Two of the three bills (SBs 543 and 545) have now passed the House and are working their way to Oregon’s Governor.

Friends of Tugman – April 2023 Report

The Friends of Tugman (aka The Tuggers) typically meet every other Wednesday from 10:00 am – 12 noon somewhere in Tugman Park. Exact time and park location is dependent on weather conditions and current project.

• We held two volunteer work events in April:  4/5 & 4/19
• April 5^th highlights:  the ground preparation work for the north end natural area (adjacent to the plaque circle bed) restoration project was completed by tarping and fencing the area to be restored along with appropriate signage placement.
• April 19^th highlights: spring weeding was initiated in many of our natively planted beds and other areas throughout the park
•  P&OS notified us that an order of approximately 7 cubic yards of bark chip mulch was ordered for our use at Tugman in the near future. We’re not sure of the exact delivery date at this point. This is welcome news since there is a major shortage of mulch in the P&OS inventory.
• A new planting plan utilizing native trees and shrubs for the Fawn Lily Rise (south slope) section of Tugman Park has been submitted to P&OS for hopeful inclusion in their next planting season (late 2023) budget and approval process.
• I’ve inquired again as to any details related to the remaining 2018 bond/levy funds earmarked for Tugman Park. Specifically, I asked about the timing and process involving planning, design, and construction phases for Phase 2 of Tugman improvements utilizing the remaining bond/levy funds. 2027 is now listed as the completion date for Tugman Phase 2. P&OS agreed to look into this issue further.

• We’ve initiated communication with P&OS to list the restoration work we have been doing at Tugman with the non-profit organization Homegrown National Park (https://homegrownnationalpark.org/). HNP is a new organization promoting habitat restoration on private and public lands. It is the brainchild of Prof. Doug Tallamy, who has been advocating restoring habitat for many years.
• In an effort to grow our volunteer ranks and to be even more productive in our efforts at Tugman, we decided to stage a Springtime Spruce Up volunteer work event on Saturday, June 3^rd from 10 am – 12 noon. Hopefully, we’ll get some new passionate volunteers to help us in our beautification and restoration endeavors at the park. A notification of this Saturday 6/3 volunteer work event will be included in our upcoming (late April) SEN digital mailing (mail chimp) and on the SEN Facebook page.
• Our regularly scheduled bi-weekly Wednesday volunteer work events for May 2023 are:  5/3, 5/17, & 5/31 (10:00 am – 12 noon).