The Environmental Stewardship Committee (ESC) meets on the third Tuesday of each month at Hideaway Bakery. This month, the meeting was held on January 17th and included 10 attendees (a great turnout!). 

Two major items were discussed: 

1. How to approach reducing the use of gas-powered leaf blowers by the City of Eugene, residents, and businesses. Metro Portland and other cities in the US have been actively working on and passing laws limiting and phasing out the use of these machines. Recently, a new group called Quiet Clean Eugene has been formed, a spin off from Quiet Clean PDX (https://www.quietcleanpdx.org/). Two members of this new group eagerly joined our meeting to discuss where they were at in the nascent phase of their work and were looking for input and ideas as to how get the word out. They do not yet have a website but are actively working to get it up and running with links to articles, ways to contribute and be active, and current legislation in the works. This group is small at this point but hopes to meet with other neighborhood associations to garner support for bringing this up to the City of Eugene. We expect to continue to hear more about their progress in the near future. 
2. We went over the upcoming Amazon Creek tree planting logistics, which happened on Saturday, January 21st. 

Amazon Creek Tree Planting Project: 

– The actual tree planting day was cold and a bit breezy, but despite the weather we had a HUGE turnout of over 40 neighbors. On that morning, the City of Eugene Parks and Open Space personnel introduced the project, explained how to properly plant the approximately 150 bareroot trees (Cascara, Bitter Cherry, Chokecherry, and White Alder) we were tasked with planting. The group quickly got to work and we all took turns removing grass, digging holes, properly placing the trees in the holes and backfilling with dirt, and then following up with mulch and water. This phase of the planting took place between Fox Hollow and 33rd Avenue along West Amazon Drive. While we didn’t quite get all the trees planted in the time scheduled, the City followed up on Monday with a youth corps volunteer group who completed the project. The next planting, which will cover West Amazon from Fox Hollow to Snell, is scheduled for Saturday, February 25th. 

It was great to see such support from neighbors! 

Friends of Tugman – January 2023 Report

• We held two volunteer work events in January 2023:  Wed. 1/11 & Wed. 1/25
• January 11^th highlights:  mulched in the park’s north end for weed and grass control; planted camas and buttercup seeds in the newly planted beds in the north end; mulched several trees in the central lawn
• January 25^th highlights:  weeded beds in the north end plaque circle and in the south lawn area
• (7) Tuggers participated in the COE-P&OS, SEN-ESC & Obsidians tree planting event along Amazon Creek on Saturday, January 21^st
• We expect several Tuggers to participate in the next Amazon Creek tree planting event on Saturday, February 25^th
• We still have yet to receive confirmation from P&OS regarding the remaining funds from the 2018 Bond/Levy to be used at Tugman Park. We would like to initiate public outreach activities once we receive confirmation of the amount of remaining funds and the timeline for their use.
• Renewal efforts of our Friends of Tugman park adoption contract with P&OS covering 2023-2025 is underway

MLK Day Tree Planting Event

SEN Board Meeting Agenda, January 10, 2022, 7pm
Hilyard Community Center, 2580 Hilyard St. & zoom (link at bottom)

Call to order;

Presentations by: Arjorie Arberry-Baribeault, Beyond Toxics
Public comment
Report from Co-Chairs
Approve Past Meeting Minutes– Lynne
Treasurer’s report – Christina (Dennis)
Matt Keating, City Councilor Ward 2
Committee Reports if needed:
Disaster Preparedness – David Monk
Transportation Committee – Jess
Communications Committee/Website/FB—Jess
Land Use Committee—Dennis
Tugman Park Volunteers—John Ostrom
Environmental Stewardship Committee—Devon
By-Law Committee Lucy Bambrey

Old business:
SEN Advisory Committee (table for the present time)
New Business:
 Ask for board approval to request bookshelves for Nightingale in mailchimp
 Ask for board approval to send out survey about gas-powered leaf blowers
 Communications Committee approval from board for the Meet and Greet
Event and produce a flyer
Other items for discussion March 14 general meeting Presenters
…..crime analyst Iversons EPD (confirmed) and Assistant General Manager
Rod Price Eweb (has confirmed)
 Adjourn

Topic: SEN Board Meeting
Time: Jan 10, 2023 07:00 PM Pacific Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/86580869991

Meeting ID: 865 8086 9991

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Eugene Parks & Open Space – January News

Here is the link to the Eugene Parks & Open Space January 2023 Newsletter.

https://us10.campaign-archive.com/?u=6e8bb448f5dab8671ba5aedce&id=c232c6e4a7

Friends of Tugman – December 2022 Report

• We held several volunteer work events in early December to complete our planting initiative of approximately 200 native trees, shrubs, forbs, and grasses in the park’s north end near E. 36^th Ave. We hope to plant numerous camas and buttercup seeds in this area as well, once received from the City P&OS Native Plant Nursery.
• We did not meet up for volunteer work events on 12/14 and 12/28 due to a well needed rest from Tugger activities and holiday conflicts. Our next bi-weekly volunteer work event is scheduled for Wednesday, January 11^th 10:00 am – 12 noon (weather dependent)
• Our submitted planting plan to P&OS for additional trees in the central lawn near the creek side pathway as well as a plan to remediate an overgrown invasive grassy area just south of the plaque circle in the north end are still under scrutiny by various P&OS stakeholders.
• Likewise, we have yet to receive confirmation from P&OS regarding the remaining funds from the 2018 Bond/Levy to be used at Tugman Park. We would like to initiate public outreach activities once we receive confirmation of the amount of remaining funds and the timeline for their use.
• We plan to discuss with P&OS the removal of a large unhealthy Douglas Fir tree in the park’s north end near the drinking fountain.
• We continue to post notifications to Park Watch regarding unauthorized camping and trash dumping. We continue to request a replacement trash receptacle for the park’s north end (along 36^th Ave.) where trash is often dumped near the location of the former garbage can that was removed several weeks ago.
• We plan to have a large Tugger contingent of volunteers at the upcoming Amazon Creek Tree Planting events on 1/21 & 2/25 sponsored by City P&OS, SEN ESC and the Obsidians.

The Transportation Committee met once in December due to the holiday schedule. In January it will resume meeting on the first and third Wednesdays at 1:00 and the 4th Thursday at 7:00pm.

Streets

We heard back from the City of Eugene Transportation Planning Department regarding the results of the October speed studies that we requested be run in our neighborhood. These results were as follows:

“Speed studies were conducted at three locations along Fox Hollow because the street is rather long, results for each section are listed below. As a reminder, to qualify for traffic calming a street must meet all three of the listed criteria.

Section A: Dillard – W Amazon

1. More than 50% of vehicles are traveling at or above the speed limit (35 mph)
   1. Criteria not met: The 50^th percentile speed was 27.5 mph
2. The 85^th percentile speed is at least 5 miles per hour over the speed limits (35 mph)
   1. Criteria not met: The 85^th percentile speed was 33.2 mph
3. Average daily traffic (ADT) volume is at least 600
   1. Criteria met: ADT was 4497

Section B: 46th-Larkwood St

1. More than 50% of vehicles are traveling at or above the speed limit (35 mph)
   1. Criteria not met: The 50^th percentile speed was 34.6 mph
2. The 85^th percentile speed is at least 5 miles per hour over the speed limits (35 mph)
   1. Criteria not met: The 85^th percentile speed was 39.4 mph
3. Average daily traffic (ADT) volume is at least 600
   1. Criteria met: ADT was 2681

Section C: Princess-Saratoga

1. More than 50% of vehicles are traveling at or above the speed limit (35 mph)
   1. Criteria met: The 50^th percentile speed was 37.2 mph
2. The 85^th percentile speed is at least 5 miles per hour over the speed limits (35 mph)
   1. Criteria met: The 85^th percentile speed was 42.4 mph
3. Average daily traffic (ADT) volume is at least 600
   1. Criteria met: ADT was 1665

Based on the speed studies, Fox Hollow between Princess and Saratoga qualifies for traffic calming and has been added to our list of qualified streets. This list is reviewed annually as we program our limited traffic calming funds. We consider speed study results, closeness to community destinations (parks and schools), as well as other factors when programming funds. I unfortunately do not have an estimate of when Fox Hollow between Princess and Saratoga will receive traffic calming. Traffic calming funds are currently programmed out through 2024.”

Member Leo Folsom is following up with the City of Eugene planning department staff Catherine Rohan regarding the “Not Met” speed study results of the 33rd Avenue corridor. Leo has pointed out that 33rd Avenue is a city-designated Greenway, which the city has recommended a speed limit of 20 mph and has designated as an important throughway for bikes, pedestrians, and cars. Leo also points out a possible flaw in the way that speed study results are analyzed, arguing that it should be legitimately the number of speeding cars in the study that proves a need for speed calming, not the percentage of total vehicles that are speeding.

Member Lucy Bambrey submitted three new requests for Spring 2023 speed studies, which were portions of East Amazon, West Amazon, and Potter St.

LTD

Our incoming LTD subdistrict director is Heather Murphy from Cottage Grove. She steps in to fill Don Nordin’s director role. SEN thanks Don Nordin for his years of volunteer service to LTD and his dedication to public transportation.

This month, January 2023, marks the beginning of LTD’s year long service analysis where the ridership on all routes will be collected and analyzed in order to determine future needs and service. SEN highly encourages all members of the neighborhood to use public transportation for any and all trips possible in order to reduce traffic and greenhouse gas emissions, as well as ensure that the area keeps its transit routes running in the future. Students and seniors ride free — and SEN has a higher than city average percentage of both seniors and students living in the neighborhood. If you need help understanding how to ride or need more information, please reach out to our committee via the “Contact” form on the SEN webpage.

LTD has announced this week the need to pare back service on several bus routes due to the ongoing severe bus driver shortage. The committee hopes and trusts that these changes are temporary and not part of a larger effort to reduce useful service and thereby slowly “kill” routes in SEN so service can be shifted to high frequency lines. We stand with the bus drivers, who have made great sacrifices during COVID and need relief from mandatory overtime and consecutive shifts. We will be asking LTD to reinstate these trips when staffing has reached fuller levels.  In South Eugene, this will affect the following trips:

Route 24 – Donald – Weekday

12:00 p.m. and 1:00 p.m. trips were removed.

Route 28 – Hilyard – Weekday

9:00 a.m., 12:00 p.m., and 1:00 p.m. trips were removed.

Sidewalks 

Reed Dunbar from the Transportation Planning Department notified property owners and tenants in December about the sidewalk infill project on the east side of Hilyard Street across from Tugman Park. Construction will take place in 2023. The road project will come later when the reservoir’s heavy machinery has ceased. Project funding comes from a grant. Previously, the committee expressed concerns over how far out the sidewalk bump-outs will go into Hilyard, which could lead to drivers hitting the curb or risk hitting oncoming traffic from the opposite lane when turning right. Bump outs are one method that the city has been using to make pedestrian crossings more safe.

Spring Sidewalk cleanup is anticipated for around May.

Respectfully submitted,

Jess Roshak

Watch out for nearby neighbors during the Dec. 22-23 ice storm

Eugene Parks & Open Space – Celebrating a Successful Year

Here is the link to the Eugene Parks and Open Space 2022 Annual Report (and other cool info too).

https://www.eugene-or.gov/185/Parks-and-Open-Space