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Administration <br /> March was a busy month for the Stormwater Public Information staff. A booth at the Lane County <br /> Home Show March 11-14 focused on healthy soils. Stormwater Connections newsletter, which will be <br /> inserted in the Register-Guard on April 3, also highlights healthy soils. The department also is working <br /> with the Oregon DEQ (Department of Environmental Quality) on a federally funded EPA (Environmental <br /> Protection Act) grant project aimed at showing how people can manage their lawns without use of <br /> pesticides or artificial fertilizers. <br /> Public Works Day is coming up May 20, and planning for the event is under way. The planning team <br /> includes Kathy Eva, Sally Markos, Kim Mast and Eric Jones from PWA, Tim Fassbinder from PWE, <br /> Betty Neilsen from Airport, Jackie Hallett, Kristi Hayden, Debbie Moulton, Therese Picado and Andrea <br /> Riner from PWM/POS, and Ed Pabor from PWW. The committee agreed the event this year will be <br /> specifically geared to elementary school students. There will not be an all-employee lunch; however, <br /> staff working at the event will receive a meal ticket. As always, tour guides are needed, and there are lots <br /> of other assignments as well. <br /> Airport <br /> Activity for the first two months of FY04 resulted in an increase in passenger traffic of just over 11%, a <br /> positive indication that passengers are returning to air travel. Part of this activity is a reflection of the <br /> increase in seats in the Eugene market, mainly from an increase in frequency to San Francisco and Denver <br /> by United Express, but it is also an indication that the economy is slowly rebounding from the recession <br /> experienced over the last couple of years. March is anticipated to be strong, as flights during Spring Break <br /> were at capacity. These capacity loads provided heavy traffic for airport concessions, from the restaurant <br /> to the gift shop to car rentals. This also resulted in heavy use of the parking lot, taking it to capacity in <br /> the regular long term parking area, even with the additional spaces that were part of the parking lot <br /> expansion project that was completed in the fall of 2003. One problem that emerged early during the <br /> Spring Break rush was the location of the ETD (Explosive Trace Detection) equipment used by TSA <br /> (Transportation Security Administration) staff to scan checked baggage. Airport staff and TSA officials <br /> worked together to make minor adjustments for the short-term to meet the peak demands of heavier <br /> traffic. Long-term solutions will need to be determined and incorporated prior to the increases associated <br /> with summer traffic. <br /> When Emerald City News and Gifts submitted their proposal for the gift shop concession at the airport, <br /> they had a clear vision: To create and maintain aworld-class retail operation at the Eugene Airport. They <br /> began in July of 2003, adding to the selections available, increasing reading options, and incorporating <br /> new display techniques. In the fall of 2003, they completed a total remodel of the upstairs gift shop, <br /> updating not only their shop, but the look of the entire concourse. During February, they began the <br /> remodel of the main lobby gift shop, which was completed in record time, and met their goal of providing <br /> Eugene passengers with aworld-class shopping opportunity. Gift shop sales for January and February <br /> were up 50% over sales during that period in 2003. Improvements and upgrades were made in 2001 by <br /> Emerald City News and Gifts to Avolare's Market and Deli and Wings Grille and Restaurant. The <br /> improvements now provide the Eugene Airport terminal with a refreshing new look. <br /> The design plans and specs for the Parallel Runway Project are completed and the project is scheduled to <br /> go out to bid on or about April 8. There are still some members of the general aviation community who <br /> continue to have questions regarding the subsequent closure of runway 3/21, currently anticipated for the <br /> summer of 2006. The Airport Manager and the airport's consulting firm (Mead & Hunt) made a <br /> presentation to the Airport Advisory Committee early in March that provided background information on <br /> the project. General aviation community members who were present indicated that they still had concerns <br /> about the planned closure of the crosswind runway. A meeting was held on Monday evening, March 29. <br /> <br /> March 2004 PYV Monthly Report 2 <br /> <br />