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George Poling, Ward 4
<br />At the start of 2005, the City Council set eight priority issues. During the past year, the
<br />councll has received input from staff on those priorities along wide proposed action plans
<br />to address them. We have hadseveral work sessions to refine and adopt the action plans,
<br />and we now have the "real" work ahead of us. We realized these goals would not all be
<br />accomplished in a year's time, but the work that has been completed thus far has laid a solid
<br />foundation for the future. In addition, we have addressed many other issues not related to
<br />the eight priorities and have worked together to make our community a better place to live.
<br />Once again, it has been a pleasure serving on the Eugene City Council and I am looking forward to what is in
<br />store in the coming year.
<br />New Dispatch System Comes Online
<br />The region's new Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD)
<br />system is a critically important technological
<br />advancement, and a step toward ending local public
<br />safety agencies' reliance on an antiquated mainframe
<br />computer in Salem. The first phase of this system
<br />change is designed to improve efficiency and
<br />effectiveness of call-taking and dispatch in the Central
<br />Lane 911 Communications Center, and also includes
<br />the beginning stage of a comprehensive records
<br />management system for participating fire, emergency
<br />medical and law enforcement agencies. The next phase
<br />will integrate field-based police reporting, a courts
<br />module, and expansion of the records management
<br />system. The new system has also improved integration
<br />between local emergency responders, as agencies
<br />adopt more consistent terminology and business and
<br />operational practices.
<br />Flower Baskets Brighten Downtown
<br />The heart of the city was a brighter, more appealing
<br />place this summer, thanks to 75 large, flowering
<br />baskets hung on street lights. The Ciry of Eugene and
<br />Downtown Eugene, Inc., cooperated on the project,
<br />hanging the baskets in the spring and keeping them
<br />beautifully maintained throughout the summer.
<br />Downtown Fire Station Opens
<br />The new state-of-the-art downtown fire station at 13th
<br />Avenue and Willamette Street opened in July, replacing
<br />unsafe and outdated quarters in City Hall. Funded by
<br />a 2002 bond measure, the new station is better situated
<br />for omnidirectional emergency response, and houses
<br />a fire engine, ladder truck, medic unit, District Chief,
<br />Water Rescue Team, and the Fire Marshal's Office,
<br />Spanish Video Explains Court Process
<br />More than 14 community members assisted Lane
<br />Council of Governments's Metro TV and City staff to
<br />produce a video in Spanish about coming tp Municipal
<br />Court. The video, which explains each.. step of the
<br />court process and individuals' legal ril;hc~, rtdw plays
<br />before Paso a Paso (Step by Step) Spsutish-~nguage
<br />arraignments. It is also used for e.~lurtuiun;tl pt~trposes
<br />in the Spanish-speaking cgtruntnury.
<br />Chris Pryor, Ward 8
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<br />I was pleased to be involved in refocusing our community vision and goals, and gratified
<br />to see the Citsr Council reach consensus on eight sia ficant priority issues to address in the
<br />coming months. I am especially pleased to see that we want to pursue solutions in the area of r _ I ;-~
<br />neighborhoods, since they are the core of our community's well-being. I am also encouraged
<br />to seek a realistic and balanced approach to our homeless population.
<br />I hope we can see a real progress on the complex problem of homelessness that is vexing cities all over the
<br />country -not none-size-fits-all solution, but a combination of appropriate and effective responses to all the
<br />dimensions of this problem. I am also hopeful we can complete our Parks, Recreation, and Open Space Plan
<br />Update in a way that achieves the greatest level of endorsement and support from the entire commuiuti~.
<br />Grants Expand Emergency Response
<br />Resources
<br />Eugene's Emergency Management Program
<br />coordinated a successful intergovernmental effort to
<br />secure a $3 million grant from the U.S. Department
<br />of Justice Office of Community Oriented Policing
<br />Services (COPS) Interoperable Communications
<br />Technology Program. Funds will be used to upgrade
<br />emergency communications equipment in the metro
<br />area, allowing emergency responders from Eugene,
<br />Springfield, EWEB, and Lane County to communicate
<br />directly, and to provide back-up services for the Central
<br />Lane 911 Center.
<br />Another $583,000 in new grant funds is targeted for
<br />equipment and training for Police and Fire emergency
<br />responders, and training fox Community Emergency
<br />Response Team citizen volunteers.
<br />Special Police Teams Deployed
<br />Special deployment strategies allow police to focus on
<br />specific community concerns. In 2005, special patrols
<br />were used to effectively decrease alcohol-related
<br />disturbances in university-area neighborhoods. Also,
<br />the Ciry Council authorized funding for bicycle officers
<br />to patrol urban core neighborhoods and parks.
<br />Santa Clara Fire Station In Service
<br />Construction was completed on a permanent fire
<br />station in Santa Clara, replacing the. temporary station
<br />that served since July 2002, when the City first extended
<br />fire and first-response medical services to this area of
<br />the community. Both the downtown and Santa Clara
<br />stations are designed to accommodate expansion, and
<br />are expected to serve for at least 50 years.
<br />Page 4 City of Eugene ~ Highlights of 2005. Ciry of Eugene ~ Highlights of 2005 Page 5
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