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Friday Update
(Old Updates) |
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400 E. Main Street
Cottage Grove, Oregon 97424
(541)942-5501
Fax (541)942-1267
March 28, 2008
Community Services Director
The City of Cottage Grove has hired the new Community Services Director
that will serve as the department head over the Golf Course, Library
and Community Center. Pete Barrell has accepted the job and will
begin with the City on April 14th. Pete is currently the
Executive Director for the Mt. Pisgah Arboretum and is looking forward
to becoming a part of the Cottage Grove Community.
Relay for Life City Employee Team Meeting
All City employees and family members that will be participating on the
City’s Relay for Life team are invited to come to a team meeting on
Wednesday, April 2nd at 5:00 p.m. in the Council Chambers. We
will discuss and decide on our camp theme and pick up paper
registration and fund-raising materials. Please also come
prepared to provide your t-shirt size. Remember you can register
you and family members on the Relay for Life Webpage at
www.events.cancer.org/rflcottagegroveor .
Relay for Life Kick-off Party
Everyone is invited to the Relay for Life Kickoff Party on Tuesday,
April 15th at Stacy’s Covered Bridge Restaurant at 6:00 p.m. Come
and get excited about participating in the Relay for Life
event. If you plan on attending please RSVP to Stefani
Miller 913-2506 or Ginger Abraham 942-6869.
City Council Executive Session
The City Council will be meeting in executive session on Monday, March
31, 2008 at 5:30 p.m. in the Council Chambers at City Hall. The
purpose of the meeting is to meet with Municipal Judge Brissenden as a
follow-up to his annual performance evaluation.
SEI Mailings Delayed
Staff was informed by the Oregon Government Ethics Commission that they
are behind in mailing out the Statement of Economic Interest
(SEI) forms, but they should be in the mail by next week. They
may extend the April 15th deadline due to the delay in mailing the
forms. You will receive a letter with the forms telling you the
deadline for returning the completed forms.
Police Department Training
March 19th and 20th Stephen Dempsey attended the Oregon
State 9-1-1 & APCO (Association of Public Safety Communications
Officials) quarterly meeting. Highlights of the meeting included
information about emerging technologies, state program changes,
wireless usage and much more.
Community Development Block Grant Submission
The City Manager, Community Development Director, Finance Director and
City Planner met with South Lane Mental Health Director Tom Wheeler,
Administrative Assistance Judy Kephart and grant writer Jodie Rolnick
regarding the CDBG application for the purchase and renovation of the
medical building on Birch Avenue. Several items were clarified in
the application, which was signed by the Mayor and submitted to
Salem. This is a statewide competitive grant. An
announcement of those applications awarded is expected to be made in
June.
Emergency Program Manager Attends Intrado Training
Howard Schesser Emergency Program manager attended training sponsored
by Intrado on the First Responder Program and the updated Target
Notification Program, which will replace the CENS program. Both
of these programs are web based and will be another great tool in our
emergency management response.
Building Official Laid Off
It is with regret that the Building Official was laid off effective
March 31st due to falling revenues in the building inspection
program. One indicator that we follow is issuance of new single
family dwellings. In 2006 we issued 42, in 2007 we issued 21 and
so far in 2008 we have issued none. The Building Dept will step
in and provide building inspection services for the City as we have an
ongoing relationship with this firm.
Quote of the Week -
“Imagination is as good as many voyages–and how much cheaper.”
----George William Curtis
March 21, 2008
Middlefield Golf Course Receives Recognition
We received notification this week that Middlefield Golf Course
received an Honorable Mention Award for the 2007 Facility of the Year
from the Oregon Golf Association (OGA). Middlefield was
recognized for the improvements that have been made to the Pro-shop,
maintenance facilities, equipment and course as well as the use of
reclaimed water for irrigation. Being recognized for the award in
our first year of operation is a great honor. Other courses
recognized included Persimmon Country Club in Gresham, The Club at
Pronghorn in Bend and Aspen Lakes Golf Course in Sisters.
Creekside Golf Club in Salem received the Facility of the Year
award. Representatives from OGA will be arranging an opportunity
to present the award to the City and Middlefield.
Vision 2037 Town Hall
Thank you to everyone that attended the Town Hall meeting on
Thursday. Over 200 people from the community attended and were
impressed with the technological wizardry of the individual polling
devices used to receive input on the 93 different action items. A
big thank you to South Lane School District for loaning the polling
devices for the evening. Members of the community were able
to register their level of support for the action items and see the
results from all those in attendance. The information will be
compiled and presented to the Steering Committee in the next couple of
weeks. The information will be useful in helping to prioritize
the items into a reasonable set of action items for the community to
work on. The Steering Committee will also begin looking for
partners to take the lead at pursuing the implementation of the
strategies and action items.
Relay for Life
There are only 92 days left until the 2008 Relay for Life which will be
held June 20-21. The City of Cottage Grove employee team is
registered and employees can now sign up on the team and begin their
fund-raising efforts. Employees and families can join the team by
going to: www.events.cancer.org/rflcottagegroveor. Anyone wishing
to donate to the team can also go to the website above and make your
donation. We will be having a team meeting in the next couple of
weeks to start preparations for our campsite. Let’s help
make this year’s Relay for Life another success.
Regional Manager’s Group
The City Manager attended a meeting of the Lane County City/County
Managers group in Springfield on Thursday. The group met and
discussed a list of regional issues that had been compiled by the LCOG
Board of Directors, received an update on the progress of the
coordinated population forecast and reviewed information regarding
annexations and boundary changes.
Career Symposium
Thank you to all the City employees that participated in the Cottage
Grove High School Career Symposium on Wednesday, March 19th. City
employees participated on panels and workshops throughout the
day.
Beeper
The City Manager will be on KNND’s Beeper show from 8:30 to 9:30am on Monday, March 24th.
Broadband Project
The City Manager, representing the City of Cottage Grove, attended the
Planning Commission to provide information regarding the conditional
use application for the City’s telecommunication facility at 450
S. 6th. After discussion regarding the application, the
Planning Commission approved the conditional use. Currently the
bid documents for the regeneration facility in Creswell (Creswell hut),
Cottage Grove telecommunication hut and tower and east fiber loop are
available for bids, and we have had significant interest in the
project. The bids will be opened on April 3, 2008 and are
scheduled to be reviewed by the Council April 14th for possible
award.
Row River Water Treatment Plant Construction Progress Summary 03/20/08
This summary was prepared by Kelli O’Connor, Project Site Engineer for
Black and Veatch. At the Row River Water Treatment Plant, pulling
electrical wire, installing the clean-in-place circulation skid and
drain pump, and setting the pipe supports for small diameter piping
were completed. Installation of process piping, air piping,
louvers and sheet rock are in progress. Electrical
terminations will begin soon. At the Row River Intake, the raw
water pipe and manhole were installed, and the excavated area was
backfilled with gravel and compacted. Next, the air compressor
building masonry walls will be constructed. EPUD performed onsite
electrical work.
AWWA Short School
The American Water Works Association held the waterworks and wastewater
short school this week in Eugene. City Public Works employees,
from the water treatment and water distribution and wastewater
collection operations were in attendance. A highlight of the AWWA
Short School was a publicized and sponsored tour of the Row River Water
Treatment Plant (RRWTP). Approximately 45 short school attendees
came to Cottage Grove, via bus, and toured the RRWTP.
Representatives of Black and Veatch Engineers and Slayden Construction
Group were on-hand to answer design and operation questions. Ray
Pardee, Water Production Superintendent served as host and participated
in coordinating the tour.
Police Department Training
Officers David Burgin, Ron Bates and Scott Graham attended, “The Bullet
Proof Mind: Mental Preparation for Combat” training held in
Eugene by the Eugene Police Department.
Officer Chris Morin and Corporal Dean Finnerty attended the annual DUII
Impaired Driving Training Conference. The conference was held at Bend
Riverhouse in Bend Oregon. The training covered DRE studies,
Oregon case law updates, Pharmacological Intervention, Search and
Seizure, detecting drugs and underage drinking.
Lane Economic Committee
Community Development Director Schesser attended the monthly meeting of
the Lane Economic Committee whose agenda concentrated on discussion of
the Economic Development Toolbox as it relates to industrial land
availability, Oregon Big Look, foregone opportunities in
Eugene/Springfield, rural opportunities of Junction City and removal of
disincentives in Eugene’s land use development code. Availability
of workforce training funds was announced and proposals are being
accepted. For further information visit Lane Workforce
Partnership website: www.invitationtobid.org. Rob Scoggin was
reappointed by the LCOG Board to represent South Lane County and the
Community Development Director as his alternate for terms to expire at
the end of 2010.
Quote of the Week -
“The distance doesn’t matter; it is only the first step that is difficult.”
----Marie Anne de Vichy-Chamrond
March 14, 2008
Visioning Town Hall
The second town hall meeting for the 2037 Visioning will be held on Thursday, March 20, 2008 from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
at the Cottage Grove High School. Everyone should be sure to come
and help shape the community’s future. The town hall will give
everyone an opportunity to provide input on the work that has been done
on the visioning project.
Greening the Grove
The City of Cottage Grove in partnership with Emerald People’s Utility
District and Pacific Power, kicked off the Greening of the Grove
Renewable Energy Challenge. The Greening of the Grove challenge
will be a six month effort to educate about the benefits of renewable
power and to encourage participation in their utility provider’s
renewable energy program. The City has created a website to
provide regular updates on the progress of the challenge. The
site also provides links to the utility partners and other
information. The website can be reached from the City’s website
at www.cottagegrove.org.
Oregon/Washington Managers Meet
The City Manager attended the regional conference of the Oregon and
Washington City/County managers in Lincoln City this week. The
conference included presentations on disaster preparation and response
and how to strengthen ethical standards. Additionally, the City
Manager began final preparations for the Oregon City/County Manager’s
Conference that will be held in Cottage Grove this summer.
Oregon Municipal Finance Officers Association (OMFOA) 2008 Spring Conference
The OMFOA holds an annual conference offering education, information
and networking opportunities for public finance personnel. The
Finance Director attended this year’s conference with 236 participants
from around the State and as far away as Alaska. Sessions
included Client-Auditor Relationships; a presentation by John Mitchell,
US Bank, Chief Economist, discussing the prospects and risks for the
nation and the state; discussions focusing on government-wide financial
statements, taxable fringe benefits and IRS compliance audits, GASB 45
(Part 3!), SAS Risk Assessment Statements, effective internal controls
and privacy
protection, ethics, and much more! It was a great
opportunity to meet and discuss issues with other professionals facing
the same types of challenges and opportunities we have in Cottage
Grove.
Business Faire – 2008
This week, the City of Cottage Grove shared table space with Emerald
People’s Utility District and Pacific Power at the 2008 Business Fair,
which was held at the Gibbs Building. The City, EPUD, and Pacific
Power highlighted their respective green initiative programs that are
the cornerstone of the cooperative “Greening of the Grove”
campaign. Both EPUD and Pacific Power were promoting the sale of
green electrical power. In fact, Mayor Williams was filmed
signing-up for green power at the Pacific Power table. The City
showcased the solar retrofit of the wastewater treatment plant project,
along with other energy saving projects and activities. Business
Faire attendees that stopped by the City’s table were very interested
in the solar retrofit project and expressed great admiration and
support for the City Council’s decision to undertake such a
project. Other interest revolved around the City’s use of treated
effluent to water the Middlefield Golf Course and the use of bio fuels
in City vehicles and equipment. City staff was on-hand to answer
questions and explain City energy efficient programs in more
detail. EPUD and Pacific Power gave away many energy saving
devices and promoted renewable energy alternatives. Overall,
there was a good mix of business and service displays at the
event. The event was also well attended by the public.
Lane County Rehabilitation Housing Policy Committee
Community Development Director Schesser and Citizen representative
Lindsey Haskell attended the quarterly meeting of the Rehabilitation
Housing Policy Committee held in Florence. The committee is the
policy body of the rehabilitation housing consortium involving the
Cities of Cottage Grove, Florence, Lowell, Junction City, Oakridge and
Lane County. The committee considered recent actions in the
various jurisdictions, close-out report of the City of Florence CDBG
for rehabilitation housing, and an update on progress with the latest
Oakridge grant. The policies approved by the committee at the
December meeting were circulated and the grant administrator, St.
Vincent dePaul gave an update on the existing grants, reloaning of paid
off grants, and the new application submitted by the coalition for a
grant in Junction City. The inter-governmental agreement was
reviewed in order to add Junction City to the consortium. This
will require action by each entity including Junction City. There
was a brief discussion of how to manage the repaid loan funds with
further discussion to follow during 2008.
Lane Preparedness Meeting
Howard Schesser Emergency Program Manager and Coalition Chairman
attended the bi-monthly meeting of the Lane Preparedness
Coalition. The Coalition sponsored an “Open For Business” seminar
produced by the Institute for Business & Home Safety. This is
a program on disaster protection with a recovery planning tool kit for
the small to mid-size business. The emphasis is on readiness
self-assessment by businesses, including non-profits, and determining
how you can recover and get up and running after a disaster. For
further information, contact Howard at 942-3340.
Police Corporal Graduates from Corrections Academy
Corporal Scott Shepherd graduated from the DPSST Basic Corrections
Academy today, March 14th. This academy was five weeks long and
is mandated for agencies that have a correctional facility.
Cottage Grove jail is a local correctional facility housing municipal
code offenders. Scott received one of the Outstanding Shooter
Awards.
Prospectors and Golddiggers Cancel Annual Easter Egg Hunt
The Prospectors and Golddiggers have announced that they will not be
sponsoring their annual Easter Egg Hunt in Prospectors’ Park this year
due to on-going repairs to the park. They are hopeful that
they’ll be back as usual next year.
Quote of the Week -
“I am a great believer in luck, and I find the harder I work the more I have of it.”
----Stephen Leacock
March 7, 2008
Tree City USA
The City of Cottage Grove has been recognized as a Tree City USA again
by the National Arbor Day Foundation. The City has been a Tree
City USA since 1994. Tree City USA is awarded to communities that
demonstrate a commitment to the development and enhancement of their
urban forest. Having a tree care program that includes planting,
care and removal of trees, an arbor day observance and an Urban
Forestry Committee are required to receive the recognition.
Business Faire
The Cottage Grove Greeters from the Chamber of Commerce will be holding
the annual Business Faire on Thursday, March 13th from 4:30 to 7:30
p.m. in the Community Center. The Business Faire is an excellent
opportunity to meet and visit with businesses from throughout the
community. There will be door prizes and fun - be sure to
drop in and see the variety of businesses that make up the Cottage
Grove community. The City will be partnering with EPUD and
Pacific Power at the event to display information about the “Greening
the Grove” renewable energy challenge that will kick-off at the
event. All those that sign-up for renewable energy at the
Business Faire will be eligible for prizes. Additionally, as part
of the renewable energy challenge Pacific Power will be providing all
the energy used by the community center for the event from renewable
sources.
Chamber - New Executive Director
The Cottage Grove Chamber of Commerce has selected a new Executive
Director, Marcus Bass. Mr. Bass brings years of experience
and should prove invaluable for the Chamber’s continued growth and
success. We look forward to working with Marcus to strengthen the
partnership between the Chamber and City. Welcome aboard,
Marcus.
2037 Visioning Town Hall Meeting
The second town hall meeting for the 2037 Visioning will be held on
Thursday, March 20, 2008 from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. at the high
school. Everyone is encouraged to attend and see the results of
the last five months of work. Members of the community have been
working closely with the consultants to develop the strategies and
action items that will be presented and discussed at the town hall
meeting. Everyone in attendance will get a chance to express
their views through electronic polling and other methods to help mold
our community’s future. Be sure to come and enjoy the
meeting. Invite your friends, neighbors and everyone you meet to
come to the town hall meeting - it is sure to be the event of the
year.
BMD 2009 Meeting
The City Manager attended a meeting of the 2009 BMD planning
committee. The committee has been meeting monthly to plan the
2009 or 50th Anniversary Bohemia Mining Days celebration. The
2009 celebration will also be commemorating the 150th Anniversary of
the Oregon Statehood.
City/County Insurance Services Risk Management Conference
The City Manager attended the City/County Insurance Services (CIS)
Annual Meeting and Risk Management Conference last week. The
annual conference is held to review trends and issues that are
occurring in public jurisdictions and discuss efforts to mitigate the
impacts. The conference covered employment practices, healthy
workplaces and changes in ethics laws.
Police Department Training
March 6th and 7th, Officer Chris Morin attended a DEA “Indoor Marijuana
Cultivation Investigation” training held at the Village Green
Resort. The course is designed to educate law enforcement,
prosecutors, investigative personnel and asset seizure investigators to
the indoor cultivation and distribution of marijuana.
Row River Water Treatment Plant Construction Progress Summary 03/06/08 – This summary was prepared by Kelli O’Connor, Project Site Engineer for Black and Veatch.
At the Row River Water Treatment Plant, the construction of an interior
ceiling and a sump area were completed. The south exterior stairs
also were constructed. Process piping, pipe supports, heating and
ventilation equipment (fans and louvers), door hardware and electrical
equipment panels are being installed. Work, including re-wiring
and installing a door, in the existing office began. At the Row
River Intake installation of raw water piping is in progress. A
manhole will be installed next. Regarding deliveries, valves and
additional heating and ventilation equipment arrived. A field
representative for the process equipment manufacturer visited the site.
Early Cofferdam Removal
The Joint Venture has requested approval to remove the cofferdam at the
Row River Water Treatment Plant (RRWTP) intake during the period May
1st through the 15th. The normal in-water work period does not
begin until June 1st of each year. Approvals had to be obtained
from the Oregon Department of State Lands, Army Corps of Engineers,
Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, and NOAA Marine
Fisheries. All regulatory agencies have given the Joint Venture
permission to remove the cofferdam sheet piles during the requested May
1st to May 15th period. These approvals will allow the Joint
Venture to complete work on the intake structure and piping in
sufficient time to perform treatment plant testing during June.
The plan is to have the RRWTP operational by July so that work can next
move to the removal of Rujada Dam and reclamation of the affected area.
Public Works Safety Committee Facility Inspection
Thursday of this week, the Public Works Safety Committee performed an
in-depth review and inspection of the equipment and facilities at
Coiner Park. Overall, Coiner Park was in very good shape.
The Committee noted approximately 20 safety concerns, which will be
addressed over the next several weeks. Play structures were of
primary concern and the Committee found several instances where user
safety could be compromised. There was nothing found which would
require equipment or facilities to be immediately taken out of
service. The 20 items noted were routine maintenance issues that
can be repaired quickly, thus lessening the City’s liability
exposures. Coiner Park receives a great deal of use and
abuse. It is a constant effort to keep the Park looking good and
to make sure that all equipment functions properly, through a program
of preventive maintenance. The remaining City parks will be
inspected by the Safety Committee in two phases during the next two
months.
City Planner Attends EMI
City Planner Amanda Ferguson attended a week-long course at the
Emergency Management Institute in Emmitsburg, Maryland from February
25th through the 28th. The course, National Flood Insurance
Programs/Community Rating System (E278), covers the Community Rating
System(CRS), a nationwide initiative of FEMA’s National Flood Insurance
Program. Residents in communities that join the CRS program
qualify for discounts on their National Flood Insurance policies based
on the community’s classification. The training course describes
activities eligible for credit under CRS, how a community applies and
how a community modifies an application to improve its
classification. By joining the CRS program, the City would
qualify property owners with flood insurance (in or outside of a
designated floodplain) for a 5-20% reduction in flood insurance rates,
depending on our classification. The City of Cottage Grove will
use the information from this class to improve our chances for a higher
classification when we join the CRS program later this year or 2009.
Daylight Saving Time Begins
Don’t forget to move your clocks ahead Saturday night. It’s time to spring forward.
Quote of the Week -
“What do we live for, if it is not to make life less difficult for each other?”
----George Eliot