============================================================ Health Options Digest November 30, 2002 Coalition for Health Options In Central Eugene-Springfield ============================================================ * EDITOR'S LETTER * NEWS SUMMARY * CALENDAR 1.sn - Mon 12/2 - Springfield City Council 2.sn - Tue 12/3 - Springfield Planning Commission * DLCD REPORT 3.dlcd - Report on plan amendments requested by PeaceHealth 4.ap - Report criticizes hospital planning 5.rg - PeaceHealth's warning: State agency cites planning problems * CITIZENS SPEAK OUT 6.ew - It's Our Decision: PeaceHealth siting process is just beginning 7.rg - Who missed what? 8.rg - Council was scapegoat 9.rg - Speak out on hospital 10.sn - People should speak out about hospital 11.rg - Evaluate hospital plan 12.rg - Hospital move impacts all 13.rg - Stop sprawl interests * PEACEHEALTH'S PLANS 14.rg - Commission's makeup changed by hospital plan 15.sn - Land use meetings scheduled, open to public * TRANSPORTATION ISSUES 16.rg - Interchange information 17.rg - State gives councilors overview of project 18.rg - Traffic caps 19.rg - Looking ahead 20.ew - SLANT: Coming up on the City Council agenda * OTHER NEWS 21.rg - Parking lot sale 22.sn - City leaders ask for support from legislators 23.sn - McKenzie-Willamette Hospital's Festival of Trees 24.rg - Improve end-of-life care * KEY, CREDITS, MORE INFO ===================== Editor's Letter ==================== It's happening! People are starting to speak out in letters to the editor. (Thank you to Buck Bailey of Creswell; to Mona Linstromberg of Veneta; to Kay Renken of Springfield; and to Jim A. Johnson, Bob Cassidy, and Rob Handy, all of Eugene.) (Thank you also to The Springfield News for turning this space last week into a letter to the editor.) Even the frequently reserved and cautious Register-Guard issued PeaceHealth and the City of Springfield a stern warning against moving forward without adequate public participation and consideration of the implications of building a new PeaceHealth hospital. Keep those letters to the editor coming! The Register-Guard: RGLetters@guardnet.com Springfield News: news@springfieldnews.com Eugene Weekly: editor@eugeneweekly.com Even more important, come to the public hearing before the Springfield Planning Commission: Tuesday, December 3, 7 p.m. City Council Chambers, City Hall 225 Fifth St., Springfield 726-3753 As the CHOICES coordinator, Jan Wilson, puts it: "Okay gang, this is it!!" If you have never testified before or don't know what to say, come any ways. We will have a table set up with information and will have volunteers willing to answer your questions. If the Springfield Planning Commission and the the Springfield City Council approve the plan amendments requested by PeaceHealth (and if such approvals withstand any potential appeals), then PeaceHealth builds a new hospital at Gateway. If not, then perhaps PeaceHealth will begin a dialogue with the community about where and how it is most appropriate for it to expand its facilities. Obviously, CHOICES is hoping PeaceHealth will halt its unilateral push to build a new hospital sooner rather than later so that we can all begin the important work of planning for quality health care choices. But first we need to issue the City of Springfield and PeaceHealth a very strong "NO" before we can get to "YES." To paraphrase the recent editorial in The Register-Guard, sometimes it requires strong medicine now to prevent developing much more serious problems in the future. We hope that PeaceHealth is at good at taking medicine from the community as it is at dispensing it. Rob Zako, Editor 343-5201 rzako@efn.org ====================== News Summary ====================== On Monday, the Springfield City Council will have a "street fund update on locally controlled revenue sources." In plain English, I believe this means the City of Springfield doesn't have enough money to maintain existing roads so it is considering raising taxes or fees to cover the shortfall (#1). Note that the City of Eugene will be having a similar discussion on December 9 (#20). Also on Monday, the Springfield City Council will hold a public hearing on annexing property purchased by PeaceHealth into the City of Springfield. This is a few acres of recently purchased property that is being added to its already annexed property in the Gateway area (#1). On Tuesday, the Springfield Planning Commission will hold a public hearing on PeaceHealth's requests to amend the Metro Plan diagram and Gateway Refinement Plan diagram and text to allow for a regional hospital in the Gateway area (#2, #14, #15). Almost two weeks ago, the Oregon Department of Land Conservation and Development (DLCD) submitted a 19-page report on the plan amendments requested by PeaceHealth (#3). This news made the Associated Press wire service (#4). It also prompted a strong editorial warning from The Register-Guard to PeaceHealth and the City of Springfield (#5). CHOICES coordinator shares her view on PeaceHealth in this week's Eugene Weekly: "Whether you're from Eugene or Springfield, whether you're a health care worker or a potential patient, show up, stand up, and be heard. This is our community. The decision about where to site our regional hospital is our decision, and the decision hasn't been made yet." (#6). Many citizens are already standing up and voicing their views in letters to the editor (#7, #8, #9, #10, #11, #12, #13). Okay, so one of those wasn't a letter *to* the editor -- it was a letter *from* this editor (#10). The Springfield News subscribes to "Health Options Digest." Apparently they liked our "Editor's Letter" last week so much that they went ahead and printed it! (Thank you.) Last Monday, the Eugene City Council was briefed on plans for the Beltline/I-5 interchange (#16, #17). PeaceHealth will have to agree to limit trips to and from its planned $350 million complex, and related commercial development, to 1,840 trips during any one-hour period from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. (#18). PeaceHealth's ability to avoid clogging Gateway area streets and roads relies largely on future road projects being completed in a timely manner (#19). On December 9, the Eugene City Council will discuss imposing fees or taxes in order to pay for needed street maintenance (#20). Note that the City of Springfield will be having a similar discussion on Monday (#1). The City of Eugene is looking for bidders on the property across the street from the old, soon-to-be-replaced Eugene Public Library. Only developers whose ideas include "exemplary design and high density" need apply, according to a city announcement of its request for proposals. Zoning on the property is a mix of commercial and high-density residential (#21). Last Monday, Springfield City councilors petitioned four state leaders for support on nine key issues from financial stability to natural resources that will impact the city of Springfield and its citizens in 2003 (#22). McKenzie-Willamette Hospital's Festival of Trees continues (#23). A reader encourages people to learn about our extraordinary hospice programs at McKenzie-Willamette Hospital and Sacred Heart Medical Center (#24). ======================== Calendar ======================== ------------------------------------------------------------ 1.sn - Mon 12/2 - Springfield City Council ------------------------------------------------------------ Monday 6 p.m. -- City Council work session. Jesse Maine Room, City Hall, 225 Fifth St., Springfield, 726-3700. * Street fund update. 7 p.m. -- City Council regular meeting. City Council Chambers, City Hall, 225 Fifth St., Springfield, 726-3700. * Public hearings on PeaceHealth property annexation, city fees, land use changes for Sports Complex property. http://www.springfieldnews.com/articles/2002/11/29/calendar/news1.txt Agenda: http://www.ci.springfield.or.us/CMO/2002Council/120202%20agenda.pdf ------------------------------------------------------------ 2.sn - Tue 12/3 - Springfield Planning Commission ------------------------------------------------------------ Tuesday 7 p.m. -- Springfield Planning Commission regular meeting. City Council Chambers, City Hall, 225 Fifth St., Springfield, 726-3753. * Public hearing on Springfield School District's discretionary use application to upgrade existing athletic fields and facilities at Thurston High School. * Public hearing on PeaceHealth's requests to amend the Metro Plan diagram and Gateway Refinement Plan diagram and text. http://www.springfieldnews.com/articles/2002/11/29/calendar/news1.txt See also: #14.rg - Commission's makeup changed by hospital plan #15.sn - Land use meetings scheduled, open to public ======================= DLCD Report ====================== ------------------------------------------------------------ 3.dlcd - Report on plan amendments requested by PeaceHealth ------------------------------------------------------------ Mark Radabaugh Oregon Department of Land Conservation and Development (DLCD), 11/18/02 Thank you very much for the opportunity to comment on PeaceHealth's proposed plan amendments in the Gateway area. There should be no doubt in anyone's mind that the current proposal by PeaceHealth is the most important post-acknowledgment plan amendment that the Eugene-Springfield metropolitan area has considered in recent years, or will be considered in the forseeable future. The scale, scope and location of the Peacehealth proposal are of critical importance to comprehensive planning for the metropolitan area. It is critical that any decision to enable PeaceHealth to construct a new major hospital and the development of related facilities and other services, be based on a comprehensive understanding of all impacts and mitigations up front in the local planning process. Under Statewide Planning Goal 2, the proposal by Peacehealth is considered a "major revision." (more...) Complete report available as a PDF at: http://www.efn.org/~choices/DLCDresponse-PH.pdf ------------------------------------------------------------ 4.ap - Report criticizes hospital planning ------------------------------------------------------------ The Associated Press, 11/22/02 Springfield, Ore. (AP) -- The state Department of Land Conservation and Development has entered the fray over PeaceHealth's push to build a regional medical center here, strongly criticizing the hospital group's plan and suggesting it fails to meet numerous state legal requirements. The agency, which oversees compliance with the state's land use goals, issued a stinging 19-page report this week in response to PeaceHealth's request for land use amendments needed in building Sacred Heart Medical Center at RiverBend and surrounding offices and housing on 164 acres next to the McKenzie River. The Springfield Planning Commission and the City Council will hold public hearings in December and January, and the council may vote on the proposed amendments as early as January. But the state report suggested that officials not vote on any PeaceHealth proposals until the hospital has produced a more comprehensive plan detailing use of the entire site and the broad impact the project would have on Springfield, Eugene and Lane County. The report also said PeaceHealth's proposal will have such a huge impact that elected officials from Eugene and Lane County should have a say in the project's review. The state agency can't stop the city from approving the $350 million project, but it could appeal local decisions to the state Land Use Board of Appeals. The agency reviews all proposed changes to major land use plans in the state. The agency "has a vastly different opinion of the process we need to go through," said PeaceHealth planning director Philip Farrington, who plans to submit a point-by-point rebuttal. http://www.oregonlive.com/newsflash/oregon/index.ssf?/cgi-free/getstory_ssf.cgi?o0089_BC_OR--HospitalReport&&news&ornews ------------------------------------------------------------ 5.rg - PeaceHealth's warning: State agency cites planning problems ------------------------------------------------------------ Editorial The Register-Guard, 11/24/02 Preventive medicine sometimes involves discomfort and effort, but it's more effective and economical than treating full-blown health problems. Similarly, PeaceHealth and the city of Springfield were not pleased to receive a report from the state land-use planning agency raising pointed questions about the plan to move Sacred Heart Medical Center to the Gateway area. But it would be better to address the questions early, in hopes of preventing a painful and costly disruption to the effort to ensure adequate medical facilities in the Eugene-Springfield area. The Department of Land Conservation and Development took the unusual step of offering a critique of PeaceHealth's proposal before it had received local government approval. The Springfield Planning Commission and City Council are scheduled to hold public hearings starting next month on the land-use plan changes required for the new medical complex. The department urged Springfield officials to postpone any votes until after PeaceHealth submits a more comprehensive plan for its RiverBend development, and until the public had been given more opportunities to comment. If the state agency's 19-page letter to Springfield city officials were distilled into a single sentence, it would be something like this: What PeaceHealth is proposing is a very big deal, and the local planning process must treat it as such. "There should be no doubt in anyone's mind that the current proposal by PeaceHealth is the most important post-acknowledgement plan amendment that the Eugene-Springfield metropolitan area has considered in recent years, or will be considered in the foreseeable future," the letter stated. The current process for reviewing the proposal is not of a sufficiently broad scope, and proceeds step by step rather than assessing the consequences of the hospital project as a whole. "The amendments now under review appear to address only the minimum that is needed to enable the next sequence of amendments." PeaceHealth and Springfield officials dispute the state agency's assessment, saying that the hospital project doesn't require major amendments to existing land-use plans. They also dispute the department's contention that because the hospital relocation will have regional consequences, other local governments, not just the city of Springfield, should have a role in the planning process. But the department raises a variety of other issues, touching upon at least 10 of Oregon's 19 statewide land-use planning goals. PeaceHealth, for instance, intends to build its hospital on land currently zoned for medium-density housing, and the effects on Springfield's inventory of land suitable for residential development has not been addressed. Similarly, the department says, transportation, flood hazards, economic effects and other issues have not been adequately addressed. Indeed, PeaceHealth and government officials need to examine whether alternatives exist to building a single, large new medical facility on the fringe of the urban area. Each of the department's objections is a potential stumbling block for the PeaceHealth project. It's helpful to have these questions arise now. No one's interests would be served by proceeding with a planning process that would ultimately, perhaps on appeal, be found to be flawed. If the planning process for the RiverBend project needs to be given a broader scope, it would be easier to do that sooner rather than later. http://www.registerguard.com/news/2002/11/24/ed.edit.peacehealth.1124.html =================== Citizens Speak Out =================== ------------------------------------------------------------ 6.ew - It's Our Decision: PeaceHealth siting process is just beginning ------------------------------------------------------------ By Jan Wilson, CHOICES Viewpoint in the Eugene Weekly, 11/27/02 Sometimes it feels good to just sit with friends and rant about all the ridiculous things going on in the world. But there are times when we have to stand up in public and let our voices of reason be heard. It's part of the responsibility we, as members of our chosen community, have to ensure the community remains one in which we chose to live. Over the past year, I have spent a lot of time talking with people about PeaceHealth's plans to build its new regional medical hospital campus along the McKenzie River in the Gateway area of Springfield. Right off the bat, people recite all the reasons why they dislike the proposal. Residents of south and west Eugene lament the loss of emergency services within reasonable driving distance. Campus-area business owners lament the loss of the employees and visitors that sustain their establishments. Fiscal conservatives lament the millions of dollars in public subsidies for building and maintaining roads and other infrastructure for the new development. Gateway area homeowners lament the increased traffic congestion and the high-rise buildings dominating their neighborhood. Nature lovers lament the loss of rural open space and riparian habitat (though occasionally admitting they would find poetic justice in the stranding of the hospital when the inevitable catastrophic flood or earthquake occurs). Health care professionals lament the burden of relocating their practices or of longer commutes between their offices and the hospital. But mostly, people are upset about PeaceHealth's encroachment on the service area of McKenzie-Willamette, Springfield's community hospital. Most of the community's residents seem to truly "get it." They understand that McKenzie-Willamette would not be able to remain at its downtown Springfield site if PeaceHealth moves to the Gateway area. Either McKenzie-Willamette would have to find a way to move to west-central Eugene, or McKenzie-Willamette would cease to exist altogether, leaving the region without a secular, community-based choice for hospital services. Most Springfield residents hate the thought of losing the hospital "they" built. Eugene residents, while excited about the prospect of obtaining a hospital that might be more "sensitive" to their needs, reluctantly admit that the cost of swapping hospital locations and leaving three vacant facilities in two downtowns does not seem to be the most efficient use of scarce resources. Nobody buys the "healing environment" propaganda about overworked nurses and recuperating patients taking leisurely strolls along the riverfront. People don't doubt that both hospitals need updated facilities and modern equipment, but they question the need for extravagance by an organization supposedly focused on treatment and care, not fancy furnishings. Many share stories about their stays in urban hospitals that were every bit as healing as any in isolated outlying areas. Most know that indoor atriums and views of the Cascades can provide the connection to nature that both hospital staff and patients desire, without the costs associated with abandoning the urban core. The propaganda, however, has left many expressing apathy and powerlessness. People feel betrayed by the out-of-state parent of what was supposed to be a local charitable nonprofit, and they feel overwhelmed by the seemingly bottomless war chest the parent company has apparently put at the local board's disposal. Although it hasn't even applied for, let alone received, required zoning changes and master plan approval, PeaceHealth has labored to sell the "done deal" line. But PeaceHealth's plans are a very long way from a "done deal." The area's regional and neighborhood plans do not currently allow for a hospital on the Gateway site. At 7 pm Tuesday, Dec. 3, at Springfield City Hall, the Springfield Planning Commission begins hearing public testimony on whether to allow the plans to be changed. Yes, that's right Ñ the process is just beginning. This is the first decision, but it is absolutely the most important. If existing community plans are changed to allow the hospital at the Gateway site, then the rest of the discussion will be about the width of the parking spaces and the color of the wallpaper. Nothing requires us to change our community's plans. The community still has the right Ñ indeed, the obligation Ñ to tell PeaceHealth that we will not allow it to impose unacceptable costs on our community. Whether you're from Eugene or Springfield, whether you're a health care worker or a potential patient, show up, stand up, and be heard. This is our community. The decision about where to site our regional hospital is our decision, and the decision hasn't been made yet. Jan Wilson is coordinator of the Coalition for Health Options In Central Eugene-Springfield (CHOICES, www.efn.org/~choices). Public hearings on proposed plan amendments to allow a hospital at the Gateway site will be before the Springfield Planning Commission at 7 pm Tuesday,, Dec. 3; and before the Springfield City Council at 7 pm Tuesday, Jan. 21. Both hearings will be at Springfield City Hall. http://www.eugeneweekly.com/views.html#viewpoint1 http://www.eugeneweekly.com/archive/11_27_02/views.html#viewpoint1 ------------------------------------------------------------ 7.rg - Who missed what? ------------------------------------------------------------ By Buck Bailey, Creswell Letter to The Register-Guard, 11/21/02 Did I miss something? I am almost positive that the Eugene City Council of today is the same group that only a short time ago did everything in its power to run our local hospital out of town. Could this be the same group of councilors who are now recruiting hospitals? Did they miss something? http://www.registerguard.com/news/2002/11/21/ed.letters.1121.html ------------------------------------------------------------ 8.rg - Council was scapegoat ------------------------------------------------------------ By Jim A. Johnson, Eugene Letter to The Register-Guard, 11/25/02 A response to Buck Bailey, who wonders (letters, Nov. 21) if he missed something about the PeaceHealth move: Yes, he did miss something. PeaceHealth was not run out of town by the Eugene City Council. PeaceHealth officials were financing purchases of land in Springfield through an intermediary well before the public knew about their intention to move. Simultaneously, the intermediary was among those who began a shadow advertising campaign in The Register-Guard to discredit the liberal members of the City Council. Once the Gang of Nine smear campaign had reached its peak, PeaceHealth announced its intention to abandon central Eugene for the fields of suburbia, in violation of its earlier agreement with the city (the north Eugene cite was zoned for a clinic, not a regional hospital). The City Council worked with PeaceHealth in trying to find an alternate location in the core of the city. The only alternate site PeaceHealth would even consider was the historic neighborhood west of its current facility, smack dab in the ward of one of the city's most liberal councilors. After all this, the council relented and agreed to change the zoning at the north Eugene site. Weeks later, PeaceHealth announced that it was moving to Springfield. Yes, I'd say Bailey did miss something. It seems to me that PeaceHealth planned to move to Springfield all along and used the council as an scapegoat. All of this information has appeared in The Register-Guard -- look it up. Personally, I'm thrilled the city is trying to fill the void left by PeaceHealth. http://www.registerguard.com/news/2002/11/25/ed.letters.1125.html ------------------------------------------------------------ 9.rg - Speak out on hospital ------------------------------------------------------------ By Mona Linstromberg, Veneta Letter to The Register Guard, 11/27/02 My tendency has been to sit back and watch the continuing saga of the PeaceHealth debacle as if I were just a spectator. There has not only been land development wheeling and dealing, political intrigue and maligning of elected officials, but also questions of unfair business tactics on the part of PeaceHealth itself. This is not an armchair sport. There are consequences that could impact each and every one of us on several different levels. The land use issues are being given another look -- prodded by a recent letter from state land use officials. The Gateway site for PeaceHealth has major implications for how the Eugene-Springfield area will develop. Every exception allowed to the existing land use law only makes it easier to keep subverting planning until there is no plan left. Another concern, closer to home for me, is the threat to the level and choices for medical service in our area. Even those of us who may utilize PeaceHealth because of it current central location have had need to patronize McKenzie-Willamette because it offers a different range of services. We need a thriving McKenzie-Willamette Hospital. We need PeaceHealth in the urban core (but not at the expense of historic neighborhoods). I think if the welfare of all communities is placed at the forefront, both hospitals will flourish. Tell me, have the developers involved in this particular saga already sauntered off with their profits? Public hearings are scheduled. Make your voice heard. http://www.registerguard.com/news/2002/11/27/ed.letters.1127.html ------------------------------------------------------------ 10.sn - People should speak out about hospital ------------------------------------------------------------ By Rob Zako Letter to The Springfield News, 11/27/02 PeaceHealth wants everyone to believe their plans for a new hospital are a "done deal." But public opinion can start as a trickle, become a steady stream, and -- when the issues touch close to the heart -- can sometimes explode in a torrent of outcry that washes away much that came before. While the dam of public opinion hasn't yet burst, we see signs of growing concern over PeaceHealth's plans. And this past week, the dam on related news stories certainly burst. We are particularly pleased to start seeing Springfield residents standing up and talking about the sacrifices they made to have their own hospital, McKenzie-Willamette, on their side of the river. We are also pleased by the 19-page report from Oregon's Department of Land Conservation and Development that turns a firehose on Springfield's and PeaceHealth's rezoning and other land use plans. While the report is "merely" the opinion of the state agency charged with implementing Oregon's land use laws, the concerns raised in the report could grow teeth were someone to take the issues to court. For now, we hope the city of Springfield and PeaceHealth will take the report to heart and make sure to not merely follow the letter of the law, but also its spirit. CHOICES will post a link to the report once that is available. Lastly and most importantly, everyone who cares about maintaining good choices for quality health care in our community should attend the Springfield Planning Commission public hearing on Tuesday. If you can't attend, consider writing a letter to the Springfield Planning Commission. Also consider voicing your concerns to your fellow citizens in a letter to the editor. Democracy works when people are informed and outspoken. Speak out! Rob Zako http://www.springfieldnews.com/articles/2002/11/27/opinion/news3.txt ------------------------------------------------------------ 11.rg - Evaluate hospital plan ------------------------------------------------------------ By Kay Renken, Springfield Letter to The Register Guard, 11/29/02 Springfield City Manager Mike Kelly's comments (Register-Guard, Nov. 16) about PeaceHealth's impact on the Gateway area are off base. Is he really paying attention, or is there another agenda? Kelly says that a proposed hospital would have less impact on the site than medium density residential housing. What? A 2,000-employee, nine-story regional hospital on the banks of the beautiful McKenzie River having less impact than apartments? He says that the hospital will replace residential uses, thereby reducing congestion. But according to PeaceHealth's plan, there isn't going to be any loss of residential units from the housing inventory, since it proposes making up for the lost units by building apartments on its floodplain property. Hospital and residential -- Kelly should do the math. It's quite likely there will be more traffic, not less. And his statement about past Springfield City Councils not favoring the adopted plan defies logic, since the city and citizens have put considerable work into these plans, arriving at a carefully designed "nodal" neighborhood village where people could live and work without having to drive so much. Now that it's clear that the PeaceHealth proposal cannot happen within the framework of the plans that are in place, we witness Kelly's absurd rationale that the city never really approved of the plans. The PeaceHealth proposal will have huge impacts on many aspects of all of our community. We deserve a real citizen evaluation process instead of the snow job we're receiving. http://www.registerguard.com/news/2002/11/29/ed.letters.1129.html ------------------------------------------------------------ 12.rg - Hospital move impacts all ------------------------------------------------------------ By Bob Cassidy, Eugene Letter to The Register Guard, 11/29/02 A Nov. 24 Register-Guard editorial recommends that a metropolitan planning process should be considered to properly evaluate the effects of the PeaceHealth hospital plan because of its broad impacts on the larger community. I agree that this should not be Springfield's decision alone. I would suggest that there is even a more pressing reason for this to be a process that involves all of us in the planning. The delivery of health care in a community of this size is not a market-based business. It involves the right of all of us to have access to a basic need, just as we have access to water and electricity. This is why we support a public utility to supply these things -- and why we need a community supported hospital. This is why hospitals are given a special tax status. If a business like Hynix wishes to establish in the community, we have rights to limit the decisions of the company to make sure that it does no harm to the community. But after that, the company is free to build as it likes in a manner that is most profitable. But a hospital is different -- unless, of course, it is just one of many competing businesses. If it's a community hospital, then it has obligations to the community it serves, such as fulfilling the basic needs of the community. The profitability of the business has to take a second place to the needs of the community. Here's the question: Is PeaceHealth a community-based hospital, as is Mckenzie-Willamette Hospital, or is it an outside corporation seeking to do business in a competitive fashion, complete with tax and other incentives provided by the citizens of the community? The answer is obvious, I believe, and that is really why we need the input of all the affected governing bodies in the metropolitan area. http://www.registerguard.com/news/2002/11/29/ed.letters.1129.html ------------------------------------------------------------ 13.rg - Stop sprawl interests ------------------------------------------------------------ By Rob Handy, Eugene Letter to The Register Guard, 11/30/02 Let's see if I have this straight. The Register-Guard investigative report of Sept. 11, 2001, illustrated how John Musumeci's Arlie & Company was sealing a land deal with PeaceHealth along the McKenzie River floodplain, while PeaceHealth simultaneously misrepresented its intentions to stay in downtown Eugene. While Musumeci helped bankroll the Gang of 9's vindictive smear campaign against Eugene city councilors working in the public interest, PeaceHealth knowingly stood aside and let the council take the heat for the out-of-state hospital conglomerate's decision to abandon our urban core. Mayor Jim Torrey and other water carriers for land speculators continue to give lip service to revitalizing downtown. Meanwhile, the sucking sound you hear is taxpayer money exiting existing neighborhoods to subsidize paving of green space for expensive sprawl into natural lands. Oregon's pioneering land use laws contribute to making our community attractive and livable. Torrey and his minions flout our state laws to serve the special interests of pork feeders gorging on the public coffer. PeaceHealth's proposal would cause failure at the intersection of Interstate 5 and Belt Line Road as well as decimate two downtowns. The West Eugene Parkway would pave rare wetlands, undermine our commitment to nodal development and dump traffic congestion into a reeling downtown without a coherent plan. The state of Oregon and concerned citizens continue to admonish Lane County public officials to get their act together. How much more taxpayer money will be spent defending the indefensible schemings of Torrey and his sprawl interests? http://www.registerguard.com/news/2002/11/30/ed.lettersmain.1130.html =================== PeaceHealth's Plans ================== ------------------------------------------------------------ 14.rg - Commission's makeup changed by hospital plan ------------------------------------------------------------ By Matt Cooper The Register-Guard, 11/30/02, Page 1B THE SPRINGFIELD Planning Commission has undergone some last-minute reshuffling in regard to PeaceHealth's plan to build a regional medical center in the Gateway area. Chairman Tim Malloy, citing a conflict of interest, will abstain in matters involving PeaceHealth and a new member will be joining the commission to replace Sean Wilson, who died recently. Malloy manages the finance and materials departments for Oregon Medical Laboratories, a division of PeaceHealth. Legal counsel has told Malloy his connection to PeaceHealth could lead to perceptions of bias. "I will still probably direct the meetings," Malloy said. "But I'm not able to vote, not able to enter discussions or ask questions" about PeaceHealth or its hospital project. The medical complex project will be on the commission's agenda at 7 p.m. Tuesday in the Council Chamber at City Hall, 225 Fifth St. Commissioners will take up PeaceHealth's proposed changes to Springfield's Gateway Refinement Plan, which is a supplement to the area's main growth blueprint, the Eugene-Springfield Metropolitan Area General Plan. Malloy isn't the only decision-maker with ties to PeaceHealth or to McKenzie-Willamette Hospital, the community hospital that is locked in a legal battle with PeaceHealth over alleged unfair competition by the Bellevue, Wash., health care organization. Planning commission member Lee Beyer also serves on the board for McKenzie-Willamette and City Councilor Anne Ballew serves on the Hospital Facility Authority, which issues tax-exempt bonds for capital improvements at McKenzie-Willamette. Beyer said he'll only consider the land-use question -- "Is the proposal compatible with the desires of the area?" -- and Ballew said she would weigh the ramifications on McKenzie-Willamette only if that's appropriate to the PeaceHealth project review. Malloy doesn't appear to be concerned about the changes on the commission. "We have a lot of people who have been there quite a while," he said. "I feel real confident they will do a fine job." Springfield reporter Matt Cooper can be reached at 338-2317 or by e-mail at mcooper@guardnet.com. http://www.registerguard.com/news/2002/11/30/1b.cr.spcitybeat.1130.html ------------------------------------------------------------ 15.sn - Land use meetings scheduled, open to public ------------------------------------------------------------ By Jaime Sherman The Springfield News, 11/30/02 Members of the public are invited to offer input at two land use hearings in the coming week. The outcome of the two land use applications will determine the future of two large development projects in Springfield. On Monday, the City Council will accept comment during its regular session at 7 p.m. regarding land use changes on property at Main and 32nd streets for a planned sports park. The Planning Commission will take public testimony on Tuesday at 7 p.m. concerning PeaceHealth's requests to amend two development plans. Both public hearings will be held in City Council Chambers at City Hall, 225 Fifth St. The land use application for the property at Main and 32nd streets would redesignate and rezone about 35 acres to facilitate the relocation and construction of a sports center. The proposal calls for amending the Metro Plan and Mid-Springfield Refinement Plan diagrams to reflect a change from light-medium and heavy industrial zoning to community commercial, parks and open space, and public land and open space. A separate proposal would rezone 22 acres north of International Way, where the sports park was originally located, from parks and open space and community commercial to campus industrial. The changes would amend the Metro Plan and the Gateway Refinement Plan diagrams. The public may also comment on PeaceHealth's land use requests, which are being considered by the Planning Commission. The amendments would allow PeaceHealth to build a $350-million regional hospital and other medical buildings on land in the Gateway area of northwest Springfield and preserve residential areas and allow for commercial and residential nodal development in the area. PeaceHealth would like the city to amend the Gateway Refinement Plan diagram and text and the Metro Plan diagram to accommodate the development plan. The Planning Commission's decision on the land use application is advisory to the City Council, which will hold a public hearing on the application in late-January. Each citizen planning to testify during the public hearings is asked to fill out a card before the hearing. Cards are available at both entrances to City Council Chambers. Comments are limited to three minutes, and speakers cannot yield their time to others. For more information on the proposed amendments, call Development Services at 726-3753. http://www.springfieldnews.com/articles/2002/11/29/local/news8.txt ================== Transportation Issues ================= ------------------------------------------------------------ 16.rg - Interchange information ------------------------------------------------------------ By Joe Mosley The Register-Guard, 11/24/02, Page 1C Councilors will get a short course Monday night in cloverleafs, flyover ramps, sound walls and a whole lot more big-dollar highway construction concepts when a state traffic engineer shows up for a briefing on the planned interchange makeover at Interstate 5 and Belt Line Road. The $122 million reconstruction project was approved earlier this month by a committee of officials from Eugene, Springfield, Lane County, the state Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration. No action by the city is required for the project to go forward, but the council is being updated on the massive interchange overhaul as a courtesy by state officials, city transportation engineer Dave Reinhard said. The interchange upgrade still must gain final federal approval, but construction is considered likely to begin in 2006. Revenue bonds sold under the Oregon Transportation Investment Act will provide $18 million in first-phase funding, and more than $100 million more is expected to be raised through state and federal transportation programs, along with private contributions. The new interchange is expected to include cloverleaf on- and off-ramps serving all four directions at I-5 and Belt Line, as well as a "flyover" ramp connecting northbound I-5 to westbound Belt Line. A redesign of the Belt Line-Gateway Street intersection also is in the works, and a sound wall is planned to lessen freeway noise near Harlow Road. Reporter Joe Mosley can be reached at 338-2384 or by e-mail at jmosley@guardnet.com http://www.registerguard.com/news/2002/11/24/1c.cr.citybeat.1124.html ------------------------------------------------------------ 17.rg - State gives councilors overview of project ------------------------------------------------------------ By Joe Mosley The Register-Guard, 11/26/02, Page 5C The Oregon Department of Transportation got a pat on the back from Eugene elected officials Monday night for reaching agreement on a massive overhaul of the Interstate 5-Belt Line Road interchange, with construction expected to begin 2006. "It's been a somewhat challenging process," said city Councilor David Kelly, who served on an intergovernmental committee that worked out jurisdictional differences over the project earlier this month. "I want to thank ODOT for some 11th-hour cooperation and compromise," Kelly said. The committee was comprised of one official each from Eugene, Springfield, Lane County, the state Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration. It approved what may eventually be a $122 million interchange redesign after agreement was reached on sound walls near Harlow Road and local participation in reworking the adjacent Belt Line-Gateway Street intersection. There also were provisions made for pedestrian and bicycle access from one side of I-5 to the other, along Harlow Road to the south and Chad Drive to the north. "This connects a huge amount of people ... that won't have to get on the freeway system," Councilor Gary Rayor said. The project was described to Eugene councilors Monday night as a courtesy by the state transportation department. No city signoff on the work is required. However, acting City Manager Jim Carlson pointed out that the interchange redesign is one of the largest and most significant traffic projects now pending in the Eugene area. "This is a big project," Carlson said. "It's important for this group to understand the elements of this project and how it's going to move forward." The sale of revenue bonds under the Oregon Transportation Investment Act will provide $18 million to start the construction. State and federal grants, along with potential private contributions, are expected to bring over $100 million more to the project. http://www.registerguard.com/news/2002/11/26/5c.cr.interchange.1126.html ------------------------------------------------------------ 18.rg - Traffic caps ------------------------------------------------------------ By Matt Cooper The Register-Guard, 11/30/02, Page 1B Gary McKenney, city transportation planning engineer, says PeaceHealth will have to agree to limit trips to and from its planned $350 million complex, and related commercial development, to 1,840 trips during any one-hour period from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. This "trip cap" will apply to 99 acres of the 164-acre PeaceHealth site but not to the rest of the site, expected to be used for medium-density residential housing, McKenney said. PeaceHealth's plans don't necessarily mean more traffic will be generated than would be the case were the entire site used for medium-density residential development, McKenney said. If the new medical complex gets a green light, the trip cap will force it to build within acceptable limits, McKenney said. The hospital might be prohibited from building too densely, for example, or might have to stagger shifts or emphasize mass transit use, he said. But Jan Wilson, coordinator of CHOICES, the Coalition for Health Options in Central Eugene Springfield, which opposes the Gateway-area location for a new hospital, said the trip-cap limit will be ineffective because it doesn't factor in all the area's traffic -- visits to the Gateway Mall and the Sony and Symantec plants, for example. Wilson also questioned the size of trip limit, noting that it would allow most of the 2,200 employees now working at PeaceHealth's Sacred Heart Medical Center to come and go during the peak commuting period after they move to the new hospital site. "That's not much of a cap," she said. Springfield reporter Matt Cooper can be reached at 338-2317 or by e-mail at mcooper@guardnet.com. http://www.registerguard.com/news/2002/11/30/1b.cr.spcitybeat.1130.html ------------------------------------------------------------ 19.rg - Looking ahead ------------------------------------------------------------ By Matt Cooper The Register-Guard, 11/30/02, Page 1B PeaceHealth's ability to avoid clogging Gateway area streets and roads relies largely on future road projects being completed in a timely manner, hospital officials say. Gary McKenney, the city's transportation planning engineer, said PeaceHealth correctly assumed that additional traffic capacity will be provided by those projects by 2015. He said Highway 126 at Pioneer Parkway also must be expanded to help avoid traffic jams. Tom Boyatt of the state Department of Transportation said the road improvements and plans to limit trips to and from the hospital should keep traffic flowing through 2018, the required planning horizon. As for the Highway 126-Pioneer Parkway expansion, he said PeaceHealth is willing to fund the improvements needed "to correct the projected operational and safety problems." A PeaceHealth spokesman couldn't be reached for comment Friday. Rob Zako of CHOICES, which opposes the Gateway area hospital project, questioned whether the traffic study accounts for all the traffic that will be generated by the new medical complex. PeaceHealth is rushing the completion of road projects that are short about $100 million in funding, he said, and that would be built at the expense of other regional needs. Springfield reporter Matt Cooper can be reached at 338-2317 or by e-mail at mcooper@guardnet.com. http://www.registerguard.com/news/2002/11/30/1b.cr.spcitybeat.1130.html ------------------------------------------------------------ 20.ew - SLANT: Coming up on the City Council agenda ------------------------------------------------------------ The Eugene Weekly, 11/27/02 Dec. 9 is a discussion on how to fund repairs to our rapidly crumbling city streets. This will be a tough one because it involves the dreaded word: taxes. Do we charge households and businesses "fees" based on road trip statistics? Trouble is, one house might have five cars and trucks in the driveway, and the house next door might have two bicycles. Do they pay the same? Should banks and drive-through fast food eateries pay thousands more than homes? Will EWEB land the unenviable task of collecting the new fees? Expect a lively debate and no easy solutions to a growing problem. SLANT includes short opinion pieces and rumor-chasing notes compiled by the EW staff. Heard any good rumors lately? Contact Ted Taylor at 484-0519, editor@eugeneweekly.com http://www.eugeneweekly.com/news.html http://www.eugeneweekly.com/archive/11_27_02/news.html ======================= Other News ======================= ------------------------------------------------------------ 21.rg - Parking lot sale ------------------------------------------------------------ By Joe Mosley The Register-Guard, 11/24/02, Page 1C Have a high-concept idea for development of a chunk of land near the city's core? And maybe a thick wad of cash to get the deal done? The city is looking for bidders on a 37,373-square-foot parking lot on the east side of Olive Street, just south of 13th Avenue. It's across the street from the old, soon-to-be-replaced Eugene Public Library. Only developers whose ideas include "exemplary design and high density" need apply, according to a city announcement of its request for proposals. Zoning on the property is a mix of commercial and high-density residential. "Although a portion of this site could accommodate commercial development, this site appears to have significant potential for multiunit housing development," said Mike Sullivan, manager of the city's Neighborhood, Housing and Community Development Division. Money from the sale of the parking lot -- along with that from sales of the old library itself and the former Sears Building at Charnelton Street and West 10th Avenue -- will help offset $34 million in construction costs for the city's new library. Balzhiser & Hubbard Engineers have agreed to purchase the old library after the new library opens on Dec. 26, and the city is entertaining proposals for the Sears property. The deadline for submitting proposals for the parking lot property is Jan. 10. For more information, call Denny Braud of the city's Planning & Development Department at 682-5536 or by e-mail at denny.braud@ci.eugene.or.us. Reporter Joe Mosley can be reached at 338-2384 or by e-mail at jmosley@guardnet.com http://www.registerguard.com/news/2002/11/24/1c.cr.citybeat.1124.html ------------------------------------------------------------ 22.sn - City leaders ask for support from legislators ------------------------------------------------------------ By Jaime Sherman City councilors turned lobbyists Monday night as they met with state legislators about the upcoming legislative session. They petitioned four state leaders for support on nine key issues from financial stability to natural resources that will impact the city of Springfield and its citizens in 2003. "It's going to be a very challenging session," Council President Lyle Hatfield said to open the work session. Sen. Bill Morrisette and Reps. Terry Beyer, Bob Ackerman and Phil Barnhart expressed a willingness to work with councilors, but they emphasized a need for support at the state capitol during key decision-making times. Councilor Christine Lundberg asked legislators how the city of Springfield can get lawmakers to listen to its needs. Morrisette said the key for cities is to start lobbying state leaders who don't support an issue, not just supporters. Barnhart said cities need to continue voicing concerns and support. "Don't let only one side speak," he said. Councilors told the legislators they support and encourage efforts to reform the state tax system and to allow city governments to use local options to raise revenue. During the November general election, Springfield voters approved two levies in support of police and fire services, but the levies will expire after four years. "We need to begin crafting a long-term solution," Hatfield said. In addition to having freedom to seek additional revenue, cities must retain the constitutional right of local control over local responsibilities, including raising additional revenue, the councilors said. Morrisette said the League of Oregon Cities, which includes the city of Springfield, needs to show support at the state capitol for this rule, also known as home rule. "We need to build a fire under your leadership in support of home rule," he said. Councilor Fred Simmons said the support is in place. "The league is saying, 'Please don't get in the way of us surviving,' " he said. Concerning land use review, city councilors asked state leaders to pass a bill allowing cities 150 days to review applications, not 120 days they currently have. In a report outlining the nine issues of most concern to Springfield, councilors asked in general terms for the state legislators to assist the city of Springfield as it continues to focus on community and economic development. They also expressed a need to preserve existing transportation and transit systems, to pursue federal funding for homeland security measures and to make minor language changes in the Oregon Revised Statutes to clarify rules about arbitration. Natural resources also topped the discussion. The state has been stalling on utilizing the Forest Legacy Program so communities like Springfield can purchase land with federal money and help protect natural resources, councilors said. One of the local lands projected for protection is an oak savanna in the Coburg Hills north of Springfield. Councilors asked the legislators to help get the program off the ground in Oregon by approving state participation. A main discussion at the work session focused on the failure of the Oregon Public Employees Retirement System, which the city of Springfield invested in at the end of 2001. "I worked very hard to get you guys covered by PERS," Morrisette said with a chuckle. Legislators said when they return to the state capitol, the pension fund, which faces a shortfall of more than $15 billion, will be an issue of great importance. Councilors said they support reform of PERS and, if needed, the development of a new retirement system that will continue to serve public employees. "The last thing we want to do is make it worse," Barnhart said. The councilors pledged their support of legislators who will return to work at the state capitol in January. Hatfield said the Oregon League of Cities will be vocal when it comes to issues impacting cities in Oregon, including Springfield. "We need to be there in the capitol with you," Hatfield said. http://www.springfieldnews.com/articles/2002/11/27/local/news4.txt ------------------------------------------------------------ 23.sn - McKenzie-Willamette Hospital's Festival of Trees ------------------------------------------------------------ By Kim Sullivan The Springfield News, 11/27/02 For the 10th year it's back -- resplendent in all its holiday garlands, glitz and glamour. It's McKenzie-Willamette Hospital's Festival of Trees, a showcase of more than 55 fabulously decorated trees, as well as hundreds of holiday wreaths, stockings and gift baskets, today through Sunday at Valley River Inn in Eugene. While the 2002 Festival of Trees opens to the public today, coordinator and hospital foundation assistant director Margie Brooks began planning this year's festival before last year's was over. "Oh, yeah, this is a year-long effort," she said Monday, zipping back and forth between volunteers hanging stockings and designers deciding just the right place to hang ornaments. The pace quickens around August with a deadline for designers' entries in the auction booklet and by the week of Thanksgiving, it's around-the-clock work for Brooks, who stays in a room at the hotel for the festival's duration. And although she's been involved every year since 1993 and served as coordinator for nine years, Brooks is as awe-struck by the beautiful creations as the thousands who visit the festival every year. "It's just breathtaking," she said, stopping to look at a colorful candy-adorned gingerbread house surrounded by sweet-topped gingerbread igloos. The festival is centered around a live and silent auction of theme-decorated full-size trees, some with elaborate prize packages. In past years, trees have sold at the auction for up to $15,000. A few of this year's more elaborate trees include "Santa on Safari," donated by Arlie and Co., which includes glass zebras, elephants, lions and leopards on a Savannah-style tree, as well as a nine-day African safari through the Samburu and Masai Mara game reserves, wine, binoculars, luggage, travel trunks, books and DVDs about Africa and more; "The Future is Growing," donated by Weyerhaeuser Co., complete with live narcissus bulbs forced into bloom, a white greenhouse and gardening tools and accessories; and "Paris, C'est Magnifique!," sponsored by Orthopedic Spine Associates with a package that includes a one-week trip to Paris, France, meals, French wine and linens, books and travel accessories, an orchid and other French-themed gifts. Other local businesses who sponsored trees include Bi-Mart, Centennial Bank, Custom Cylinder, McKenzie Anesthesia Group, Market of Choice, Rosboro Lumber Co., Emerald Forest Products, Farwest Steel, Willamette Valley Co., Knecht's Auto Parts, Safeway Inc., Timber Products and dozens more. Brooks said employee groups "take ownership" of the trees, helping to decorate and choose themes. "People may not realize that half the trees are done by amateurs, not professional designers," Brooks said. "People are just generous with their time and in every employee group you can always find creative people." Smaller, table-top trees are also up for auction. While some gifts and items are "higher end," Brooks said, the festival also sells "lovely items" from $5 to $30. Other highlights of the Festival of Trees include: * Candy Cane Forest, where volunteers help children decorate 12-inch artificial trees with candy for a $5 donation. The tree will be donated to patients, or it can be taken home by the child. * Dickens Village of the Arts, an upscale gift shop featuring unique works of art. * Under the Tree, a children's shopping area, where only children can shop for gift items at a price of 50 cents to $3. Elves will be on hand to help children select and wrap the gifts. * Light up a Life area, where people can buy Hospice Angels to memorialize a loved one. The hospital's hospice program is supported by funds raised at previous Festival of Trees. * New this year, the festival will sell fresh, undecorated trees in the parking lot. The trees have been treated with a fire retardant, which will also help preserve them longer through the holiday season. To celebrate the special 10th anniversary of the festival, all festival directors from the past nine years have returned to serve as chair, including Bill and Deanna McCabe, 1993; Peter and Mary Ann Moore, 1994; Marty and Mary Lou Smith, 1995; Mike and Fran Curtis, 1996; Ron and Marilyn Peery, 1997; Chris and Jenny Miller, 1998; Walid and Peggy Saleeby, 1999; Andy and Donna Moore, 2000; and Gerald and Sue Vickers, 2001. The festival is sustained through a legion of volunteers -- 900 volunteers filling 1,300, three-hour shifts. In addition, 1,000 entertainers, 120 designers and 96 committee members donate their time to make the festival a success, Brooks said. "For many people who've been with us every year," Brooks said, "the festival is part of their Thanksgiving and they've become like family to us -- and to each other." Admission is $5 for adults and $3 for children 12 years old and younger or seniors 55 and older. Tickets are on sale at local Safeway stores, Centennial Bank and Reed & Cross. The Festival of Trees netted $75,000 its first year and $410,000 last year. Since its inception, it has brought in more than $2.5 million to projects such as the Jack V. Fuller Guest House, Community Health Library, McKenzie-Willamette Adult Day Health Care Center and hospice programs. http://www.springfieldnews.com/articles/2002/11/27/local/news1.txt ------------------------------------------------------------ 24.rg - Improve end-of-life care ------------------------------------------------------------ By Todd Peterson, Springfield Letter to The Register Guard, 11/24/02 As a hospice volunteer, I found the Nov. 19 Register-Guard story on end-of-life care both disturbing and gratifying to read -- disturbing in its view of this nation's mediocre care for the terminally ill; gratifying in the strong call for changes in how we deal with the physical, emotional and spiritual needs of the dying. Serving hospice patients in the last months, days and hours of their lives has been both an honor and a privilege for me. I've felt blessed to be invited into the homes of dying women and men -- to listen to their intimate life stories, to see the loving care given by family members and the hospice team, and to just sit in silence holding the hand of a fellow human being. My hope is that the article will serve as a wake-up call for more of us to begin talking about death and dying with our families, our friends and our doctors. It's time for our whole community to begin a conversation about end-of-life care. Just as women reclaimed birthing years ago for themselves and their families, some day we can reclaim dying for every dying person and their loved ones. I encourage people to learn about our extraordinary hospice programs at McKenzie-Willamette Hospital and Sacred Heart Medical Center. You'll find that our local resources for end-of-life care certainly are not "mediocre" but among the best in Oregon. We just need to support changes to improve what we already have and make better use of hospice services to live the last days of our lives as fully and as pain-free as possible. http://www.registerguard.com/news/2002/11/24/ed.letters.1124.html =========================== Key ========================== "Health Options Digest" is best read with an email program that recognizes links to web pages. It includes leads from and links to stories and opinions from the following publications: rg = The Register-Guard sn = Springfield News ew = Eugene Weekly cn = Comic News ode = Oregon Daily Emerald cce = City Club of Eugene Newsletter or = Oregonian For some stories, two links are given. Use the first link if the story is still current; use the second if another issue has since been published. ========================= Credits ======================== "Health Options Digest" is published once every week or so by the Coalition for Health Options In Central Eugene-Springfield (CHOICES) as a service to the community. It is intended as an unbiased digest of news and opinion related to proposed changes in health care options for the community. The purpose of "Health Options Digest" is to inform, not editorialize. Please forward your copy of "Health Options Digest" to a friend. If you know of someone who should be on the CHOICES email list, or for questions about your subscription, send email to rzako@efn.org. ======================== More Info ======================= Please visit our web site for info about how you can contact us, the local papers, elected officials, PeaceHealth and McKenzie-Willamette: http://www.efn.org/~choices