Health Options Digest
January 9, 2005
Coalition for Health Options In Central Eugene-Springfield (CHOICES)
In This Issue
From the Editor
Looking Ahead
On Monday, the Springfield City Council will almost certainly approve PeaceHealth's plans for a new hospital -- again.
Also on Monday, Senators Wyden and Smith will hold a town hall meeting in Springfield.
Also on Monday, citizens will give an alternative to Eugene Mayor Kitty Piercy's state of the city address.
On Thursday, the Metropolitan Policy Committee will meet to discuss various transportation issues, in particular, proposed freight routes in Lane County and the recent appeal by Friends of Eugene of the regional transportation plan.
Also on Thursday, the Oregon Conservation Network -- a coalition of environmental organizations -- will hold a free workshop on lobbying your elected officials, especially in the state legislature. The state legislature convenes this Monday.
Lastly, applications are being accepted for eight vacancies on the Springfield's Glenwood Urban Renewal Plan Advisory Committee.
What's Going On?
There's a lot of news, but what does it all mean?
PeaceHealth lost every time it was taken to court last year on land use issues. It lost on the original plan amendments approved by Springfield. It lost on its permit to move dirt. And it lost when Eugene tried to allow hospital and related medical development in residential and industrial zones.
But the past isn't necessarily prologue. This Monday, the Springfield City Council will surely approve PeaceHealth's revised plan amendments. PeaceHealth and Springfield believe they have fixe the problems highlighted by the courts last year. But opponents of the proposed development on the RiverBend site -- including CHOICES -- raised numerous concerns in their testimony. It appears that another round of appeals is inevitable. But the $380 million question is whether this time around the courts will dismiss these legal challenges, find minor problems that PeaceHealth will be able to fix in a third round, or deal PeaceHealth a knock out blow.
Moreover, the story of "Musical Hospitals" has had more plot twists than a film noir. It's a good bet that something unexpected will happen to change the game -- but who knows what?
CHOICES continues to believe that PeaceHealth should involve the community -- including McKenzie Willamette -- in deciding where and how to site health facilities that are critical to the community. We believe that major employment should be concentrated in the central parts of the community where there are existing transportation and other facilities to support the economic activity. We believe that "nodal development" should be close to major transit stops, provide a mix of housing, jobs and shopping within walking distance of that transit stop, and offer a neighborhood feel. And we are reminded by the tragedy in the Indian Ocean that nature can be capricious and that critical facilities should not be built in areas prone to flooding.
In other news, LTD and its employees may be headed for a strike. The issue boils down to health insurance, and perhaps to how much money is being spent to build a Bus Rapid Transit line to places like the RiverBend site rather than to increase service by paying more drivers. It's funny how different issues are connected in unexpected ways, isn't it?
We are going to be hearing more and more about the Metropolitan Policy Committee, which some have termed a "shadow government." Eventually, all issues lead to roads, and in our community, the Metropolitan Policy Committee is at the heart of discussions around roads.
The Oregonian called Measure 37 a "can of worms" opened by voters. It is going to take a long time to figure out just what has been opened. To get a sense of how complicated the issues are, see the recent puzzle in Scientific American inspired by Measure 37.
Lastly, Dave Barry really has quit writing his humor columns -- at least for now. The nation has lost one of our most serious thinkers on the failings of government and big business. Sure, you thought he was just making that stuff up. But fiction and humor are sometimes more true than what masquerades as truth. And I'm not making that up! ;-)
Rob Zako, Editor
343-5201
rzako@efn.org
Calendar
Monday, January 10 -- Citizens State of the City address
| Eugene Weekly | December 30, 2004 |
One of our favorite January events of recent years is the Citizens State of the City address that usually follows the traditionally less inspired mayor's State of the City address (see dates in our News Briefs section). This year, the dynamics are likely to be very different, but perhaps even more interesting. Will new Mayor Kitty lay out the progressive agenda item by item, or will she be more moderate as a representative of "all Eugene?" We got a preview of Piercy's inclination to moderation and compromise when she stood by Mayor Torrey campaigning for November's ballot measure to build a new police station -- a project supported by city staff, but few others. She tells us she wants "to be respectful of those who came before, even if I often did not agree with them." We predict she will pick her battles carefully. Meanwhile, will the Citizen's State of the City call for more radical changes now that we have a more progressive mayor? Eugene is facing challenges on many fronts and Kitty can only do so much. The energy, the will for positive change -- the power -- still lies with the people.
Monday, January 10 -- Citizens offer their own state of the city address
| The Register-Guard | January 9, 2005 |
The public is invited to hear representatives of five groups present a Citizens State of the City address Monday, highlighting their views on issues facing Eugene.
The presenters will be Lisa Arkin, Oregon Toxics Alliance; Hope Marston, Lane County Bill of Rights Defense Committee; Rob Handy, River Road Community Organization; Gary Gillespie, Eugene-Springfield Solidarity Network; and Kevin Matthews, Friends of Eugene.
The fourth annual address will be at noon in the Bascom-Tykeson Room of the Public Library, West 10th Avenue and Olive Street.
Monday, January 10 -- Springfield City Council
City Hall, 225 Fifth St., Springfield
Contact: Amy Sowa, City Manager's Office, 726-3700
5:30 pm, Executive Session, Jesse Maine Room
1. Property Negotiations Update.
2. Property Acquisition Negotiations.
6:00 pm, Work Session, Jesse Maine Room
1. Riverbend Collector Road Street Lighting.
2. Informational Presentation of Community Health Centers of Lane County.
3. Remand of Metro Plan and Gateway Refinement Plan Amendments and Council Initiated Amendments to the Commercial Lands Study and Development Code (PeaceHealth).
7:00 pm, Special Regular Meeting, Council Meeting Room
1. Remand of Metro Plan and Gateway Refinement Plan Amendments and Council Initiated Amendments to the Commercial Lands Study and Development Code (PeaceHealth).
Monday, January 10 -- Wyden, Smith to hold Town Hall
| The Springfield News | January 7, 2005 |
U.S. Senators Gordon Smith and Ron Wyden will hold a town hall meeting together in Springfield early next week.
The meeting is slated for this Monday, Jan. 10, from 6 to 7:15 p.m., at the newly completed Lane Regional Sports Complex, 200 S. 32nd St.
At the forum, the senators will take questions from constituents and discuss their activities on Capitol Hill.
"One of the things I most enjoy about serving Oregon in the U.S. Senate is the opportunity to meet folks from all over the state and to hear what's on their minds and what's going on in their lives," said Wyden.
For more information, contact Wyden's local office at 431-0229 or Smith's at 465-6750.
Thursday, January 13 -- Metropolitan Policy Committee
11:30 am, Springfield City Hall, Library Meeting Room, 225 5th St
a. Freight Route Designations
b. I-105 Preservation Project Update
c. Draft FY06-09 STIP
d. Key Regional Activities in 2005
e. Status of Oregon MPO Summit III
f. Notice of Intent to File LUBA Appeal Regarding RTP Adoption
g. Draft Oregon Transportation Plan (OTP) Policies
Thursday, January 13 -- Make Your Voice Heard
| Eugene Weekly | January 6, 2005 |
Resolved to be more politically and environmentally active in 2005? The Oregon Conservation Network (OCN) is organizing a series of free training sessions around the state this month, including a "citizen lobby" training" from 6:30 to 9 pm Thursday, Jan. 13 at EWEB in Eugene. Other sessions will be held in Salem on Jan. 19 and Portland Jan. 26.
Participants will learn techniques for communicating with lawmakers, writing effective letters to the editor and testifying at public hearings.
"Many folks are looking for ways to make a difference after the election and our citizen lobby training is one direction that community members can go with their work," says Jennifer DeMuth, field organizer of the Oregon League of Conservation Voters, one of the groups involved.
Space is limited. To register, contact DeMuth at: (503) 227-8073 or e-mail jdemuth@olcv.org
Tuesday, January 25 -- Hospital nonprofit to hold annual meeting
| The Register-Guard | January 7, 2005 |
SPRINGFIELD -- The annual meeting of McKenzie-Willamette Medical Services is at 7 p.m. Jan. 25 at Willamalane Adult Activity Center, 215 West C St.
McKenzie-Willamette Medical Services is a nonprofit organization doing business as Cascade Health Solutions, created after McKenzie-Willamette Medical Center became part of Triad Hospitals Inc. Cascade Health Solutions owns 20 percent of the hospital.
Jim Ginger, Nancy Golden and Don Mogenson have been nominated for the board of directors. The organization is seeking additional nominees. For more information, call Diane Baldwin at 228-3000, Ext. 3210.
Opportunities
Glenwood renewal committee to form
| The Springfield News | December 17, 2004 |
Applications are being accepted for eight vacancies on the city's Glenwood Urban Renewal Plan Advisory Committee.
These vacancies arise because this is a new advisory committee formed to provide advice to the Board of the Springfield Economic Development Agency. SEDA will operate the Glenwood Urban Renewal Plan over the next 21 years to develop and redevelop the infrastructure to support the Glenwood Refinement Plan and other development activity outlined in the recently adopted Glenwood Urban Renewal Plan.
The positions are specific to the Glenwood area residents, businesses, and property owners for the following positions:
Position 1 -- Resident of a mobile home in the unincorporated area of Glenwood.
Position 2 -- Homeowner in the unincorporated area of Glenwood.
Position 3 -- Retail business owner/operator in the unincorporated area of Glenwood.
Position 4 -- Industrial business owner/operator in the unincorporated area of Glenwood.
Position 5 -- Glenwood Water District Board member
Position 6 -- Resident of a mobile home in the incorporated area of Glenwood.
Position 7 -- Homeowner in the incorporated are of Glenwood or for the area at-large.
Position 8 -- Retail businesses in the incorporated are of Glenwood.
Position 9 -- Industrial business owner/operator in the incorporated area of Glenwood.
The new terms for Positions 1 and 2 will begin upon appointment by the Lane County Board of Commissioners, and application for these positions requires a Lane County Citizen Advisory Committee Application.
The new terms for Positions 3 and 4 will begin upon appointment by the Springfield City Council. Positions 5-9 will begin upon appointment by the Springfield Economic Development Agency. All of these positions require a City of Springfield application.
Lane County, the City of Springfield, and the Springfield Economic Development Agency have not yet set the terms of appointments.
Applications are encouraged from lower-income earners, residents of lower-income neighborhoods, racial and ethnic minorities, senior citizens, persons with disabilities, and female heads of households.
The deadline to apply is 5 p.m., Monday, Jan. 31.
For more information about positions 1 and 2, or to get an application, call 682-4203.
For more information about positions 3-9, or to get an application, 726-3700 or stop by City Hall at 225 Fifth St.
None apply for Glenwood advisory committee seats: But applications are expected to roll in after New Year's
By Amber Fossen
The Springfield News | December 29, 2004 |
With just over a month left to apply, the city has yet to receive any applications from community members interested in serving on the Glenwood Urban Renewal Plan Advisory Committee.
"I'm fully anticipating all of those positions to be full, but with the holidays, it's a tough time," said Tammy Fitch, city council president.
The city sent out application notices in mid-December, and community members interested in filling a position on the advisory committee have until Jan. 31 to apply.
City Recorder Amy Sowa said application forms have been placed at several Glenwood businesses in the last week to help spur interest. Interested residents can find applications at Roaring Rapids Pizza, 4006 Franklin Boulevard; Brooks Cut Rate Auto Parts, 3331 Franklin Boulevard; Tom's Tapper Tavern, 4095 Franklin Boulevard; Dari Mart, 4215 Franklin Boulevard; and Duck Stop Market, 4791 Franklin Boulevard.
Glenwood resident Dave Carvo said he would be applying and has been helping pass out applications for the committee to the Glenwood community.
The council decided to appoint an advisory committee after Glenwood residents attended a council meeting in November to express concern with the urban renewal process and lack of community representation.
Many Glenwood community members said they wanted a representative on the Springfield Economic Development Agency board, which will guide development and redevelopment in the urban renewal district for the next two decades.
Speaking before the council in November, Glenwood resident Joan Armstead said, "There are a lot of people who want to make sure this is done right."
The council voted against appointing a Glenwood representative to the SEDA board, and instead followed recommendations from Lane County Commissioners to create a separate advisory council made up of Glenwood residents who represent various stakeholders.
"I think the more we can involve them, the better off we'll be," Fitch said Monday. "The fact that they don't have a seat on the board, I think, will be a minor issue."
The new advisory committee's role will be to advise the Springfield Economic Development Agency throughout the duration of the 20-year urban renewal district. The terms of appointment and how frequently the committee would meet have not been determined.
Positions to the advisory committee are specific. Position 1 is for a resident of a mobile home in the unincorporated area of Glenwood; Position 2 is for a homeowner in the unincorporated area of Glenwood; Position 3 is for a retail business owner/operator in the unincorporated area of Glenwood; Position 4 is for an industrial business owner/operator in the unincorporated area of Glenwood; Position 5 is for a Glenwood Water District Board member; Position 6 is for a resident of a mobile home in the incorporated area of Glenwood; Position 7 is for a homeowner in the incorporated area of Glenwood or for the area at large; Position 8 is for a retail businesses owner/operator in the incorporated area of Glenwood; and Position 9 is for an industrial business owner/operator in the incorporated area of Glenwood.
The Lane County Board of Commissioners will appoint positions 1 and 2; the city council will appoint positions 3 and 4; and positions 5-9 will be appointed by the Springfield Economic Development Agency.
In addition to locations throughout Glenwood, application forms for positions 3-9 are available at the Springfield city manager's office, 225 Fifth St. Application forms for positions 1 and 2 are available at Lane County administration, 125 E. Eighth Ave., Eugene, or by calling 682-4203. Forms are also available on the Lane County's Web site at www.co.lane.or.us/BCC/documents/applicationadvisorycommittee.pdf.
Application reviews will likely occur in February or March, according to city officials.
Help renew Glenwood
By Bob Keefer
The Register-Guard | January 1, 2005 |
The city's new Glenwood Urban Renewal Plan Advisory Committee needs nine citizens with very specific qualifications to help chart the course of redevelopment in the largely unincorporated area between Eugene and Springfield.
Terms of the appointments have not yet been decided.
The Lane County Board of Commissioners will appoint the first two committee members. They are to be a mobile home resident and a homeowner, both from the unincorporated county area of Glenwood.
Application forms for those two positions are available at the Lane County Public Service Building, 125 E. Eighth Ave., Eugene, and at http://www.co.lane.or.us/BCC/documents/applicationadvisorycommittee.pdf.
The other seven positions, which will be appointed by the Springfield City Council or the Springfield Economic Development Agency, are to be: a retail business owner/operator in unincorporated Glenwood; an industrial business owner/operator in unincorporated Glenwood; a Glenwood Water District board member; a mobile home resident from an incorporated area of Glenwood; and a homeowner, a retail business owner/operator, and an industrial business owner/operator from the incorporated part of Glenwood.
Application forms for those seven positions are available at the Springfield City Manager's Office, City Hall, 225 Fifth St. No date has been set for review of applications.
PeaceHealth
City council gets back to work Monday
By Amber Fossen
The Springfield News | January 7, 2005 |
Coming out of winter's break, the Springfield City Council will begin 2005 by addressing proposed PeaceHealth amendments that would let the hospital build a $380 million regional medical center known as RiverBend in the Gateway area.
Monday night's 7 p.m. council meeting, which follows a 6 p.m. work session at City Hall, will allow public comment on the matter. The planning commission, at a Dec. 9 meeting, voted 5-1 in favor of proposed changes and forwarded a recommendation to the council to allow additional public testimony on Monday.
While comments will be accepted, not all in attendance may address the topic -- what is said before council will be limited to previously presented arguments. (more...)
PeaceHealth at forefront as council returns from break
By Bob Keefer
The Register-Guard | January 8, 2005 |
PeaceHealth will be the big topic on the agenda Monday night when the Springfield City Council comes back from its Christmas break.
The council is scheduled to make its final decision on a package of amendments to city and regional land use plans that would allow the corporation, based in Bellevue, Wash., to build a new medical center on mostly undeveloped property on the north edge of town.
Although the council will be continuing its previous public hearing on the proposed amendments, the formal record in the hearing is officially closed. That means only people who already have been participants in the case can speak -- and they can discuss only matters already contained in the record.
That doesn't present much of a practical restriction, city planner Colin Stephens said, given the size of the record in the case. "It will be hard to stray outside it," he said. (more...)
Let there be decorative light
By Bob Keefer
The Register-Guard | January 8, 2005 |
Speaking of PeaceHealth, the council Monday also is expected to approve an agreement with the corporation to allow decorative street lights on two roads in the area of the proposed medical center.
PeaceHealth wants to install 70 decorative light poles along RiverBend Drive and Cardinal Way in the area of the new medical center.
The decorative poles look like old-fashioned street lights and are shorter -- at 18 feet -- than the city's standard, utilitarian street lights, which are 30 feet. (more...)
McKenzie-Willamette/Triad
Heart Lab
SPRINGFIELD -- Just last month, a new state of the art lab opened at McKenzie-Willamette Medical Center. Among the many benefits, patients will no longer have to go across town to receive heart treatment. (more...)
Health Care
Budget woes hit Oregon Health Plan
| WesCom News Service | January 5, 2005 |
SALEM -- The Oregon Health Plan (OHP) grew out of a dream to extend medical coverage beyond the limits of traditional Medicaid and shrink the ranks of the uninsured.
But a decade after it was created, a combination of skyrocketing medical costs and Oregon's fiscal woes have put that dream into reverse -- and disqualified tens of thousands of low-income people who once received aid.
Few expect the situation to improve markedly -- if at all -- when the 2005 Legislature convenes to tackle a two-year budget that could be $1 billion short of what's needed to maintain existing public services at their current levels. (more...)
Kitzhaber Calls For Change In Healthcare
EUGENE -- Oregon's former Governor, John Kitzhaber was in Eugene Tuesday night where he called for a revolution in healthcare. "I believe that we do need a revolution. Not of arms but of ideas, not a revolution of violence but a revolution of vision." (more...)
Letter -- Slam against doctors unfair
By Robin Seagrave, Eugene
The Register-Guard | January 6, 2005 |
The letter written by Gene Thompson (letters, Dec. 28) requires a response.
I have been a nurse for years and feel quite comfortable sharing my own observations about doctors and the medical community in general. Thompson states that there are "few dedicated doctors" with fewer who are "natural healers with the training and ability to help patients." The doctors I know are healers because of years of intense education, grueling hours, dedication and personal sacrifice. Believe me, there are easier ways to make a buck.
He states that the majority of doctors are an "arrogant lot, in it for the ego and have become doctors to impress their peers and themselves." There most certainly are arrogant doctors. There are also arrogant lawyers, CEOs, truck drivers, policemen and store clerks. Arrogance is not exclusive to any particular profession and clearly Thompson is not lacking in that trait himself.
Thompson's views on mental illness would be almost comical if they were not so offensive. I am proud to be part of Eugene's medical community and am personally grateful to the doctors who have saved my life as well as the lives of several family members.
I know it is not a perfect system and every doctor or nurse is not perfect. I also know that the medical community in Eugene consists of many of the most compassionate and dedicated people I have ever met.
Thompson is under no obligation to use the services of the medical community of Eugene that he finds so inadequate.
Letter -- Damage award caps necessary
By Trent Heinemeyer, Lead attorney, Medical Protective Company, Fort Wayne, Ind.
The Register-Guard | January 7, 2005 |
In reference to the editorial "Caps don't cut it" (Register-Guard, Dec. 6), the Medical Protective Company wants to make it clear that we believe caps on noneconomic damages will help control medical malpractice insurance over time.
We strongly support caps as an important element of medical malpractice reform. Recent claims about Medical Protective's position on caps that were repeated in this editorial ignore both the context of our statements and the actions we have taken.
In 2003, the Texas Legislature enacted caps on noneconomic damages, a measure approved by a statewide vote later that year. In late 2003, the Texas Department of Insurance ordered Medical Protective to file new rates for 2004 reflecting assumed immediate savings from the legislation that had just taken effect. The actuarial study submitted with that filing demonstrated a needed rate increase in excess of 25 percent; however, in that same filing, the company proposed instead a 19 percent increase, reflecting optimism that these measures could mitigate losses.
A fair examination of this 2003 filing and the actions we have taken clearly demonstrate that we have consistently expressed confidence that medical liability reform measures, including caps on noneconomic damages, will, over time, produce positive results for physicians in the state of Texas.
We stand shoulder to shoulder with doctors fighting for medical malpractice reforms because we believe such measures will help stem the costs associated with medical professional liability.
Bush calls for tort reform
By Nedra Pickler
The Associated Press | January 6, 2005 |
COLLINSVILLE, Ill. -- President Bush pressured Congress Wednesday to pass legislation limiting jury awards for medical malpractice, saying the legal system favors attorneys who file baseless cases that drive up health care costs. (more...)
Nearby Developments
Steve Greenwood -- With care, riverfront development worth risk
By Steve Greenwood
The Register-Guard | January 7, 2005 |
As a former environmental regulator and board member of the Willamette Restoration Initiative, and as current board president of the Oregon Environmental Council (as well as a longtime Eugene citizen), I have read with interest the recent discussion in the opinion pages by Hugh Prichard and Robert Emmons about the role the Willamette River should play in Eugene's future development.
Prichard suggests that we can have it both ways: We can increase development along the river and improve its health at the same time. Emmons disagrees.
Emmons is correct in his concern about the impacts urban development can have on water quality and habitat, particularly in the Willamette basin.
Even aside from point-discharges of municipal and industrial sewage, urban development often has resulted in the destruction of important riparian vegetation, channelization of streambanks, reduction of important groundwater recharge and pollution from stormwater runoff.
A study of the Willamette by the U.S. Geological Survey in the 1990s found 25 separate pesticides in urban streams. And urban areas contributed more suspended sediment on a per-acre basis than either agriculture or forestry.
However, as an environmental advocate, I am willing to accept Prichard's invitation to explore the possibility of merging "the best natural science with the best building practices to achieve a blend of urban amenities and healthy natural beauty." (more...)
Software makers Symantec, Veritas plan to join forces
By Sherri Buri McDonald
The Register-Guard | January 8, 2005 |
Symantec Corp., a California-based security software maker with a large customer service center in Springfield, has announced plans to merge with California-based Veritas Software Corp. in a $13.5 billion stock deal.
The merger would pair Symantec, a leader in anti-virus and other security software, with Veritas, a leader in software to back up and store computer files. The combined company will be called Symantec, and Symantec shareholders will be the majority owners. Company officials expect the merged company to have $5 billion in annual revenue and 13,000 employees in more than 40 countries. Symantec has 5,873 employees and reported sales of $1.87 billion in the 12 months ended last March.
The merger is expected to close in the second quarter -- some analysts predict in April -- and is subject to shareholder and regulatory approvals.
It's unclear how the merger might affect Symantec's 846-employee customer service center in Springfield. But it's more likely to bring continued growth to the Springfield operation than to bring cuts, said Phil Weiler, a local Symantec spokesman. (more...)
Rough passage: While cruise ships become more popular, critics say industry pollutes, exploits foreign workers
By Sherri Buri McDonald
The Register-Guard | January 9, 2005 |
Although the Eugene-Springfield area is hundreds of miles from the nearest port for passenger cruise ships, it suddenly has a strong tie to the international cruise industry, a booming and controversial business.
In November, Miami-based Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. announced it will build a $60 million, 180,000-square-foot customer contact center in Springfield's Gateway area. It eventually could employ 1,000 workers, the company says. By next year, hundreds of residents of job-hungry Lane County will be working in the cruise industry. So maybe it's time for a primer on the business of ocean cruising, poised to become a major player in the local economy.
The industry comes with its problems -- disputes over the dumping of raw sewage and hazardous waste at sea, and over pay and working conditions of on-board staff. Also, industries based on recreational travel tend to be cyclical, flourishing when people have plenty of discretionary income, suffering when they don't.
Yet cruise lines seem to be charting a course for growth. Despite the plunge in air travel after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, the cruise industry has grown an average of 8 percent a year for the past decade, according to the International Council of Cruise Lines, an industry trade group based in Arlington, Va. (more...)
City seeks input on sign rules: After complaints about codes, officials invite locals to talk
By Ben Raymond Lode
The Springfield News | January 7, 2005 |
Over the past month or two, The Springfield News has run several articles about downtown business owners frustrated with the city's sign code.
Kevin Levesque, who operates Direct Tel Wireless Services -- across 14th Street from the Grocery Outlet store on Main Street at 105 S. 14 -- was one of those who complained.
It turns out city officials were listening. (more...)
Development Report: 240-unit low-income housing complex planned
By Joe Harwood
The Register-Guard | January 4, 2005 |
Construction on one of Eugene's largest affordable-housing projects in years is expected to begin next month along 10 acres on Kinsrow Avenue near Autzen Stadium.
Portland-based Public Private Partnerships Inc. -- also known as P3 -- last fall won approval to build a 240-unit low-income apartment complex between Commons Drive and Garden Way. The real estate development firm specializes in building affordable housing in Oregon and Washington.
Rob Tucker, a principal at P3, said the plan is to build six 40-unit apartment buildings that will offer a mix of one-, two- and three-bedroom dwellings.
The Willamette Gardens complex will be open to people whose household incomes are 60 percent or less than Lane County's median income, Tucker said. (more...)
Retail Notebook: Planned renovation will add storefronts to downtown building
By Joe Mosley
The Register-Guard | January 6, 2005 |
Eugene's downtown core is about to get a north-side gateway.
Park Place -- a ground-floor retail renovation of the former Aster Publishing Building -- has the potential to become a stylish portal to the developing work-and-shopping district that covers what was the old downtown mall before its streets were reopened over the past several years. (more...)
E-Board to hear bid to finance UO arena
By Greg Bolt
The Register-Guard | January 5, 2005 |
A state official said he needs more information on the University of Oregon's plan to pay top dollar for the Williams' Bakery property before he can make a recommendation on whether lawmakers should approve the deal.
The Legislative Emergency Board is scheduled to hear the UO's request for state bonds to finance the purchase at its meeting Thursday in Salem. Analyst Steve Bender of the Legislative Fiscal Office said he wants more details on the sale and the arena's financial impact on the university before making his recommendation at the meeting.
But another analyst, Bill McGee of the Department of Administrative Services, is recommending approval of the deal as outlined by the university. His analysis raises no questions about the arrangement, which requests up to $27.4 million to buy the bakery as well as two adjacent properties. (more...)
UO President Requests Bond Authority
"Quite literally, this is a once in a generation, once in a century opportunity," UO President Dave Frohnmayer told a sub-committee of the Legislative Emergency Board Thursday morning.
The "opportunity" is to buy a 7.4 acre lot, the longtime home of Williams' Bakery. "The University as you know has a record enrollment this year, we're land-locked, and limited in space, so any land acquired, especially one of this strategic importance is critical to us," said Frohnmayer.
It's critical, because the University hopes to build a new sports arena there to replace Mac Court. The bakery is asking a high price, up to $25 million dollars for its property, so it can build a new bakery, most likely in Springfield. The Bakery's owners have given the university a deadline. "Mr. Chairman, members of the committee, we do believe this is an emergency, and that the window of voluntary cooperation from U.S. Bakery will be closing in 2 weeks," Frohnmayer said. (more...)
Panel OKs purchase of arena site
By Greg Bolt
The Register-Guard | January 7, 2005 |
SALEM -- Lawmakers have given preliminary approval to the University of Oregon's plan to pay up to $27.4 million to buy the Williams' Bakery site and move the bakery to a new home in the hope of building a new basketball arena on the current bakery site.
The bakery is at 1760 E. 13th St., just off Franklin Boulevard and just north of campus. Thursday's decision was expected, and does not guarantee construction of the arena.
Members of the Legislative Emergency Board's education subcommittee on Thursday sent the request to the full E-Board with a do-pass recommendation. The full board is expected to approve the request today.
Subcommittee members questioned UO President Dave Frohnmayer about the purchase but expressed no misgivings. Although the price is far higher than the property would sell for on the open market, Frohnmayer said it was critical to the university's future to buy the parcel while it's for sale. (more...)
New Arena?
EUGENE -- There has been talk for years about building a new U of O basketball court and now it looks like the university may have taken the first steps towards a new location.
News that the university has the go-ahead to purchase the William's bakery has neighboring businesses and residents... cooking up their own ideas for the future. (more...)
Mayor pushes for dialogue with northwest neighbors
By Edward Russo
The Register-Guard | January 9, 2005 |
Kitty Piercy has been mayor for less than a week, but she's well aware of the long, rocky relationship between the Eugene city government and the River Road and Santa Clara areas.
The sprawling areas between the Willamette River and Northwest Expressway in north Eugene include both county and city residents who live side-by-side but often get different levels of public services.
Some county residents feel "they have been given to the city by the county, but have no representation when it comes to (city) decision making," said Piercy, who represented the areas in the Legislature during the late 1990s.
The mayor also is concerned about some residents' opposition to a proposed land swap that could lead to a large subdivision on the northern edge of Santa Clara in exchange for a large community park.
So it's no surprise that Piercy has endorsed formation of a citizens' committee to look into ways to improve the relationship between city government and area residents. (more...)
Letter -- Committee reports oversimplify
By Ray Wolfe, Eugene
The Register-Guard | January 8, 2005 |
The Eugene City Council often relies on the recommendations of appointed advisory committees to study municipal problems. Advisory committees often produce majority consensus reports, usually written by city staff. The council, having little time for more detailed consideration, has routinely accepted these reports.
Consider a recent example: The Mayor's Committee on Economic Development -- Final Report and Recommendations, presented to the council on Aug. 9, recommends that urban renewal zones and enterprise zones be implemented and that a facilitator be hired.
The current Downtown Urban Renewal Zone has never been evaluated even though, after 35 years of costly experimentation, 25 percent to 35 percent of downtown business sites lack occupants. Yet the committee suggests that an obviously failed experiment be repeated without mention of deficiencies or suggesting appropriate operational amendments.
The report makes no mention of the reasons why a former City Council caused the West Eugene Enterprise Zone to expire. Even though economic development is already promoted by the Metropolitan Partnership, a 2004 council majority voted to employ a development facilitator while the Eugene police remain underfunded.
The Development Advisory Committee omitted the reasons why up to 24 percent of its members failed to support some statements in the report. Lacking specific points in support or disagreement, the advisory report might be interpreted to be deceiving by omission.
Development Boom
JUNCTION CITY -- Junction City's boom in development is causing the city to hike development charges.
The city council is expected to adopt the higher fees at their January 11th meeting.
The money would go to cover the water, sewer and street improvements that make the housing possible.
While some worry the increases will cause developers to look elsewhere... city officials disagree.
According to Junction City Public Works Director, David Renshaw, "We feel that will still put us in a strong place to attract development. (more...)
Transportation
Councilor critical of road-fund maneuver
By Diane Dietz
The Register-Guard | January 4, 2005 |
The new Eugene City Council will start the new year with some old business when it rehashes the city's transportation priorities.
Some councilors blame outgoing Mayor Jim Torrey for pushing them immediately into the hot topic when he pushed the passage of a regional transportation priorities list last week in the last days of his administration. (more...)
MPC Gives Nod to Roadwork
| Eugene Weekly | January 6, 2005 |
The Metropolitan Policy Committee (MPC) pushed through a list of amendments to a regional transportation plan in an emergency meeting Dec. 30 that was called "profoundly unfair" and an "unfriendly public process" by critics in the audience (see earlier news story, "Shadow Government," 12/16).
MPC chairwoman Bonny Bettman called for additional time to allow the Eugene City Council to review the amendments and the meeting drew promises of lawsuits from Kevin Matthews, president of Friends of Eugene, a local land use watchdog group involved in several successful challenges to PeaceHealth's land use plans.
Former Mayor Jim Torrey requested the meeting in a last-minute attempt to promote new road projects that compete with funds for maintenance and preservation of existing roads. The city currently has a $94 million backlog in road repairs. The embattled $150 million-plus West Eugene Parkway (WEP), opposed by new Mayor Kitty Piercy, was on the list of Metropolitan Transportation Improvement Program (MTIP) changes made by the MPC in the emergency meeting. Other approved projects included the I-5/Beltline interchange and the extension Airport Road. (more...)
Editorial -- Torrey's parting shot: Road work maneuver was beneficial
| The Register-Guard | January 6, 2005 |
Some members of the Eugene City Council are understandably miffed. On the day before New Year's Eve, Jim Torrey, with only a few days remaining as mayor, locked into place a regional road-funding priorities list that the incoming council and mayor would probably not have accepted.
Torrey pushed forward over the objections of Councilor Bonny Bettman, even though she chairs the intergovernmental Metropolitan Policy Committee to which Torrey turned for approval of the road projects. When Bettman refused to call a meeting, Torrey asked the committee's vice-chairman to convene the group. The soon-to-be-ex-mayor made the request despite an earlier council agreement to review the list of projects in advance of the committee's action.
The committee voted last Thursday to approve the list, which includes 78 transportation projects -- including the West Eugene Parkway and other controversial road construction or improvement jobs. (Disclosure alert: An extension of Chad Drive, the street on which The Register-Guard is located, is among the projects on the list.)
Bettman and other councilors oppose the West Eugene Parkway in particular and road construction in general, arguing that the city should use transportation funds to reduce the $94 million backlog of maintenance work on city streets. Councilor David Kelly said Torrey's last-minute end run promoted "a spirit of divisiveness" at a time when the city's new mayor, Kitty Piercy, is hoping to find grounds for civic amity.
Protocol aside, however, Torrey did the right thing. He didn't break any rules, he was still mayor when he urged the Metropolitan Policy Committee to act, and the committee's action will benefit the entire region's transportation system. (more...)
Slant -- Metropolitan Policy Committee
| Eugene Weekly | January 6, 2005 |
Bonny Bettman's been raising a lot of important issues in her bully pulpit role as chair of the Metropolitan Policy Committee. She's been the lone voice on the MPC in opposition to spendy, environmentally brown road projects such as the West Eugene Parkway. It's a lonely job standing up against a panel that appears to value growth and sprawl over livability. Bettman took advantage of the 65 people in attendance at the New Year's Eve emergency meeting of the MPC to grill state and local officials on missing data, hard to retrieve information, and budget inconsistencies. It was an eye-opener for many attending on how decisions are made in transportation planning. Former Mayor Torrey describes such detailed questioning as nit-picking. We consider it shedding light on a shadowy process.
Letter -- Time to kill parkway project
By Greg Ringer, Eugene
The Register-Guard | January 8, 2005 |
The hurried Dec. 30 Metropolitan Policy Committee meeting clearly succeeded in minimizing public attendance and participation before Eugene Mayor Kitty Piercy and two new councilors took office.
It's critical that our planning decisions more completely acknowledge and appreciate the holistic nature of our community, and the socioeconomic and ecological challenges and opportunities that transportation development and urban growth represent. We can no longer afford to subsidize business relocations or new construction that degrade our neighborhoods and the green spaces which surround them.
Consequently, I believe it is time to kill the West Eugene Parkway and to dedicate our limited resources instead to those road improvements, such as Belt Line Road, that truly benefit local residents and businesses in terms of access and safety, and help direct infrastructure and housing away from agriculturally rich farmlands and biologically sensitive wetlands and prairies.
It is also time to take seriously the public's right to be involved in this decision-making, however problematic or inconvenient it may be to those few individuals who clearly wish otherwise. The WEP involves considerable public money, and it is our right to ensure that those funds are appropriately used to sustain both our human and our biotic communities.
We can certainly do better than the secrecy and selfishness which Mayor Jim Torrey practiced in pushing for this meeting. As a voter, I will be watching carefully.
Attn. I-105 Drivers: Brace Yourselves!
Starting next week, it's moving from paper to pavement. ODOT will start work re-surfacing a portion of I-105.
"(The project) extends from Delta Highway, over to I-5. It's roughly 3-miles," Jeff Payne, with ODOT, said, pointing the project out on a map.
Drivers won't notice much at first. Just some signs and shoulder work. "Shouldn't be an impact to the traffic flow. It will all be nighttime construction between the hours of 7pm and 6am," Payne said.
But, come spring... drivers look-out. (more...)
Lane Transit District Rollbacks
| ATU 757 Lane Transit District Workers | |
Welcome!
Thank you for taking the time to learn more about the Lane Transit District rollbacks in passenger service and worker incomes. This website supports the passengers and workers who oppose the choices being made by the LTD's general manager Ken Hamm. Since becoming general manager Ken Hamm has consistently led the LTD Board of Directors in the wrong direction.
LTD is pouring millions upon millions of dollars into capital improvement "monuments" like the Springfield station, the new Ridesource building (to be used by a low-wage subcontractor) and into the unnecessary and increasingly costly Bus Rapid Transit system (BRT).
At the same time, LTD has been consistently cutting service to passengers over the stringent objections of citizens, businesses, and LTD operators. Now Ken Hamm wants the LTD Board of Directors to cut the overall income of LTD's workers -- the bus operators, mechanics, and customer service representatives.
Enough is enough. This kind of leadership is not good for the Eugene-Springfield community, its commuters, its taxpayers, or its workers.
With your help LTD can begin to make the right choices. Please become informed and then get involved.
Advertisement -- ATU 757 Lane Transit District Workers
| ATU 757 Lane Transit District Workers | December 28, 2004 |
It's a Matter of Choices...
A strike of the Lane Transit bus system is imminent because of the bad choices made by LTD management. (more...)
Advertisement -- ATU 757 Lane Transit District Workers
| ATU 757 Lane Transit District Workers | January 4, 2005 |
It's a Matter of Choices...
A strike of the Lane Transit bus system is imminent because of the bad choices made by LTD management. For example: (more...)
Lane Transit District negotiations going nowhere as strike looms
By Randi Bjornstad
The Register-Guard | January 5, 2005 |
A strike by bus drivers and other union employees of the Lane Transit District could happen later this month, following another failed attempt Tuesday at mediating an agreement between the district and the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 757.
LTD spokesman Andy Vobora said that if workers go on strike -- Jan. 25 would be the earliest possible date -- no bus service will be available to the general public. (more...)
Health care costs fuel LTD labor rift
By Randi Bjornstad
The Register-Guard | January 7, 2005 |
If contract negotiations ultimately fail and union-represented employees of the Lane Transit District go on strike, the main reason will be disagreement over who should pay what for workers' health care costs.
However, based on a series of large display ads placed recently in The Register-Guard by the Amalgamated Transit Union, which represents about 260 of LTD's 310 workers -- including nearly 200 bus drivers -- the misunderstandings and distrust between management and labor at LTD may go far deeper.
The latest union-sponsored advertisement, which appeared earlier this week, doesn't mention the conflict over health care benefits directly. Instead, it accuses the 35-year-old transit district of forcing employees toward a strike because of "bad choices" that include spending too much money on vehicles and construction, cutting bus service to balance the budget and overcompensating its general manager.
LTD officials dispute those claims but say they "won't conduct negotiations through media advertising." (more...)
Strike looming as LTD/union talks fail again
By Amber Fossen
The Springfield News | January 7, 2005 |
Another attempt to reach an agreement between the Lane Transit District and the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 757 failed this week -- and while both sides hope to avoid a potential strike, it is a looming possibility.
District Spokesman Andy Vobora said Wednesday that "there wasn't a whole lot of progress, so there's not any additional meetings scheduled at this point."
Union and district representatives met with two mediators Tuesday, working once again to come to a meeting of the minds. (more...)
City manager delays council vote on gas tax increase
By Edward Russo
The Register-Guard | January 6, 2005 |
A potentially volatile hike in the city's gasoline tax has been shelved in order to give the new mayor and City Council a chance to study the vexing problem of paying for street repairs.
The City Council on Monday was scheduled to vote on a proposed 2-cent-a-gallon hike in the city's gas tax, currently 3 cents a gallon. Public works staff members have pushed for extra money to reduce a growing backlog of street repairs and maintenance estimated at $94 million.
But City Manager Dennis Taylor pulled the pending vote from the council's agenda to give the new mayor and two new councilors a chance to discuss the controversial gas-tax hike. He set up a Jan. 19 work session so Mayor Kitty Piercy and the council can talk about ways to tackle the street repair financing gap. (more...)
Florence May Vote On Proposed Gas Tax
| The Associated Press | January 5, 2005 |
FLORENCE -- Voters could have a say in Florence's new city gas tax.
Three Florence residents have filed a referendum request seeking to force a public vote on a three cents per gallon gasoline tax approved last month by the Florence City Council.
Wilbur Ternyik is one of the chief petitioners. He says he's neither for, nor against the tax -- but feels the voters should have a say in the process.
Valid signatures of registered voters must be submitted to the city recorder within 30 days of the council's approval of the tax.
That means the deadline for getting 411 signatures is January 20th.
Ternyik acknowledges that time is short. But he says he and the other two petitioners will ultimately have help from others in gathering signatures. (more...)
Florence Gas Prices
FLORENCE -- One dollar and ninety-five cents. That's the going rate for a gallon of gas in the city of Florence. (more...)
Florence enacts gas tax but faces resistance
By Winston Ross
The Register-Guard | January 8, 2005 |
FLORENCE -- The cost of gasoline is a touchy subject on the Oregon Coast.
With prices routinely as much as 20 cents higher than in the valley and a state investigation into the cost of high prices on the south coast, a 3-cent tax on Florence motorists is a tough sell.
Nevertheless, the Florence City Council last month joined a host of Oregon cities to pass a local gas tax, estimated to raise $180,000 to $190,000 a year. It will go into effect Feb. 1.
That is, unless Wilber Ternyik gets his way. (more...)
States of the Cities, County
New Lane Co. Elected Officials Sworn In
In a brand new year, some things don't change. Doug Harcleroad is sworn in as Lane County's District Attorney, for the sixth time. There are new faces here: a new sheriff, Russ Burger, and a new county commissioner, Faye Stewart. "The day after the election, he said, 'Faye, we're proud of you and supportive, but we didn't think you'd ever win the election.'" (more...)
An emotional Faye Stewart sworn in as commissioner
By Randi Bjornstad
The Register-Guard | January 4, 2005 |
Cottage Grove businessman Faye Stewart took the oath of office Monday as Lane County's newly elected commissioner from the eastern district, then fought back tears as he thanked those who helped him win the office. (more...)
Stewart, Burger get sworn in: Ceremony comes a day after death of his great-uncle
By Amber Fossen
The Springfield News | January 5, 2005 |
Lane County Commissioners added a new face to the board as Faye H. Stewart II took his oath of office Monday.
Stewart, a sixth-generation resident of Cottage Grove, ousted incumbent Don Hampton in November to claim the seat vacated by former Commissioner Tom Lininger. Standing before Circuit Court Judge Mary Ann Bearden, Stewart raised his right hand to cheers and applause from the standing-room-only crowd in Harris Hall on Monday.
Choking back tears of emotion, Stewart had many thanks to give, starting with his great-uncle L.L. "Stub" Stewart, who died Sunday, one day before Stewart accepted his new post. (more...)
Green envisions Lane County's future
By Randi Bjornstad
The Register-Guard | January 4, 2005 |
The ghosts of Lane County Past and Lane County Present got barely a nod Monday as Commissioner Bobby Green shared his vision of Lane County Future with a crowd of 300 who packed Harris Hall in downtown Eugene for the annual State of the County message.
Rather than dwell on budget shortfalls and declining services, the chairman of the five-member elected board outlined a five-point program he believes would lead to family- wage jobs, lower rates of drug-related crime and a stable local economy. (more...)
Green: County will focus on the future
By Amber Fossen
The Springfield News | January 5, 2005 |
The State of the County Address didn't dwell on where Lane County has been or where it is -- but rather on what is in store for the future.
Lane County Commissioner Bobby Green directed the 2005 address to the future of Lane County, highlighting five initiatives he would like to focus on in the coming year. His initiatives, dubbed the "Fab 5 in '05 Plan," aim to create success for schools, industry, the environment, the community's well-being, and public health and safety. (more...)
Commissioner uses his pulpit to spread some thanks around
By Randi Bjornstad
The Register-Guard | January 7, 2005 |
One of the last -- and most pleasant -- official acts a county commissioner does at the end of each rotation as board chairman includes honoring outstanding Lane County citizens and staff members for their contributions to society and government.
Commissioner Bobby Green, who handed over the gavel this week after his year at the head of the table, handed out plaques and thanks Monday to his choices: (more...)
Kitty Piercy -- Eugene State of the City
| By Mayor Kitty Piercy | January 3, 2005 |
I am honored and enormously pleased to be here with you today, full of pride in our
community and optimism for the future. On behalf of each of us who take office today,
thank you for giving us this opportunity. Thank you for voting and participating in our
civic process. For our outgoing officials, I want to add my thanks for your contributions
to Eugene and wish you the very best in the future. For those of you who are city
employees, I want to thank you for your service and tell you how much I look forward to
working with you in the months ahead to achieve the goals of this community. (more...)
City of Eugene: Highlights of 2004
Eugene is a regional center for education, culture and commerce, and a comfortable, attractive and
affordable place to live and work. We value the variety of our safe, livable neighborhoods and the
beauty of our landscapes. We respect the perspectives and lifestyles of our active, diverse citizenry.
We strive to provide sound, open government and to deliver effective, efficient services. (more...)
New Eugene Mayor
DOWNTOWN EUGENE -- Kitty Piercy is now officially Eugene's new mayor. Monday night, she and some city councilors took the oath of office. Then Piercy gave her first state of the city address to the large crowd at the Hult Center.
An estimated 500 people were at the event that was full of plenty of enthusiasm as folks rang in the new year with a new mayor. Piercy gives her two young grandchildren, Clare and Cougar a big hug, moments before she officially took office as the new Eugene mayor.
The lobby was packed at the Hult Center, as long-time Mayor Jim Torrey convened the city council meeting for the last time, and made a final plea to the crowd. "Keep Eugene a great place for kids because if you do it will remain a great place for everyone. Thank you and God bless all of you," he said.
Then four city councilors and Piercy took their oath of office. Piercy then stepped up to the podium for her first State of the City Address that included her six-point economic plan. (more...)
Piercy touts economy, livability
WEB EDITOR'S NOTE: The posted version of this story was edited Jan. 4, 2005, to include a correction.
By Edward Russo
The Register-Guard | January 4, 2005 |
Kitty Piercy took office as Eugene's mayor Monday evening, pitching ideas to make the city known as a nurturing place for businesses while protecting the environment.
Piercy's State of the City speech at the Hult Center touted "sustainable" economic development as a key goal of her first term as mayor.
"I have heard Eugene labeled as a difficult place to do business because of our concern for the environment," she said. "I want to change that message."
Her speech before an estimated 500 people also contained ideas to improve communication with residents, reinvigorate downtown and a desire to deal with social justice issues. (more...)
Slant -- Eugene State of the City
| Eugene Weekly | January 6, 2005 |
It was a memorable event for Eugene. Kitty Piercy took her oath of office as new mayor Jan. 3 and gave her first state of the city address -- a message of optimism tempered with recognition that we still face big challenges ahead in creating jobs, building community, improving city government, providing services for the disenfranchised and confronting bigotry. The outgoing mayor and councilors were honored, and new and returning council members were sworn in. The event packed the Hult Center lobby in what is likely the largest and most diverse ceremony of its kind in Eugene's history. Starting off the new year with such enthusiasm and turnout is a hopeful sign for positive change in Eugene.
Mayor tells of 'a new day in Coburg'
By Karen McCowan
The Register-Guard | January 4, 2005 |
COBURG -- With all that's transpired here in recent months, you'd think the state of the city is the last thing Mayor Judy Volta would want to focus attention on.
But, taking a page from larger jurisdictions such as the state, the county and Eugene and Springfield, the mayor is inviting the public to tonight's City Council meeting for a formal State of the City address. She's even serving home-baked cookies to sweeten the pot.
Her planned message?
"That this is a new day in Coburg," said Volta, mayor since December 2003. "You can really sense it." (more...)
Coburg Mayor Addresses Problems
Some Coburg residents encouraged the mayor and council to stop letting the Coburg police department ticket speeders on I-5.
COBURG -- Hefty debt, I-5 ticketing and threatened lawsuits from former employees are just some of the serious issues the city of Coburg is facing these days. Tuesday night, Coburg's mayor talked about how the city plans on overcoming these challenges in her state of the city address.
Mayor Judy Volta painted an optimistic, but realistic picture for the Coburg residents. She assured the crowd that they are on the road to financial recovery, but says it will take several years to get there. (more...)
Coburg mayor vows better budgeting
By Karen McCowan
The Register-Guard | January 5, 2005 |
COBURG -- In her State of the City address Tuesday night, Mayor Judy Volta told a standing-room-only crowd that she was "sick to my stomach" when she learned this summer that the city had for several years outspent its revenue, creating a budget deficit of as much as $800,000.
She said the deficit spending "was not readily apparent in the way the city's budget was presented" to the City Council, and pledged: "We do not intend to let that happen again on our watch."
She went on to acknowledge that the city's reputation has suffered in a year in which Coburg fired its city recorder, paid a $120,000 contract buy-out to its former city administrator/police chief, and faces a threatened racketeering lawsuit over aggressive patrols of Interstate 5 that last year generated $800,000 of the city's $1.4 million budget. (more...)
Mayor Sid Leiken -- Springfield State of City Address
By Mayor Sid Leiken
City of Springfield | January 5, 2005 |
Can you believe this is my 5th state of the city address? I am honored to
be representing you, and working on behalf of the entire community. (more...)
The State of Springfield
"Can you believe this is my fifth state of the city address?" Springfield Mayor Sid Leiken asked a crowd of people, who responded with applause.
For his fifth speech, Mayor Leiken once again choked back tears. "If you remember last year, I dedicated last year's state of the city speech to honor the memory of our colleague and friend, former city council president Lyle Hatfield."
After honoring his friend, Leiken's face brightened. He re-capped an eventful year, which ended with the passage of two crucial ballot measures: one for a new municipal building and jail, the other to revitalitize the Glenwood area. "Both measures allow us to continue our progress of improvements, both are much needed tools to shape and build our home," he said. (more...)
Springfield State of the City
Springfield's mayor says 2004 was a successful year for the city, and he says there's more to look forward to this year.
In his state of the city address Wednesday, Mayor Sid Leiken said the city issued more than $73 million in permits for new construction, and there are now more home owners in Springfield than renters. (more...)
Springfield mayor aims to build on city's success
By Bob Keefer
The Register-Guard | January 6, 2005 |
SPRINGFIELD -- Springfield is like a house under construction, Mayor Sid Leiken said Wednesday in his fifth State of the City address.
"Our house can have as many rooms as we decide," the mayor said. "Our rooms will have many different colors and shapes. Each room will have its own character and story, because our home is for all of us. We are building a house where everyone is welcome."
The mayor spoke for 45 minutes at the Broadbase Regional Sports Center on South 32nd Street to an audience of several hundred, including about 20 local elected officials, numerous city staff members and members of the public. (more...)
Keep on building 'the house' : Mayor stressed importance of progress at State of City Address
By Amber Fossen
The Springfield News | January 7, 2005 |
Mayor Sid Leiken's fifth State of the City Address recognized the accomplishments of the past year. The mayor likened the town of Springfield to a home under construction, saying that with a foundation and bearing walls in place, it's time to expand progress and continue building.
Under the bright lights of the Regional Sports Center on South 32nd Street, community members elected leaders and city officials gathered for the address held Wednesday morning.
Leiken pushed the "house of Springfield" metaphor to extremes that morning. (more...)
Editorial -- A time of departures: Officials' service deserves recognition
| The Register-Guard | January 3, 2005 |
This is the time of year for inaugurations, for oaths of office, for agenda-setting speeches. Let's ignore those for a moment, and instead turn our attention to the people who are quietly packing cardboard boxes, saying a few goodbyes and preparing to leave public office behind. These people shouldn't be allowed to slip out the door without receiving a nod of appreciation. (more...)
Other
Leonard Pitts, Jr. -- Party allegiance, bias are swaying our opinions
| By Leonard Pitts, Jr. | December 24, 2004 |
A question for my Republican friends: Would you still love George W. Bush if he were Bill Clinton?
Seriously. If it were Clinton who had invaded Iraq based on erroneous intelligence, Clinton whose decisions had led to the deaths of over 1,200 soldiers, would you be foursquare behind him the way you are for Bush? Would you still support him even as he is vilified by half the country and much of the world?
And for my Democratic friends: Would you have felt the same about Clinton had he been Bush?
Had it been Bush who had an affair with a White House intern, Bush who looked the nation in the eye and lied about it, would you have been so willing to forgive? Would you still have opposed removing him from office?
In other words, are you guilty of double standards and outright bias?
I'll save you the trouble: Yes. (more...)
Dave Barry -- Fond memories of the Wienermobile and playing a corpse in Eugene
By Dave Barry
The Miami Herald | January 2, 2005 |
There comes a time in the life of every writer when he asks himself -- as Shakespeare, Tolstoy and Hemingway all surely asked themselves -- if he has any booger jokes left in him.
For me, that time has come. I've been trying to entertain newspaper readers since the Sixties, when I wrote "humor" columns for the Haverford College News. I put "humor" in quotation marks because when I go back and read those columns today, I don't get any of the jokes. But at the time they were a big hit with my readership, which consisted pretty much of my roommates. (more...)
Measure 37: Views
Editorial -- Public, too, has property rights
By Hasso hering
(Albany) Democrat-Herald | December 26, 2004 |
Property rights are an important foundation of our liberty, as we all have been often reminded. Properly understood, however, this foundation props up public as well as private rights.
This idea is worth keeping in mind -- and developing -- as Oregon carries out Measure 37 in 2005 and the subsequent years.
In effect since Dec. 2, the initiative requires compensation or the waiver of land-use rules that lower the value of property after the owner has acquired it. It was approved because the majority of voters correctly believed that in some instances, owners have been unfairly deprived.
But individual owners are not the only people who have property rights. The public has rights, too. (more...)
Editorial -- Counting the worms
Wednesday's summit on Measure 37 showcases problems with a law that helps property owners avoid laws
| The Oregonian | January 7, 2005 |
No offense, Oregon voters, but Measure 37 is proving to be just what its critics said it would be -- a can of worms.
Since voters wielded the can opener, it's customary to speak respectfully of what they had in mind. So most speakers at a Measure 37 summit at the Oregon Convention Center this week did speak respectfully. That is, they tiptoed carefully around the can. But there was no way to disguise all that wriggling. (more...)
Measure 37: News
Legislative committees soon to take up Measure 37
By Mark Engler, Freelance Writer
The Capital Press | December 31, 2004 |
SALEM -- Where the Oregon Legislature will take discussions over Measure 37 and the subsequent patchwork of efforts by local governments for dealing with regulatory takings claims remains a mystery heading into the new year.
But there's little question of the initiative's importance, said incoming Senate Environment and Land-use Committee chairman for 2005, Charlie Ringo, D-Beaverton.
Measure 37 is "by far the biggest issue" his committee will take up when the session begins on Jan. 10, said Ringo. (more...)
Clarification Of Measure 37
| The Associated Press | January 6, 2005 |
PORTLAND -- Oregon's new property-rights compensation law does not allow current landowners to get a development waiver, then sell the land before construction, state officials said this week. (more...)
Oregon rules landowners can't transfer waivers
By Laura Oppenheimer
The Oregonian | January 6, 2005 |
Development opportunities secured under Oregon's new property-rights law can't be passed from owner to owner, state officials said Wednesday.
The announcement takes a middle tack on one of the most pressing questions about Measure 37. The law, passed by voters in November, guarantees landowners the right to opt out of planning rules that hurt their property value, or the money to make up the difference.
Property owners who build a house or other structures after receiving a waiver can legally sell their land, state officials said at a Portland seminar about the measure. The structure would be a nonconforming use but would be legitimate after the property changes hands.
However, the state opposes allowing the current owner to obtain a waiver, then sell the land before construction. This ruling will complicate Measure 37 claims for large landowners who want to put a subdivision on their property.
The point is to unify the way cities, counties and state agencies apply the measure, said MardiLyn Saathoff, counsel to Gov. Ted Kulongoski. "We have to create a system that prevents chaos," she said. (more...)
Law has fields ripe for change
By Laura Oppenheimer
The Oregonian | January 6, 2005 |
HOOD RIVER -- Terry, John and Steve Benton wish they'd listened to their father's advice: Get out of the family pear business.
The Bentons haven't turned a profit since 1996, and zoning rules prevent them from selling their orchards to developers.
But Oregon's new property rights law offers a possible escape. It also may cover some of the best pear-growing soil in the United States with hundreds of suburban homes.
The Bentons have filed the biggest claim so far under Measure 37, which promises relief when land-use rules damage property value. They want $57 million or the right to build 842 houses on quarter-acre lots. (more...)
The Legislature's key issues
The Legislature faces the usual issues, including the budget and education, as well as new concerns such as land-use changes under Measure 37
| The Oregonian | January 7, 2005 |
...
Land Use -- Hot issue: Measure 37
What's at stake: The balance between Oregon's iconic land-use rules and personal property rights shifted dramatically when voters passed Measure 37 in November. The law, written by Oregonians in Action, requires governments to waive planning rules that damage property value or pay owners for the financial hit. The Legislature could help define how the measure works and how much it changes Oregon's landscape.
What to look for: Gov. Ted Kulongoski says he wants to compensate landowners instead of waiving rules, which would require money for payments. Sen. Kurt Schrader, D-Canby, is drafting a bill to eliminate retroactive claims and create a compensation fund. Other legislators, including Sen. Charlie Ringo, D-Beaverton, may develop legislation. But the measure's landslide win and some lawmakers' support will complicate any changes.
Key contacts: Sen. Kurt Schrader, D-Canby, 503-986-1720; Sen. Charlie Ringo, D-Beaverton, 503-986-1717; Oregonians in Action, 603-620-0258; League of Oregon Cities, 503-588-6550.
Other land-use issues: Portland-area politicians may push to extend the five-year gap between urban growth boundary expansions. They say the time-intensive work eliminates broader policy-making, but developers push for frequent expansions to bolster land supply. Kulongoski will ask for $900,000 to engage citizens in a conversation about the state's vision for land-use planning.
-- Laura Oppenheimer (more...)
Puzzling Adventures: Oregon Lore
By Dennis E. Shasha
Scientific American | January 1, 2005 |
A certain state, known for its beautiful land and its tough regulations, faces a dilemma. In the spirit of strict liability, the people have decided that the government must pay owners for any zoning laws that reduce property values or forgo enforcement.
Suppose, for example, that you own a house in the woods, but have a strong desire to put up a fast food joint with an enormous parking lot. Your property value may go up. Your neighbors, on the other hand, might protest that the fast food development would cause their property values to decrease because of the resulting eyesore and pollution.
How does a state deal with such conflicting interests? This puzzle presents two alternative proposals and then proposes a challenge problem having to do with the fairer of the two. (more...)
Measure 37: Claims
Property rights tested at Wallowa Lake
A Measure 37 claim is filed that could put more homes on land near the Old Chief Joseph grave site, which tribes hope to protect
By Richard Cockle
The Oregonian | January 9, 2005 |
JOSEPH -- More new homes could line the shore and glacial moraines of Wallowa Lake, triggered in part by a Measure 37 claim on a stalled plan for homes near the grave site of Old Chief Joseph.
The filing under Oregon's new property rights law may prompt other landowners to try to build on the symmetrical moraines beside the lake that are now mostly off-limits to new homes, said Wallowa County Planning Director Bill Oliver. (more...)
M37 to date: Fifteen applicants file in Linn
By Les Gehrett
Albany Democrat-Herald | January 5, 2005 |
Linn County has received 15 applications for relief from land-use rules since Measure 37 went into effect Dec. 2.
Steve Michaels, the director of the Linn County Planning and Building Department, updated the Board of Commissioners on the issue Tuesday. He said the office is expecting more applications, since it has sent out about 150 information packets to interested property owners. (more...)