Month: October 2015

From the Editor

Technical and other difficulties have interrupted the publication of this newsletter. We apologize for the delays.
There are three announcements that we all should be aware of:

1) As you likely already know, the City Council hearing about the proposed South Willamette special zone has been postponed and the staff has been directed to rework portions of the proposal. It’s not clear yet when the hearing will be held, but the earliest date is in January.

2) A development has been proposed for the intersection of 28th and Friendly. The church building there would be converted into townhouses. Developers are required to hold a meeting with the neighborhood association and citizens in the area. The people developing this property have been involved in other townhouse projects in the area and they are eager to hold such a meeting and hear what neighbors have to say. That meeting will be in the church building at 6 PM on November 5.

3) there are two very important meetings of our association about to occur.

On November 1 we will have a general meeting where the membership will ratify the appointment of board members for the coming year, and the Association will assemble a list of candidates for chair, vice chair, secretary, treasurer.

The officers will be elected at the subsequent general meeting, which will occur on November 15.

If you’re interested in nominating someone, or yourself, as one of our candidates for leadership, be sure to attend that meeting, as no additional candidates can be added at the time of the election on the 15th.

Then be sure that you attend on the 15th to debate policy directions and choose a leadership for the coming year.

Both of these meetings will also provide opportunities for discussion about our ongoing land-use issues: the South Willamette zoning plan and Rest Haven.

Note, though, that all three of the meetings are being held at different sites!

General meeting : to ratify board appointments, assemble a list of candidates, and discuss land use issues.
Sunday, Nov 1, 2015 @ 1:30pm-4:30pm
Good Samaritan Center, 3500 Hilyard Street
 Annual Nominations of SHiNA Board Officers
 Board Resolution & vote regarding S. Willamette Special Area Zone

Meeting with the developers at 28th and Friendly:
Thursday, November 5, 6 pm, in the church building on the site.

General meeting : to elect officers for the coming year, and discuss land use issues and policy directions and challenges.
Sunday, Nov 15, 2015 @ 2:00-4:00PM
Wayne Morse Family Farm, 595 Crest Drive
 Annual Election of SHiNA Board Officers
 Your Suggestions, Concerns, Plans for 2016

From the city:

Got a Great Idea for a Neighborhood Improvment??

Neighborhood Matching Grants!!
The City of Eugene Neighborhood Matching Grants cycle is now open with $50,000 available for neighborhood improvement and community-building projects. All projects are required to submit their project for a pre-review by November 11, 2015.

Community involvement and building relationships are key components and are encouraged by requiring that the project budget include a match amount equal to, or greater than, the grant request. Demonstrating responsible stewardship of our community assets while balancing our community’s social and environmental values are additional components of any project proposal submitted.

Projects must include a match equivalent to the request for funding which may come from volunteer efforts or donations and may include, but are not limited to:
Community improvement projects to assist with, or enhance the experience for those participating in, the 2016 US Olympic Track and Field Trials held in Eugene July 1-10, 2016.
Physical improvement projects that involve recreation or public safety facilities, natural resource features, public art and spaces, or community gardens. Projects that improve universal accessibility are also encouraged.
Public school partnership projects that benefit school children and the immediate neighborhood.
Neighborhood-based events and celebrations.
Capacity building initiatives that serve to create, diversify, or increase participation in a neighborhood-based organization or promote an understanding of issues important to neighborhood residents.
Outreach, research, education or organizing projects that address planning-related topics such as transportation (pedestrian or cyclist safety), land use (neighborhood or area planning) or public safety (disaster planning, neighborhood mapping, neighborhood safety).
Grant guidelines and application materials are available on the City’s web site, eugene-or.gov/matchinggrants, and at the Permit and Information Center located at 99 W 10th or by calling Cindy Clarke at 541-682-5272.

Pre-review: All projects will be required to undergo a pre-review by November 11, 2015. This review for consistency with grant guidelines and existing plans and policies of the City and other partner agencies allows for the applicant to submit a robust and complete application for this competitive process.

Final applications are due on January 19, 2016. Awards will be announced in April 2016.

For more information about the Neighborhood Matching Grants Program, contact Cindy Clarke, 541-682-5272 or cindy.j.clarke@ci.eugene.or.us.

From the Editor

Good Evening (or morning if you’re wise enough to have a proper bedtime) Neighbors,

I hope this newsletter finds you and yours in good spirits as we enter the cool mornings of Autumn. The October General Meeting is coming up and with it, the annual nominations for the Executive Board for the November 2015-October 2016 year.  Otherwise, this meeting deals mainly with the ongoing activities surrounding land-use issues and will include information and time for a potential vote by the General Membership on the SHiNA position regarding The Willamette Special Area Zone. See the “Board News” section, below, for more information.

I would love to provide some lighthearted news in addition to the more serious issues facing the community. Please contact me with any such neighborhood news/events you would like to see covered here. Some ideas would be birth announcements, milestone birthdays or anniversaries or perhaps some local history or humorous story. I’m open to ideas!

Kind Regards,
Eldon Fox
Acting Corresponding Secretary, SHiNA

Board News

The next board meeting is scheduled for October 8th at the Market of Choice balcony from 6:00 to 7:30.

The next general meeting will be held on Sunday, October 18th from 2:00 – 4:00 at the Wayne Morse Family Farm. The farm is located at 595 Crest Drive in Eugene. The General Meeting will include a discussion period followed by time for a possible vote of all attending neighbors to determine the official position of the Neighborhood  Association with regards to the South Willamette Special Area Zone. It is important that the neighborhood’s wishes are properly represented, so please make an effort to attend to get informed and have a voice.

A Calendar of meetings and events is available on the SHiNA website at the following address swhillseugene.com/wp/calendar. Please contact me with any block party, or other (non-political) neighborhood events, you would like to add to the calendar.

Land-use

Rest-Haven Memorial Park

The city council has extended the public timeline for written public testimony or comment to Monday, October 12th. Other dates related to the possible rezoning can be found on the SHiNA website calendar http://crestdriveca.com/wp/calendar/.

The city’s process for submitting testimony can be found here: https://www.eugene-or.gov/index.aspx?NID=524

From the City

City Calendar

The city of Eugene maintains a calendar of upcoming city events covering a wide range of departments and activities. The calendar is available at https://www.eugene-or.gov/calendar.aspx.

4J School District Budget Committee & Equity Committee Opportunities

Eugene School District 4J has openings on its volunteer budget committee and equity committee. The multi-year committee positions run through June 2017 or June 2018. Applications are due Thursday, October 15, at 5 p.m.

By statute, budget committee applicants must be registered voters and must live within the boundaries of Eugene School District 4J. Equity committee applicants are not required to live within the 4J boundary but preference will be given to district residents. Applicants do not need to be parents of students in 4J schools.

More information is available here: http://www.4j.lane.edu/2015/09/4j-budget-equity-committees-seek-applicants/

30-Minutes Can Make a Difference: Become a Lunchtime Mentor for a Middle School Student

The Eugene Middle School Lunchtime Mentor Program pairs caring, responsible adults in the community with at-risk teens and preteens to meet once a week for 30 minutes at lunchtime during the school year for conversation, sharing, and support. Middle school students are referred to the program and generally are youth who are at risk for any of a number of reasons—for example, living in poverty (including homelessness and living in transitional housing), being bullied, having a difficult time at home, having an incarcerated parent, feeling unmotivated at school. Mentoring has been found to boost attendance on mentoring days, raise grades, and lower referrals for behavior problems. Mentors must commit to the full school year, pass a criminal background check, and take part in a brief training session. Mentoring is available at all eight Eugene middle schools. Last year, this all-volunteer program mentored 117 students. There are waiting lists of students at almost every school.

More information is available here: http://eeflane.org/schools/about_4j/MiddleSchoolMentoring/

Neighborhood Matching Grants – Project Review: Now through Oct 30

The City of Eugene Neighborhood Matching Grants cycle is now open with $50,000 available for neighborhood improvement and community-building projects. All projects are required to undergo a pre-review by October 30, 2015.

Editor’s note. This is a program that has helped out neighborhood in the past. If you have an idea for a project, activity, sign, or artwork; something that would help your area of the neighborhood, street, park, etc., please consider organizing an application. More that one application can come from the same association, or from a separate group with SHiNA’s blessing.

• Community improvement projects to assist with, or enhance the experience for those participating in, the 2016 US Olympic Track and Field Trials held in Eugene July 1-10, 2016.
• Physical improvement projects that involve recreation or public safety facilities, natural resource features, public art and spaces, or community gardens. Projects that improve universal accessibility are also encouraged.
• Public school partnership projects that benefit school children and the immediate neighborhood.
• Neighborhood-based events and celebrations.
• Capacity building initiatives that serve to create, diversify, or increase participation in a neighborhood-based organization or promote an understanding of issues important to neighborhood residents.
• Outreach, research, education or organizing projects that address planning-related topics such as transportation (pedestrian or cyclist safety), land use (neighborhood or area planning) or public safety (disaster planning, neighborhood mapping, neighborhood safety).

Grant guidelines and application materials are available on the City’s web site, eugene-or.gov/matchinggrants, and at the Permit and Information Center located at 99 W 10th or by calling Cindy Clarke at 541-682-5272.