Good evening everyone and thank you for joining us here in
our beautiful Hult Center for the Performing Arts. Let me
take this opportunity to thank our citizens, our council
and our staff for all their efforts in 2007 to keep Eugene
such a great place to call home.
Like many of you, I start off most days by listening to
the radio, reading the newspaper and checking the web.
Like you, I am acutely aware of the ever-rising death toll
in Iraq, the ever-rising temperature of the earth, the fretful
American economy and the resulting financial challenges we
face at home.
And, I am more committed than ever to doing everything we
can to work for peace and justice, to reduce our impact on
global warming, to keep our economy strong, and to provide
the services our community expects. I believe absolutely
in the power we have individually and collectively to make
change, influence policy and set the direction for the future.
Cities are where it all happens; where people live, work,
raise families, and establish roots. Eugene is our city and
our home. It is a reflection of our values and how we want
this world to be.
A lot of our work occurs at the City Council table, through
advocacy groups, on committees and commissions, and in our
neighborhoods. Our energy and passion for civic engagement
is a tremendous community asset, allowing us to address more
issues in greater depth.
Essential to our civic engagement are our neighborhood associations.
I am impressed with the ever more active and successful role
they are taking to bring forward community perspectives and
expertise, whether it's on mixed-use development, infill
and neighborhood livability, safer parks, railroad pollution,
response to traffic fatalities, or protecting headwaters.
Civic engagement almost always comes with differences of
opinion and the issues we face are often thorny. To me, the
important thing is to work together - to find points of common
agreement so that we can move forward as a community. Some
recent examples of successful community cooperation are the
Mayor's Sustainable Business Initiative and the West Eugene
Collaborative.
The Sustainable Business Initiative brought together a very
broad-based group of people with economic, social and environmental
expertise, to make recommendations on how the City of Eugene
could support and encourage the growth of businesses that
produce sustainable products such as alternative energy,
alternative fuel, green building, recycling, alternative
transportation and health care, natural foods and products.
The task force was also charged with making recommendations
that would support and encourage all businesses to use sustainable
practices that reflect the triple bottom line of protecting
our natural resources, building social equity and ensuring
economic well-being. Their 22 recommendations, supported
by the entire task force and adopted by our City Council,
included establishing an Office of Sustainability and a Sustainability
Commission. Both the office and commission are now firmly
in place.
Then, there was the decades-long, acrimonious debate over
the West Eugene Parkway. It was clear that the funding for
this project was simply not there and that federal approval
was likely never to occur. I asked business owners, environmentalists,
neighbors, agencies, and elected officials to join together
to start afresh and come up with do-able solutions for the
vexing West Eugene traffic and transportation problems. They
responded by forming the West Eugene Collaborative. We are
working together to make recommendations on how local governing
bodies can solve the longstanding traffic and transportation
challenges in West Eugene while protecting our biologically
rich wetlands.
Another one of our city's current issues is the reinvigoration
of downtown. We've had differences of opinion on how best
to accomplish this and an election on one proposed course
of action is now behind us. It is time to bridge our differences
and form a plan that the whole community will support. I
urge all those involved and interested in the future of our
downtown to work for common ground. We can take the energy
and continued commitment of the Citizens for Public Accountability,
Chamber of Commerce, and hundreds of other community members
and, together, bring life to our downtown, the heart of our
city. The valuable work of West Broadway Advisory Committee
can help inform the discussion. It is within our reach.
One of the reasons I am so optimistic about our downtown
is that much of it is already doing well. Fifth Street, East
Broadway and most of Oak, Charnelton, Pearl, Willamette and
Olive are busy and full. The Beam redevelopment of Center
Court and the Washburn Building is on the table. We have
new businesses on Broadway and Enterprise is moving into
the refurbished "Bon Marche" building. KLCC is
moving in just a block away on 8th Avenue and Oregon Research
Institute has a renewed interest in establishing a presence
in downtown.
Yes, we do have those two pits and empty storefronts - and
lots of visitors coming to town. In the short run, we can
focus public safety efforts on our problem blocks, address
rundown storefronts, tweak codes, increase cultural and recreational
activities in the area, and look at parking restrictions.
I intend to walk into each business in that two-block area
to either thank them for looking good or to see how improvements
can be made. This is something we must take on together.
Those short-term fixes will help keep the momentum going
and build a base for a wide-range of exciting possibilities.
We need to put the two problem blocks in the context of our
entire downtown: opportunities for a new city hall, expansion
of The Shedd, the development of a new Courthouse area, Franklin
Boulevard improvements and, with EWEB's anticipated move,
new connections to the river. Let's roll up our sleeves and
keep going.
I am proud of the many services and amenities the City provides:
our parks, open spaces and bike paths in every part of the
community, and our stewardship of valuable natural resources.
Most recently, we were the first city in Oregon to receive
Forest Legacy funding in order to preserve 25 acres of Oak
habitat at Wild Iris Ridge. That's a great accomplishment!
It is our wealth of arts and outdoors assets that makes
this community so special and this year offers an exceptional
opportunity to highlight both.
In September, we celebrated the 25th Anniversary of this
beautiful facility and offered 5,443 free admissions to a
variety of events. Our beloved library, which has quickly
become a cornerstone of our downtown, just celebrated its
5th birthday. Over 3,000 people participated in a Cultural
Policy Review and the council has adopted strategies that
will strengthen both our city's and community's cultural
offerings and our commitment to the arts. Galleries are thriving
- and not just on First Fridays - and local musicians and
performers provide a diverse range of entertainment in unique
local venues.
We took pride in the achievements of the University of Oregon
and the Ducks as they gained national attention and acclaim
for Eugene (even that pugnacious mascot). The University
logged permits for more than $43 million in building projects
in Eugene this year. And a hard working coalition not only
brought the 2008 Olympic Track & Field Trials back to
Hayward Field, re-establishing our reputation as Track Town
USA, but Eugene has also been chosen to host the US national
track championships in 2009 and 2011 and the 2012 Olympic
Track & Field Trials. The huge community engagement efforts
in planning for the Olympic Trials, the events leading up
to them and the strategies to engage our young people were
instrumental to ensuring that Eugene is Track Town USA -
Forever.
I want to give special thanks to our interim city manager
Angel Jones for her key role in this success. I also want
to thank all our partners in the coalition that is doing
a wonderful job of working together to maximize this opportunity
for our community - the University of Oregon, the City of
Springfield, the Convention and Visitors Association, Lane
County, the State of Oregon, the Oregon Track Club along
with Lane Transit District, the Chambers of Commerce and
numerous businesses and hundreds of volunteers. With all
the visitors and exposure, and the Eugene 08 Festival that
is free and open to everyone, this will be the most exciting,
fun event ever in Eugene and I encourage you all to get involved,
support it and enjoy it. Go to Eugene08.com to learn how.
On another front, Eugene continues to address the critical
need for affordable and low-income housing. The most recent
project is nearing completion in our downtown: WestTown on
8th, with its new innovative work/live units. Eugene adopted
a stronger manufactured home ordinance to protect owners
of this important affordable housing stock. We provided funds
for shelter and transportation for the homeless and the Mayor's
Blue Ribbon Committee on Homelessness has been working hard
on how we can provide services and reduce the numbers of
those who are homeless or face the threat of homelessness.
A one-day Project Homeless Connect event in February provided
services and connections for over a thousand of the area's
homeless and a second one is scheduled for next month. Staff,
social services, governing bodies, and hundreds of volunteers
and donations make this event meaningful on every level.
In July, our independent police auditor, Cris Beamud, officially
opened her doors downtown and the Civilian Review Board is
in place, working on complaints. Both have become an important
part of ensuring justice in our community.
Police staffing needs remain an issue before us and that
problem is compounded by the inadequate funding of Lane County's
prevention, intervention and treatment services, jail beds,
legal, and judicial processes. While Eugeneans are committed
to community policing, the county public safety system itself
is broken. We will have to be very strategic in our prioritizations
in order to effectively address this critical issue.
Loss of federal, state and county road repair dollars also
continues to plague us and our pothole backlog grows. At
my request, the council worked together to bring very diverse
perspectives to the table and develop a funding package that
included a gas tax increase. Although the tax increase did
not survive the last election, we understand the growing
need and will keep working on finding solutions that the
community will support.
No look at local issues is complete without some mention
of the hospital saga. While neither the council nor I can
legally comment on the location proposed by McKenzie-Willamette
in north Eugene, I can reiterate my strong support for the
presence of two full-service hospitals in our metropolitan
area, which will ensure healthy competition and breadth of
services. McKenzie-Willamette should be in Eugene where it
can effectively provide health care for our community, support
our tax base and where, if needed, we can have some influence
on significant health care policies.
I am proud of our continued efforts to guarantee the right
and access to services for all our community members, regardless
of race, age, gender, sexual orientation, abilities, beliefs,
or income. We want this community to be a comfortable place
for everyone to live, work and raise their families, where
differences are respected and thought of as a valued part
of the fabric of a strong community. It hurt last year when
our city experienced repeated incidents of hate speech and
the defacing of important religious objects. Our community
will stand united against such behavior, and defend the rights
of all its members.
Same sex couples still pursue the same legal rights as married
couples; clearly the day has come to end all forms of discrimination
based on sexual orientation. As you are probably aware, an
opportunity to take one more step in achieving this goal
of equality was recently frustrated when a new domestic partnership
law was postponed by the courts. Despite these setbacks,
however, we must continue to be vigilant in pursuing equal
rights for all.
Differences of opinion about immigration issues can fuel
bigotry and hatred; we need to remind ourselves that our
community and our nation were built by indigenous peoples
and immigrants, and that all human beings deserve respect.
The social justice triumphs and defeats of this last year
have increased my resolve to continue working on becoming
an official Human Rights City, one that embraces human rights
in every decision we make. If there's any place in America
that can do this, it is certainly here.
Eugene has a commitment to being the most sustainable community
possible. We know that with finite resources and growing
climate change challenges, we must scale up this commitment
as a matter of both City policy and in the consciousness
and actions of the larger community.
This past year, we hired the City's first sustainability
manager and the members of the new Sustainability Commission
have now been appointed. We will update our community greenhouse
gas inventory in April. We know that over the last eight
years, through the purchase of hybrids and biodiesel, City
government has decreased its CO2 emissions by 10%. The methane
we capture at our wastewater plant provides half the power
it needs. Through LED lighting, recycling, wind power purchase,
bus passes, bike programs, e-communications, and a whole
range of other strategies,
Eugene has taken strides toward carbon neutrality and zero
waste. We still have a long way to go. Large reductions in
building and transportation emissions are the only way we
can seriously impact climate change.
I have enjoyed working hand in hand with mayors across this
country (now over 800) in support of the U.S. Mayor's Climate
Protection Agreement, using our mutual power to push for
changes at the Congressional level. While the situation we
face as a planet is serious, I see major cities such as New
York, Los Angeles and Chicago combining their purchasing
powers for green solutions and to create green jobs at home
- jobs that help put sustainable practices in place, are
built on social equity, and pay well.
In Oregon, Governor Kulongoski has embraced sustainable
jobs and practices as the basis for Oregon's economy, much
as we have been doing here. He hopes that Oregon can offer
leadership on a number of fronts and I want Eugene to be
a significant part of this work. It is no coincidence that
Sequential BioFuels is located here, and that the largest
solar panel display in the state is on one of our industrial
roofs.
The governor has also required every state department including
ODOT to do their part to reduce carbon emissions. As we approach
all new regional planning efforts in transportation and land
use, the state requirements give me hope. Necessity is the
mother of invention and may help ODOT respond to climate
change and finite resources, allowing it to be more creative
and energy-conscious, rather than simply laying more roads.
The challenges are great and so are the possibilities.
I know 2008 will be a very challenging year at every level.
We must continue to build on the momentum we have to address
the major issues nationally and locally. We have the talent,
the heart and the chutzpah. We are, after all, Eugene.
Thus, my to-do list for 2008 includes the following goals:
-- Eugene leads in sustainable practices and supports the
growth of sustainable businesses as a key to strengthening
our economy;
-- Eugene continues to implement the Sustainable Business
Initiative recommendations, moving toward carbon neutrality
and zero waste;
-- Eugene develops a climate protection strategic plan;
-- The West Eugene Collaborative (WEC) completes its recommendations
for addressing traffic and transportation issues in west
Eugene;
-- Eugene reviews the recommendations of the Blue Ribbon
Committee on Homelessness and effective goals and strategies
are adopted;
--We collaborate and successfully plan for downtown, increasing
the pace of reinvigoration of West Broadway;
-- Eugene addresses its neighborhood pothole backlog;
-- Eugene advances the Cultural Policy Review's strategies
to increase support for arts and culture;
-- Eugene and our partners host a hugely successful and
green Olympic Track & Field Trials;
-- Eugene considers an independent auditor for the City
of Eugene;
-- McKenzie-Willamette Hospital locates in Eugene;
-- Our new city manager is on the job and is exceptional;
-- Eugene adopts a youth advisory board respecting the voices,
talents and needs of our young people;
-- Eugene and its partners collaborate on the protection
and restoration of the Amazon Creek basin and headwaters
and build upon the success of the wetlands with the creation
of the Environmental Education Center; and
-- Eugene moves toward becoming an official Human Rights
City.
My comments tonight and the goals I outlined have focused
on the main issues of the day and on who we are as a community.
I could go on for hours!
I know we can successfully bring people together to work
on our most difficult and challenging issues. We must keep
the proverbial "pedal to the metal" so we can hold
on to what is wonderful about this place we call home. Our
future depends on it.
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