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IN BRIEF
Bill aims to divert unspent
money toward education
SALEM — The Senate completed
action on companion measures that
would expand the state’s education re
serve fund as a hedge against future
budget problems.
One bill, approved 24-5, would di
vert the unspent general money left
over at the end of each two-year budg
et period into the education “rainy
day” fund. Unspent money is currently
carried over into the next budget.
Earlier, the Senate overwhelmingly
approved a ballot measure that would
double the allowed size of the reserve
fund, so it could grow to more than $1
billion at current budget levels.
Both measures go to the House,
where they stand a good chance of
passing, said Sen. Ryan Deckert, D
Beaverton, chairman of the Senate
Revenue Committee.
Education consumes more than half
of the budget, including K-12, commu
nity college and university funding.
The education reserve is now fed by
18 percent of lottery profits and is
capped at an amount equal to 5 per
cent of general fund revenue.
The ballot proposal would raise the
reserve fund cap to 10 percent of the
general fund. Voter approval is needed
because the reserve fund is part of the
state constitution.
The other bill would put money
that’s left over at the end of each two
year budget period into the reserve
fund, up to a ceiling of 2 percent of the
general fund.
Under the current budget, for exam
ple, the bill would put into reserve
$204 million of the $292 million that’s
projected to be unspent after the budg
et period ends on June 30.
— The Associated Press
Art: Cost of the paving plan
may increase students' rent
Continued from page 1
marred with potholes, and Rixmann,
chair of the West University Neigh
bors, said he’s excited at the prospect
of the city’s alley paving project,
which would restore them to their
previous level of quality.
So excited, in fact, that he’s spear
heading his own effort to add a bit of
originality and color to the project in
hopes of beautifying a neighborhood
that some associate with only alcohol
consumption and noise.
“Just pick an old flat concrete alley
and put something there that you see
every day and makes you feel better,”
Rixmann said. “It could be some
thing as simple as a quote from a fa
mous author, or it could be some
thing real cool like some kind of neat
cryptic puzzle.”
The city will pave 23 alleys this
summer at a projected cost of
$1.67 million, and Rixmann is hop
ing to work with local artists and city
officials to add original artwork on a
portion of each alley.
If the city accepts his idea and
finds a way to finance it, each alley
would have a small removable block
that could be decorated before plac
ing it into the rest of the concrete.
Owners of the roughly 160 proper
ties on the same blocks as the alleys
will split the cost of the paving proj
ect, something about which Eugene
police officer Randy Ellis said he has
mixed feelings.
Eugene typically takes on the atti
tude that property owners need to be
the ones spearheading improvement
projects rather than the city, but this
particular project is different because
it was instigated by the city, Ellis said.
“Their attitude kind of is ‘oh well,
they’re absentee landlords, they’re
not going to complain,”’ Ellis said.
“The rents go up, so the students pay
for it.”
Ellis said a task force set up after ri
ots occurred in the neighborhood a
few years back discussed the alley
paving project at great length during
its meetings.
“It surprised me that the city was
that responsive to that one issue,”
Ellis said.
Improving the alleys’ condition
could do much to improve the rest of
the neighborhood, Ellis said, either
by creating a better atmosphere to
promote a debris-free neighborhood
or making the alleys more inviting to
walk through. More people in the al
leys means more opportunities to
catch crime, Ellis said.
The West University Neighbors
discusses the alley paving project at
its monthly meetings and has being
doing so for nearly a year.
Rixmann said he will share his
ideas for the alley art project at
Thursday’s neighborhood meeting
and will look for creative input from
interested neighbors.
Rixmann said the project is simple
and doesn’t involve much work but
could be a cherished addition to the
alleys if done correctly.
Rixmann encouraged students to
make the most of the alleys in the
coming weeks and enjoy the large
amount of free stuff that will be sit
ting in them once students start mov
ing out for the summer. He said the
alleys last year were so filled with ap
pealing items he had to stay inside to
ensure he didn’t bring home too
much of it.
“I just had to lock myself in the
room and say ‘stay stoned, don’t go
outside,”’ Rixmann said.
Activity in the alleys is just one rea
son why Rixmann wants some
artistic creativity present after they
are paved. He said he’s hopeful
tonight’s meeting will elicit positive
responses about the alley art project
from neighbors and that people will
want to get involved.
“It could be cool or it could just
slip into obscurity, but I’m betting on
the cool side,” Rixmann said.
meghanncuniff@dailyememld.com
022418
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