COUNTY TO
TAKE CONTROL?
Everyone has boundaries, and some of us get a little hot
under the collar when those boundaries are pushed. Lane
County doesn’t want so much to push Eugene and
Springfield’s boundaries, as it wants to control all the lands
around the cities. One of the things that could be affected is
water quality.
At 7 pm Tuesday, March 13, at Harris Hall, Lane
County will hold a public meeting on ordinance PA1281,
which is an amendment allowing the county to take
jurisdictional control of the lands that lie in between the
UGB (urban growth boundary) and the metro boundary,
says Planning Commissioner Lisa Arkin.
The Board of Lane County Commissioners is planning
a vote on the amendment despite the Lane County Planning
Commission’s vote against changing the way the lands are
controlled.
County Planning Commissioner Dennis Sandow says,
“The first thing the public should know is that this will shift
decision-making authority from a collaboration between
Eugene, Springfield and the county to solely Lane County.”
If this ordinance passes, 81 percent of Springfield’s
drinking water would be under the county commissioners’
decision-making authority, Sandow says. The Springfield
Utility Board (SUB) gets much of the water it supplies
from wells located in these lands. Springfield has a
drinking water protection plan; Lane County does not.
“Lane County has no history or capability or knowledge
of how to protect drinking water,” Sandow says.
An attempt by the county in 2010 to protect Eugene’s
drinking water failed, and despite a recommendation by the
Planning Commission to bring the water protection issue
up again, the conservative board majority has failed to do
so.
Arkin adds that residents should consider that often
these lands get zoned for industrial, commercial or
transportation uses, and the wells and the quality of water
could be affected by changes in land use.
The changes in land use would be determined by the
county commissioners. This could weaken Springfield
citizens’ control over their drinking water, Sandow says. He
says the county claims it will create an intergovernmental
agreement with SUB to protect the water, but as of yet, no
such agreement appears to exist.
These boundary changes are all part of changes to the
Eugene-Springfield Metropolitan Area General Plan. Later
on, handing over control of the lands outside Eugene’s city
limits to Lane County will also be voted on, as the Envision
Eugene process wraps up.
Citizens can come give public comment to the
commissioners before their vote on PA1281 at the March 13
Harris Hall meeting. For more information go to wkly.
ws/13n
— Camilla Mortensen
BIG SALARIES
OR SMALL ANIMALS?
Animal advocates want to know why Lane County isn’t
considering trimming salaries over $90,000 instead of
cutting much-needed services. Budget cuts at the city of
Eugene and at Lane County have led to a proposal that Lane
County Animal Services be ended and a new plan put in its
place. But no new plan has been drafted, and who and what
would take over dealing with the area’s homeless pets from
LCAS is unclear.
Lane County Commissioner Rob Handy proposed on
February 8 that Lane County cut 15 percent off the salary of
those making more than $90,000 a year. He says this would
save Lane County more than one million dollars.
Commissioners Jay Bozievich, Sid Leiken and Faye Stewart
voted against discussing the proposal.
“They don’t even want to entertain the notion,” says Lisa
Warnes of Save the Pets. She says the proposal to cut LCAS
is a way to get around paying union wages, and she says that
it’s “morally wrong to go after union wages and cut much
needed services,” when there are “fat cats” making six-figure
salaries.
Warnes says the city ought to take up Handy’s salary-
trimming proposal as well.
Lane County Administrator Liane Richardson makes
almost $150,000. Eugene City Manager Jon Ruiz and
Eugene Police Chief Pete Kerns each make over $100,000.
LCAS, which has greatly reduced Eugene and Lane
County’s euthanasia rates “is the best thing right now,” she
says. Warnes says she fears without LCAS there will be not
only be more feral cats but also feral dogs, “more dog bites
and more cops shooting dogs.”
Cuts at LCAS are already a problem, she says. The
animal behaviorist was recently fired. If it hadn’t been for the
willingness of LCAS to give a young behaviorally challenged
dog named “Axel” a chance, and the work of the behaviorist,
Warnes would not have adopted “the best dog I have ever
had,” she says.
While the city and county as of yet have no plan, they
have discussed using a nonprofit group to take over the
animal shelter, and moving enforcement to the police
department.
Cary Lieberman of Greenhill Humane Society says that
until the cities and county issue a request for proposals, it’s
too early to know how Greenhill may be involved. Lieberman
says, “Our interest is to ensure that homeless, sheltered pets
get the best care possible, and all pets are safe from abuse
and neglect. We would want to know that those goals are in
line with what the cities and county want before we consider
any agreements.”
— Camilla Mortensen
SPROUT! IT OUT
Two farmers and a priest walk into a bar and … oh wait,
is that how the joke goes? Springfield’s Neighborhood
Economic Development Corporation (NEDCO) is hatching
Sprout!, which is no joke — it’s a food hub that will be
housed in the former First Christian Church on 4th and A
streets.
NEDCO Assistant Director Sarai Johnson says the hub
will have three main components: a year-round farmers
market, a central kitchen that can accommodate up to five
businesses at once, and an expansion of NEDCO’s Hatch
business incubator program.
“All of those things intertwine amazingly well,” Johnson
says, because small businesses can access technical and
business assistance in their own marketplace.
Right now, the project is in its design and development
phase, but NEDCO plans to open the farmers market in
October.
Sprout!’s first-ever “Stalk-holder Celebration” will be
from 1 to 4 pm Saturday, March 10, at 418 A St.,
Springfield; $5 suggested donation.
— Shannon Finnell
slant
• Big question marks and plenty of politics are ahead for
the judiciary in Eugene. Presiding Judge Mary Ann Bearden
announced March 6 that she’s resigning effective April 1 after
14 years in the Lane County Circuit Court. That means Gov.
Kitzhaber will pick a new circuit judge right away and the
powerful presiding position will change this spring. Over at
the U.S. Courthouse, U.S. District Judge Michael Hogan is
going on senior status, to be succeeded by one of five
nominees from Sens. Wyden and Merkley. President Obama
gets to choose the final nominee to throw to the surly
senators for approval on their political clock. The two
nominees from Eugene are Suzanne Chanti, a Lane County
Circuit Court judge, and Bryan Lessley, assistant federal
public defender. Either Chanti or Lessley should be named for
this judgeship in Eugene.
• The city of Eugene is appealing the use of excessive
force verdict against the EPD’s Sgt. Bill Solesbee based on a
technicality in the jury instructions. With the city’s budget in
dire straits, is it really time to double-down on an appeal when
none of the evidence has changed? Now we’re looking at
direct and indirect expenses that could potentially cost the
city nearly half a million dollars when this could have been
settled years ago for less than $10,000 in medical bills and an
apology. We doubt this appeal will go anywhere; it’s the same
arguments EPD lost on before.
• Three impressive women urged an audience of women
and a couple of men at the Public Interest Environmental Law
Conference to encourage more Oregon women to run for
public office in 2012. Mayor Kitty Piercy and Cynthia Wooten,
both with long histories of elective office in Eugene and
beyond, told their stories. Mary Hughes, co-founder of The
6 MARCH 8, 2012
EUGENE WEEKLY
2012 Project out of Rutgers University, laid out this country’s
miserable record in electing women and why 2012, a
presidential year following a census, is key to boosting women
in public office. We cheer the effort, of course, but raise that
niggling question: Sarah Palin, Michele Bachmann, Gov. Jan
Brewer of Arizona? What if the woman is a lousy candidate?
The 2012 Project doesn’t endorse, Hughes said, adding “it
does women a disservice if you don’t endorse the best
candidate.”
• Not a lot of competition for elected office at the
Eugene City Council and EWEB levels this time around. The
deadline for filing was March 1 and Mayor Kitty Piercy has just
two challengers, Councilor Betty Taylor has two opponents,
and only EWEB Wards 1 & 8 has a contested race. What keeps
more good people from running? Elected office is a big
commitment of time and labor, the pay is either minimal or not
at all, and local politics brings out the best and worst in the
local citizenry. But the rewards can be great. Why does Piercy
go to all those meetings and events? She loves learning and
being connected.
There is a way to plug into local government in significant
ways without the pressures of elected office. The city of
Eugene is now recruiting for various boards, commissions and
committees until March 30. The vacancies are many: Budget
Committee, Civilian Review Board, Planning Commission,
Toxics Board, LRAPA Board, Police Commission, Sustainability
Commission, etc. The City Council makes the appointments
June 11. Apply on the city website, stop by the city manager’s
office or call 682-5010.
• The economic models we live with today have created
massive wealth and development worldwide, along with gross
inequities, but they have only been with us for a tiny fraction
of our species’ time on the planet. Is there anything we can
learn from how homo sapiens lived for most of the last
200,000 years? A lot of folks are excited about Charles
Eisenstein’s Oregon tour and his upcoming talks in Corvallis
and Eugene (see Activist Alert). He’s the author of Sacred
Economics with its focus on sustainable, community-based
exchanges of goods and services. Giving and receiving is how
humanity survived and that might be how we get through
tough times ahead, or at least build resilience into our
economy. An interesting twist on this is a new Eugene-based
smart phone app called Kindista, designed to create a “mass
participatory gifting network.” Find out about Kindista at
unifyingcascadia.net or at Eisenstein’s talks and workshops.
• Rock guitarist Ronnie Montrose, who played with Van
Morrison, Sammy Hagar, Herbie Hancock and many others,
showed us his mad guitar skills at WOW Hall back in September
and he donated one of the guitars he played that memorable
night to be raffled as a fundraiser for the local Musicians
Emergency Medical Association. Sadly, Montrose died March 3
at the age of 64 following a battle with prostate cancer. He was
probably quite ill when he came through town. We
appreciate the rocker’s generosity and courage. The raffle
raised $900 for MEMA, and longtime MEMA supporter Mathew
Beveridge ended up taking home the signed guitar. Once again
we are reminded that many of the most creative artists among
us are self-employed and without health insurance.
SLANT includes short opinion pieces, observations and rumor-chasing notes
compiled by the EW staff. Heard any good rumors lately? Contact Ted Taylor
at 484-0519, editor@eugeneweekly.com
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