City of Cottage Grove, Oregon Friday Update
(Old Updates)		    Cottage Grove - 2004 - All-America City Finalist
400 E. Main Street
Cottage Grove, Oregon  97424
(541)942-5501
Fax (541)942-1267



April 16 2004

Cottage Grove - 2004 All-America City Finalist!!!!!
The City of Cottage Grove was selected as a finalist for the 2004 All-America City Award competition.  As one of the 30 finalists, Cottage Grove will go on to compete in the All-America City competition June 10-12, 2004 in Atlanta, Georgia.  On June 12th ten of the finalists will be selected as All-America Cities.  The All-America City Award is sponsored by the National Civic League to recognize communities for significant accomplishments.  See the attached News Release from the National Civic League for more information about the All-America City Award and program. 

The City of Cottage Grove received the prestigious All-America City Award previously in 1968.  The award was presented to the City as a result in changing leadership and innovations in wastewater treatment.  This year’s application highlighted the community’s involvement in the successful development of the Cottage Grove Community Hospital, the construction of the new High School, the creation of the E/BID and the wealth of volunteer hours within other projects ranging from our celebrations, (BMD, Toga party and Book Brigade) to our community service organizations (Family Relief Nursery, Community Sharing, Parent Partnership, etc).  Copies of the complete application are available in the City Manager’s Office if anyone is interested in reading it.  

If Cottage Grove receives the All-America City Award we will join the City of Salem as the only cities in Oregon to have won the award more than once.  (Salem received the All-America City Award in 1960 and in 1982-83.)  A list of the Oregon All-America Cities and Finalists is attached.  A complete list of all the All-America City awards is on the National Civic League’s webpage at: www.ncl.org. 

The City Manager will be organizing a team of delegates to represent the community before the jury in Atlanta.  We will be seeking financial assistance for some of the delegates to attend the event and anyone wishing to attend the All-America City event in Atlanta is welcome.  Please contact the City Manager for more information.

Energy Advisory Committee
On Friday the City Manager attended a meeting of the League of Oregon Cities’ Energy Advisory Committee.  The major topic of discussion was possible revisions to the League’s Energy Policy which is being prepared to guide League legislative efforts at the next session of the legislature.

Earthquake Drill
The City Safety Committee reminds all office employees to attend the Earthquake Drill on Tuesday, April 20th at 11:30 a.m. in the Council Chambers.  This is state mandated training.  Any office employee unable to attend should contact Kathy Asquith or the City Manager to arrange for make-up training.  All employees are invited to attend.  The Safety Committee has collected important safety information that will be beneficial to you on your job and to your family at home. 

Cottage Grove Community Foundation Grant Award Ceremony
The Cottage Grove Community Foundation will be holding their annual Grant Award Ceremony on Tuesday, April 20th at 12:30 p.m. in the Community Center.  Everyone is invited to attend and celebrate the activities and programs that have been selected for grant awards this year. 

FEMA Winter Disaster Money
Howard Schesser Emergency Program Manager has concluded the review of damage to public facilities with Art Martin of the FEMA Disaster Field Office.  The claim under the Presidential Declaration was a result of the winter storm that hit Cottage Grove between December 26 and January 14, 2004.  A 90 foot Oak tree in Coiner Park required removal as the storm caused it to be a threat to several residential dwellings in the immediate vicinity.  Our claim for $8,267.05 has been submitted under this program.  That amount covers the cost of the contractor hired, equipment rented, overtime for City staff and City equipment and materials. 

Countywide Emergency Preparedness Group
The Lane Countywide Emergency Preparedness Group met with Emergency Program Manager Schesser representing the City and South Lane County Fire and Rescue District.  Items discussed at this monthly meeting included the recent Homeland Security Grant Awards, identification of special need populations and the earthquake exercises planned for May.  Additional discussion was held regarding the upcoming Oregon Emergency Management Association conference scheduled for May in Eugene.  A major presentation planned for the conference will be a report by various emergency responders regarding the difficulties associated with the California fires last year.

Homeland Security Grants
Homeland Security Grants were awarded this week.  In south Lane County the following grants were made:

Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Grant:  There were 48 applications, which resulted in $1.5 million of need.  There was only $409,000 available.  The City received a grant for $8,214 to establish a CERT program over the next 18 months.  The grant will pay for community outreach and equipment for the team.  Howard Schesser and Amanda Ferguson will be attending the Train the Trainer CERT program in June in Salem so that we have qualified trainers on staff.  The funding will form a 15 person team that will respond during incidents but also be available throughout the year for educating the general public in emergency preparedness, crowd control, etc.  The City and South Lane County Fire & Rescue District sponsored the grant.

Homeland Security FY 04 Grant:  The City and South Lane County Fire & Rescue made several requests for equipment together with 11 other agencies.  The State review committee ended up funding detection, decontamination, communication, and personal protection equipment (PPE).  For the City that meant we did not get any of the grant as our items were emergency planning for our utilities and physical security.  For South Lane County Fire & Rescue they got $5,500 for two gas meters with minimum O2 and LEL.  The group of 13 agencies met this week and we identified those other items that could be classified as detection or are related to PPE and hope to revise the budget to get an additional $39,000 for SCBA fit test equipment and a portable SCBA (oxygen bottle) filling system on a trailer.  We hope to know within a few weeks if the revised budget is approved.

Law Enforcement Grant:  We have been informed that we have been awarded a portion of our request from the Law Enforcement Grant.  We have not been formally notified of which portion or the amount.  We will provide that information as soon as it is available.

Update on Other Grants
Recreation Trail Grant:  We have made the presentation to the committee at the State and are awaiting their decision on the Row River Trail project with BLM.

DLCD Technical Assistance Grant: The Intent to Apply has been completed and staff is preparing a formal grant application.  This is a grant to assist with the analysis of our buildable lands program related to expansion of our UGB.

Staff is always on the look out for grant opportunities to assist the departments in the City and South Lane County Fire & Rescue.

Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) Improvement Project
The bid opening for the WWTP Improvements was moved to Wednesday, April 21, 2004 at 2:30 p.m. in the Council Chambers at City Hall.  It had originally been scheduled for this Wednesday.  The bids will still be opened in time for a recommendation to come to Council at your April 26th meeting.


    Quote of the Week–
        “Of all the things you wear, your expression is the most important.”
                -----Unknown