Levy Progress
The $3.15 million operating levy funds have already made their mark. The City has hired two full-time park police officers, two park ambassadors, and five maintenance positions to increase the public safety presence in parks and natural areas and provide general maintenance in parks. Staff has opened restrooms and added more clean-up crews. Approximately 4,000 feet of trail in our natural areas have been resurfaced, with more to come - mostly on the Ridgeline Trail!
2021 Park Survey Results
Over the summer we surveyed Eugene residents, with the help of the Turell Group, to better understand perceptions of our parks and recent maintenance improvements made possible through the 2018 Levy funding. 2,096 people completed the survey including 123 in a Spanish language version.
We found that Eugene loves our parks and they are important to the quality of life of nearly all survey respondents.
Residents continue to express the importance of the levy and notice significant improvements in parks since its passing.
Understanding and improving safety remains a key focus of Parks. This year’s survey again showed that park usage and illegal camping were key factors in respondents feeling safe. Due to the concentration of camping in the temporary sites at Washington-Jefferson Park and along 13th, there was a decrease in camping throughout the rest of the parks system in 2021.
We appreciate the time residents take each year to complete this survey. It helps us understand our effectiveness and continuously improve our service. One example of this is in the Bethel-Danebo neighborhood. Last year those surveyed in Bethel-Danebo tended to rate parks lower than the rest of the community. This year, however, they rated the importance of parks, the worth of the levy, and the overall cleanliness and safety of their parks higher. Recently, the City has worked on many fronts to improve the parks and recreation experience for this neighborhood. An increased safety presence and regular work parties at the underused Gilbert Park, new turf fields at Meadow View and Willamette Highschool, improvements at Golden Garden Parks, and the installation of a new fence at Trainsong Park are just a few examples.
As we strive to serve Eugene in the best ways possible, this survey will go a long way in helping us understand the needs and desires of those in our community.
Read the full 2021 survey results.
Read the 2020 survey results.
Park Safety
- Added two year-round Eugene Police Officers dedicated to patrolling parks
- Added two year-round and two seasonal Park Ambassadors
- Expanded Illegal Camp Response Team to provide daily clean-up operations
- Increased graffiti removal response from monthly to weekly
Park Maintenance
- Reopened closed restrooms
- Visiting more parks daily for increased custodial services during summer
- Increased mowing frequency
- Added preventative tree maintenance in developed parks
- Added preventative maintenance of irrigation, lighting and park furnishings
- Added seasonal weekend and after-hours maintenance in high-use parks
Habitat and Natural Area Maintenance
- Increased seasonal trash service to several times a week at high use trailheads
- Increased trail maintenance to three miles each year
- Added preventative maintenance of roads, parking areas, fences, signs and portable restrooms
- Continuing vegetation management to reduce fuel loads, manage weeds and add native plants
Up Next
General Maintenance and Operations Services for Future Assets
As new parks, community centers, pools, turf fields and natural areas are completed with bond funding over the next five years, funding from the levy will provide for their care.