Corvallis e-News | May 2023

In this issue: Weekend bus service returns! We're recruiting for volunteers to serve on city advisory boards throughout the month of May.

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Weekend Bus Service Returns May 6

The cities of Corvallis and Philomath are pleased to announce the return of limited weekend transit service on certain routes, beginning Saturday May 6. Thank you for your patience and understanding as we worked with our contractor, MTR Western, to secure drivers and resume weekend service. Please be aware that driver shortages continue to challenge transit systems in our region. Full Saturday Corvallis Transit System service will resume when enough drivers have been hired and trained.

Weekend service beginning May 6 is described below.

Saturday Service:

• Corvallis Transit System – Hourly service for Routes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 during the hours of 10am-6:30pm. Routes 7, 8, 9, and Night Owl will not operate.
• Philomath Connection – Service runs at 10am, 11am, 12pm, 4pm, 5pm, and 6pm.

Sunday Service:

• Corvallis Transit System – Hourly service for Routes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 during the hours of 10am-6:30pm.

Thank you for your patience as we get closer to resuming full weekend service.

Volunteer for a City Advisory Group

It's that time of year - we're recruiting for volunteers to serve on the City's network of advisory groups. There are more than a dozen different boards, commissions, and committees recruiting right now, including our brand new Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) Advisory Board! We've also got vacancies on many long-running boards such as the Climate Action Advisory Board, Library Board, and the Community Police Review Board.

We're also seeking volunteers to serve on the city's Planning Commission and Historic Resources Commission. These two opportunities are a little different than the rest of our advisory group positions, so be sure to visit the Planning Commission or Historic Resources Commission pages and read all about the vacancies.

Take a look at all the vacancies and apply online on the City website.

Van Buren Bridge Project Update

The Van Buren Bridge replacement project is expected to start this summer. Our friends at the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) have put together a comprehensive online open house that goes over the project timeline and what to expect in each phase.

Site work to get started on the temporary construction bridge begins soon!

May is Bike Month in Corvallis!

Welcome to Bike Month! It’s been nationally celebrated since 1956 to showcase the many benefits of biking and encourage more folks to give it a try.

To salute the event, the City of Corvallis Active Transportation Group has put a snazzy bicycle seat cover on bicycles parked along Monroe Avenue all the way into Downtown. It is our small way to show our gratitude and appreciation for you riding.

Didn’t get yours? For the month of May, stop by City Hall (501 SW Madison Ave., 8-5pm, Mon. to Fri.) to claim your free City of Corvallis bike seat cover!

Whether you’re riding for fun, fitness, with family, or taking essential trips to work or shop, you are part of our movement for safer streets, connected communities, a healthier planet and happier people.

We appreciate any trip you take by two wheels. Thank you for riding!

Staffing Shortages Impact Street Sweeping

Recent staffing shortages in the Public Works Department have impacted our annual street sweeping program. We're already making adjustments to sweeping schedules to get caught back up, but it's likely that our street sweeping activities over the next few months will not match up exactly with the schedule that is published on the City website. Rest assured that crews will be working in your neighborhoods, even if they don't arrive exactly when the schedule says.

Street sweeping is a seasonal task provided by the Public Works Department to most neighborhoods and areas of Corvallis. Our primary goal with street sweeping is to prevent pollutants and debris from entering our stormwater system. It's also a visible way for the City to help tidy up neighborhoods around town, and we know it's frustrating when those services are delayed.

We appreciate your patience as we catch up on street sweeping in areas that may have been missed recently. Things will be looking up later this year, when we anticipate filling some vacancies and receiving a pair of new street sweepers to replace our two existing vehicles that have reached the end of their useful lives.

Public Works Solid Waste Customer Service Questionnaire

The City of Corvallis Public Works Department is interested in your feedback about garbage, recycling and organics collection services provided by Republic Services through a franchise agreement with the City. 

We are seeking your feedback on how we might improve the frequency and/or types of services offered in the City through our agreement with Republic Services.

Please share your feedback through this short questionnaire. This questionnaire will be open until May 7 and will take about 5 minutes to complete. Information collected here will be provided to city staff and used to discuss a new franchise agreement with Republic Services. For questions or more information on this questionnaire, please contact Public.Works@CorvallisOregon.gov or 541-766-6916.

Note:  This questionnaire is not connected to Benton County’s Solid Waste Process Workgroup. For more information on their efforts please visit Benton County’s website.

Celebrate Our Two Sister Cities in May: Uzhhorod, Ukraine and Gondar, Ethiopia

During the month of May we are celebrating Sister Cities month and the importance and outcomes of developing friendship, awareness and understanding between Corvallis and its Sister Cities of Uzhhorod, Ukraine and Gondar, Ethiopia.

During May, the Corvallis Sister Cities Association invites you to:

• Visit the display at the Corvallis Library and Footwise store.
• Visit the Sister Cities Association at the Farmers Market on Saturday, May 6 from 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. to learn more about their programs.
• Join a Story Time and craft activity, Friday, May 12 at 2 p.m. at the Corvallis Public Library.
• Take a walk in Central Park (across from the Benton County Library) to see our Sister City flags.
• Become a member of our Sister Cities Association. You can join online at https://sistercities.corvallis.or.us/membership/
• Consider volunteering for Corvallis Sister Cities Association board of directors and/or for the Uzhhorod or Gondar council. For information email us at CorvallisSCA@gmail.com

To read more about the enriching relationship that Corvallis has with Uzhhorod, Ukraine and Gondar, Ethiopia, click here for a newsletter update from the Corvallis Sister Cities Association.

Corvallis Forest Vision & Guiding Principles Questionnaire

The City of Corvallis Public Works Department is gathering feedback about the vision and guiding principles that will inform our forthcoming update to the Corvallis Forest Stewardship Plan. This plan provides a long-term strategy for sustainably managing the Corvallis Forest, which is part of a larger watershed that feeds into the city's Rock Creek Water Treatment Plant.

We encourage you to share your input via this short survey questionnaire. The vision and guiding principles form the foundation that we will use to update the policy and operational goals of the stewardship plan. This short questionnaire should take about 5 minutes to complete.

For questions or more information on this questionnaire, please contact CFSPUTF@corvallisoregon.gov or 541-766-6726.

West Hills Road Corridor Study

Benton County and the City of Corvallis are seeking feedback about a section of SW West Hills Road that is currently owned and maintained by Benton County but is anticipated to be transferred to the City of Corvallis at some undetermined point in the future. The road is currently rural in nature and doesn’t have typical urban road improvements like curbs and designated bicycling and walking facilities. As adjacent properties urbanize, there will be a need to also consider urban road improvements.

An online survey questionnaire and interactive mapping tool are open to gather input and feedback from the neighborhood and wider community about the corridor. Input received will help the project team as they develop preliminary alternative design concepts. For more information, visit the corridor plan website at https://www.co.benton.or.us/publicworks/project/sw-west-hills-road-corridor-plan

What's New at the Library this Month?

There's a lot going on at the Corvallis-Benton County Public Library. Check out any of the events below to learn more!

• Storytime: 10:30am, Main Meeting Room, drop-in.  Tuesdays: Infants, Wednesdays: Toddlers,  Thursdays: Preschool.  See all dates here

• Free Employment Help:  Wednesdays, 10am-noon, 2^nd Floor Classroom, drop-in.  Job-seekers can drop in to meet with an Employment Specialist from Worksource Oregon.

• Tech Help Lab: 1^st and 3^rd Wednesday, 2nd floor Classroom, Drop in for free, basic, one-on-one tech help from a library staff member. Bring your computer or device or use one of ours

• May the Fourth: Star Wars day! May 4, 3-4:30pm, Main Meeting Room:  All ages are invited for activities, crafts, a photo booth and more! .  Costumes encouraged!

• An Introduction to Self-Publishing: May 6, 2-3pm, Main Meeting Room:  Learn strategies and tips for authors to make and distribute their own books from Andrew Durkin of Yellow Bike Press.

• Sister Cities Storytime and Crafts:  May 12, 2-3pm, Main Meeting Room.  Join us for a fun story time and learn about our sister cities of Uzhhorod, Ukraine and Gondar, Ethiopia followed by crafts from both countries! 

• Puzzle Swap:  May 20, 12-1:30, Main Meeting Room:  Bring your puzzles to swap!  All ages and levels welcome.

• Oregon Book Awards Author Tour with Sindya Bhanoo and Eric Tran: May 23, 6-7pm, Main Meeting Room.:  Author Readings and Q&A with Oregon Book Award winning authors

• Robotics Day: May 27, 1-4pm, Main Meeting Room:  Experience robotics and fun STEM-related activities with the robotics teams from local schools in our community.

• Home Delivery Service:  Get your holds delivered to you!  Delivery is available to patrons with current library cards who live within the library service district.

• Books & More from Home:  Read ebooks, download audiobooks and magazines, or watch streaming video all from the comfort of your home with your library card!

• Library Newsletter: Want to get monthly updates, upcoming events, and other library news straight to your inbox? Sign up for our email newsletter!