Dear Editor:
I want to publicly praise the City of Eugene’s elected and appointed officials. For decades, they’ve maintained a commitment to use their resources and influence to support the needs of the rural communities that surround it.
Today, citizens in Cottage Grove, Creswell, Florence, and Veneta would not have access to valuable, publicly-managed broadband telecommunications infrastructure without the brilliant and strategic negotiation effort of Eugene’s right-of-way manager back in 1998.
As a Lane County Commissioner, I was part of a consortia of cities and counties that successfully negotiated public access to the two fiber-optic cables private companies were installing in our jurisdictions.
One company spent a pretty penny to purchase its right-of-way from the railroad. They heard impassioned pleas from rural leaders for access and, because they were in a hurry, they said no.
Until … they were reminded the High Street crossing existed prior to the railroad and their company would have to follow Eugene’s standard permit process that could take 6-8 weeks. They were told Eugene officials valued Lane County’s small towns and would expedite the permit because of the economic benefits the rural cities would enjoy. After an urgent call to their corporate office — the no quickly became a yes!
Decades later, Cottage Grove once again benefits from the City of Eugene’s generous support. The loan of a Eugene Police Department detective to help manage the increased workload caused by the sudden departure of our police department’s leadership is yet another blessing for us.
Thanks again, Eugene!
Cindy Weeldreyer, Cottage Grove
