The City of Sweet Home declared a state of emergency one week prior to this year’s anticipated Green Peter drawdown during the City Council meeting on Oct. 8.
Interim City Manager Jason Ogden kicked off the meeting by quoting author Doug Griffith (“13 Ways to Kill Your Community”) who said “a community’s future hinges on its ability to protect its most vital resources,” to which Ogden noted the most precious resource for life is water. He went on, pulling more excerpts from the book.
“Communities that survive, communities that grow are those that have the foresight to act before problems arise.”
Using Griffith’s insights as a foundation, Ogden moved on to proclaim a State of Emergency Concerning the Green Peter Drawdown as the city expects this year’s drawdown to bring increased turbidity into the city’s source of drinking water at Foster Lake.
“We must stay ahead of the curve, and that’s why we’re here today – to ensure we’re prepared for whatever comes next,” he said, noting also that the city has already upgraded its water treatment plant and managed the challenges in the past.
Making this declaration, Ogden said, is a proactive approach to make sure the city has all resources available for the protection of Sweet Home’s water, health and community. Though he’s confident the city’s water will remain safe during the drawdown, the declaration prepares for any unforeseen problems.
The council approved the resolution unanimously.
City Manager Recruitment
Council approved a strategy and timeline for the recruitment of a city manager, 5-2; councilmembers Angelita Sanchez and Dylan Richards opposed.
Ogden’s pro tem position as city manager expires on Feb. 9, 2025, so a timeline was drafted to try to fill the vacancy by that date. The approval by council allowed the city to post the recruitment to job boards, conduct a public hearing on Oct. 22, close the recruitment on Nov. 22 and review applicants in December. Council may then move into the interview phase with a goal to have a new city manager by February.
Councilmember Sanchez expressed concern about the fast pace of the recruitment process and the fact that a good number of new council members are expected to be seated immediately during or after this process.
“I think this should be a decision for the incoming council,” she said.
Assistant City Manager Cecily Pretty clarified that in December, when the applicants will be looked over by council, the council may opt to postpone any further actions if they determine it to be necessary. Councilmember Lisa Gourley also noted the problem of Ogden’s term ending in February, which at that time would require the city to find another interim manager if a new hire has not yet been picked.
Councilmember Sanchez asked about a recent past situation when it took about eight months to hire a city manager. Councilmember Greg Mahler responded that a new interim manager took over after the first interim’s six months was over.
In other business, the council:
- Approved a resolution to temporarily close certain streets for a Parade of Lights event on Dec. 14 hosted by the Sweet Home Chamber of Commerce. City records indicate the parade route starts at 22nd Avenue, heads west on Main Street, turns south onto 10th Avenue, then south onto Long Street, and flows east until it reaches 22nd Avenue. The city will close the following blocks between and Main and Long streets between 5:30-7:30 p.m.: 12th, 13th, 15th, 18th and 22nd avenues.
- Approved a resolution regulating abandoned shopping carts in the city, which has long been a time-consuming task for city staff to manage. The ordinance requires businesses to: identify the owner of the cart on the cart, post signs indicating that removing carts from a premises is a crime, post a phone number that people can call to report abandoned carts, retrieve their abandoned carts within 72 hours, and face fines for carts not retrieved. Councilmember Mahler noted that the cost to a business for one shopping cart is as much as $500 to $1,000 each, and adding locking mechanisms to a cart is about another $500 each.
- Approved adding an updated Parks System Plan to the city’s Comprehensive Plan.
- Approved a franchise agreement with Ziply Fiber Pacific LLC to provide fiber-to-home Internet service in the city.
- Said goodbye to City Attorney Robert Snyder as he conducted his last business with city council and moves into retirement.