Benny Westcott
Pro tem Sweet Home City Council president and Hoy’s Hardware owner Greg Mahler praised Sweet Home police officers in their handling of shoplifting calls at the council’s Tuesday, March 28 meeting.
“It’s easy to take a call, then just make the report and move it on,” he said. “But Officer (Tyler) Robinson did a great job recently handling a couple (shoplifting incidents) within my organization.
“Shoplifting is increasing more and more, especially with the way times are nowadays, and that is a big impact on a lot of businesses,” Mahler continued, citing Walmart’s decision earlier this year to shutter its two Portland stores, as well as the closures of other outlets, “for that very reason.” (The retail giant, however, did not issue a specific reason for its decision.)
Even if dollar amounts seem insignificant, he said, such crimes make significant impacts on retailers.
Police Chief Jason Ogden noted that the department’s February property-crime clearance rate was about 40%, which he called “pretty good. Generally, they’re around 22 to 23%, maybe even lower. They’re just tougher crimes to solve. So, we were pretty excited about that.”
He added that the department has started more downtown foot patrols at night.
“That has been a good thing, too,” Ogden said. “Hopefully, we can curb some suspicious activities.”
Also at the meeting:
— Mayor Susan Coleman proclaimed April as Child Abuse Prevention Month.
“Children are vital to Oregon’s future success, prosperity and quality of life, as well as being our most vulnerable assets,” she said in the proclamation. “All children deserve to have the safe, stable, nurturing homes and communities they need to foster their healthy growth and development.
“Communities that provide parents with the social support, knowledge of parenting and child development, and concrete resources they need to cope with stress and nurture their children ensure all children grow to their full potential. Child abuse prevention strategies succeed because of partnerships created among citizens, human service agencies, schools, faith communities, health care providers, civic organizations, law enforcement agencies, and the business community.”
Coleman called on those groups to “increase their participation in our efforts to support families, thereby preventing child abuse and strengthening the communities in which we live.”
— The council voted unanimously to authorize the city to apply for a local government grant from the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department (OPRD) for the development and rehabilitation of park amenities at Sankey Park, a project known as Lower Sankey Park Phase III. The requested grant funds total $177,595.
The total project cost is estimated at $295,993. If the city received the grant, its required 40% match would amount to $118,397.
The proposed project would include a new accessible bandstand; a soft-surfaced trail network connecting upper and lower Sankey Park and Ames Creek; a hard-surfaced trail network with landings that can function as amphitheater seating; a sidewalk on the east side of 14th Avenue connecting the lower and upper park parking lots; benches; lighting and security cameras.
A new bandstand would replace the park’s original structure, constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corp in the 1930s, which the city removed in 2021 with roof damage, several areas of dry rot, a cracked foundation, compromised gutters and downspouts, and shifted footings. Since its removal, community members and the city council have expressed the importance of replacing the bandstand to provide accessible space for future private gatherings and community events.
The city had received a previous grant from the group in 2019. Lower Sankey Park’s second phase was completed in the fall of 2021 and included a new playground, plaza, concrete and asphalt paths, and lighting.
n The council voted 5-1 in favor of an ordinance reestablishing a city traffic safety committee, which will serve as an advisory board to the council and make recommendations regarding parking and traffic safety. The lone dissenter, Councilor Dave Trask, recalled that the city had a traffic safety committee in the past, and told The New Era, “It was useless, in my opinion. I believe the (city) staff could take care of any needs.”
Councilor Josh Thorstad was not present at the meeting, having informed the council that he would be on vacation that evening.
— The council unanimously appointed Nancy White to the planning commission; Josh Marvin and Matthew Bechtel to the park and tree committee; and Diane Gerson, Marvin, White and Bechtel to the budget committee.
The retired White has lived in the area for 15 years. “I am an involved concerned citizen,” she wrote in her application. “I am dedicated and goal oriented. I want to help improve our city.”
Marvin, a 35-year area resident, is a firefighter/paramedic for the Sweet Home Fire and Ambulance District and an active member of the Sweet Home Volunteer Firefighters Association, having served as its vice president and president. He has also worked with the Linn County sheriff’s office and road department, as well as the City of Sweet Home Public Works.
Bechtel, a Shoppe of Wonders advisor and former military intelligence analyst, has lived in the area for a little more than two years. In that previous capacity, he said, he “gained real-world experience to assess a battlefield, which included the transportation of logistics and other resources.”
“Living within Sweet Home’s city limits and running a business downtown,” he wrote in his application, “I am aware of the city’s challenges. I believe getting the youth involved (Shoppe of Wonders provides a gathering space for artists, performers and students) will have long-term positive impacts for years to come.”
The retired Gerson, an eight-year area resident, is a previous budget committee member and two-term city councilor. She has also served on the boards of the Sweet Home Public Library board and Chamber of Commerce. She is currently on the Sweet Home Coalition for Artistic and Scholastic Enrichment board and is the chair of the city’s Ad Hoc Committee on Arts and Culture.
“The budget is the most important document the council and committee develop, as it sets the tone for making decisions and achieving goals,” Gerson wrote in her application. “I have extensive experience working with budgets at the city level, with non-profits and in my prior work life.”
— The council voted unanimously to approve a PA permit allowing amplified music during the Oregon Jamboree’s Music and Brews on private property at 1851 Tamarack Street from 5 p.m. until 11 p.m. Friday, April 14, and from 4 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. Saturday, April 15. The event will include live music, food trucks, vendors and alcohol service. Open to the public, it will allow only adults aged 21 or older.
— Councilors held a moment of silence for Peggi Rush, who died March 21 after a “battle with disease,” according to Coleman. The mayor described Rush as a “close friend of Councilor (Angelita) Sanchez” and noted that she was the executive assistant for Timber Unity.
“She was new to our community, but you guys welcomed her as if she was one of us,” Sanchez said. “Peggy worked tirelessly to volunteer her best years to making a change in Oregon politics. She has friends all throughout the state legislature, encouraging them to stand up for their community and protect our way of life, and I will miss her greatly.”
The council also held a moment of silence for lives lost in a March 27 mass shooting at a private Presbyterian grade school in Nashville, Tennessee. Three children and three staff members were killed in the tragedy.