Mayor hits pause on health committee

Ethan Hoagland

Sweet Home’s Community Health Committee has become a victim of its own success and will be on pause for the next few months.

“What it looks like to me, is the health committee has been extremely successful in their goals,” Mayor Susan Coleman said during the October 10 city council meeting. As a result, she paused the committee until January, 2024.

The committee was established in January 2016 by then-mayor Jim Gourley to address healthcare needs in Sweet Home, with five primary goals: memory care, assisted living, physical therapy, urgent care and behavioral and mental health.

“I don’t necessarily want to close the committee yet,” Mayor Coleman said. “Because I think it’s important for people to have goals, for committees to have a purpose and I don’t want to waste staff nor councilors’ time.”

Mayor Coleman detailed how the committee succeeded in each of those goals.

She highlighted the opening of Wiley Creek Memory Care Center, which held its open house Sunday, October 15. In addition, Sweet Home now has Ridgeway’s 7-day urgent care, a Samaritan Health Services urgent care opening later this month, in-town access to physical therapy and a health fair. This year alone, the health fair drew more than 500 people in August. Mayor Coleman also applauded the committee for working with the Family Resource and Assistance Center.

“The health fair has been an ongoing success,” city council member Lisa Gourley said in an interview with The New Era. She emphasized how the health fair keeps wellness in focus for the community. Organized by committee members Bob Dalton and Dick Knowles, the fair offers health screenings, mental health resources and a one-stop shop to get face-to-face communication with healthcare providers in the area.

The mayor gave kudos to council member Gourley for her work on the committee.

“Councilor Gourley has accomplished all these goals, and I’m just impressed,” Mayor Coleman said. “She’s the one who’s instigated that these last seven years.”

According to council member Gourley, the city is waiting for a survey of health needs from Western University of Health Sciences before the committee establishes new goals. A similar survey from Western provided a blueprint for the committee when it was initially established.

City Council Holds Silence for Israel-Palestine Conflict

Mayor Susan Coleman opened Tuesday’s city council meeting with brief remarks about the outbreak of violence between Hamas militants and Israel defense forces.

“I know we’re all aware of what’s happening in the Middle East,” she said. “Terrorism and war do not lead to resolutions.”

Mayor Coleman asked for a moment of silence in the council chambers before meeting business started in earnest. At the end of the meeting, council member Angelita Sanchez offered her own condolences and thoughts to Israeli victims of Hamas violence, saying Jewish Sweet Home community members have family in the region.

“I just want people to be aware of that,” Sanchez said before thanking the mayor for holding the moment of silence.

Green Peter Drawdown Draws Concerned Citizens

The developing situation at Green Peter dam dominated public comments at Tuesday’s city council meeting. Dan Taylor spoke first, reiterating concern about the decision to draw down the water levels, which resulted in thousands of Kokanee salmon dying from the change in water pressure. Mayor Susan Coleman reiterated there isn’t much the city can do, while council member Dan Trask shared Taylor’s frustration.

Sweet Home resident Robert Egner raised concerns about blue-green algae infiltrating Foster Lake, which Public Works Director Greg Springman stepped in to address.

“It hasn’t affected our chemistry at all. We’ve been able to meet standards all week and through the weekend,” Springman said.

Sweet Home Looks to the Future

City Councilors are looking to the next couple decades of Sweet Home’s future, after approving a grant application to review the city’s Comprehensive Plan. Oregon state law requires towns to have a comprehensive plan, to ensure municipalities are in line with state regulations.

“Our city comprehensive plan has not been significantly updated since 2003,” Community and Economic Development Director Blair Larsen said during the meeting.

That’s when Sweet Home last ratified the plan. It was then amended in 2010. If the application is approved, the city will get $60,000 to review the plan, after putting up $10,000 from the city’s budget. According to Larsen, putting up $10,000 gives the city a better shot at getting the grant.

When asked by Mayor Coleman if the money is coming from this budget, Larsen said the city could be flexible.

“The great thing is that this [the city comprehensive plan review] is not necessarily within this fiscal year,” Larsen said. “We certainly could find some funds within the current fiscal year to pay for this, but also the project would extend into the next fiscal year.”

A city’s comprehensive plan outlines the community’s goals, then details specific policies that will help achieve those goals. State guidelines recommend a review and update every 20 years, making Sweet Home’s plan due for attention.

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