Applegater Fall 2021
17
Williams council provides
valuable community forum
Friends of Applegate Library
could use help with annual sale
BY MIKA SMITH
BY DIANA COOGLE
Why does unincorporated Williams
have a “town council”? What does it do?
The answer goes back to 1973, when
the State of Oregon created a land-use
program that was unique in the country. It
made public involvement in planning the
number-one goal of 19 statewide land-use
planning goals that are the backbone of
the system.
The program called for “the opportunity
for citizens to be involved in all phases of
the planning process,” according to the
website of the Oregon Department of
Land Conservation and Development
(DLCD). The department currently has a
written policy that every city and county
must encourage public participation with
a citizen involvement program. These
programs “shall at least contain provision
for a citizen advisory committee.” The
DLCD’s Citizen Involvement Advisory
Committee (CIAC) supports counties
and the public in the implementation of
this policy.
Many years ago, the Josephine County
Planning Department helped set up several
Citizens Advisory Committees (CACs)
representing some of the 16 designated
districts of the county. Over time, most of
those committees fell by the wayside due to
lack of volunteers or to citizen discontent
over interactions with the county.
The Williams District is the last
remaining CAC in Josephine County.
It is called the Williams Town Council
and Citizens Advisory Committee
(WTC/CAC). Some folks ask, “Why
‘Town Council,’ since Williams is not
an incorporated town?” That answer is
elusive, but we do know what it does do.
The WTC/CAC is a group of citizens
elected by their district to give advisory
input to the Josephine County Planning
Department. Though formally recognized
by the county as an advisory body, it has
no legal authority and is not technically a
part of county government.
The WTC/CAC’s purpose, according
to its bylaws, is to “provide a forum for
Williams District residents to participate
in land-use issues.” To meet this goal,
it has two main functions. First, the
WTC/CAC reviews and may comment
upon development permit applications
it receives from the Josephine County
Planning Department that are considered
quasi-judicial, which means that public
input is considered as part of the permit
granting process.
The second function allows the board
to decide whether to sponsor a town
meeting to facilitate a general discussion
about a pertinent topic for the community.
For example, the WTC/CAC recently
organized a public forum on the impacts
of large cannabis grows that included the
participation of six agencies involved in
the regulation of that industry.
There are currently no active CACs
in the Jackson County portion of the
Applegate. Given the complexities of all
the economic, social, and environmental
issues in the Applegate, perhaps it’s time
for additional citizen input in the planning
and development process. Contact your
county Planning Department or Oregon’s
Citizen Involvement Advisory Committee
to find out more about how you can have
your voice heard.
Mika Smith
Chairperson
Williams Town Council and
Citizens Advisory Committee
mika@teachers.org
The big push at FOAL (Friends of
Applegate Library) this fall is our annual
book sale, this year on Friday and Saturday,
September 24 and 25. Haley May Peterson
has been organizing the books in our Book
Palace and picking out the very best for the
sale. Those will be on a couple of tables in
front of the shed (the Book Palace), for
sale by donation. You will also be able to
go inside the Book Palace and fill a bag
with books.
Drop by between 2-6 pm on Friday,
September 24, and between 10 am-2 pm
on Saturday, September 25, and see what
we have. Lots and lots of children’s books.
Some great best-sellers. Biography, science,
history, science fiction, fantasy—there’s
sure to be something you’ll want. (I’ve
donated books from my own library, and
I have a very good library indeed!)
You could join the fun that day, too,
by giving us a helping hand. We could
use help organizing books the day of the
sale, bagging books, selling books, and
sweeping unsold books off the tables at the
end of the day. It’ll be fun. Come and help.
Thanks to all who have joined FOAL.
If you’re not a member yet, think about
joining. If you live on North Applegate
Road, Humbug Creek, Thompson Creek,
close-by portions of Highway 238, or
tributary neighborhoods of any of those,
the Applegate library is your library. Give
it your support by using its services and by
becoming a Friend. A $10 membership per
household lasts for a year and makes our
support of the library possible.
Diana Coogle, President
Friends of Applegate Library
541-846-7447, dicoog@gmail.com
Food Pantry thanks those
who help keep it open
Greetings from the Applegate Food Pantry! We wanted to take a minute and
thank A Greater Applegate, the Ruch Country Store, and our local farmers and
ranchers who really went above and beyond to make sure we were able to stay open
and continue helping our wonderful community.
We invite you to come by and say “hi,” or if you are looking for a little extra help
with food during these difficult times, please stop by. We are on the back side of
Ruch Elementary School between 11:30 am - 1 pm Mondays (closed Labor Day).
We look forward to seeing you!
Deborah Price, Food Bank Manager, 541-899-6980
Michelle Bollinger, Assistant Manager, 541-218-6471
