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About The Siuslaw news. (Florence, Lane County, Or.) 1960-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 16, 2020)
6A | WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2020 | SIUSLAW NEWS ing various means, from appointing them, the law sitions. In short, if the entire the Florence, Oregon (FO) would close various loop- “I understand that you Facebook page to Letters holes in current city code council was required to are in possession of a let- to the Editor in the Siuslaw on how a committee mem- vote on an applicant, it would present greater ber is chosen. ter from Suzy Lacer asking News. scrutiny from that I recuse all councilors myself from “Historically, the districts would nominate a willing board mem- for reasons be- voting on an u p c o m i n g ber to serve. If acceptable, that member would be appointed to hind rejected City Council the FURA board. If that person were not acceptable, each district candidates. “The best c o n c e r n i n g would have the opportunity to select another member. General- way to ensure FURA,” he ly, the mayor took the advice of the special district and appointed FURA is rep- wrote. “Al- their nominee. I feel this process has served us well and should resentative of though I do our communi- feel that I can continue.” — FURA Board Member Mike Webb on March 11, 2019 ty is for the full vote on this [Council] to matter objec- take responsi- tively, I find it bility for selecting who will But members of the li- necessary to make a deci- sion that I hope will satisfy brary district were paying “Confer with the council” serve on the FURA board,” City Code Title 2, Chap- the Library Board wrote in attention and didn’t like both points of view.” ter 1, Section 2-B is vague, its letter. That decision was to re- what they saw. The city received only “While we understand only stating the mayor sign from SVFR, effective from the review of materi- should solicit recommen- two other pieces of corre- immediately. The next morning, als that the FURA by-laws dations from council- spondence, the first being Woodbury attended a need amendment to clarify ors, and “confer with the on March 11 from FURA council work session to the selection and appoint- Council, at a meeting, or Board Member Mike discuss long-term goals, as ment process for FURA with each Councilor indi- Webb, who represented well as the vote to be held board members, it is incor- vidually, concerning po- the WLAD. After explain- ing each district should that night on FURA mem- rect to state that this is not tential appointments.” During the 2019 selec- have their voices heard, he a change to the long-stand- ber appointment policy. However, shortly after ing practice of more than a tion process, public dis- wrote: “Historically, the dis- Henry opened the work decade,” they wrote. “Until cussion on applicants only session discussion, Wood- the past year, the district lasted for approximately tricts would nominate a bury visibly slumped in his … has appointed one of five minutes during a Jan- willing board member to chair, unresponsive. When our elected officials direct- uary work session — and serve,” he wrote. “If accept- he regained consciousness ly to the FURA Board. Our then, only to say that three able, that member would a short time later, he was minutes and discussion councilors (not including be appointed to the FURA aware of his surroundings with current and previous Greene) were late in get- board. If that person were but was unable to respond appointed members to the ting their recommenda- not acceptable, each dis- trict would have the op- verbally. First responders FURA board are in agree- tions in. However, with the rec- portunity to select anoth- arrived within minutes, ment about this process.” While the library district ommendations that did er member. Generally, the and Woodbury was rushed realized that city staff had come in, even some unan- mayor took the advice of to the hospital. When the meeting reasonably deduced that imously agreed-upon can- the special district and ap- started later that night, this thinking was legally didates were blocked from pointed their nominee. I feel this process has served Woodbury phoned in his questionable under state having positions. Having the council us well and should contin- remarks on the discussed law, the district asked for assurances that they would — rather than the may- ue.” vote. As they usually do, staff “I believe our jobs as be included in the process. or — decide FURA board “Our ability to ask ques- members would have re- collected the letters and councilors is not to try and advance our agendas, tions and comment on quired specific reasoning published them online but to listen to the com- business affecting our dis- for a mayor’s final choices four days ahead of the munity that we serve,” trict is vital to our constitu- on certain candidates. In meeting for the public to he said. “And that com- ents,” they wrote, pointing addition, the rule change discuss and review. Any additional com- munity over whelmingly out that the district worked would also have locked any supports the clarification closely with the city re- applicant for the FURA ments would be published recommended by our City garding FURA decisions. board into only being online after the meeting. The city posted the pack- Attorney last week. And I “Reaching out directly considered for that specif- am in favor of continuing when you are considering ic position. Instead, City et on March 14. A day later, on March 15, potential changes to how Code still does not specify with that program.” “Overwhelming sup- our district is represented that an applicant has to ap- Sherry Harvey was the first port” from the community on the FURA board would ply for a specific commit- to write in. tee in order to be appoint- was the key argument in be equally appreciated.” “... for the last 13 years” Their solution was simi- ed to that committee. that evening’s vote. “I was in the audience at For example, in 2019, Unbeknownst to most lar to what Councilor Pre- residents, it also illustrat- isler had mentioned during both the Environmen- the last city council meet- ed how a partisan group the March 4 meeting, and tal Management Adviso- ing and I was shocked could influence city policy officially introduced in ry Committee (EMAC) at the lack of teamwork and the Community and among some of the council writing days after: for years to come. “FURA Board of Direc- Economic Development members,” Harvey wrote tions: The board of direc- Committee (CEDC) had Henry and the councilors “Vital to our constitu- tors shall be made up of members appointed who via email. ents” Harvey, who was only When the FURA se- nine members who shall had applied for completely one of a handful of au- lection process was dis- be appointed by the ma- different committees. A rule change would dience members at the cussed publicly on March jority of the Florence City 4, it was the first time the Council based upon their even help prevent a may- March 4 meeting, took is- or from cycling through sue with the way Greene Siuslaw Public Library dis- positions as follows: trict, which holds a seat on a. One shall be the Mayor FURA district applicants suggested that “any mayor until a politically aligned could introduce corrup- of Florence. FURA, had heard anything tion” into the system. b. Two shall be City member is found. about it. Local democratic as well “I really resent the use Councilors of the City “The Board of the Siu- as conservative political of the term ‘corruption,’” of Florence, slaw Public Library Dis- trict was surprised not to c. One shall be nominat- organizations have been she wrote, stating that the ed by the Lane County active in local elections for phrase was “purposefully be informed of the pro- Board of Commission- years, including putting up trying to fear-monger and posed change prior to the candidates, giving politi- disrupt the good processes ers. normal receipt of the Flor- ence City Council’s agenda d. One shall be the elected cal donations and making of Florence and the reputa- member of the West- suggestions on who to vote tion of the Mayor.” and packet,” the library And because he didn’t ern Lane Ambulance for. board wrote to Henry and Just as the city is vulner- go into specifics on why and Rescue District, city councilors on March the Port of Siuslaw, Siu- able to partisanship in the he was concerned, Greene 12. slaw Valley Fire District elections, so are the four did leave the impression of Publicly, very little was and the Siuslaw Library FURA special district po- corruption dangling with- being said about the argu- District (a total of 4). ments surrounding FURA. Instead, FLA and some e. One shall be a citizen at large.” Henry supporters were By requiring elected veering the conversation toward public art and the board members of the spe- Quince Street Mural us- cial districts rather than PARTISAN from page 1A out any proof. Harvey wrote she was in favor of the ordinance. “It seemed to me that it was a simple thing of cod- ifying the process that has been used in the past — one that has successfully worked for 13 years.” The reference of “13 years” was an oddly coin- cidental choice of words for Harvey, who was one of only a few people who attended the council meet- ing. The exact timeframe of how FURA members were voted on was disput- ed during the meeting, and the closest anyone came to referencing that particular timeframe was Henry, say- ing, “... keep things the way we’ve been doing them for 12-13 years.” “I support staying with the current process, mak- ing it code and moving on,” she concluded. That same day, Don Drozdenko wrote in, echo- ing the same language — “This will bring the FURA committee selection pro- cess in alignment with the same process that has been successfully used for the last 13 years. I support it.” As did Bruce and Millie Jarvis. “The existing pro- cess has been adequate for 13 years as pointed out by the attorney at the most re- cent city council meeting. We support it,” they wrote. Over the next three days, the city would receive over a dozen letters supporting the mayor’s position. See VOTE page 10A Buying or Selling? I can help. 5322 Knoll Way – Comfortable double-wide on 0.90 acre! Vaulted ceilings, front and back cov- ered decks. Two guest bdrms on the opposite end of the home from the master. Some deferred maintenance. A vacant lot is included. Drive- way entrance is gated, room for RV and boat. $275,000. #3055-19307442 Melody Beaudro Principal Broker 541 991-2151 1749 Highway 101 • 541-997-1200 • HVAC A/C & Heating Duct Cleaning • Zonal Heater Cleaning Cadet Wall Heaters • Dryer Vent Cleaning • Gutter Cleaning • Screen Installation • Moss Removal & Treatment • And more... Dan and Teresa Lofy, Owners And Watson We are proud to be your community partner! 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