By CHERYL ROMANO/YachatsNews.com
The Yachats City Council voted 3-1 Thursday to appoint Planning Commission member Mary Ellen O’Shaughnessey to the council, immediately swearing her in to join them for the next three years.
O’Shaughnessy replaces James Kerti, who served one year on the council before resigning in January.
Mayor John Moore and councilors Leslie Vaaler and Jim Tooke voted for O’Shaughnessey. Max Glenn voted for Ariana Carlson, the second of three candidates for the open slot. The third applicant was former longtime council member Greg Scott.
O’Shaughnessey worked for 35 years in various administrative positions at the University of Illinois before moving to Yachats three years ago. She has been on the Planning Commission for two years. In her council application, O’Shaughnessey said her objectives include helping the city secure its water resources, improve infrastructure, solve parking issues, help provide low-income housing, and enhance the city’s code enforcement efforts.
Carlson, who grew up in Corvallis and vacationed in the area since she was a child, moved to Yachats a year ago. She runs a web-based business and executive coaching company.
After the vote, Moore and Vaaler urged Carlson to look into serving on city commissions such as planning, public works or the library, all which have vacancies.
Glenn said he voted for Carlson because she was the only one close to Kerti’s age who applied for the appointment.
“My concern was that the public had no say in this (election) for three-quarters of a term,” Glenn said. While council posts are elected offices, a resignation before the end of a term gives the council the power to elect a replacement. “The public chose a young James Kerti. My vote was most instructed by the citizens’ vote for youth.”
Scott, who resigned from the council in July 2018 after serving 11 years, previously told YachatsNews.com that he didn’t expect to be appointed but planned to run again for office in November when two council seats and the mayor’s position are up for election.
City Hall remodel gets special meeting
Although it took just a few minutes to select and swear in a new council member, it will take at least another meeting to possibly decide what to do about the proposed renovation of the 501 Building for city offices.
“We’ve been talking about this for five years,” said Took.
The council was presented final plans, drawings and a lengthy legal document for approval to solicit bids to renovate the former bank building adjacent to the Commons to serve as City Hall.
Facilities director Heather Hoen presented 40 pages of documents in preparation to seek bids, but the council was divided on whether to move ahead with the current plan. As a result, the council will schedule a special meeting devoted to the issue “So that we can give Heather some direction,” said Moore.
With city staff working in cramped quarters in the Commons, the proposed floor plan of the renovated 501 building prompted doubts among some council and audience members. Does the proposed new council chamber take up too much space that could be better used for city staff? Should the council space be removed from the plans before going out to bid? Will changes down the line be prohibitively expensive?
“We need a clear time frame to move forward,” said Hoen. “Do we include the council chambers? If not, there would be significant changes to the design.”
Vaaler wondered aloud if it was time to “step back and re-think” the space allocations, while Glenn exhorted “It’s time to go ahead.”
City Manager Shannon Beaucaire expressed concern about meeting deadlines in the bid process, and how missing those deadlines could affect renovation grants from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
The city of Yachats bought the building from Bank of the West for $500,000 almost five years ago. It was first intended as a new home for the city library, but when that proved too expensive, the council decided to use the structure for city offices and a council chamber.
Water committee idea pushed to April
Also deferred was a council decision on a proposal to form a citizen-led water committee suggested by former interim council member Craig Berdie. Berdie urged the council last month to move forward on water supply and security issues by forming a special committee to come up with ideas in 120 days.
“We’re looking at future needs, practical concerns, timelines, costs and concrete deliverables,” Berdie said.
A comment by Beaucaire turned the discussion onto a slightly a different path. She noted that “all the projects” concerning water on the council’s 2020 goals have a citizen involvement aspect, and that this might make a separate citizen committee redundant.
Water plant supervisor Rick McClung said that “Having a 30,000-foot view” from citizens would help in answering a critical question:”How are we going to meet our water needs and secure our future?”
But should that view come from a separate committee, or from interested citizens involved in infrastructure goals during an upcoming study on water source protection and the city’s ongoing work on its water master plan.
Berdie said he didn’t have strong feelings one way or another, but cautioned potential volunteers that “This is not for the dilettante — there will be homework and meetings.”
Moore directed that the council’s April meeting have an agenda item to decide on Berdie’s proposed committee.
- Cheryl Romano: Wordsell@gmail.com