Final choice of new manager likely to made after November election

By Morgan Rothborne, Ashland.news

The Ashland City Council conducted a variety of forward-thinking business discussions Tuesday, from hiring for the vacant city manager position to the future of the city parks and mitigation for natural disasters. 

Council voted 4 to 2 to begin the process of seeking a recruitment firm to search for the new city manager. 

Councilors Gina DuQuenne and Dylan Bloom voted in opposition. DuQuenne stated she preferred the city to work with the Rogue Valley Council of Governments and a recruiting firm. Bloom believed the number of council seats on the ballot in the upcoming election made beginning the process now inappropriate. 

Councilor Bob Kaplan argued it would be premature to halt the process which would likely be lengthy enough that the final decision would fall under the discretion of the new council. Kaplan voted in favor, along with Councilors Paula Hyatt, Jeff Dahle and Eric Hansen, passing the motion. 

The council also unanimously approved an update to the Parks, Trails and Open Space Map, a facet of the city’s comprehensive plan that guides the Parks & Recreation Commission’s future planning. The map has not been completely updated since 1991, said Interim Parks Director Leslie Eldridge. 

When the map was created, Ashland had fewer parks than Klamath Falls, Medford, and many other cities in Oregon. It had hundreds of acres of property marked for acquisition to reach the goal of a park within a quarter-mile of every residence in Ashland city limits. Commissioners are proud that — with two exceptions: the Croman Mills area and Lincoln School — the goal is met, Eldridge said. Around 277 acres have been removed from the new map, she said. 

“Note that this map does not primarily focus on the creation of discrete parks within the center of town, this update emphasizes protection of significant natural areas,” she said. 

The new map reflects new priorities such as land easements and smaller purchases for trail connectivity, riparian restoration, preserving habitat, and fuels management, Eldridge said.

Ashland residents have expressed disappointment that expansion of Central Bike Path was not emphasized as part of trail connectivity. Expansion of the path is the purview of the public works department, she said. But Parks & Recreation Commissioners responded with a resolution of support for its expansion and Eldridge spoke with Public Works Director Scott Fleury to explore the logistics of its expansion, she said. 

Hansen offered a motion to approve the map in its first reading and direct city staff to ensure the Central Bike Path is included in the transportation system plan in the next biennium. Council voted unanimously in favor. 

Emergency Management Coordinator Kelly Burns asked council to vote to approve the Jackson County Multi-Jurisdictional Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan. The plan has already been approved by regional partners which are “waiting for us,” he said. 

The plan was in process when Burns took the position as Ashland’s first emergency management coordinator last year. Working with other city staff, Burns continued to develop the plan but conceded it is “imperfect.” 

He asked council to approve it despite its limitations because an approved plan is a prerequisite for obtaining grant funding for disaster prevention and response and it can be modified after approval. Dahle pressed Burns about “gaps” in the plan, notably the oversight of Ashland Municipal Airport. 

Council unanimously approved the plan with the direction that it be improved and brought back to council within four months. Mayor Tonya Graham also requested that Burns should prepare to discuss fire season and evacuation planning at a study session as soon as possible. 

In other council business Tuesday, Graham and Ashland Fire Chief Ralph Sartain presented three Ashland firefighters with a life saving medal for their heroic actions during an April 3 house fire. 

Ten Ashland residents signed up to speak in public comment; nine of them asked council  to create a resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza. Council also unanimously approved a new contract procurement procedure to improve efficiency and save money. Under the consent agenda, council unanimously approved a request from Ashland Police Chief Tighe O’Meara to create a new contract with the Jackson County Jail for an additional bed for suspects arrested in Ashland. 

Email Ashland.news reporter Morgan Rothborne at morganr@ashland.news.