Lafayette council approves strategic plan

Rachel Thompson/News-Register##A recently installed crosswalk signal in Lafayette flashes as pedestrian Johnathon Waters of Lafayette crosses the intersection of Third and Bridge Streets on the foggy morning of Wednesday, Jan. 14. The new signal is part of the Bridge Street renovation project, which includes road repairs, sidewalk expansion, and ADA ramps.

The Lafayette City Council approved the city’s strategic plan, which notes that wastewater system capacity is top priority.

At the Jan. 8 Lafayette City Council meeting, City Administrator Branden Dross presented the council with their strategic planning goals after reviewing the minutes from past strategic planning sessions and rewatching the meeting video. The council met twice last year in lengthy special sessions, once on a Saturday, to establish five-year goals for the city.

Dross said, “I felt if we had another two hours of discussion, we’d be going around in circles.”

The top five goals are:

- Wastewater system capacity, compliance and financial sustainability

- Strengthening long-term financial flexibility through proactive debt management

- Strengthening downtown vitality, accessibility and economic activity

- Evaluating long-term public safety service models for police and fire services

- Maintaining essential services while ensuring fiscal responsibility and affordability

Next, city staff will work on a document with goal timelines and cost figures. Dross anticipates presenting the document at the March meeting, which should have a packed agenda.

He noted that the number one goal of council is contingent on the wastewater facility plan but knows “we can revise the plan at any time as it is a working document.”

Councilor Kayla Paulsen said the goals reflected the council’s positions, and councilors agreed.

Dross said at the end of the year the city will reflect and see what steps have been taken to accomplish these goals, but the overarching goal is to accomplish these goals by 2030.

In other council news, council approved opening a new bank account for the Urban Renewal Agency, as the account amount has increased. Dross suggested the new account for financial transparency and accountability.

The council gave a six-month extension to the Recology franchise agreement to allow staff and the waste company time to establish language that removed the automatic renewal clause. In previous meetings the council was against the automatic renewal clause for waste services. The council voted 5-0. Councilor Joseph Carswell had not yet joined the meeting at the time of the vote.

The council accepted Sheila Neuman’s resignation from the planning commission.

Councilor Jessica Kitt-Hill asked for more information on the resignation, as she’d been informed Neuman had been “bullied” in to resigning.

Mayor Hilary Malcomson said after missing a number of meetings, city code requires a commissioner and committee members to be removed. The process includes going before the council in a public meeting. Malcomson noted that as in the past, she’s told committee and commission members that they can resign if they wish, rather than going before the council.

The council also reappointed the following planning commissioners, Stephen Belding, Ron Kerr and Jon Meola for terms ending Dec. 31, 2029.

Stan Kozmicki was appointed to fill a vacant commissioner seat. His term ends Dec. 31, 2027.

Michael Schindel will not return to the budget committee; the vacant seat has a term of Dec. 31, 2028. The council reappointed Leah Harper and Jon Meola to the committee. Harper’s terms ends Dec. 31, 2028, and Meola’s ends Dec. 31, 2026.

The council approved to allow Chemeketa Community College to continue displaying Lafayette’s Antique Water Pump, as it has for 10 years. Mayor Hilary Malcomson added that the city would like to display the pump, but doesn’t currently have space for it.

Lafayette has installed a new solar powered flashing crosswalk at the intersection of Third Street and Bridge. The new feature was up and running on Jan. 8.

The project was part of the Bridge Street renovation project which included road repairs and sidewalk installation, including ADA ramps.

Other upcoming city decisions include whether food trucks and food carts should be in Lafayette on a permanent basis.

The Lafayette Planning Commission will be holding a public hearing to allow food trucks in the commercial core district (downtown) at 6:30 p.m., Thursday, Jan. 15.

Willamina and Sheridan planning commissions are also working through land use code to allow permanent food trucks and food carts.