Two candidates vie for Mac city council seat

##Chaz Gibbons

##Scott Cunningham

Top concerns intersect for Scott Cunningham and Chaz Gibbins, the two candidates running for McMinnville City Council

Saying “family environment is important to me,” Gibbins points to public safety impacts of homelessness as “the number one issue that touches all other issues right now.”

To Cunningham, “the biggest thing is we need to get more affordable housing. It is tantamount to us making a dent in this situation.”

Both men are small business owners: Gibbins is a furniture maker, with his company Imago Furniture. Cunningham owns and operates Pizza Capo, a restaurant he founded in 2019 after running Community Plate in McMinnville for close to 10 years. Cunningham has served on the city budget committee and was board member and served as president of McMinnville Downtown Association.

The Ward 3 position they seek is currently held by councilor Adam Garvin, who decided not to seek re-election.

Gibbins, who joined the citizen McMinnville Task Force a year ago, said increasing crime and disorderly conduct downtown and in the Alpine District have been an increasing concern. His decision to run was spurred by a frightening encounter when he and his daughter were verbally threatened in Joe Dancer Park by two men he believed were camping in the woods.

“I haven’t been back to the park since, and I realized this is not the kind of town I want to raise my family in. I want to help the community,” Gibbins said.

Cunningham had applied for the council position that came open two years ago when Mayor Remy Drabkin was appointed mayor. Jessica Payne received the appointment.

“It’s something that’s been on my mind since several years ago,” Cunningham said. “With Adam Garvin stepping down it opened up that position and was something I was already considering but wasn’t considering running against Adam. With encouragement from other folks I decided to run. I really respect the amount of work and those particular volunteers do. It’s a really hard job to help guide this city in a way that’s effective. I have always been a person who does enjoy problem solving challenges, always something of interest to me to help with.”

Like Cunningham, Gibbins was not inclined to run against Garvin and when the incumbent announced, days before the filing deadline, that he would not run, “I had my signatures ready in case, and decided to run, so I could help,” Gibbins said.

Dealing with homelessness and its impacts is “a complicated solution,” Gibbins said. “I kind of see it as five levels: there are people who are actually houseless. I always refer to 2008 when people who had homes and got turned out; then you have chronically homeless, people with maybe addictions or mental health, and it makes it hard to stay in housing or stable jobs; transients, who choose the lifestyle; and then you have the vagrant class, maybe the ones who are doing more of the crime out there.

He claims “a criminal, predatory element” surrounds all five levels, “and I think that’s where a lot of the bad reputation comes from.” He said success might be achieved “if we can focus the police on that criminal element and the city and nonprofits on people falling off the ladder. The longer they’re off, the more service-resistant they are … we need a clearer picture of their needs.”

Gibbins feels that council needs to expedite its processes for reviewing policy or adopting new ones.

“I think it’s moving slow,” he said. “I think the council moved slow on some of these things, such as the school zone (ordinance, passed in 2023) was something the school board, citizens and teachers wanted. We don’t need to write our own ordinances, we can contact other cities and see what’s working for them. I’d just like to see quicker implementation.

“Talking with people in Ward 3, some of the hotels have been more vocal lately that they are getting negative views from guests, a lot said they would not return. I think it’s kind of trickling into the tourism industry as well. People want to come to McMinnville for its charm and feel safe.

“We have seen a recent inflow of homeless, because we are not keeping up with ordinances and policies as a lot of surrounding cities are implementing,” Gibbins said, citing the 250-foot encampment rule adopted in Portland two years ago. “I think we can meet or exceed those policies to reduce the net inflow,” he said.

Cunningham said, “One of the hardest topics for all of us in society to handle is how to best help those in need and to help the homeless issue but obviously it can be very front and center for those of who have businesses downtown, and there have been times I have sat in council meetings fighting for help downtown. It has been challenging for council to get their arms around the issue.

“For me, what I’d have liked to see is some of the camping ordinance and other things move a little faster, but you have to be guided by what is constitutionally legal,” Cunningham said. “It is important for us to not have knee-jerk reactions, to not have issues in the courts to fight for or against some of those.”

One way Cunningham sees to address affordable housing is via the redevelopment of the Ultimate RB property.

“I believe the city council should be working as strongly as they can to support further growth in affordable housing, whether that is part of the Ultimate Rubber property,” he said. “I think that would be amazing if we could see some affordable workforce housing as part of that project as well as encouraging other areas.” He expressed support for repeal of Measure 110, “but I’d have liked to see a lot more services out there for people who are struggling,” such as before a citizen or business owner calls the crisis line to report a violent or volatile situation.

“I’d like to see more reaching out to people at the surrounding churches to try to get more services they need. One of the ways we could see that is through the opioid settlement money,” Cunningham said. “That could help with bringing more services as well as shelter beds. Then we could see a decrease in the number of issues we are seeing on the streets.”