Oregon cities doing more with less 

This article was published as a op-ed in the Gresham Outlook on August 3, 2012

by Mayor Jim Kight

On an annual basis mayors throughout the State of Oregon meet at a designated location. This year the Oregon Mayor's Association met in Florence by the Pacific Ocean. The purpose of the meeting is to share ideas and concepts that will help all of our communiities to be a better place to live.

Cities do not operate in a vacuum. They depend on other government agencies for support. As a result department heads from state agencies met with the mayors to suggest ways they can offer aid. This year eighteen agencies' directors traveled to the convocation to offer their asistance.

Mayor Kathy Figley of Woodburn in starting to see a resurgence of jobs in that city of 23,000. It is located on I-5 and is home for the ever popular Woodburn Factory Outlet Mall. Woodburn is an agriculture community and the bulk of crops center around nursery stock. Because of the depressed housing market, less of that product is going to market. However, they are keeping the city pool and library open and maintaining a reduced recreation program for the children. Like other communities they are working with schools an non-profits to make sure there is no duplication of services. In their downtown they have implemented a program to upgrade the facades of the exterior of the buildings and have provided low interest loans to upgrade the interiors.

Scappoose is divided by Highway 30 and is residence to 6, 680. Mayor Scott Burgee has served as mayor for the past five and half years and is a major cheerleader for his city. His community is experiencing a growth in his industrial park which centers around the municipal airport. Just completed is a $3 million, 22,000 square foot building for the manufacture of airplane parts and military helmets. He boasts of a new pizza parlor, dance studio, Les Schwab tire outlet and a Goodwill store. His council took the proactive position to stimulate new business by eleminating fees for new business which includes the annual business license fee.  They have expanded their urban growth boundary by 350 acres near their airport to expand job opportunities. His city maintains a healthy $1.2 million balance and has suffered no layoffs of city employees.

You don't meet a mayor every day where the city owns their own railroad but they do in Prineville.

The railroad was originally purchased to haul logs to Redmond and is now used to haul freight. It is currently turning a profit for the city.

Mayor Betty Roppe of Prineville shared that they were affected by the relocation of Les Schwab corporate headquarters and the downtown in the logging industry. However, they saw that as a wake-up call and aggressively recruited Facebook to their city.  Currently Prineville is wooing a major data center to add to their portfolio. She shared they are doing everything within their power to diversify and "not put all of their eggs in one basket".

Prinveville goes to the top of the list when it comes to innovation.  Meadow Lakes municipal golf course is a great example. The city was faced with fines of $25,000 per day by the Environmental Protection Agency for discharging their treated wastewater into the Crooked River. The council funded and built a championship 18-hole golf course now used to irrigate the course with treated wastewater and provide ponds for water hazards for golfers. Problem solved.

Cities throughout Oregon are using every tool available to keep their communities livable and to create employment for their people. All of the mayors I spoke to have a positive outlook and are working diligently to preserve their economic health and to invite new businesses into their communities.