Q. When is a committee not a committee?
A. When North Bend Mayor Jessica Engelke and City Administrator David Milliron say it’s not a committee!
Q. What ‘not-a-committee‘ would this be?
A. The Master Plan Steering Committee, tasked to work with a landscape architect to update the 20-year Parks Master Plan, part of North Bend’s Comprehensive Plan. The update, required by State law, will receive two public hearings, votes by the Planning Commission and City Council, and adoption by ordinance. Despite its title, Mr. Milliron stated in an email that the Master Plan Steering Committee is ‘work product’, authorized when the City awarded the consultant’s contract!
Q. Why does this matter?
A. Because Section 2.04.100 of the Council Rules, passed by City Ordinance, state “Unless otherwise provided by statute, ordinance or resolution, the following shall be the procedure for the creation of and appointments to all city boards, commissions, and lay committees.” A consultant contract is not a “statute, ordinance or resolution”! Council Rules give Council, and only Council, the authority to create a Board, Commission or Committee for any purpose, short- or long-term, and publicly vote to appoint North Bend citizens as members. Applications must be in writing.
Q. So why does Mayor Engelke continue to say the Master Plan Steering Committee is not a committee and does not need to give a committee report during the regular agenda item for Committee Reports?
A. Mayor Engelke handed control of the Master Plan Steering Committee to City Administrator Milliron in a direct violation of the Council Rules. Background: On February 13th, 2024, Council awarded the contract for completion of the Parks Master Plan update. From the staff report, “It is suggested that each member of the City Council appoint one city resident to serve on an ad-hoc Parks Advisory committee for calendar year 2024. The appointments could be made at the first Council Meeting in March 2024.”
I suggested that the Parks Committee be included with other appointees. Mr. Milliron said there were only three people on that Committee. I said, include them anyway. Their last meeting was October 2021!
The staff report’s proposal for Council appointments to an ad-hoc committee for the Parks Master Plan was never placed on any subsequent meeting agenda. It disappeared. When I
asked Mayor Engelke directly after a June work session, she said, “Council made the appointments when I wasn’t present, (mentioned someone) is on it, it’s been in the City Administrator’s written reports, and I’ll have the Parks and Facilities Manager make a report on it at tomorrow’s meeting.”
I called the person mentioned; they confirmed Mayor Engelke had called to ask them to join the committee, and the committee had met and approved the draft public survey form to gather public input on parks.
Q. Why is this important?
A. Section 2.04.100 (12) All meetings of a board, commission or lay-committee shall be subject to and comply with the Oregon Public Meetings Law.
The City is in violation of this when it did not post public notice of the committee meetings. On the City’s website, the Parks and Recreation Master Plan Update page states, “The City of North Bend utilizes internal review, professional assessments, data collection, and community input to update the Master Plan and has established the Master Plan Steering Committee to help determine how to best serve the North Bend community. Alongside (the consultant), they will gather input to update the Comprehensive Master Plan.“
Q. But it’s not a committee?
A. Of course it’s a committee! Mayor Engelke, in violation of the Council Rules and her Oath of Office, waved away Council Rule 2.04.100 on Boards, Commissions and Committees. She and the City Administrator brought in several current Parks Committee members, filled out the roster without any Council knowledge or input, disregarded Oregon Public Meetings law, and refused to give updates during ‘Committee Reports’. The City Charter says that the City Administrator may not control the Council. I am on City Council and I am appalled by the disrespect shown to the Council on this matter by Mayor Engelke.
And Mayor Engelke is running for re-election. She posted a half-page ad in September’s ‘Oregon Coast Mailer’ touting ‘Transparent Governance’. Be careful with your vote.
Susanna Noordhoff
North Bend