Mount Angel is governed by a seven-member city council, advised by a city administrator, commissions, boards and committees. Mayor Andrew Otte assessed the 2014 issues facing the city.
1. “One of the big goals this year – and it’s my goal – to make sure we’ve got some decent long-term and short-term planning in place,” said Otte. “We go through a goal-setting exercise every year in January; this year we’re planning to take a far deeper dive than usual.” An all-day planning session is slated for Jan. 11.
2. Getting started on the Ebner Park project. The city was hoping to have it completed by Oktoberfest 2014, though the project is proving much costlier than first estimated – from roughly $320,000 to more than $500,000. A grant toward the project requires building a soccer field along with the planned baseball field, basketball court and playground equipment.
“It’s about $37,000 for a soccer field,” City Councilor Teresa Kintz said, adding that paying prevailing wage also takes its toll. The Pepsi company stepped in, donating labor and cash to the undertaking.
3. Aging sidewalks and old waterlines are among the infrastructure concerns looming on the horizon. It’s hard to stretch property tax income very far in a city where nearly 40 percent of its businesses are non-profits.
“The monies that are out there have become far more competitive and challenging to go get,” Otte said.
4. Preparing the city to accommodate new businesses. A step in the right direction is its recent collaboration with Silverton in forming a Silverton-Mount Angel Enterprise Zone to encourage incoming or expanding businesses and help both cities boost economic development.
5. Other projects wait in the wings; among them, replacing an aging City Hall with a modern, one-story building.
City of Mount Angel
City Hall, 5 N. Garfield St.; 503-845-9291; ci.mt-angel.or.us
Council, commission, boards and committees meet at Mount Angel Library Community Room, 290 E. Charles St.
City Administrator Eileen Stein, [email protected]
City Council: Mayor Andrew Otte; Councilors Kelly Grassman, Darren Beyer, Karl Bischoff, Ray Eder, Teresa Kintz, Pete Wall. Council members serve four-year terms. Applications for city council positions are available at city hall or online; filing date for the November election is in August, check with City Hall for details. Meetings: First Monday of the month, 7 p.m.
Seats on the ballot in the November 2014 election: Otte, Bischoff, Eder, Kintz
To apply for appointed positions, obtain a Board & Commission Appointment Application from City Hall and complete. Council generally appoints in January and February.
Planning Commission: Gordon Bochsler, Jeffrey Wall, Ryan Kleinschmit, Greg Savage, Craig Emch. Two-year terms. Meetings: Third Thursday of the month, 7 p.m. as necessary
Park Tree Board: Pete Beyer, Patti Eder, Margaret Hoffer, Shawn Wood, student board members Jessica Cruz and Johnny Inoue; council liaison Karl Bischoff Meetings: Fourth Monday of the month, 7 p.m. as necessary
Library Board: Shirley Manley, Shawn Hussey, Becki Thomas, Linda Bentz and Matthew Eagles. Four-year terms. Meetings: Third Wednesday of the month, 6:30 p.m. as necessary
Budget Committee: Cindy Buchheit, Jan Donohue, Jamie Duval, Don Fleck, Jim Kosel, Don Robison and Bernie Seiler. Three-year terms. Meetings: As necessary.
