By James Day The Silverton City Council has finalized its work on goal-setting for the new fiscal year beginning July 1. The goals were discussed at length at a nearly four-hour special session at The Oregon Garden on Feb. 6, tweaked at the Feb. 26 work session and received unanimous support at the March 4 regular meeting. The goals are […]
By James Day Figuring out what is next for the Silverton Community Center is turning into a confusing game of musical chairs. The city holds the lease for the building, which is owned by the Oregon Military Department. That lease expires March 31, which means that tenants Jazzercise, Silverton Area Community Aid (SACA), WIC, the Silver Falls YMCA and the […]
By James Day The lease on the Silverton Community Center likely will transfer to the Silver Falls YMCA when the Silverton City Council moves its meetings to the new Civic Center building next spring. The Oregon Military Department owns the Community Center building on South Water Street, with the city’s lease set to expire March 31, 2024. The council discussed […]
The Silverton City Council is heading toward a decision that will mean more housing than previously planned for a property on Eureka Avenue just east of The Oregon Garden. Developers already had received approval to build up to 42 units on the 5.15-acre property, which was zoned R-1 or single-family residential. During a public hearing at the council’s Dec. 4 […]
By James Day A proposal by Silverton Mural Society to place a mural celebrating Silverton’s cultural roots on the new Civic Center is closer to fruition. The Silverton City Council reviewed the latest proposal at its Nov. 20 work session, and although a vote was not taken, there was a strong consensus to move forward with the plan. New City […]
By James Day The new Silverton Civic Center will not be occupied until next spring. The $19.5 million project, which originally was projected to open in July 2023, has experienced a steady stream of delays, including supply chain issues, work that had to be redone and even emails that went missing. The project remains under that $19.5 million overall cost, […]
By James Day Cory Misley has been hired as Silverton’s city manager and will start work Oct. 16. Misley replaces Ron Chandler, who retired to Utah in May. Misley’s hiring and contract were approved Oct. 2, on a unanimous vote of the Silverton City Council. As the top administrator for the city Misley will supervise all departments and report to the […]
By James Day The Silverton City Council is in the home stretch in its effort to hire a new city manager. The council is seeking to replace Ron Chandler, who retired and moved to Utah in May. Councilors, who started with a batch of 27 applicants, have reduced that list to three, with the finalists introduced to the public on […]
By James Day Silverton residents have an opportunity to meet the three finalists for city manager with a Monday, Sept. 18 meet-and-greet session 6:30 to 8 p.m. at the Silverton Senior Center, 115 Westfield St. Silverton is seeking to replace chief administrative officer Ron Chandler, who left the city in May to retire to Utah. Members of the public will […]
By James Day The new Silverton Civic Center likely will not be fully occupied until January 2024 after some unexpected complications hit the project. The $19.5 million facility, which will hold most city staff as well as the police department, originally was scheduled for completion in July 2023. Aug. 7 the Silverton City Council was told that substantial completion of […]
By James Day The new Silverton Civic Center continues to take shape in the former Eugene Field School block. Less than half a mile away lies the Silverton Community Center, a multi-use, multi-tenanted facility owned by the Oregon Military Department with the city holding the lease. So what happens to the community center when the city moves north and its […]
By James Day Residents of the Second Street area of Silverton can look forward to a summer in which city construction work will align their neighborhood with others in the city. The area on Second between the Home Place Restaurant and Lincoln Street, also known as Mill Town, will be getting sidewalks, new drainage pipes, and those storm water ditches […]
By James Day Oregon Governor Tina Kotek visited Silverton on June 22, making two stops. One was to discuss homelessness and housing issues; the other to engage with agricultural and natural resource officials in a luncheon at The Oregon Garden. Our Town attended the homeless session. Media were not allowed at The Oregon Garden session. Kotek, 57, a first-term Democrat […]
By James Day The City of Silverton began work on its 2023-24 budget amid a staff shakeup that has the City Council initiating a search for a new city manager. Ron Chandler, who took over the top administrative post in Silverton in May of 2021, is leaving effective May 12 and relocating to Utah. In an April 12 letter to […]
By James Day The City of Silverton is accepting bids for rehab work on a modular unit that will serve as a warming shelter for clients of Sheltering Silverton. The city has set aside $250,000 in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds for the project. The closing date for bids is March 21. The bid process opened Feb. 28. Sarah […]
By James Day Are Silverton Police Department officers being paid enough? Developer and long-time resident Rob Wood, who serves on the public policy committee at the Oregon Police Academy in Salem, doesn’t think so. Wood read off the names of ten Silverton officers who have left the force in the past five years to take positions with other agencies. He […]
By James Day Just like that, the Silverton City Council was whole again. New councilors Marie Traeger, April Newton and Eric Hammond were voted in on Nov. 8 to replace outgoing members Jim Sears, Dana Smith and Crystal Neideigh, with Jason Freilinger winning election as mayor, replacing Kyle Palmer. However, Freilinger’s ascension to the mayor’s post left his council seat […]
By James Day Silverton installed a new mayor and four new councilors on Monday, Jan. 9, signaling the beginning of a new political era in town. Jason Freilinger, who had served as council president, was sworn in as mayor, replacing Kyle Palmer, whose elected office experience dates to 2004. In addition, outgoing councilors Jim Sears, Dana Smith and Crystal Neideigh […]
By James Day Property owner Wes Holman used the public comment period of the Dec. 5 Silverton City Council meeting to raise concerns about trash and debris at a home near the Holman house on South Third Avenue. The complaint record apparently goes back to 2015, and although Holman said there have been some temporary improvements he remains ”not satisfied” […]
By James Day Silverton will have four new councilors beginning in January. Eric Hammond, April Newton and Marie Traeger were elected to four-year terms in a seven-candidate field on Nov. 8 to replace retiring councilors Jim Sears, Dana Smith and Crystal Neideigh. In addition, current council president Jason Freilinger was elected to a two-year term as mayor, and one of […]
By James Day Ten-year Silverton City Council member Jason Freilinger appears to be on his way to being elected the town’s mayor. Freilinger, a financial services officer and this term’s council president, was leading corporate executive Morry Jones by nearly 450 votes, according to unofficial results released Tuesday night by Marion County. Freilinger had 1,896 votes (56.66%), with Jones at […]
By James Day The Silverton City Council has signed off on a plan that will put four pallet shelters and a warming facility at the city’s Public Works compound. Councilors voted unanimously at an Oct. 17 work session to approve a ten-year lease agreement with Sheltering Silverton. Using $250,000 in federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds that passed through […]
By James Day There will be a distinct changing of the guard for the Silverton City Council come next term. That’s because there will be three and perhaps four new councilors when the session begins in January. Incumbent councilors Jim Sears, Dana Smith and Crystal Neideigh all chose not to seek re-election to new four-year terms. In addition, Council President […]
By Melissa Wagoner Nine grants totaling almost $44,000 were approved Oct. 3 when the Silverton City Council accepted the recommendations of the Silverton Tourism Promotion Committee. Awards ranged from familiar community events such as First Friday, the Sidewalk Shindig and Silverton Arts Festival, to brew-based entries like the Homer Invitational Brewfest and the Fox Foundation Fall Line Stout and Ale […]
By James Day Silverton has held four public outreach meetings on downtown parking issues. The problem is simple: new development in the downtown area has led to parking challenges, for both business customers and their employees. A possible fix lies just north of downtown where the city is building a new $19 million civic center on property that was once […]
