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The Brookings City Council met on January 22 and took up several topics. These include the appointment of a parliamentary liaison, a presentation on plans for a local health center, and a motion to strengthen regional power capacity. This was also Interim City Manager Kelby McRae’s first representation meeting.
Appointment to sewage negotiations
The first order of business was to appoint a second Congressional liaison to negotiate contracts with the Port Sanitation District. Brookings Wastewater Treatment also serves surrounding areas, including Harbor Sewage Treatment. Although the contract calls for two liaisons from the Brookings City Council, only one previously served.
The City of Brookings’ main source of income is its wastewater treatment plant and the contract possibilities it provides. City Councilman Andy Martin is the current committee member, but due to the technical nature of the committee, he would like to nominate City Councilman Clayton Malmberg to the position. Martin cited unresolved issues in the contract, including a section on debt repayment and issues with Brookings’ interceptor pipe.
Mr. Malmberg opposed his appointment to the position. Malmberg said even though he only joined the council a little more than a month ago, he already serves on the Airports Commission, the Transportation Research Commission and the Southwest Oregon Transportation Commission. City Councilor Phoebe Pereda has offered to take the job and will join Martin in negotiations with Harbor.
Medical center expansion
Next on the agenda was an informational presentation by Dave Gilmore, Coastal Community Health Center Project Director. CCHC plans to expand local services in Brookings, including several major additions.
According to Gilmore’s presentation, CCHC plans to add primary care services, dental services and a local pharmacy. These services are provided through partnerships with other health care providers and organizations that can fill in gaps in the city. This will require construction of a new facility planned for this year.
CCHC has already received building permit approval and renovation work is scheduled to begin on February 1st. Despite the need for additional funding, the project is expected to be completed this summer. This will significantly enhance the medical services available in the Brookings area.
“We hope to be able to cut the ribbon and see our first patients by July 1st at the latest, so that’s our plan at this point. Every day is a little different, but we’re making progress. I’m excited about that,” Gilmore said.
Curry County Battery and Microgrid Project
A motion was unanimously passed regarding a letter of support to Coos Curry Electric Cooperative, Inc. to consider increasing the resilience of the regional power grid to power outages. The region is prone to power outages due to severe weather, so extensive battery backup and microgrid support can prevent these outages from harming local communities and their ability to provide critical services during emergencies. .
“Our coastal region faces significant challenges from natural disasters. Power outages disrupt critical services and impact critical infrastructure in Gold Beach, Brookings, and throughout Curry County. Currie Electric intends to address promising opportunities to strengthen our resilience by exploring microgrid and battery energy storage solutions to support the grid in these vulnerable regions.” said an Electric representative.
The initiative appeared to have very strong support from the council, as evidenced by the unanimous vote. With a letter of support from the city in hand, Coos-Curry Electric can begin the permit and grant application process.
Final items and conclusion
The remainder of Monday night’s meeting consisted of a lengthy discussion about next steps in hiring a new city manager. Kelby McCray will remain in the position while the delicate process of finding a qualified candidate to permanently fill the position takes place.
The City will seek to approve the contract with the hiring company following the normal bidding process. The city plans to proceed with the search for Mr. McRae with the aim of quickly returning to work at the police station. Negotiations with police unions are expected to take place in the near future, and it is important to clarify the timeline as soon as possible.
A board meeting was scheduled with the city attorney to discuss M cCrae’s temporary contract as city manager. The hiring process can take several weeks to contract with a company, find candidates, and close the deal. This ongoing situation requires further discussion, but in the meantime the council has redoubled its support for Mr McRae.
“We’ve only been in this situation for less than a week. Thankfully, Chief McRae stepped in and did an exemplary job. It’s difficult, we’re a green council and… “We are Green City Administrators, and that is the way it is. But we can function in this capacity and look for the right steps and do the bidding process the right way,” Mayor Hodges said of the situation. Told.
For more news from City Hall, visit CurryPilot.com or pick up a print copy of The Curry Coastal Pilot now.
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