The Philomath City Council completed routine business typically seen in its first meeting of the year with appointments to various committees on Monday night.
Mathematically, the number of applicants for each of those committees matched up perfectly with the number of seats available, so there was little need to have any extensive discussions while comparing qualifications.
On the Planning Commission, Gary Conner returns and newcomer Joey McGlinchy takes over the seat previously held by David Stein.
MORE TO COME Look for additional coverage
out of the Jan. 11 City Council
meeting in the coming days.
“I have a long-term interest in city planning and design, and work in transporting project management and would like to use my experience to better Philomath,” Conner wrote in his application. “I also have deep roots in Philomath with many friends and family living here and would like to help Philomath age well.”
Conner was appointed to fill a vacant seat in 2018. McGlinchy, who ran for the City Council, is new to the commission.
McGlinchy said he wanted to serve “because of my interest in seeing the city continue to move in a positive direction and I feel confident any relevant experience will serve the city well.”
Bryan Crocker had been a third applicant but he withdrew to focus on another city committee.
Elsewhere, Councilor Catherine Biscoe nominated Ruth Causey for the position of council president and she was approved on a unanimous vote. The council president presides over meetings during an absence of the mayor. David Low served in the position for the past two years.
For the Budget Committee, three applications were received for the three vacancies — Candy Koetz, Spencer Irwin and Crocker. Koetz and Irwin will serve three-year terms and Crocker for a one-year term.
Dale Collins and Caleb Unema return to the Park Advisory Board and Rose Bricker joins the group as a new member. They were the only three applicants for the three available positions.
Mayor Chas Jones announced appointments to three standing committees with himself, Matt Lehman and David Low on Finance and Administration Committee, Causey, Low and Teresa Nielson on the Police Committee and Jessica Andrade, Biscoe and Causey on the Public Works Committee.
Councilors were also assigned to the following:
• Andrade — Regional Economic Development Council, Benton County Environment and Natural Resources Advisory Committee
• Biscoe — Willamette Criminal Justice Council, Benton County HOPE Advisory Board representative
• Causey — Philomath Frolic & Rodeo, Planning Commission ex-officio nonvoting member
• Jones — Oregon Cascades Wet Council of Governments, Philomath Area Chamber of Commerce
• Lehman — Cascades West Area Commission on Transportation, Corvallis Area Metropolitan Planning Organization, Philomath Youth Activities Club, Transportation and Traffic Safety Commission
• Low — Philomath Area Chamber of Commerce, Philomath Community Foundation
• Nielson — Philomath Community Services, Philomath School District
The council approved Andrade, Nielson and Jones to serve on the Inclusivity Ad Hoc Committee.
VOTING RECORD Following is a list of votes taken by the Philomath City Council at its Jan. 11 meeting:
• To approve a consent agenda that included the Dec. 14 and Dec. 21 City Council minutes, setting a public hearing date for an alley vacation request, setting a public hearing date for system development charge methodologies and referring a social media policy to the Finance and Administration Committee. Motion: Causey. Seconded: Low. Vote: Passes 7-0 (Yes—Andrade, Biscoe, Causey, Jones, Lehman, Low, Nielson).
• To approve a resolution language amendment as presented by the mayor. Motion: Causey. Seconded: Low. Vote: Passes 7-0 (Yes—Andrade, Biscoe, Causey, Jones, Lehman, Low, Nielson).
• To approve Resolution 21-03 as amended to declare a local state of emergency related to COVID-19 and requesting emergency assistance from Benton County. Motion: Causey. Seconded: Low. Vote: Passes 7-0 (Yes—Andrade, Biscoe, Causey, Jones, Lehman, Low, Nielson).
• To approve Ruth Causey as the City Council president. Motion: Biscoe. Seconded: Lehman. Vote: Passes 7-0 (Yes—Andrade, Biscoe, Causey, Jones, Lehman, Low, Nielson).
• To approve the membership of the Inclusivity Ad Hoc Committee to include Andrade, Nielson and Jones. Motion: Biscoe. Seconded: Causey. Vote: Passes 7-0 (Yes—Andrade, Biscoe, Causey, Jones, Lehman, Low, Nielson).
• To waive the two-week waiting period and appoint Candy Koetz and Spencer Irwin to fill three-year terms and appoint Bryan Crocker to fill the one-year term to the Budget Committee. Motion: Causey. Seconded: Low. Vote: Passes 7-0 (Yes—Andrade, Biscoe, Causey, Jones, Lehman, Low, Nielson).
• To confirm the mayor’s appointments to the Park Advisory Board as presented. Motion: Low. Seconded: Lehman. Vote: Passes 7-0 (Yes—Andrade, Biscoe, Causey, Jones, Lehman, Low, Nielson).
• To waive the two-week waiting period and appoint Gary Conner and Joey McGlinchy to the Planning Commission. Motion: Low. Seconded: Causey. Vote: Passes 7-0 (Yes—Andrade, Biscoe, Causey, Jones, Lehman, Low, Nielson).
• To approve Resolution 21-01 as corrected appropriating excess expenditures. Motion: Low. Seconded: Causey. Vote: Passes 7-0 (Yes—Andrade, Biscoe, Causey, Jones, Lehman, Low, Nielson).
• To approve Resolution 21-02 establishing 2021 system development charge rates. Motion: Lehman. Seconded: Biscoe. Vote: Passes 7-0 (Yes—Andrade, Biscoe, Causey, Jones, Lehman, Low, Nielson).
• To suspend City Council rules on agenda order until it can be further assessed in a work session. Motion: Jones. Seconded: Andrade. Vote: Passes 7-0 (Yes—Andrade, Biscoe, Causey, Jones, Lehman, Low, Nielson).
• To continue streaming public meetings on Facebook and allow public participation in Zoom sessions with access to having cameras turned on and off but not having the chat feature enabled. Motion: Jones. Seconded: Lehman. Vote: None.
• To table a discussion on public meeting participation options. Motion: Biscoe. Seconded: Andrade. Vote: Passes 6-1 (Yes—Andrade, Biscoe, Causey, Lehman, Low, Nielson; No—Jones).