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THE COTTAGE GROVE

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Wednesday, February 21, 2024

Number 8 • 135 years

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New city manager sets priorities Tough Jeremy C. Ruark Country Media, Inc. Michael Sauerwein is just a few weeks into his new job as Cottage Grove City Manager, but he has set a course of priorities in a positive effort to move the city forward. Top priorities “The most pressing priority is developing family wage jobs and housing,” he said. “There is just not a lot of jobs and places to live for folks. So, the role for the city to play is to work with the local business community and with local developers.” Plans in progress Cottage Grove does have surplus land available for development, according to Sauerwein, who added that the city will look at all options, including incentives, to attract development that could provide housing and new jobs. “That’s a policy decision to be made by the city council,” he said. Looking at Cottage Grove’s current economic drivers, Sauerwein said the added value wood products industry, tourism, and the city’s downtown will also be major components of the

city’s future. “I don’t think people realize that our downtown is our crown jewell,” he said. “Cottage Grove has what all other communities wish they had: a vibrant downtown where people can live and where people can work.” Sauerwein said he doesn’t see Cottage Grove competing against other adjacent cities, such as Roseburg and Florence, for tourism. “I don’t think of it as competition,” he said. “It is a symbolic relationship.” He said fostering a regional partnership to enhance tourism will be another priority for Cottage Grove under his administration. “I will be reaching out to the other cities in the area to build that partnership,” he said.

row to hoe

Town Hall set for road work funding PHOTO Courtesy from Main Street Cottage Grove New City Manager Michael Sauerwein said Cottage Grove’s downtown is its “crown jewel.”

treatment and housing need to be a vital part of the homelessness solutions. The city has rescheduled a March 2 community Homelessness challenges meeting to discuss what can Sauerwein is also ready be done about homelessto embrace the challenges ness. of homelessness in Cottage “Our tentative date is Grove. now May 4 with a location “Cottage Grove does not to be determine,” he said. own the issue of homelessness,” Sauerwein said. “This Personal rewards is a regional and national Despite the challenges priority. We are absolutely facing Cottage Grove and looking for the solutions his role as city manager, direction and funding for Sauerwein said he and his those solutions.” wife remain optimistic. According to Sauerwein, “There is a viability to

this place,” he said. “The people here are very supportive. This is really a chance for us to get back to our family roots.” As Cottage Grove’s City Manager, Sauerwein oversees the city’s approximate $11 million annual operating budget and the approximate 100 city employees. Background Sauerwein has over 30 years of public service experience. He served as City Manager for City of Sheridan, Oregon, Assistant City Manager of Samma-

mish, Washington, and as City Manager of the City of Medina, Washington. Most recently, he spent part of the year as the Interim Administrative Services Director for Grays Harbor, Washington. Sauerwein has a Masters of Public Affairs degree and a political science bachelor’s degree from the University of Oregon. Sauerwein will be paid $175,000 annually by the City of of Cottage Grove. He was scheduled to begin his role as city manager Jan. 22.

City leaders weigh homeless strategy By Cindy Weeldreyer Sentinel Community Reporter

TODAY’S EDITION

Lane County is its own region. The Lane County MAC has broad representation from comCrafting public policies for man- munity-based organizations, aging America’s humanitarian crisis collaborative care organizations is similar to navigating a minefield. and local government. On Dec. 14, The “mines” are a combination of the County’s MAC met in Cottage court rulings supporting individual Grove with the Governor to tour rights to occupy publicly-owned the Hwy 99 shelter that needs state property, strained social service funding to continue its operation agency budgets, a growing menafter June 30. tal health crisis, increased public Kotek plans to ask the Legislature health and safety issues, and polar- to spend another $600 million on ized political philosophies. Colhousing and homelessness during lectively, it creates a perfect storm the 35-day Legislative short session without any significant safe harbors that began on Feb 5. The additional in sight. dollars will address the state’s top On her first day in office in 2024 priorities: housing, homelessJanuary 2023, Governor Tina Kotek ness, addiction and public safety. declared homelessness a state of Locally, Assistant City Manager emergency. Two months later, in Jake Boone, Community Coordinator Teresa Cowen and her assisMarch, she signed bills to invest tant, Jessica Klarr, are on the front $200 million from the Legislature lines navigating the homelessness to build more shelter beds, help prevent evictions, devote resources minefield. They are tasked with accomto rural counties and help homeless youth. Her declaration expired last modating the day-to-day needs of un-housed individuals and month. The Governor also established providing information to the City Multi-Agency Coordinating Manager and City Council to guide (MAC) Groups in regions of the development of effective public Oregon to provide state leaders policies to address this difficult with recommendations on how the problem. allocated dollars can be best spent. With Michael Sauerwein now

Obituaries — A7 Opinion — A7 Sports — A8 Classifieds — A4-5

Cindy Weeldreyer/The Sentinel City staff hopes to receive state funding to continue the Hwy 99 managed shelter and improve conditions at the two unmanaged camps. sitting in the city manager’s chair and the state funding pipeline flowing down to counties and cities, it creates the opportunity for officials to evaluate the current strategies and make changes as needed. “Cottage Grove, like all Oregon cities, is addressing homelessness within a framework of existing laws and regulations,” Sauerwein said. “Adoption of the City’s Management Plan is a positive step that we

Phone: 541-649-1616 or 541-549-1618 1498 E. Main Street, STE 104 P.O. Box 35 Cottage Grove, OR 97424

can build on as we go forward.” Boone said, “We’re asking for more state support, as part of Gov. Kotek’s strategy, to directly fund existing operations at the Highway 99 site and, hopefully, for future site upgrades.” The City’s “Homeless Use of Public Lands Management Plan”,

By Cindy Weeldreyer Sentinel Community Reporter After months of significant study of every aspect of road maintenance, construction and financing, the members of the City Council’s Ad Hoc Street Improvement and Funding Committee and city staff are ready to present their findings in a Town Hall meeting at the Armory on Thursday, February 22, from 6:30-8 p.m. There are just over 45 miles of paved streets and nearly five miles of gravel roads inside the city limits. In 2018, City officials hired Emerio Design to conduct a visual assessment of the pavement condition of city streets using a Pavement Condition Index (PCI) from 0-100. A rating of zero is a street that has failed (South N Street). A rating of 100 is a newly constructed or overlaid street (Riverwalk subdivision streets). The PCI rating scale is: Good, Satisfactory, Fair, Poor, Very Poor, Serious and Failed. Streets receiving a serious rating are: North 16th Street, Row River Connector, E. Whiteaker Street, Bryant Avenue, W. Harrison Avenue and South River Road. South Gateway Boulevard received a poor rating. Overall the average rating for the city street network is 54.7, in the index’s poor range. The Council’s vision is to improve the quality of city streets through a fair and equitable use of road funding that improves and maintains the streets at a PCI rating of 72 (good quality), with a priority on arterials and collectors, for the long term improvement of property values and livability. The Ad Hoc Committee’s objective was to research

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