City Councilor Charlyn Ellis has requested more time to prepare for a hearing in which her colleagues will decide if she is to be expelled from the Council. According to a release from the City, the hearing has now been moved to January 16, 2024.
Ellis wrote City Recorder Alex Downing to make the request, saying, “After taking with my lawyer, we agreed that we will need until the second meeting in January to be ready– to understand the process and to organize.”
The controversy arose after Ellis sought and received a motion from the City’s Climate Action Board, or CAB, to motion the City Council for support staff the Board believes it needs. Volunteer run City boards like these are often supplied with staff support that compile agendas and maintain minutes – and as CAB would like, to chase down information about challenges and opportunities.
Ellis is the CAB chair, as well the City Councilor for Ward 5.
Anyhow, pursuant to the motion passed by the CAB, Ellis later motioned the council to approve the support and direct the City Manager to keep the Council informed about progress making a hire.
Apparently, there was at least one complaint that Ellis’ actions constituted a violation of the City Charter, which prohibits Councilors from influencing or discussing specific hires with the City Manager. However, there has been no evidence offered that she has done anything more than make a suggestion to the CAB, and then ask the City Council to make a strategic decision about supporting work the board does.
Key Homelessness Decision: The City Council at their Monday, Dec. 18 meeting will likely make permanent the City Manager’s authority over determining time, place, and manner regulations on the acts of sitting, sleeping, or lying down in or on public property. This authority had been temporary until now.
City Manager Mark Shepard, as directed by the Council, has been meeting with stakeholders from various local governmental and non-profit organizations that provide services to the houseless living among us – and there will likely be some changes. Early on, there were time, place and manner sites identified for public parks throughout the city – which may not change technically, but in practice, the city will likely start to direct houseless folks to sites in South Corvallis and downtown, and away from the more affluent neighborhoods in North Corvallis, and Southwest Corvallis.
Also, the City will likely decide that lying down and sleeping at sites by schools should go back to being prohibited.
Service Fee Increases: And finally, here are the fee increases that City staff is recommending to the City Council for this year:
- Adopt a resolution to increase:
- Water utility rates by 4% effective February 1, 2024.
- Wastewater utility rates by 3% effective February 1, 2024.
- Stormwater utility rates by 3% effective February 1, 2024.
- Adopt a resolution to increase the transportation maintenance fee rate by 3% effective February 1, 2024.
- Adopt a resolution to increase the sidewalk maintenance fee by $1.00, effective February 1, 2024.
- Adopt a resolution to increase the Urban Forest Management Fee by $0.30, effective February 1, 2024.
- Adopt a resolution to increase the Police Service Fee by $1.35 per Residential Meter Equivalent effective February 1, 2024.
- Adopt a resolution to increase the Fire Service Fee by $2.50 per Residential Meter Equivalent effective February 1, 2024.
- Adopt a resolution to increase the Low-Income Assistance Fee by $0.28 per Residential Meter Equivalent and increase the qualified credit to $53.50 per month effective February 1, 2024.
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