Upcoming July 23, 2024 McMinnville City Council Meeting

By Rebecca Wallis

McMinnville, OR – July 20, 2024

The McMinnville City Council will hold its regular meeting on Tuesday, July 23, 2024, at the Kent Taylor Civic Hall. The session will start at 7:00 p.m. and will be accessible both in person and via Zoom, emphasizing the city’s commitment to public participation.

Meeting Highlights

1. Moment of Silence
The meeting will open with a moment of silence in honor of former Mayor Rick Olson.

2. Public Comments
Community members will be invited to provide comments on any topic not related to litigation, quasi-judicial land use matters, or upcoming public hearings. Comments will be limited to three minutes per person.

3. Committee and Department Reports
– Reports will be presented by councilors on their respective committee and board assignments.
– Department heads will provide updates on various ongoing projects and departmental activities.

4. Consent Agenda
The council will consider several items on the consent agenda, including:
– New OLCC liquor licenses for The Station at 645 NW Adams St. and Odd Moe’s Pizza at 655 SW Keck Dr.
– A waiver of the noise ordinance for live music at 2024 Cruising McMinnville, scheduled for August 23-24.
– Renewing the appointment of Municipal Judge Arnold Poole with an increased compensation.
– Amending the employment agreement with City Manager Jeffrey Towery.
– Participation in the new National Opioids Settlement with Kroger.
– Approval of minutes from previous council meetings held on December 12, 2023, and February 21, 2024.

5. New Business
The council will discuss a request to refer Initiative Petition 2024-01 to the November 2024 General Election as a ballot measure. This petition seeks to ensure that tax measures are placed on ballots during presidential or gubernatorial elections to maximize voter participation.

Key Resolutions and Discussions

– Resolution No. 2024-42: Renewing the appointment of Municipal Judge Arnold Poole and increasing his compensation to $3,088 per month, with future adjustments aligned with general service City employees’ cost-of-living adjustments.
– Resolution No. 2024-43: Approving the third amendment to City Manager Jeffrey Towery’s employment agreement, which includes provisions for deferred compensation contributions up to IRS limits.
– Resolution No. 2024-44: Authorizing participation in the new National Opioids Settlement with Kroger, which will provide additional funds for opioid remediation and abatement strategies in the city.

Meeting Participation

The public is strongly encouraged to participate remotely, but there will be seating available at Civic Hall for those who prefer to attend in person. For those unable to attend, the meeting will be broadcast live on local cable channels and can also be streamed online.

Community members can submit their comments and concerns to the Council in various ways, including:
– Attending in person and filling out a public comment card.
– Emailing comments to the City Recorder at CityRecorderTeam@mcminnvilleoregon.gov by noon on Monday, July 22nd.
– Signing up for public comments via telephone by emailing the City Recorder by noon on Monday, July 22nd.
– Joining the Zoom meeting and using the raise hand feature to request to speak.

The full meeting agenda is available on the McMinnville city website (clickable link).

Editor’s Note:

Councilor Chris Chenoweth is the Chief Petitioner for an initiative petition titled “Stop the MAC Property Tax Grab.” This initiative, if passed, will limit the city’s permanent property tax rate to $3.52 per $1,000 of assessed value, with an annual increase of 3% starting in the fiscal year 2025-26. This measure aims to adjust the city’s tax rate following the creation of a special district for fire and emergency medical services, which has its own funding and taxing authority. For more information on the petition, go to stopthemactax.com.

Photo Credit Yamhill County News File