August 2015

Career Changes  Chief Johnson swore in three new police officers on 7/20. They will be good additions to the department, and what is especially interesting is the path they took to law enforcement. Mike Svoboda served in the US Coast Guard and then gained customer service experience in a Colorado sporting goods store. Brock Rosenthal was "road tested" by the department in his role as a Community Service Officer, and found to have qualities that would make him be a good (sworn) law enforcement officer. And Mark Laymon has proven himself over seven years as a utility worker in our Public Works Department, and thought it would be cool to make a career switch to police officer. Congratulations to all three of them!

Councilor Karen Bowerman announced at the July 7 Council meeting that she will be resigning from the Council, effective on August 31. With direction from the Mayor and Council, Anne-Marie Simpson has posted an ad and application form for residents to express interest in being appointed to the position (the term expires at the end of 2016). The Council hopes to make an appointment in September.

A key feature of Lake Oswego's Gallery Without Walls is that the sculpture is displayed on a two-year rotation, giving residents a fresh view of outdoor art, and letting more artists display their work. One of the sculptures that was scheduled to rotate out was Sunflower that has been displayed at Sundeleaf Plaza. But it has been a favorite with residents and visitors, and many were sad to see it go. In response, Council member Skip O'Neill and his wife Lynda stepped up and purchased the sculpture as a gift to the community. Nancy Nye, Executive Director of the Arts Council, said this is one of the largest single donations the Council has received.

Speaking of art, our library has been displaying the work of Dave Arpin, who splits his time between Parks & Rec and IT (you may have met him delivering mail). His art in the library features an unusual medium: colored duct tape. And his graphic design talent has served the city in another way--he designed the new eye-popping wrap for the Adult Community Center's van. It was a highlight of the July 4 parade, sending the message that our ACC isn't your typical senior center.

Lean Oswego

Deputy City Attorney Evan Boone has worked with IT to implement a digital signature process. This is a key step toward fully paperless contracts and agreements, in which contractors and city contract managers can sign agreements in a way that meets legal and practical requirements for authentic signatures.

The Planning & Building Department has launched an on-line tree permit application process, which eliminates the need for contractors and residents to travel to City Hall to apply for their permit. In related news, the Council has appointed an ad-hoc committee to make recommendations on changes to the tree code, and one of the charges to the committee is to consider code changes that can further streamline the process.

Engineering has converted the erosion control permit application to an on-line fillable form, and is working on a similar conversion for their traffic control permit. They are also devoting an hour per week to updating their set of standard specifications that contractors use when constructing street and utility facilities (they have over 130 of them!). Having clear and up-to-date standards will save time for both contractors and staff.

Jenny Slepian, management & sustainability fellow, sent this note to the Fire Department: "I was just looking through our EPA Portfolio Manager where I enter electricity, water, and gas use for city buildings each month. Since we started doing this in 2008, the fire stations have seen an AMAZING decrease in greenhouse gas emissions, which seems tied directly to a significant drop in energy use." Since 2008, the decreases are 25% for the Main Station, 18% for Westlake, 15% for Jean Road, and 6% for South Shore. Jenny wrote, "Now I really can’t wait to see what happens when the [new interior] LEDs and sensors go in!"

To streamline the recruitment process, the Police Department is considering an internship program, where interns (typically working on a criminal justice or related degree) will work on meaningful projects, but also be evaluated as potential candidates for a future position within the department.