July 2019

A Fond Farewell
This will be my last post as LO city manager. It's been an honor and pleasure to be able to go to work every day with people whose company I truly enjoy.

Sandy and I look forward to continuing to enjoy life in Lake Oswego. And when I hear the police or fire sirens, walk in the parks and shop at the Farmers Market, check out books in the library, take advantage of programs at the ACC, drive on newly-paved streets, turn on the faucet for a drink of good clean water...I'll be thinking of you.    --Scott

Introducing New Staff

Shawn Ishihara is our newest employee in the finance department, taking the place of Amanda Creek who now works in the fire department. Shawn was born and raised in Maui, and was actively involved in the management of their family business (a retail grocery store). She already had an Oregon connection, though: her son graduated from Linfield College and now works as an RN. She lives in Mountain Park, and she and her husband enjoy hiking. And they have a "small house dog" named Bella.

Kat Kluge has joined the administrative support staff in the planning & building department. She has worked there part time since last August, and was officially hired for her full-time position on May 9. Kat was born and raised in Boring and graduated from Sam Barlow High. After high school she worked in Seattle for a while, doing court reporter work for the national government. After living in other parts of the country, she returned to the Portland area four or five years ago. Kat lives in Gresham, and has 9 and 13 year old daughters. She and her family enjoy camping and hiking. The girls have a bunny and chickens.

June 2019

News

There is a lot going on around the city. Here are some highlights:

On May 21, the City Council awarded several key contracts. They include the construction contract for the Boones Ferry Road project. Project manager Crystal Shum reports that work will begin as early as mid-June. The Council also awarded a contract for summer paving work, but based on the recommendation of project manager Joel Komarek, decided to hold off on seal coating until next summer because bids came in too high.

In it's role as the redevelopment agency board, the Council also approved the first phase of the city hall project, which includes demolition of the two buildings east of city hall. Sid Sin is managing this project.

The team that managed the D Avenue project, led by Rob Amsberry, celebrated with a street party on May 22. The residents appreciate the difference it's made to the neighborhood. The Country Club-A Avenue project, managed by Dave Kudna, is on schedule and work should be completed by mid-July.

Many other road, water, and sewer projects are underway or about to begin; see the map at http://www.ci.oswego.or.us/projects?field_project_type_tid=462 for details.

After a Request for Qualifications process, three groups of companies were short-listed to submit proposals to design, build, finance, and operate a new, more compact sewage treatment plant in Foothills. Among other things, the RFP process will help us evaluate the financial feasibility of the project. If it doesn't pencil out, Portland will resume work on upgrading the existing plant. Anthony Hooper is heading up the project team for the overall redevelopment of Foothills.

We hope to have a revised development agreement for the North Anchor project on the June 18 Council agenda. The concept plan approved by the Council (LORA Board) includes a 134-room boutique hotel between First and State Streets, and ground floor retail with parking above on the west side of First Street. David Powell and Sid Sin are taking the lead on this project.

The $30 million parks bond measure was approved by voters on May 21. Ivan Anderholm is working with the Parks Board on initial recommendations to the City Council on specific projects that might be funded through the bond proceeds. An issue that is yet to be resolved is whether, and how much, for the city to contribute to the school district's pool replacement project. In a joint meeting with the Council, the school board committed $18 million toward a new and expanded pool at the Lakeridge Junior site.

On June 4, the City Council will consider a September annexation election for Southwood Park, a 300-home unincorporated area at the far northwest corner of the city. Scot Siegel and Paul Espe are taking the lead on this and other annexation opportunities.

Also on June 4 is a public hearing on a draft ordinance, recommended by the Planning Commission, to allow limited short term rentals (e.g., AirBnB and others) in residential zones.

A Council goal is to complete the pathway connection between Foothills and George Rogers Parks. We were able to purchase one of the three remaining properties, and are in the process of reselling it with the pathway easement attached. Ivan Anderholm and I have meetings scheduled with the owners of the last two properties in June to try to negotiate the purchase of easements.

A dispute with the design engineers caused a delay in the Iron Mountain Park project, but it is now back on track with work expected to begin this summer. Bruce Powers is managing this project.

At a June 18 study session, the City Council will consider exploring a partnership with Clackamas County and the Mountain Park HOA to provide gigabit fiber Internet service to Mountain Park residents. If the Council gives the go-ahead, the project will be managed by Anthony Hooper and Weston Pay.

Another Council goal is to create a diversity, equity, and inclusion task force. On May 21, the Council approved a process for recruiting task force members, as well as a scope of work that is focused on ways to get more diversity on city advisory boards, and in recruiting city staff. Megan Phelan is the staff lead for this project.

These projects are just the tip of the iceberg; my thanks to all of you who keep the city running while this work gets done.

Welcoming New Staff

David Lamb has joined LOPD as an officer. He comes to us with experience in law enforcement in California. David was born in southern California and graduated from Newberry Park HS in Ventura County. If anyone is interested in forming a staff softball team, you need to recruit him: before his law enforcement career, David played professional baseball for Tampa Bay, the Minnesota Twins, and the Mets. He lives in Villebois in Wilsonville, and in his free time enjoys working out at the gym, golf, and wine tasting. And he has a dog, a Labradoodle.

May 2019

Welcoming New Colleagues

Evan Lambka started work in February in public works, mostly specializing in utility locates. Evan was born in Marshalltown, Iowa, and graduated from high school in Naperville, Illinois. He lived in California (Bay area) until 2003. Their family eventually found their way to Lake Oswego, and his sons attended Lakeridge High. Evan lives near the Maintenance Center, and in his free time enjoys motorcycle touring on his big Suzuki. He has a mini longhair dachshund named Walter.

Thomas Benson has joined the engineering department as an engineering tech. He was born and raised in Olympia, and got an environmental science degree at the University of Arizona. Thomas lives in Tigard, and he and his girlfriend enjoy travel--to Mexico and eventually to Europe. He has a dog (a coonhound).

Charity Taylor has been working for us since the summer of 2018 as our Kincaid Intern, and this spring was hired full time as a management analyst. Her current assignment is in parks & recreation, doing a variety of projects and helping in the day-to-day operation of the department. Charity was born and raised in Portland, graduating from St. Mary's Academy, and the University of Portland, where she started out interested in chemistry but ended up with a degree in political science. She's currently working on a masters in public administration from Portland State. Charity has four brothers (some of whom attended LO High) and a sister. In her free time, Charity is a Zumba instructor and enjoys exploring restaurants. She lives in the Arbor Lodge neighborhood of Portland.

Erik Olson has joined our staff as a city planner, after a circuitous route to get here: after earning his masters degree in planning from Portland State, he spent four years as a planner for the City of New York. a somewhat bigger town than LO. Erik was born in Sacramento and graduated from high school in Tucson. He and Katie were married a year ago, and live in St. Johns. He enjoys biking, craft beer and "fermentation projects" (you'll have to ask him). He and Katie have two cats.

Trace Rew is our client services coordinator at the ACC. She was born in Missouri and moved to Oregon (next door to us in Multnomah Village); she graduated from Wilson High. Trace has had a variety of jobs, and especially likes working with old folks. She's been active in the Portland Women's Club and enjoys photography. She has two cats and a dog.

Cody SwarJtz has been working as an intern for LOPD, and was recently hired as a community service officer; his goal is to become a police officer. Cody was born in Pennsylvania and moved around a lot. He ended up graduating from high school in The Dalles, and attended Pioneer Pacific University in Wilsonville, where he now lives. In his free time Cody enjoys hanging out with friends, hiking, and family activities (his parents now live in Lebanon OR). Cody has cats; no dog. When asked how he became interested in law enforcement, he attributed it to a career day during his junior year in high school, when some officers talked about their jobs. A good reminder for all of us on the influence we can have in encouraging careers in public service.

Julie Kidoguchi has joined our library staff, coming from some fourteen years of experience working in libraries. Most recently (since 2010) she's worked for Beaverton's library; she lives near PCC (her husband is on the faculty there) and the commute to our library is much easier. Julie was born in Montana and graduated from Skyview High in Billings. She and her husband lived in Seattle for a while, and then moved to Portland in 2008. In her free time she enjoys spending time at the coast, and family activities (their 13-year-old daughter is a gymnast, and their son is studying film production at PCC and PSU). And they have a cat.

Brian Don is our new building official. Brian was born in Gresham, and graduated from high school in Goldendale WA, where is father was the building official (!). Brian has had extensive experience in the field, most recently as building official for La Grande and St. Helens. Brian lives in his son's house in Scapoose. In his free time, he enjoys working on vehicles, archery hunting, firearms, and gardening. No dogs (his wife is allergic to them), but a macaw and an African gray parrot (yes, they both talk).

Karen Galloway staffs the memory care program at the ACC. Karen was born in Colorado, and grew up mostly in Henderson, NV. She later worked for nonprofits in both Henderson and Grand Junction, CO. She "followed her children" to Portland, and has lived for the past five years on the edge of LO, by PCC. Karen is a yoga teacher and enjoys running, hiking and exploring, photography, and a variety of volunteer activities. As to pets, she is "in between dogs."

Special April 1 Edition

Age Restricted  Red Bull has announced plans for a gated, age-restricted development in Stafford. Residents will be limited to ages 19-39. The development's recreation center and pool will be open to the public; youth, seniors and veterans will be charged a 50% premium. Speculation is the US Supreme Court (average age: 88) will review the case, since they tend to only support discrimination when it benefits people like them.

Newton's Third Law  The Lake Oswego Neighbors Against Change group is circulating an initiative petition to ban children's tricycles, push bikes, and scooters on neighborhood streets. They apparently cause noise and congestion, and detract from neighborhood character.

Invasive Species  The resident deer population has embarked on an invasive species removal program. Noting the alarming proliferation of humans, the deer have requested an ordinance prohibiting the feeding of humans. They realize the problem can't be totally eradicated; six breeding pairs would be acceptable.

Patronizing the Poor  The opponents of congestion pricing have extended the argument by opposing the use of prices for cars and gasoline. Poor people use those things too, so they should be provided for free by the government and paid for through taxes. When asked what people will do when they are stuck in traffic in their government-issued Lada sedans, the response is, "Let them eat cake." Gluten-free, of course.

For Railfans  Speaking of congestion, Metro is planning a $500 trillion bond measure in 2020 to pay for a region-wide rail transit system. To encourage people to actually use this 200-year-old technology, there will be a rail stop at every home and business, with trains running every five minutes. Only one transfer will be required to go anywhere, but with all the stops, it will take two days to travel ten miles. The operating cost is estimated at $10,000 per ride; Metro is hoping for a federal subsidy via a rounding error in the Defense Department budget.

Pool in River City  Discussions continue over the school district's request that the city help them pay for their pool. On further analysis, staff discovered that it would be cheaper for the city to pay for teaching children, and let the school district pay for administration and sports.

Homeless in Lake Oswego  Still searching for a home, in 2019 the Parks & Rec department will be temporarily housed in a Goodwill drop-off bin in the Safeway parking lot.

Prime Time Entertainment  Alec Baldwin has jointed the crowded field running for president in 2020. According to his talent agent, "Alec has both the practice and experience to do the job." The major networks are in a bidding war for the rights to the debate series. Baldwin is seeking the nomination of the Entertainment Party, which by 2020 is expected to have enrolled more voters than those other two parties, whatever they're called.

March 2019

2019 City Council Goals

On February 19 the City Council adopted their goals for 2019. Here is their goal statement:

2019 City Council Goals

In recognition of the fact that many secondary goals are being pursued and that there are many ongoing plans of the City Council, the primary 2019 City Council goals (not in priority order) are:

Improve the city’s streets and pathways

This year – Complete the paving and pathway projects as identified in the Capital Improvement Plan. Seek regional partners and support for a Willamette Shoreline bike/ped trail that doesn’t threaten the loss of railroad easements.

Next two years – Acquire easements and construct the pathway connection between Foothills Park and George Rogers Park. Complete on-street and off-street pathways identified in CIP, transportation and parks plans, with emphasis on safe routes to schools and the most actively used pedestrian and bicycling corridors.

Long term – Complete the River-to-River (from George Rogers Park to the Tualatin River) pathway. Provide safe (walking/bicycling) routes to all schools. Complete on-street and off-street pathways identified in transportation and parks master plans. Continue to improve streets, bringing the PCI (pavement condition index) to 70.

Provide appropriate facilities for outdoor and indoor recreation and swimming

This year – Work with Lake Oswego School District on a comprehensive assessment of district and city fields, courts and gyms, school/community pool needs, outdoor/indoor recreation opportunities and the existing District/City intergovernmental agreement (IGA) regarding recreation facilities. Consider a city park bond measure that would provide funding for a community pool.

Support business investment in Lake Oswego

This year – promote Lake Oswego as a place to start or grow a business. Make a go/no-go decision on a new Foothills wastewater treatment plant as the first step in redevelopment of the area. Break ground on the North Anchor project.

Long term – work with private partners on the implementation of the Foothills Master Plan and the Southwest Employment Area plan.

Other 2019 City Council goals and work elements

• Appoint a task force on diversity, equity, and inclusion.
• Hire a city manager.
• Come to a decision on short term rentals.
• Consider strategies for sustainable Fire/EMS costs.
• Explore a "smart city" stategy.
• Update the city's Sustainability Action Plan to incorporate climate change goals.
• Seek legislation to eliminate the state's "Little Davis Bacon" mandate.
• Work with Clackamas County on the development of Metro housing bond projects in Lake Oswego.

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Introducing New Staff

Brodie Naive (pronounced "nave") has started her training in LOCOM as a 9-1-1 dispatcher. Brodie was born and raised in Beaverton, and graduated from Westview High. Her father had experience in law enforcement in Kauai, and Brodie studied Criminal Justice at PSU. She served as an intern with LOPD (Darryl Wrisley was her supervisor), and when she was introduced to our dispatchers, she decided it was the ideal career for her. Outside of work, she enjoys hiking and hanging out with friends. She has a new house (in Beaverton) and a new puppy, plus three cats, a gecko, and a snake.

Chloe Busch is a new employee in Finance, often staffing the front counter, handling everything from water bill payments to passport applications. She was also born and raised in Beaverton, and graduated from Aloha High. But she is familiar with Lake Oswego: since 2017 she has worked in the Wells Fargo branch just up the street from city hall. Chloe lives in Beaverton and in her free time enjoys hiking, kayaking, and movies. Her dog is a silver lab.

Jeremy Quinby is one of our newest firefighters. Jeremy was born in Portland and raised in Newberg, graduating from Newberg High. He studied at Oregon State for a while, and played football for Pacific Lutheran. His wife Brittany is a teacher, and they have a 4-year-old daughter and a newborn (3 weeks old) son. They live between Newberg and Hillsboro on an acre, with two dogs and a cat. Jeremy enjoys hunting and fishing, and his family likes to vacation in warmer places.

Keith Youngblood is also a new firefighter. He was born in Sacramento, and his family moved to Oregon when he was five years old. He lived and went to school in Clatskanie, and played basketball for many of those years. He was introduced to the fire service in high school, where he served as a cadet with the Clatskanie Fire District, and was subsequently hired by the district. Keith and his wife Chatney live in Scappoose, have a 1-year-old son and are expecting a second child in August. They enjoy traveling, and Keith enjoys fly fishing. They have had two rescue boxers.

February 2019

Introducing New City Council Members

On January 2, Jackie Manz took the oath of office to continue on the City Council for another four years, and two new councilors, Daniel Nguyen and John Wendland, were sworn in. Here's some background information on our new council members, provided by Bonnie Hirshberger:

Daniel Nguyen (pronounced "win") is a restaurateur, businessman and community volunteer. Born to Vietnamese refugee parents and raised in the Pacific Northwest, he and his wife Katherine moved to Lake Oswego in 2010 with their two school-aged daughters.

Councilor Nguyen holds a BA in Business & Public Administration from the University of Puget Sound and an MBA from Marylhurst University. His educational and professional background includes economic development, construction administration, and hospitality management.

John Wendland graduated from Lake Oswego High School. He earned a BS in Commerce degree in Accounting and a Certificate of Retail Studies at the Retail Management Institute from Santa Clara University.

Councilor Wendland held various corporate and senior management positions prior to owning his own manufacturing business in Portland. He has volunteered in many capacities for our schools and served on the Lake Oswego School Board for eight years, two as Chair. He serves as Chair of non-profit organization Reading Results, served on his HOA board, and has been a LO Chamber member since 2006. John and his wife Lisa have two daughters, both graduates of Lake Oswego schools.

City Council Goals
At their January 12 retreat, the City Council discussed goals for 2019 and beyond. They will refine the goal statement at their February 5 meeting, and I'll include them in next month's newsletter.

Welcoming New Staff

Raphael Palacios has joined our parks maintenance staff, responsible for taking care of several of our parks. Raphael was born and raised in Santa Rosa, CA, and worked for several years as a groundskeeper for the Santa Rosa Junior College. where he also took classes in horticulture. Even though his family is back in California, Raphael decided to strike out on his own and is glad to be part of our parks department. As a benefit to the department, he brings fluency in Spanish. Outside of work, he enjoys outdoor activities like hiking. No pets, yet.

Stefan Broadus is our new assistant city engineer, helping to manage our various city construction projects. Stefan was born in Jacksonville, Florida, and attended the University of Florida in Gainesville. He met his wife, Nicole, at the university; she's a registered nurse. They have a 6-year-old daughter and 2-year-old son. They were attracted to Oregon by its natural beauty and opportunities for activities like hiking. Stefan was a surfer in Florida but hasn't tried it (with a wetsuit) in Oregon yet. They're enjoying urban life in Sellwood. They have two dogs, and Stefan reports that one isn't sure about Oregon weather.

Allison Arnold is a new library manager, working with the staff in reference and adult services. We were fortunate to hire her away from Tigard's library. Allison was born in the Houston area and moved around a lot growing up: San Francisco, Utah, and back to Texas where she graduated from high school. She then headed west to go to college at George Fox, and a masters degree at the University of Washington. Allison first did some social work, and then volunteered in a library and found it fulfilled her interest in both service and literature. She lives in the Red Fox area of Lake Oswego and has a 2-year-old son. Outside of work, Allison enjoys baking pies, traveling, and of course reading, especially historical fiction. She doesn't have a dog...but says she wants one!

January 2019

AFFIRMING A WELCOMING AND INCLUSIVE CITY

At their meeting on December 4, the members of the City Council unanimously approved this Resolution:

RESOLUTION 18-54

A RESOLUTION OF THE LAKE OSWEGO CITY COUNCIL AFFIRMING A WELCOMING AND INCLUSIVE CITY

Whereas on September 5, 2017, the Lake Oswego City Council signed a proclamation reiterating its commitment to being a safe, caring and respectful community where hate in any form is not tolerated; and

WHEREAS the City of Lake Oswego is striving to become increasingly welcoming, inclusive, representative, and responsive to historically underrepresented and underserved communities; and

WHEREAS our Country and City’s shared prosperity is in part the result of contributions of people of many nationalities and races; and

WHEREAS it is important to recognize that governmental action can affect the inclusiveness of a community; for example, prior to its repeal in 1927, the exclusionary clause of the Oregon Constitution adopted in 1857, perpetuated racial discrimination against racial minorities by excluding their immigration into the state and before being held unconstitutional, so did deed restrictions by prohibiting transferring property based on classifications such as race, religion, sex, or sexual orientation; and

WHEREAS the City’s cultural and policy environment is made better when all of our City’s residents have the opportunity to fully participate in the social, civic, and economic fabric of their City; and

WHEREAS the City acknowledges the inherent worth and dignity of all persons and believes everyone should be treated with respect regardless of race, color, national origin, immigration or refugee/asylum status, ethnicity, primary language, religion, sex, gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, marital status, familial status, mental, emotional and/or physical ability, age, or economic status; and

WHEREAS the City has committed to provide City services and the full range of public safety services; and

WHEREAS our City is stronger when all people are free from fear, intimidation, harassment, and uncertainty; and

WHEREAS the City Council, as the governing body of the City that is home to over 37,000 residents, has identified equity, diversity, inclusion, prosperity, health, and community safety among its desired outcomes; and

WHEREAS the City of Lake Oswego embraces service, professionalism, integrity, respect, individual accountability, and trust as core values of the City government and leadership.

NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that:

1. The City Council reaffirms its commitment to valuing diversity, equity and inclusion by providing stability, opportunity, safety and justice for everyone living, working, and visiting the City;
2. The City Council embraces, welcomes and celebrates its immigrant and refugee/asylum residents to the collective prosperity of all residents;
3. The City Council commits to continuing to work to eliminate racial disparities and other forms of discrimination and ensure that every Lake Oswego resident has the opportunity to thrive;
4. The City Council reaffirms its commitment to establishing trust;
5. The City Council reaffirms its commitment to the City government’s core values of service, professionalism, integrity, respect, individual accountability and trust;
6. The City Council directs staff to continue to respectfully serve all residents of the City regardless of race, color, national origin, immigration or refugee/asylum status, ethnicity, primary language, religion, sex, gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, marital status, familial status, mental, emotional and/or physical ability, age, or economic status.

Holiday Breakfast

Many thanks to Gail Hoddevik for organizing our employee holiday breakfast on December 20. Here are some photos (most courtesy of Dave Arpin):

December 2018

Reminder: City Employee Holiday Breakfast Buffet – December 20th 7:00 am – 10:00 am at the Public Works Maintenance Center.

Workplace Giving Campaign

Gail Hoddevik reports that 22 employees participated in the Workplace Giving Campaign that was held between October 22nd and November 7th. They pledged $14,500 to go to United Way, Children’s Trust, Earth Share Oregon, RACC, and Community Health. Andrea Milano with the library prepared the winning entry in the appetizer contest with "Cheese,Cheese & More Cheese."

Welcoming New Colleagues

Tim Reese is a new operator at our water treatment plant. Tim was born in Coos Bay and grew up on the coast. He worked in the automotive and RV business before making a career change to treatment plant operations, He's familiar with our WTP, having served as an intern this summer. Outside of work, Tim enjoys Blazers and Beavers games, and he has played basketball and baseball. He lives in Oregon City and currently has no pets...although he used to have a boxer.

Daphne Cissell is now working with Bill Youngblood on our code enforcement team. Daphne was born in the Azores and moved around a lot as a self-described navy brat. Among other places, she lived in Hawaii, and graduated from high school in Bellingham, WA. She moved to California and admits she likes the weather better there, but her partner's family is from Seattle and Portland seemed like a good compromise. She lives in North Portland near the St. Johns Bridge, and enjoys travelling, gardening, and making stained glass. And she has two dogs.

Phil Bonsi is also a new a new water treatment plant operator, having started work on October 29. He's had extensive experience operating both wastewater and water treatment plants (most recently for the City of Salem), but started his professional career in fish and wildlife. Phil was born in San Jose, moved with his family north, and graduated from Rex Putnam. He's lived and worked in the US Virgin Islands and Hawaii, among other places. In his free time he enjoys fishing from his 20-foot boat, hunting, going to Ducks games, and spending time with his granddaughters (ages 10 and 12). He lives in Beavercreek and currently has no pets.

November 2018

Giving Thanks

Shawn Achor, in The Happiness Advantage, points out that what we do at work can color our outlook on life, and not always in good ways. He uses the example of an attorney "deposing" her children when they get home from school. Jobs that require us to look for errors or problems can put us in a negative frame of mind. And many of our jobs require us to do that a lot: reviewing building plans and inspecting construction, watching for speeding cars and parking violations, inspecting businesses for fire code violations, reviewing a tree removal permit, and so on.

But the author recommends an antidote, based on solid psychological research. We can regain a positive outlook, in spite of our work, simply by writing down each day three things we are grateful for. It doesn't matter when, but he suggests the same time every day to get into the habit of it. And he says it is even more effective if family members share their three things for that day when they gather at the dinner table. (Copies of The Happiness Advantage are available through the Lake Oswego Library; I highly recommend it!)

2-1-1 Help Line: Free Assistance

A helpful tip from Ann Adrian and Maria Bigelow at the ACC

You may know about 4-1-1 for information services. Did you also know that four years ago the Helpline became 2-1-1 to reflect the national number to call for a wide range of social services? 2-1-1 accesses local information and resources by city/zip code. Basic service information on local agencies allow City staff to help someone whose needs go beyond what the City can offer.

This information is available via phone, text, email or website search. They also have a fantastic blog which alerts the community of veteran hiring events and legal emergency planning among others. Housing, health care, shelter, warming centers, energy assistance, food resources, child care and emergency assistance resources and much more available to share with persons who may come to you for direction. 

DIAL 211 toll free | TEXT your zip code to 898211| EMAIL help@211info.org

Introducing New Colleagues

Scott Austin has joined us as a building plans examiner. Scott was born and raised in Northern California, and served for 23 years in the US Navy, including work in naval intelligence. He decided working in the building industry would make a good "encore career." Scott lives in Beaverton, and outside of work enjoys home improvements, gardening, reading, exploring Portland, and football. He has two cats.

Allison Staley has joined our library, in youth services. Allison was born in Portland and graduated from Grant High. She discovered her passion for libraries working for Steamboat Springs CO library. She likes our library for the small town feel, and the fact that it's close to downtown. Allison lives in the Laurelhurst neighborhood and outside work enjoys skiing, dragon boat racing, soccer, biking and hiking, and of course, reading. Her dog Petunia is a Great Dane/Pit Bull mix.

October 2018

Leadership in LO

During the recruitment process for the Library Director position, I learned that Melissa Kelly had been chosen by the other libraries in Clackamas County to chair the group that implemented RFID for all the libraries. Then at Wendy Svaren’s retirement party, I learned that Wendy had not only been elected as president of the Oregon Peace Officers Association, but she also founded a group that established best practices for evidence and property in all Oregon police agencies.

I wondered if this was the tip of the iceberg. I knew that Leslie Taylor was a leader in the upgrade of the emergency communications system not only in Clackamas County, but in the region. Sue Scobert had a leadership role in moving to a regional police records system. Kari Duncan has been a leader in the American Public Works Association, and Megan Phelan was elected to the board of the Oregon City Manager’s Association, and was a founder of the Oregon Women’s Leadership Academy.

Rachel Sykes and Madison Thesing are working with other cities like Hillsboro and Beaverton to coordinate the way cities deal with the new micro cell antenna technology. Elizabeth Bunga as Building Official and Erica Rooney as City Engineer are role models in professions that have historically been dominated by men. The list goes on…

With companies like Nike struggling to change their corporate culture, I’m proud that the City of Lake Oswego is setting an example for other government agencies in Oregon. To all the women who have such key roles, whether within our organization or beyond: I salute you.

Introducing New Colleagues

Adam Brensen is an operator at our new water treatment plant. He comes to us after three years with Clean Water Services. Adam and his wife Rosemary live in Milwaukie and have a 20-month-old son, Silas. No pets at the moment. Outside of work, Adam enjoys outdoor activities, music, and cooking.

Jason Hoye is a new utility worker in the public works wastewater department. Jason was born and raised outside of Chicago, and held several jobs in Illinois before moving to Oregon (in Milwaukie). In his free time, Jason enjoys cycle cross racing, and hopes to bike to work in the future, especially if the bike/ped bridge over the Willamette gets built. No pets, but his girlfriend has a dog.

Hillary Evart is on staff as a children's librarian, after serving the library on an on-call basis for three years. Hillary was born in San Francisco and grew up in the Bay area, with a bachelor's degree from UC Berkeley and a master's from San Diego State. She later added to those with a master's in library and information science. She has worked for Guide Dogs for the Blind, and she and her husband both work for philanthropic organizations. They have two young adult children, and a rescue dog named Cooper. They live in Portland near Grant High and are active with the Hollywood Theater nonprofit organization. Hillary also enjoys running and open water swimming.

September 2018

Election 2018

Eight Lake Oswego residents have filed to run for three city council seats in the November election. Councilor Gudman is prevented from running again due to our charter's term limits, and Councilor Buck is running for a Metro council seat. Councilor Manz is running for a second four-year term. We must remain neutral on the election while we're on the job, but we can provide factual and background information to any candidate who asks for it. I've invited the candidates to contact departmental staff directly if they have any questions about projects or services we provide. 

Staff Party

Do join us at the end-of-summer employee picnic on Friday, September 14!

Welcoming New Staff

Nell Diamond has taken Bev Ross's role in administrative and facilities support for our library. Nell was born in New Orleans and graduated from high school in Louisiana. She was in Oregon on vacation in 1986 and liked it so much she decided to move here and start a 32-year career with Fed Ex. She lived at first in Portland, then moved to Lake Oswego in 2002. Her son is a sophomore at University of Oregon. Outside of work, Nell enjoys reading (!), working in the yard, serving the community through the Lake Oswego Rotary Club, and especially travelling around the world. She has a dog and cat, both rescue animals.

Leah Wells-Swanson is providing front-line customer service for the Planning and Engineering departments. She was born and raised in Centralia, Washington, and moved to West Linn in 2000. She has five children; two are still at home (ages 9 and 18). Leah has previous work experience in the construction industry, and looks forward to helping residents and builders get their work done. Leah enjoys reading, activities associated with the Nisqually Tribe, and water sports. She is a past volunteer with the Lake Oswego Women's Club. She has a small dog and a big cat.

Blake Rinkin started work in August for Public Works, primarily locating our buried pipes to help prevent contractors from hitting them. Blake was born and raised in Albany, and moved up to Hillsboro a year ago to work for Intel. He says that once when driving through Lake Oswego, he thought, "this could be a good place to work in," and followed up with an application when the job was posted. Outside of work, he especially enjoys outdoor activities with family. No dog yet, but there may be one in the future.

August 2018

Lean Oswego

There is nothing so useless as doing more efficiently that which should not be done at all.
                                                                                                       --Peter Drucker

When Chuckie's Pies moved to its new store in the Windward building, the company needed a new liquor license. The owner wondered why it took so long for the city to review its OLCC application. That led to a "continuous process improvement" analysis of our process, which ultimately led to the question, "Why are we in this loop at all?"

Police Chief Jorgensen took on the task of investigating exactly what we do, and why. This included getting passed from one OLCC staff member to another, to find someone who could answer the question, "Can you just cut us out of the review loop?" The answer, it turned out was, "No, state law requires us to use this form, which requires the applicant to walk the form over to city hall. But we don't care how you review it."

The Finance Department has served as the gate-keeper, collecting a fee and routing the application to a number of departments. But Chief Jorgensen's investigation found no evidence that we had ever made comments that led to the denial of an application by OLCC. And it seemed we had other ways to make sure businesses comply with our zoning and business licensing requirements.

So we agreed upon a simple fix: when presented with the OLCC form by the business owner, any staff member at the front counter is empowered to simply sign it and hand it back. That's it. No fee, no paperwork, and immediate customer service. We'd prefer to save the business owner the trip to city hall, but it seems that will require a change in an old state statute.

How many other processes do we have that might not be necessary? I'm sure we submit a lot of reports to state and federal agencies that no one ever reads, as one example. Maybe our next LOONI award competition should follow the theme, "Stop It."

Welcoming New Staff

Noel Elsen joined our library staff in April. She was born (on Christmas) and raised in Wisconsin. She and her husband honeymooned in Portland and have lived in the area since 2016. She's been interested in library work since high school, and has worked for our library on an on-call basis for the last two years.  Noel likes traveling, live music (her husband is a drummer in a band), and...reading.

Madison Thesing has taken Rachel Sykes' place as management and program analyst in Public Works. She was born in the Bay Area and graduated from Granite Bay High School. She has a masters degree in public administration from USC. She earned praise for her work as a one-year ICMA Fellow working for four cities in the area (a similar role to Nic Westendorf, who has since been hired by Tualatin); we were able to hire her away from Hillsboro. Madison enjoys camping, skiing, kayaking, being a foodie and wine tasting. She lives in NW Portland with her cat, Earl Grey.

Chris Warren is our new instrumentation technician at the water treatment plant. Chris was born in New Hampshire and moved to Oregon with his family when he was eight. He grew up in Yamhill County and graduated from Carlton HS. He's worked in the tech industry, where he gained his experience with the care and management of complex instruments. He and his wife Athena (who works for the State of Oregon) have two children (two and four years old) who keep them busy, and a beagle named Gracie.

Emily Liu is taking over the reins from Jamie Inglis in managing the Farmers Market and other special events. But she's no stranger to the department, having worked for the past decade as a part time rec leader. Emily was born in Wisconsin, lived in the Bay Area, and moved to LO when she was eight, graduating from LOHS (and continuing on to get a degree from PSU). Her interests include concerts, restaurants, and traveling (she's planning a trip to Australia). Emily lives in Lake Oswego with her rescue cat, Henry.

Paul Corwin just completed his formal training in our own LOFD academy, and is continuing his on-the-job training as firefighter/paramedic. But he comes with good experience, having served for the past six years with the Marion County and Eugene/Springfield fire departments. Paul was born in Florence, OR, and graduated from high school in Waldport. His wife Kayla is from Canby (working as a nurse in Salem) and they're glad Paul has a job in this part of the state. Paul enjoys motorcycling, trail riding, camping, hiking, and boating, and says he's interested in beekeeping. He claims no pets, but admits his wife has three cats.

Dylan Weimer, like Paul, is beginning his career as a Lake Oswego firefighter/paramedic. Dylan was born in Vancouver and graduated from Skyview HS. He got interested in the fire service through an uncle who worked for the Portland Fire Bureau. In addition to his formal education, Dylan has picked up experience as a resident reserve with the La Pine Fire District. Dylan enjoys skiing, mountain biking, hiking, and playing guitar. His parents are both deaf, and Dylan is fluent in his "first language," American Sign Language, a very useful skill for a first responder.