Cottage Grove, Oregon - Mayor's Page

City Experience

Mayor Gary Williams is serving his fourth term as the Mayor of Cottage Grove. He has served since 2000. Prior to serving as Mayor he was a City Councilor representing Ward 3 for 4 years (he was appointed to fill the remaining portion of a vacant seat and then ran for Mayor mid-way through his first full term).

Current Community Activities
     Vice President - South Lane Translator Association
     President - Cottage Grove Hospital Foundation Board
     Boardmember - Cottage Grove Community Foundation
     Boardmember - Bohemia Foundation

Past Affliations
     Past President - Cottage Grove Historical Society
     Officer - Cottage Grove Community Broadcasting
     Advisor - Cottage Grove Area Chamber of Commerce

Gubernatorial Appointment
     Juvenile Crime Prevention Advisory Committee

Ford Family Foundation Leadership Program Graduate 2008

Mayor Williams is a life-long resident of Cottage Grove. He is married with two sons.

Other Experience or Recognitions

Current:
    Boardmember - League of Oregon Cities
    Past President - Oregon Mayor's Association                                                                (President, 2006)
                                     Life Member
    Past - Chair - Lane Council of Governments
                               (Chair, 2005-2006)
    Boardmember - National Association of Regional Councils
                         (representing Oregon and Washington)
                          Committee membership:
                                Environmental Committee
                               Homeland Security Committee
    Member - Cascadia Mayor's Council
                        West Coast Corridor Coalition
    Member - State Economic Development Board (appointed 2005)
    Serve on the National League of Cities -
            Public Safety and Crime Prevention Policy Committee

State of the City
Presented January 14, 2008
By Mayor Gary Williams

My fellow Citizens, Councilors, City staff and employees, it is my honor to present to you the State of the City Address for 2008. Cottage Grove continues to be a vibrant and wonderful place to work, live and grow. We all should be proud to call Cottage Grove our home. Our community continues to be recognized throughout our beautiful state as a can-do City. We have our challenges like all cities do and we meet them head-on and thanks to you, the citizens of Cottage Grove, we progress beyond our difficulties to solutions and positive outcomes. There are no shortages of examples to draw from.

2007 was a year of partnerships. Through our partnerships we were able to do many of the projects that I will highlight in a moment. Many of the projects of 2007 will continue through 2008 and beyond. We shall continue to reduce our impact on our environment; we shall emphasize preparing our young people for leadership roles, we will continue construction infrastructure to meet future needs, and we will continue to develop a coordinated vision and goals for our community.

Speaking of visions, our Vision 2037 project is well underway. Many in our community are involved in the monumental task that is involving not only the City but the school district, the fire district and all of the service clubs and nonprofit organizations within our community. Many believe this visioning process will be a model for other communities around the state. We will have a coordinated community plan that will bring all of these organizations together towards common goals and objectives. This coordinated effort will definitely have an impact on the future of this community. I was truly excited to see over 350 citizens from throughout the community at the first town hall meeting. Since that first town hall meeting, over 75 citizens have been meeting and reviewing emphasis areas. I’m looking forward to the next town hall meeting in just a few short months with hopes that we will draw as many people as before. I’m told that we will have electronic voting devices at this next meeting. Please plan on attending this important meeting which will begin the review of action items for our community.

On another front we continue to address our environmental responsibilities in various ways. One of those ways is by purchasing 10% of the City’s total power load at it operations from renewable sources. In a unique effort we have partnered with both Pacific Power and Emerald People’s Utility District to create a green partner program in Cottage Grove. Ten percent of our usage equals about 243,600 kilowatt hours per year. By that we will be avoiding 227 tons of carbon dioxide equaling the environmental benefit of planting 44,547 trees or by not driving 485,919 miles. This effort has earned Cottage Grove a green partner award from the EPA. In March in partnership with Pacific Power & Light and Emerald People’s Utility we will be kicking off a campaign to encourage participation from other businesses and consumers within the community with the goal of becoming an EPA Green Power Community. Last week, I received a letter from a local organization which followed the City’s lead in buying their power through this program. Other efforts we are making in the area of environmental stewardship is by converting some of our park equipment to biodiesel and by converting our traffic street lights to light emitting diode technology. The City has retrofitted City Hall and the City Shop lighting systems thereby using less energy, and the City has been approved to apply for a renewable energy feasibility grant for a solar retro fit project at the Wastewater Treatment Plant. And speaking of our Wastewater Treatment Plant, the affluent from this system is being reclaimed and is used to water the newly acquired Middlefield Golf Course and we anticipate more usage of this new resource as we expand irrigation opportunities in our community. In the end the City will be greatly enhanced and beautified by recycling this water. All of this in the end makes for a cleaner Willamette River system.

But this is not all that we are doing for the rivers that run through us. Cottage Grove citizens and area residents in the unincorporated area of South Lane County in partnership with the Army Corps of Engineers, the Bureau of Land Management, the Chamber of Commerce and the Coast Fork Willamette Watershed Council and their sponsor, SOLV, work together to once again bring the Down By The Riverside Cleanup to life. Many businesses and volunteers worked hand-in-hand removing debris and trash from our parks and waterways. Seventy-one adults and thirty-two young people removed 29,342 pounds of debris and trash. These numbers reflect only trash and debris from our City. Debris and trash from Dorena Lake and the rivers were separate. Thanks to all who helped make Cottage Grove and our area cleaner and safer. Thanks also go to the Cottage Grove Garbage Service for their assistance. Thanks also to those businesses that contributed to the effort. Wal-Mart, Costco, Safeway and Ray’s Food Place provided the essentials for a post cleanup barbecue in Coiner Park.

Switching gears, I am overjoyed that our City has placed an emphasis on parks and open space areas for our enjoyment. Our parks were a real showcase this past summer. Many organizations, auto clubs, etc., want to be in our park for their event. We have the Show N’Shine, the Corvette Club and new this next summer an Antique Ford Club will thrill us with their beautiful displays of chrome and color. Prior to the years 2004 and 2005, the City had 133 acres of parks and open space. In 2007 and 2008 we now have 249 acres of parks and open space. Currently we are working on another opportunity to expand an existing park. As you can see we have nearly doubled our inventory of recreational areas in the community. One of the open space areas we maintain is a wetland area near the Industrial Park south of town. This past year through a partnership with the Kennedy Alternative High School we did a major planting and rehabilitation

of that wetland. I want to thank those Kennedy students for their hard work and great job of replanting and restoring this valuable community wetland.

A major accomplishment for 2007 was the initiation of construction on the Row River Water Treatment Plant expansion. In February, the guaranteed maximum price agreement was finalized with the Slayden Construction, Black & Veatch Engineers Joint Venture for $9,445,837. Loan documents with the State of Oregon were finalized and signed. The replacement of two miles of transmission line from Currin Connector to Bryson-Sears Road was the first part of the Row River Water Treatment Plant expansion project to be completed. This effort also included the replacement of service runs up Sears and Bryson-Sears Road. The City also reconnected customers to the new water line and accomplished eight long-service reconnections. A great deal of time and effort was also expended acquiring a myriad of requisite permits to construct the various components of the project. The 35 foot expansion of the existing Row River Water Treatment Plant building and the construction of two additional backwash ponds has been completed. Currently, the process equipment is being installed in the buildings and the intake structure on the Row River is under construction. Overall the project is approximately 40% complete. The entire project is scheduled to be completed by October 2008.

City staff has also been working with representatives of the newly formed Row River Valley Water District to facilitate payments to former extraterritorial water customers that will be disconnected from the City water service on or about October of 2008.

In March the City experienced the complete failure of the Row River Water Treatment Plant. The plant had to be taken off line for thirty days while the cause of the failure was investigated and repaired. The under drain seals had been broken allowing sand from the filtration system to enter the clear well. Design plans were prepared and repairs were completed in thirty days, just in time to meet the heavy spring and summer water demands. The water production crews maintained water service to the City during this time by pushing the Layng Creek Water Treatment Plant to capacity. During this time, it was never necessary to issue any kind of water alert or implement water conservation measures. The new treatment plant will have redundant and separate systems that will prevent a complete failure of the entire plant. A special thanks and well done to City employees who stepped up and met the challenge presented to them at this time.

I would also like to recognize the hard work of the Planning Commission, City Staff and those citizens who helped with the new development code. This comprehensive rewrite of the City’s zoning, subdivision and planning regulations went into effect January 1, 2008. It was a result of two years of hard work by many. This new code will help protect the resources we have and to make sure that future development in Cottage Grove occurs in a way that maintains the look and feel this community wants. Special thanks go to Marie Longfellow, Lara Florez, Mike LaBorde, Marston Morgan, Jim Belknap, David McClean, Greg Fox, Dave Kelp, James Klein and City staff members Howard Schesser, Amanda Ferguson, Sue Haley, Ron Bradsby and Cindy

Blacksmith. These folks were members of the Development Code Advisory Committee. Their service to the community has been invaluable. Thanks to them for their long, hard work.

A spin off of this newly adopted code is the creation of the Historic Landmark Commission. Their mission is to identify, evaluate and designate resources as landmarks. The Commission would also assist in recommending programs to encourage preservation of landmarks or changes in land use regulation impacting landmarks. The City Council and the Planning Commission are very excited to have this advisory commission in place.

The City’s efforts to develop broadband access is developing quickly. The fiber has been leased, the rack space is leased and fiber connection splices have been made. Design of the system is ongoing. Bids for the equipment in Eugene and Creswell will be out later this month. This project is a partnership between the City of Cottage Grove, Creswell, South Lane School District, Lane ESD and others. Within the year 2008 this system will be up and operational.

Congratulations are in order in several areas. First the entire City Council has completed training through the National Incident Management System, known as NIMS, to lean how to respond in a crisis or emergency. Staff has also had this training and additional training. On going training will continue in 2008. Security and disaster preparedness is a high priority for our community. Further, the City’s 911 center has been remodeled and updated with new equipment and security cameras located throughout City Hall increasing safety and security for all who work in or visit City Hall.

I would also like to congratulate the folks of the Downtown Beautification Committee. They did a wonderful job with the flower baskets and planters this past summer, and a “thank you” goes to our City Shop folks who customized a City golf cart with a water tank and pump keeping things in our community green and beautiful.

Further, the City Council congratulates City Manager Richard Meyers for his success in his development and nurturing of the award winning Youth Advisory Council. Richard has shepherded this program from its inception. The Cottage Grove Youth Advisory Council continues to gain recognition. This year the YAC supported Family Dinner Day and held their first YAC Academy Day. The Family Dinner Day promoted the importance of having dinner together as a family in reducing drug, alcohol and tobacco use among young people. The YAC Academy provided the YAC members an opportunity to experience the daily operation of the City first hand. YAC members got to dig a hole with the backhoe, participate in a felony traffic stop, hold a mock Planning Commission Public Hearing and even had lunch with members of the City Council. The second YAC Academy Day is planned for next month and this September the YAC will be promoting the Family Dinner Day again. The efforts of our YAC have been recognized by the Lane County Prevention Coalition where they presented the City Manager with an Excellence in Prevention Award for the YAC. Richard also completed this year as President of the Oregon City Managers Association. Well done, Richard.

Many citizens continue to participate in the Roundup for the Bridge Project. As you know, we have a true national treasure in our community, the Chambers Railroad Bridge. We’re in a race against time to protect and restore this wonderful piece of our history. So far $3,231.35 has been collected from a rounding up of change on our water bills to the next dollar or two. Further, a grant from the Bohemia Foundation has made it possible for me to accompany Commissioner Stewart and others from Lane County to participate in the United Front efforts in Washington D.C. where we hope to secure federal assistance for the Chamber Bridge and other local projects.
2008 will provide us the opportunity to show off our community. The Olympic Trials in Eugene will fill our local hotels. Efforts are underway to make a lasting impression on all the visitors. The City cannot do it alone. It will take partnerships and commitments throughout the community. We also have the Oregon City/County Management Association Summer Conference this year and the Oregon Mayors Association Conference in 2010. Cottage Grove is being recognized as a destination.

In closing, it has become a tradition for me to recognize area citizens who are creating positive impacts in our City. Two such citizens, sisters, Erin and Morgan Baker operate the ATA, the American Taekwondo Association, on Main Street. I wish I could tell you all of their accomplishments and activities. Time just simply wouldn’t permit that. But here are some highlights. Eleven years ago the Baker sisters started training in the Cottage Grove Academy. Each is a certified instructor through ATA, each hold their 4th Degree Black Belt. They offer special ability programs for students who have limited cognitive and physical abilities. They hold over 20 state championship titles, over 10 ATA Top Ten World Titles. They offer women’s self-defense programs. In October of 2006, they brought over 300 competitors and spectators to Cottage Grove for a regional championship. Erin has helped raise over $80,000 for the National Alliance for Autism Research. Morgan has served for over three years as a volunteer firefighter in the fire district. And there are just unbelievably numerous other highlights that I could speak to this evening but again time doesn’t allow for that. So let me just leave it for you to discover these two young people for yourself. Please check out what they are doing to make Cottage Grove a better place to live and raise families.

State of the City
Presented January 8, 2007
By Mayor Gary Williams

Welcome fellow City Councilors, friends, family and distinguished guests. It is with great excitement that I present the 2007 State of the City address.

I am very proud to call Cottage Grove my home and every year I am amazed with the successes and the efforts of those citizens who have contributed to making Cottage Grove a better place to live.

2006 saw many projects that brighten the future of the community.

The first of which is less than 2 weeks old. On Thursday, December 28th, after almost 4 months of dedicated efforts by our City staff, the City became the owner and operator of Middlefield Golf Course. The decision to purchase the golf course was truly visionary. The community will be favorably impacted by that decision for decades to come. The acquisition of Middlefield Golf Course brought over 75 acres of open space into the community’s ownership, protected our valuable bike paths, secured additional water rights and safeguarded our ability to use our high quality effluent for irrigation of the golf course contributing to the improvement of the water quality of the Willamette River.

On September 15, 2006 members of the community dedicated our newly completed wastewater treatment plant. A state of the art facility that makes this community’s commitment to improving the environment a reality not just hype. Our new facility is an example for other communities around the state on how to be good stewards of our resources and meet the future and current needs of the community.

Governor Kulongloski has placed a high priority in his administration on cleaning up our Willamette River system.   That clean-up begins right here with us, in Cottage Grove as we are the first to have an impact on the Willamette River Basin.

It is my responsibility as your Mayor to insure that Cottage Grove is doing its part as a City by being good steward our precious environment. We are serious about our commitment to clean air and water.

Cottage Grove is very active and has a “place at the table” in insuring our region’s air quality. We actively partner with the Lane Regional Air Protection Agency.    City equipment has begun the move to using Bio-diesel blends and recently major light retrofits were done in City Hall and the Shop to reduce the energy consumption of City services.

Acting locally we are doing our part to address global issues.

Although there are many debatable issues regarding global warming and it’s causes, all can agree that change is occurring. All can and should do their part to lessen harmful impact on our beautiful natural “gifts”.

I urge all citizens to find ways to reduce - reuse and recycle.

Let us also all work together to clean-up our City. Unfortunately, there are those in our community who show great disrespect to all citizens by littering our streets, parks and trailways. Let’s work together to clean-up our community not only by picking-up after ourselves, but also by picking-up after those less considerate.   Let’s demonstrated by example that we care how we look! Let’s look at our City as a visitor may look at us. How do we look?

Cottage Grove is also a partner with the U.S. Forest Service in a study and habitat enhancement project for the Western Pond Turtles. The City’s participation and long-term commitment to the project is projected to have a significant impact on the status of the turtles.

We are not resting on the successes of these visionary actions. I am excited that the City is preparing to begin a visioning process that will provide this community a vision to move us into 2037, our sesquicentennial, or our 150th year as a City. The visioning will be an opportunity for members from throughout the community to actively participate in mapping out our future. Could our first City Councilors in 1887 ever imagined what this community would be today?

As we create our new vision I hope we do not lose sight of our past. One piece of the City’s past is finally on track to being a part of our future. At the last City Council meeting action was taken that finally put the Chambers Railroad Bridge in complete City ownership.   Within a week of securing the ownership, engineers were hired to begin evaluating the current condition of the bridge.   The report should be complete within a week or two and we will have an idea what needs to be done. The bridge is an important asset that reflects our heritage of both the logging and railroad industry and the roles they played in making this community what it is.   I hope that everyone within the community will see the importance of this unique treasured asset. Our Chambers Railroad bridge is one of only two covered railroad bridges in the country.   Restoring the bridge is going to be a monumental task and I urge everyone to participate in the restoration project.    Tonight I would like to announce the creation of a “round-up for the bridge” program. Everyone can participate in this endeavor by simply choosing to “round-up” your City utility bill to the nearest dollar. When you get your January bill, be sure to take advantage of the opportunity and pitch in your pennies for the bridge.    With everyone’s help we will be able to preserve this unique piece of our history for many to enjoy and treasure in the future.

Also at the last Council meeting we thanked three outgoing Councilors for their years of dedication and service to the community. It has been a pleasure serving with them and I want to thank them again for the their service. Tonight, we have three brand new faces on the City Council. Councilors Clark, Conrad and Munroe. I welcome them this evening to their first Council meeting and thank them for their willingness to serve.   I hope that you will find your service on the City Council as exhilarating and rewarding as I have.   I know you will grow to understand the responsibility you have been given by the entire community and wish you success as you embark on your service.   I look forward to working with everyone on the Council as we continue to address the challenges facing us and the region this coming year.

Last year I started something that I want to make a tradition. I recognized a business and individual for their contributions to the community. I want to do the same again tonight.   I want to extend a special recognition to a business in the community that has stepped forward in remarkable ways.

This year I want to recognize someone that is a quiet member of the community. His example and quiet contributions fill a need and touch many lives.   He encourages others to follow his example as well and do what they can to help others.   Although he does not live in Cottage Grove, he is a part of the community through the efforts he takes to pull people together to help others. Every year Roger and Eileen Russell, contribute to a number of local organizations in this community and encourage others to participate by donating cash, time or materials to the organizations that struggle to meet the needs of so many of the citizens within this community.    Tonight, I am very honored to present this Mayoral Certificate of Appreciation and Recognition to Roger and Eileen Russell of Financial Network Investment Corporation because of their overwhelming commitment to improving the conditions of those in need within the community. On behalf of the City of Cottage Grove and all its citizens - thank you so much for your contributions.

The future does look bright for Cottage Grove. The community has accomplished amazing things and is on course to do many more things that will continue to improve the quality of life of our hometown. I am honored to call Cottage Grove my home and look forward to being part of the efforts during 2007.

State of the City
Presented January 9, 2006
Mayor Gary Williams

Welcome fellow City Councilors, friends, family and distinguished guests. I am very honored this evening to present the 2006 State of the City address.

Cottage Grove is an amazing community. It is full of amazing people.   People who truly want their community to be a great place and make significant contributions to make it better for others. . .

Like the Urban Forestry Committee, who, during the last year sponsored a successful Earth/Arbor Day celebration in Coiner Park. The celebration was the result of countless hours by the members of the committee and provided members of the community an opportunity to share information and resources regarding our urban forest and environment. Their commitment has also resulted in our 11th designation as a Tree City USA.

Like the members of the Community Emergency Response Team or CERT. Who have dedicated their time to become trained to help their fellow citizens in the event of disaster or crisis.

Like the young citizens that have so enthusiastically volunteered to be on the Youth Advisory Council to help address the needs of youth in our community. They demonstrated astonishing abilities in organizing and conducting our first YAC Battle of the Bands that provided an alternative activity for youth.

Like the many volunteers that stepped forward to help organize the largest Armed Forces Day celebration in the state. What a celebration and what an honor to have been a part of that.

Like the many people that made it possible for South Lane Wheels to celebrate 25 years of service.

Like the citizens who made the first Volunteer Fair a success. The volunteer fair was a great opportunity to highlight the services and contributions of the community’s volunteer organizations.

These projects are just a sampling of everything that has happened. All these projects and many other similar projects represent hundreds and hundreds of hours of work by members of the community. I wish I had time tonight to list all the citizens that have given so freely - but I don’t have time nor do I dare try because I would be afraid of missing someone’s name - there were so many that gave of their time and talents. Thank you to all of them. This is what truly makes Cottage Grove great.

In addition I want to recognize my fellow Council members for the hours they contribute to the community to provide leadership and help direct us into a bright future. Because of your decisions we can be proud of an $11 million state of the art wastewater treatment plant. It sounds strange to say we are proud of a sewer plant - but this is a plant that demonstrates this community’s strong tradition to improving the environment. With the plant about 80% complete the facility has already improved the quality of the effluent by over 50%.

We, as the City Council, are not resting on our laurels - but we continue to lead by preparing for future needs of the community. Currently new or updated master plans are underway or just beginning for stormwater, water and transportation. The City will also be conducting a review of our entire development code. This Council continues to amaze me with the ability to pull from our breadth and variety of experiences to honestly and constructively address the needs of this community.

Not only do I appreciate the Council’s work on local needs but through the fulfillment of your committee assignments on the LRAPA Board, Watershed Council, Lane Council of Governments, 2050, Housing Rehabilitation Committee and the Chamber of Commerce we are a part of addressing our regional needs as well.

I look forward to continuing to work with the entire Council as we address the challenges facing us and the region this coming year.

Tonight, I also want to mention several businesses or groups that have stepped forward as well to make a positive impact on the community.

The Ford Family Foundation and their continuing commitment to strengthening the leadership capability within the community. The second Ford Institute for Community Building leadership class will be starting soon. An additional 34 members of the community will be trained through the program. What an amazing opportunity to train current and future leaders.

KNND and several of the local hospitality businesses partnered and sponsored a golf tournament benefitting the School Resource Officer program.   They raised $720 that will be used to purchase a computer for the School Resource Officer. The program was created and funded this budget year through a partnership between the City and the School District. I hope to continue this vital partnership.

Walmart associates have volunteered over 376 hours during the last six months to clean a portion of the Row River Trail resulting in a “Volunteerism Always Pays” grant from the Walmart Foundation for $500 to be used for additional trail improvements.

Local Massage Therapist, Debby Engeman, donated 2% of her earnings during October, November and December to the Library and Community Center Youth Activity room.

And finally, I want to extend a special recognition to a business in the community that has stepped forward in remarkable ways. Many projects or activities within the community have been a success because of this business’s willingness to contribute. Many times they contributed without even being asked - they simply saw a need. This business is a major contributor to the downtown mural project; has been a sponsor for the Concerts in the Park, Bohemia Mining Days, the Gathering of Gardeners and the Animal House Celebration; contributed to the Family Relief Nursery and Community Sharing; helped fund the Rotary Club playground project and was a major supporter of this year’s Armed Forces Day Celebration. Tonight, I am very honored to present this Mayoral Certificate of Appreciation and Recognition to Robbie Robinson of Starfire Lumber because of his overwhelming commitment to improving the community. On behalf of the City of Cottage Grove and all its citizens - thank you so much for your support and commitment to the community.

Cottage Grove is a community of “doers”. We are a community that has a tradition of constructive citizen involvement. I look forward to working with this Council as we strive to find positive solutions to the challenges our future will bring. I know this community will continue to be successful and will have a bright future.

State of the City
Presented January 10, 2005
Mayor Gary Williams

Welcome fellow City Councilors, friends, family and distinguished guests. I am very honored this evening to present the 2005 State of the City address. I could make this the shortest State of the City address in Cottage Grove’s history and in the County this year by simply saying, “Wow! What a year.”   - - - But I must elaborate just a little.

2004 will be a year that I will remember for the rest of my life. Hearing Cottage Grove named as an All-America City was a thrill beyond measure. The excitement and enthusiasm of the competition was invigorating and still gives me chills when I think about it. I hope that all the delegates that attended can continue to share the excitement they felt. Experiences like that make me feel very honored to be Mayor for this beautiful community.

As an All-America City, I am concerned that many believe that we have to be perfect - that we can not have any problems. Being an All-America City does not mean that we are perfect. That is not what the award is all about. The award is not about being the most patriotic or about having no crime. It does not mean that we have the best Christmas decorations or the prettiest downtown.

What it does mean is that the citizens of this community have demonstrated the ability to face our challenges. As an All-America City we recognize that we have problems and that members of the community can and do work to resolve those problems. George H. Gallup the founder of the All-America City award described the award as, “a Nobel Prize for constructive citizenship.” The award was established to recognize citizen actions that have succeeded in making the community a better place to live.

I have always been taught that before I complain I must be sure my own house in order and be willing to be an example of the proper behavior or action. I believe this is especially true as citizens - we each have responsibilities - we must each act as we would like our neighbors to act. We must be responsible and not require that someone else do the work. The citizens of Cottage Grove have shown that they know how to be active in resolving challenges, not just complaining about them, but stepping up to be examples of the action to take.

It was heartening to see local citizens step forward to increase the Christmas decorations downtown. What was disheartening was the downtown business that made no attempt to put up their own decorations but spent their energy complaining that the “City” didn’t put up decorations. That same business has complained that the City does not do enough to promote downtown. However, when the City worked with downtown businesses to create the Economic and Business Improvement District to promote the downtown and make improvements this very business filed a remonstrance from the district. I believe this is not an example of constructive citizenship and that it is the exception in Cottage Grove. I hope that everyone in the community can resist the urge to simply complain. I publicly want to thank all those that step forward and take the active role to make this community great.

A great community starts from each citizen doing small things.

Cottage Grove is growing, we now have a population of 9,010. We have exciting times ahead of us. Our future is filled with opportunities and challenges. I am confident that this community will be in a position to take advantage of the opportunities and overcome the challenges.

Our growth is bringing new opportunities for members of the community. This last year City Staff has been working with a number of new and expanding businesses or industries. Our industrial building is almost full. We have recruited a new business to the industrial park that is currently under construction. Staff is also working with two other businesses; one is making final preparations to move to the area; the other is seriously considering coming to Cottage Grove. City Staff has also worked with Lane Metro-partnership and the Chamber of Commerce on other business recruitment projects. We are looking forward to positive results from the efforts in the next few months.

I am confident that the community will be able to face our coming challenges because of our staff that perform the daily functions of the City. During the last four years as Mayor I have gotten to know many of the City employees better. The people that work for the City of Cottage Grove are dedicated and proud of the jobs they perform. They are committed to doing the best job possible.
Everyday we can turn on our taps and water that is safe to drink comes out. Everyday we can call 911 and know our call will be answered and the appropriate action will be taken to ensure our health and safety. Sure it is their job to provide these services but frequently they take the extra effort and perform the responsibilities under difficult situations. Our limited funding will and continued growth will continue to make it tougher for them to get their jobs done.

During the last year our Police Department has been faced with the first murder in the community in over 10 years. Our officers responded, secured and investigated the crime. A suspect was quickly arrested and charged with Criminal Homicide. Our officers were also instrumental in locating a distraught man who had attempted suicide. By listening for their own sirens in the background of the man’s cell phone call to 911 the officers were able to narrow the search area and assist the Sheriff’s patrols in locating the man.

Currently the department is investigating the tragic death of a 5 year old girl in our community. Each of these cases are examples of the ability of our officers to call upon their training and skills to meet the demands of public safety in Cottage Grove. Most of us can not fathom the tremendous amount of time and energy that is dedicated to these cases. These cases put an extreme burden on our department that is the same size it was in 1996 when our population was 7,870.

Working quietly behind the scenes is our Public Works crew. They don’t make it on the evening news or on the front page of the paper but they accomplish some rather amazing things. Just a few months ago we had a major water line near the water reservoir break. The break occurred early on a cold dark morning at about 2:00 am and was dumping thousands of gallons of water a minute down the hillside. Our crew reported to work, found the leak, made the repairs and then began cleaning up the damage to private driveways and properties in the area before many in the community were even awake. By 6:00 am little work remained to be done. Few in the community even knew of the problem that dumped almost a half of a million gallons of water down the hillside. The crew, wet, tired and cold then reported for work for the rest of the day.

Our City jail has received significant notoriety this past year. But the jail is not the only tool that we have been using to address public safety issues. Municipal Court has been making attempts to not just punish those in the community that fail to follow established laws but also to change their behaviors. The Judge has been referring certain defendants to various classes dealing with anger management, drugs and alcohol and defensive or aggressive driving. Comments back from those in the classes are collected. Although not all of the students have reported positive comments regarding the classes most have reported that the classes have helped them understand what triggers their anger, how they need to change their driving habits or the impact drugs or alcohol has on their life. The Court is currently working with a group of citizens to establish an Intensive Traffic Safety Program for young drivers.

With our growth we have seen a surge in building and construction. With less staff than in previous years the planning and engineering departments have been swamped with 374 building permits. 49 new dwelling units were constructed in the community last year. In addition to our $11 million wastewater treatment plant construction project additional street and water projects will be undertaken during 2005.

Our staff has also been active in preparing for emergencies.   We have received 3 homeland security grants that funded improvements or equipment for the Police and Public Works Departments, the Fire District and City Emergency Management. In fact City Staff held their first emergency drill in 2004 that ran the Emergency Operations Center and participants through a mock major community disaster.

Through a Community Emergency Response Grant secured by our staff, 20 citizens in the community will be trained and become a local Community Emergency Response Team. The response of volunteers for the program was great and the CERT volunteers should prove to be a valuable asset in the event of a local emergency.

These are just a few examples of the of the valuable service that our dedicated employees provide to the community. I could list even more examples of the services provided that too often we take for granted. I want to publicly express my appreciation to our staff for the service they provide to the community.

I am also confident about our future because of actions this Council has taken in 2004. As I mentioned earlier, we have an $11 million wastewater treatment plant construction project underway. When it is completed in 2006 our facility will be one of a handful of wastewater treatment facilities in Oregon that will produce a level 4 effluent. Demonstrating our commitment to the safety and health of our environment.

We will be starting the design work for improvements to our water treatment plant and master planning work will be starting soon for our stormwater system. This Council is planning for our future.

I am also very excited by our efforts to involve youth in local government. The formation of the Youth Advisory Council is something that this community can truly be proud of. I am impressed that 39 youth from the community applied for the Council. I am looking forward to the opportunity to interview and select a member of the Youth Advisory Council to sit with the City Council. I am expecting great things from the Youth Advisory Council.

Thank you for willingness to serve on the City Council and to make some tough choices for the community.

I can honestly conclude in saying that the State of the City is great. Sure we have some challenges ahead of us but I am confident that we will be able to meet those challenges. This community is great not because of any one thing or one person or group of people. It is great because of 9,010 people. A great community truly starts from each citizen doing small things.

I am so grateful and honored to represent this community as Mayor. I am grateful for the opportunity I have to serve. I am grateful for the support from my family as I serve.   I am grateful for each member of this community that takes the time to serve one another. I hope that we can continue our heritage of constructive citizenship.

Thank you

State of the City
Presented January 2004
Mayor Gary Williams

We gather here today to honor the men and women who have served and sacrificed in the name of freedom.

During the American Civil War, Julia Ward Howe wrote the moving “Battle Hymn of the Republic.” Countless millions have found courage, strength, peace, and hope from these words:

Throughout history, men and nations have come against us. And, each time our youth have been called to arms -- they have rallied to victory. Vanquishing evil and hate for a season.

Today we face a new foe. As insidious as a Hitler or Tojo, if left unchecked. We must stop them and their kind, now. And send the message far and wide: “This type of behavior will not be tolerated.”

However, in times like these, we know this is not true! Our young people have rediscovered the patriot's first calling as an American: LOYALTY; DUTY; HONOR; COUNTRY! They understand the meaning of selflessness. Of something greater than themselves. The hope of our nation - and its strength - are summed up in our youth. Our future is secure in the capable hands of our youth.

I am so proud to see all Americans - young and old alike - “rally ‘round the flag.” Flying it proudly everywhere.

America has awakened from a slumber induced through the comforts of peace and prosperity. We now face the nightmare of fellow citizens and the citizens of the world brutally murdered without cause or provocation. Attacked on our own soil - innocents; victims - in harms way. Once again, brave men and women answer the call to arms.

However, jealousy, fueled by hate, wishes to destroy this noble goal. These cowards and thugs must be stopped. We must root them out and destroy them and their ideologies, now and for all time.

We fully support our troops and their families as they defend freedom and our way of life and liberty - wherever its beacon shines.

So I urge all of you, fly your flags, respect your neighbor, pray ceaselessly for our leaders, for our military and their families - for our nation. We will prevail in our righteous might - so help us God!

WHEREAS, September 11, 2001 the United States was senselessly attacked by currently unknown assailants; and

WHEREAS, countless fellow citizens in New York, Washington D.C. and Pennsylvania lost their lives in the attack; and

WHEREAS, the United States will be actively seeking those responsible for this senseless terrorist assault on the American people; and

WHEREAS, the impact of the events have been felt and will continue to be felt for a long time to come throughout the nation and by members of our community; and

WHEREAS, members of the community have expressed concern for those injured in the attack, for the families of those injured or killed and the emergency personnel that are responding to the scenes; and

WHEREAS, members of the community wish to demonstrate their concern for the safety of our fellow citizens and their support of efforts to recover from these tragic events.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Gary Williams, Mayor of the City of Cottage Grove, do hereby encourage all citizens of Cottage Grove to demonstrate their support and solidarity as our nation is faced with recovering from the horrific event of this day by displaying the flag of the United States during the coming week; and

NOW, THEREFORE, I also urge members of the community to pray for the wellbeing and comfort of those that have experienced significant losses in the terrorist attack; and

NOW THEREFORE, I also urge members of the community to participate in offering donations of cash, blood or other materials to the Red Cross or other agencies that will be assisting in the recovery from this devastating act of terrorism.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal of the City of Cottage Grove to be affixed this 12th day of September, 2001.

My fellow Councilors, staff, members of the media and citizens. It is once again my duty and privilege to present to you the annual State of the City Address. I shall briefly highlight some of this past year’s major accomplishments and events. I will further note some of this year’s goals and proposals.

Let me tell you now - the State of the City is good. This past year brought some changes to the City Council - I assumed the Mayor’s office, and with the aid of a great staff was able to make this transition smoothly.

We also began the year with three new Councilors who have demonstrated special abilities in their new positions, and they are Councilors Meyer, Miller and Harris. Councilor Haskell was appointed by the Council to fill the Ward 3 seat left vacant by me when I became Mayor. Councilor Perkey was re-elected Council President. All Councilors received multiple committee assignments. These committee appointments cover vast areas of interest in our City from state government and regional concerns to local representation on various boards of directors. All Councilors have been dedicated to their appointments and tasks.

Our City staff continues to serve us well with a high degree of professionalism, knowledge and dedication. This was exemplified last spring when a chemical truck was disabled on Interstate 5 within our city limits. Through the quick action of our emergency response staff and the activation of the City’s Emergency Operations Plan, order was preserved and citizens were protected. City staff networked with several outside agencies including ODOT/Hazmat, state and county police and many other service providers to ensure public safety. City staff from City Engineer Ron Bradsby (who filled in for the Public Works Director) to Police Officer Britt Munoz, did an outstanding job meeting the needs of residents throughout the event.

The City’s level of preparedness was again tested when tragedy struck our nation on September 11th. After the terrorist attack, staff immediately implemented procedures to protect the citizens and resources of Cottage Grove. Later, at a forum attended by many civic leaders, emergency and first responder personnel hosted by Lane County Sheriff Jan Clements, we observed first-hand the quality and thoroughness of the City’s Emergency Operations Plan. It was quite evident that Cottage Grove was better prepared to meet any crisis than many of the other entities in attendance that day.

Just a year ago there was much uncertainty about the future of our downtown business district. We had well over a dozen vacancies in the downtown, Main Street area. Today the future is brighter. New businesses have located in this district and commerce is beginning to thrive. Let us all as a community support our local businesses by shopping with them. It is not only good for them but helps our entire community.

The partnership forged between the City and the Chamber of Commerce remains strong. The Community Development Corporation continues with its work, hoping to attract new business investment to our City. The City and Chamber are also partnering in the effort to create an Enterprise Zone aimed at creating jobs for local residents. (I wish to announce to that the effort was a success. I received a call today that the City was awarded the Enterprise Zone.) Last year also marked the first-year anniversary of the two group’s partnership at the Community Center – a partnership that has helped the Center provide a much needed service to the community. The City and Chamber also worked jointly on several community celebrations ensuring a continuation of many events popular with local residents and visitors to Cottage Grove.

And the Chamber and City played an important role in laying the ground work for the formation of the Economic Improvement and the Business Improvement districts (EID/BID) in the downtown area. Local business and property owners in the District should be congratulated for their willingness to invest in their future and the future of Cottage Grove.

As we seek to improve the quality of life for Cottage Grove residents our focus must include not only the downtown area but all of South Lane County. To that end we are taking a new look, refreshing our focus on our parks system. Last year the Comprehensive Parks Advisory Committee was formed to not only assess the best use of our current parks lands but to help determine its future, its potential. The Committee is charged with leading a community dialogue to determine what our parks system should look like in the years ahead. I have confidence in the Parks Committee. I believe it will stay on task and together with input from the community deliver a plan this Council will support.

It must be remembered that local recreational opportunities will continue to bring positive attention to our area. Such as the “Tour of Willamette” bike races, another event made possible by the hard work of the Chamber of Commerce and the City. The Row River Trail continues to lure many visitors to Cottage Grove with it picturesque scenery and paved surface.

And on the horizon, the City and Chamber are striving to further develop our recreational assets by participating with the Forest Service and Lane County to pave the last gravel road over the Bohemia Mountains into the Oakridge area expanding the bicycle tour possibilities for the region.

Once again this past year our heritage was highlighted by many festival events. BMD, WOE, Chili Cook-off, the Cruise, Concerts in the park and the Growers’ Market. The Growers’ Market also hosted a special event in October in memory of the tragedy and lives lost on September 11th. The goodness of the citizens of Cottage Grove was displayed through their presence and support of this event. The Prospectors and Golddiggers served breakfast and gave all the proceeds to the 9-11 Relief Efforts.

Currently there is much to be excited about. The new high school is under construction and under the estimated costs and on schedule. Final details are being worked out with PeaceHealth in our efforts to build a new medical facility in Cottage Grove. The Cottage Grove Urban Renewal District is preparing to assist with the funding of infrastructure for the hospital. The Village Green has been purchased by a company that looks to restore that property to a state we will be proud of and a destination for tourists far and wide. Planning has been approved and design work has begun for improvements to our Wastewater Treatment Plant.

Volunteers have donated over 22,568 hours during the past year. The value of these hours is more than $265,756 to the Cottage Grove community. I want to express my sincere thanks to everyone who has contributed to our community not just through the City but with schools, civic groups and their churches. I find it extremely exciting to see so many people volunteering and making this community such a great place.

Efforts to improve our safety were undertaken last year with the completion of the fire substation near Delight Valley School. This valuable asset was made possible through the cooperation of the City, South Lane Rural Fire Protection District and South Lane School District. The new substation not only can decrease response time in the northern portions of the Fire District and ambulance service area but also reduces response times in northern portions of the City.

We all can be proud of our first responders. This past year Bill Parsons, Justin Baird, Tim Hastie, Joe Spriggs and Eugene Revier saved the life of a Eugene Police SWATT Team Officer that was seriously wounded in the torso when he was shot with a bullet from a high powered rifle. Quick response and preliminary treatment saved Officer Jay Shadwick’s life. I commend all these fine men for their work. To help save more lives, advanced defibrillators were recently purchased by the Fire Department replacing older units in ambulances. These new units aid in cardiac trauma situations and have proved their worth many times over. Additionally, two automatic defibrillators were purchased and placed on two fire trucks. These units are easy to use and also save lives. I urge major retailers in our community to consider purchasing similar units. They are life savers.

The focus on our youth often reflects only the negative. Sometimes it is difficult to remember that the overwhelming majority of local children are doing well. I commend parents that teach
their children self-discipline. I applaud the many groups that are providing positive activities for young people and helping to build strong peer-group associations.

Some of the obvious resources are youth activities such as “Ground Zero” on Friday nights at our Community Center and the new “Lighthouse” across from the Community Center. Both offer a clean and safe environment for our young people to gather and socialize. It appears the skate park is about to happen, and many are anxious for this to become a reality. The South Lane School District and Parent Partnership should be commended for the LASAR after-school program at the middle school that is producing great results in academic achievements and helping to lower drop out rates.

However, when children find themselves in trouble they must be held accountable. In Cottage Grove for many years we have staffed Peer Court - a system that has produced good results many times. The City Council continues to support the Peer Court program, which requires children that qualify to perform community service as restitution for their crimes. The Council also is a strong supporter of the anti-drug and anti-violence program, DARE. We believe these programs work.

And now a few words about the City Budget. For the past several years we have watched tax revenue dwindle. The City had a pretty healthy reserve system in place, but as the dollars decreased the reserves were tapped. After five years of calling on these reserves not much is left. This became painfully obvious last year when the Budget Committee trimmed a firefighter and police officer and the Code Enforcement Officer. It is difficult to say at this time what exactly the impacts will be this spring on our budget considerations; however, it appears that no new revenues will be coming our way. We as a community must decide what level of services we want and expect and we must be willing to pay for those services. How we pay for those services is the big question.

In closing, let me just thank all of those people in our community that see a need and meet it, have a vision and fulfill it, and work together and make good things happen for us all.