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WEDNESDAY, MAY 31, 2023

Brookings, Oregon

Council awaits separation agreement to dismiss Howard Brookings seeks new city manager

meeting, Councilor Andy Martin moved to direct the city attorney to develop a separation Janell agreement Howard for the current city manager, Janell Howard. The motion passed with a three to two vote, with Councilor Schreiber and

RYAN HOOVER Country Media, Inc. The Brookings City Council is still waiting for a separation agreement for the city manager after passing a motion to draft an agreement going into effect on June 16, 2023. At the May 8 City Council

Safety first

Mayor Hedenskog voting nay. The Brookings Fred Meyer documented multiple incidents involving Howard allegedly stealing items from April 11 to July 4, 2022. The store submitted the incident documents to the Curry County District Attorney’s Office. Howard was charged with theft for the July 4 incident and pleaded no contest to the charge in December 2022,

according to published reports. Just weeks later, in January of this year, City Council agreed to reinstate Howard to her city manager post after she was voted back in. Howard has been under heavy public scrutiny the past few weeks as cries for her resignation have grown louder. The motion that passed directed the city attorney to have the separation

agreement submitted back to City Council by May 15, with an effective date of June 16, 2023. As of May 22, City Council had still not received the separation agreement from the city attorney. Mayor Ron Hedenskog said the reason for the delay was because the May 15 deadline was not in line with state employment laws. “City attorney has 21 days to respond as per

state employment rules,” Hedenskog said. “The motion for a response was not in step with the Employment Act and could not be upheld. The city attorney had to correct it. The city council is waiting.” By this timeline, then, City Council should have the agreement by May 28, as that comes 21 days after the original request for the See MANAGER, Page 11

Pay attention, be prepared JEREMY C. RUARK Country Media, Inc.

boating with others, always keeping a sharp lookout, and wearing a properly fitted life jacket for your boating activity should be at the top of all boaters’ focus. The Oregon State Marine Board advises boaters to plan ahead and check out the Marine Board’s interactive boating access map. The map displays public boat ramps and local rules for boat operations. Also, check the weather forecast, water levels, and tides. See if there are any reported obstructions and have the right gear for your boating activity. Boaters can also check the Marine Board’s website to find out what equipment is required based on the size and type of boat. The Marine Board reminds boaters: Boat Sober. Abstain from consuming marijuana, drugs, or alcohol, which impair judgment, reaction time, and coordination and cause dehydration. Boating demands sharp situational awareness. All children 12 and under are required to wear a life jacket when underway on

As summer arrives, people are flocking to local waterways and the Pacific Ocean to enjoy Oregon’s incredible boating opportunities. Regardless of what’s calling you to the water and the type of boat you’re in, be aware of your surroundings, be prepared, and make good decisions, the Oregon Marine Board advises. Rivers and the Pacific Ocean (even the surf zone) are the most inherently dangerous, according to the Oregon Marine Board. It’s important to always scout ahead, mind the tide, decide on the safest route and expect the unexpected, the Oregon Marine Board states on its website, adding that most accidents and fatalities are due to falling overboard, collisions, and operator error/misjudgment, and reckless behavior. “Inexperience and solo operation continue to be a growing trend of boating fatalities in Oregon,” Oregon Marine Board Boating Safety Program manager Brian Paulsen said. “Planning ahead,

Courtesy photo from the Oregon Marine Board Most accidents and fatalities on Oregon’s waterways are due to falling overboard, collisions, and operator error/ See SAFETY, Page 12 misjudgment, and reckless behavior, according to the Oregon Marine Board.

AWOL: Oregon Republican Senators walkout about who’s interested in resolving the crisis,” Kotek later told the Capital Chronicle and another reporter. “It’s very difficult when the Senate Republicans don’t show up in a room.” She called their refusal to attend the meeting in person “very disrespectful.” She said she didn’t talk to the Republicans about whether they’d return on Tuesday, and didn’t indicate whether she was trying to strike a deal. “We were just listening today,” Kotek said. “We were not negotiating.” Ten senators are now ineligible to serve for another term because they have 10 or more unexcused absences. The only Republican senators on the floor Monday morning were Anderson and Sen. David Brock Smith of Port Orford. The chamber needs 20 senators to do business

Gov. Tina Kotek spent about two hours listening to Republican and Democratic senators in separate closeddoor meetings in the Capitol building Monday, May 22, as the GOP-led walkout that started May 3 continued to stall the Senate. Kotek entered the Senate majority office to visit with Democrats at noon, on the heels of a meeting she had with Senate Republicans shortly after 11 a.m. Applause rang out from inside the room. But Republican senators were less enthusiastic about meeting the Democratic governor. Just one, Dick Anderson of Lincoln City, turned up in person while the others joined through Zoom, a choice that clearly rankled Kotek. “I think that says a lot

INDEX

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This walkout must end. The people of Oregon desire it. Democracy demands it.

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BEN BOTKIN Oregon Capital Chronicle Pilot Guest Article

Rob Wagner, Senate President

and 18 were present. It’s unclear how fruitful any negotiations might be. Senate President Rob Wagner, D-Lake Oswego, declined to comment after the Senate floor session ended. Wagner and Senate Minority Leader Tim Knopp, R-Bend, were unavailable for comment after their meetings with Kotek. Deputy Minority Leader Daniel Bonham of The Dalles told the Capitol Chronicle he doesn’t trust Kotek because of his

experiences with her when she was House speaker. As one example, he said, she backed out of a deal to give Republicans an equal voice in the 2020 redistricting plans. That move is partly why he joined the meeting via Zoom instead of in person, he said. “She has burned me one too many times,” Bonham said. “I’m not going to let the governor have the potential to change her mind on utilizing the state troopers or whatever to pull us back into the building.” Kotek has said she

doesn’t want to use state troopers to round up absentee senators. But she hasn’t entirely ruled it out, either. Bonham also noted that the timing of the meeting – shortly after 11 a.m. – would have put senators in the Capitol building around the same time as the Senate floor session. The proximity of those two events necessitated “an abundance of caution” for senators, Bonham said. Republicans started the walkout initially over the failure of the Legislature to pass bills with summaries that comply with a state law that requires them to be written at an eighth-grade reading level. Republicans also have criticized and identified bills they want to see set aside, including House Bill 2002, which would expand abortion rights and shore up transgender health care.

Bonham said he got the impression from the meeting that Kotek isn’t willing to kill House Bill 2002 to get the Senate back in session, but said he was speaking only for himself. The session is required to end by June 25. If the Senate Republicans don’t return, bills that impact a range of issues including housing, long-term care and public education will die. “I will say loud and clear Republicans have an interest in passing bipartisan bills and bipartisan budgets,” Bonham said. This walkout must end,” Senator President Rob Wagner (D-Lake Oswego) said. The People of Oregon deserve it. Democracy demands it.” Follow new developments at thecurrypilot.com and in the Wednesday print editions of The Pilot.

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