[{"_1":2,"_122":-5,"_123":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,86,98,110],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6477804,"mediaKeyId","5711260-ea1b1f61ba1b7d11318f2cd440ad59af","parentId",5711260,"title","Council adopts natural-hazard mitigation annex, seeks housing-planning grant; accepts Ward 5 resignation","audioSeconds",808,"startMs",4578000,"endMs",5386000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5711260-ea1b1f61ba1b7d11318f2cd440ad59af&start=4578&end=5386","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5711260-ea1b1f61ba1b7d11318f2cd440ad59af/thumbnail_4578000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6477804/Springfield/Lane-County/Oregon/Council-adopts-natural-hazard-mitigation-annex-seeks-housing-planning-grant-accepts-Ward-5-resignation","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6477804-3e82f66933a2498765fc43531a4ae8fc/orig.mp4?Expires=1770518864&Signature=Q~FTAIJi91qaQsbl95wN1GMMWCFVpiQWvUKMhghGZ7D9zEzXNBIHnI6wWQyJHvhwktYiJ5sBS3BRZzeRx1vjvkEX6-ix92P7SGFgDBnBn2UCNmQHg-iHS-fU8u8GLcIw6slxrNiuogZ6-VN8yhU0cni0hZfWdcWcggxJDPkiaRVd1SZhD4gAa~uRu~c3vzUJdJ-o7coXvEjPPQ47ku0EZlFHfAHmQsm~SqE9mp~zct2p5NTiCqXJ6IWMIEiBUXQr2WDs6VvyriH~zOs9bDEvSqpg0pQ3dk9BuqpH4KSLrYSxPetI2B5fvGrFBFK0MuTiZ6TDhsSubCdLGskf2Z1Uyg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City Council of Springfield, OR","date","2025-09-03T16:53:37Z","article","The Springfield City Council took three formal actions during the regular session: it adopted the city annex to the Lane County multi-jurisdictional natural-hazard mitigation plan, approved a resolution supporting a Department of Land Conservation and Development (DLCD) housing-planning assistance grant application, and accepted the resignation of the Ward 5 councilor and declared that seat vacant.

Natural-hazard mitigation plan: Ken Vogany, the city’s emergency manager, presented the city annex update and explained that joining the county plan as an annex reduced duplication and improved coordination. He said the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) had issued an approval-pending-adoption determination for the annex. Councilor motioned and the council voted 5–0 to adopt the April 2025 City of Springfield annex to the Lane County multi-jurisdictional natural-hazard mitigation plan. The adopted resolution replaces the prior plan adopted in 2020.

Housing-capacity grant application: Staff explained the state’s new housing-planning requirements and asked for a council resolution to support a DLCD planning-assistance grant application to help complete the city’s housing capacity analysis and meet new timelines for state-required work. The grant would pair DLCD-managed consultant assistance with a city match of staff time. Council voted 5–0 to adopt the supporting resolution; the state will award funding decisions later in September.

Ward 5 vacancy: The council accepted the resignation of Councilor Victoria Doyle (Ward 5) and officially declared the seat vacant. The city attorney outlined a process that mirrors a prior vacancy process: a special meeting next Monday will include a public hearing on the interim appointment process and then a public process for applications and appointment. The council voted 5–0 to accept the resignation.

Votes at a glance:
- Resolution 1 (Natural-hazard mitigation plan annex adoption): Passed 5–0.
- Resolution 2 (DLCD housing-planning assistance grant application support): Passed 5–0.
- Acceptance of Ward 5 councilor resignation (Victoria Doyle): Passed 5–0.

Ending: Staff will publish the adopted mitigation annex as adopted, proceed with the grant application process and run the interim appointment process for the Ward 5 vacancy according to the schedule the city attorney presented.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","September 2, 2025 City Council Work Session and Regular Session","oneSentenceSummary","Council adopted the City of Springfield annex to the Lane County multi-jurisdictional natural-hazard mitigation plan, passed a resolution supporting a DLCD housing-capacity assistance grant application, and unanimously accepted a Ward 5 resignation; staff will follow the grant and vacancy processes outlined by the council.","taxTitle","Springfield, Lane County, Oregon","taxId",3839,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":79,"_47":80,"_49":81,"_51":82,"_53":83,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":84,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":85,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6477809,"Firefighters press Springfield council for a fire district as brownouts, rising calls stretch crews",0,4931000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5711260-ea1b1f61ba1b7d11318f2cd440ad59af&start=4931&end=4931","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5711260-ea1b1f61ba1b7d11318f2cd440ad59af/thumbnail_4931000.jpg","/articles/6477809/Springfield/Lane-County/Oregon/Firefighters-press-Springfield-council-for-a-fire-district-as-brownouts-rising-calls-stretch-crews","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6477809-424cb919d5894ed561b7ba3813bfa850/orig.mp4?Expires=1770516996&Signature=BltA061GxDmNADl18JzDL3GmFNiuCTTww6tOXGHdosVPANYlTj0z8p47rnxBCjXJL~CTCVlf9dVxFngG2oQs~4w1CsWe6xGa7hlhD~80GwSVEAWV2NBHuUGKe8-W4RN3LAC9YFNHT4LWSQfwyK-Qh8Y8LYJJ5IRWNz0b67CO4YqADoJGRvj7LS~bf8Sma3XhWHqwHzqHAfZrdTsRx5s0d~igHHF5ZFb8tJDmn47mb8Jtxw7wYMfF6oMRe8CCntu~GDidr-2bffMe6CKAIIr1RmOFdxYMGPAG3g~byQyjmYVM65BgJGgwGR62bAFvGPwiyw08GQbEXQKjFvd0a5FtCw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Firefighters, union leaders and residents told the Springfield City Council that rising calls, staffing constraints and temporary station closures (“brownouts”) are straining emergency response and urged the city to pursue a fire district as a long-term governance and funding solution.

Daniel Arad (vice president, International Association of Firefighters Local 851) described rising workloads and operational tradeoffs: “We often have less than 10 minutes to perform our firefighting safety our function before it is unsafe to do so,” he told the council, and later said, “Response times are increasing. Fires double in size every minute that they are left unchecked.” Arad told the council that service levels have fallen since 2002, when Springfield had about one firefighter per 3,625 residents; he said the current ratio is about one firefighter per 4,199 residents.

Union leaders and Local 851 representatives described instances when engines were shut down to staff ambulances and said those decisions increased risk. Garrett Corvary (Local 851 organizer) and Bette Dean (president of Local 851) asked the council to support a governance change. Dean said the merger had completed several operational phases but not a final consolidation to a single department with unified governance and funding; she said a fire district provides stable, dedicated funding, clear accountability via an elected board, reduced duplication and long-term planning.

Residents echoed concerns about specific local public-safety impacts and neighborhood risk, and one resident asked for a sound wall to shield neighborhoods from siren noise, citing frequent station activity.

Council response and next steps: councilors thanked the firefighters for testifying and acknowledged the issue as a high priority. Mayor Van Gordon said the governance committee and staff will continue the conversation and that creating a fire district had been modeled previously; councilors asked for faster progress on the governance path and for clear information about property-tax implications and “compression” effects. No formal vote or governance change was adopted at the meeting; the council said it will reconvene the governance work group and continue studies, including assessing property-tax compression and countywide ambulance coordination.

Ending: Firefighters asked for leadership and an expedited governance solution; councilors committed to continuing the governance review and to return to the public with options and fiscal effects.","Multiple union members and firefighters testified about increasing call volumes, longer response times and ‘brownouts’; unions urged council to move toward a fire district to secure stable funding and unified governance. Councilors acknowledged the urgency and asked governance study work to continue.",{"_33":87,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":88,"_41":89,"_43":90,"_45":91,"_47":92,"_49":93,"_51":94,"_53":95,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":96,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":97,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6477813,"Residents urge Springfield to pause or cancel Flock camera contract; council asks staff for memo",1010,2741000,3751000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5711260-ea1b1f61ba1b7d11318f2cd440ad59af&start=2741&end=3751","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5711260-ea1b1f61ba1b7d11318f2cd440ad59af/thumbnail_2741000.jpg","/articles/6477813/Springfield/Lane-County/Oregon/Residents-urge-Springfield-to-pause-or-cancel-Flock-camera-contract-council-asks-staff-for-memo","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6477813-ace51334e2fd37126cd8106e3ea28575/orig.mp4?Expires=1770519660&Signature=DsNiB4v0nQrRIlo9NXVDBpLz9glPsYSeuoG-A-eEGyxC-G2OQ-FuaI51OtV5CiqFucegthrHZ-Tr3dSOsBdMOhlj1r8z0wfQ9HY-D0uTVl853sQI30b-EQ82Lbm85MPaeDW4t02sWvOstoBj2Cs4lh4qjtFpdgF~Ez9Hd1Ervu5iRtiEQaaT1COVn145X-o0TI4b44BBB7GkgPz4c9xzfyNJ7AIuyMiItEM8H-gxu7BpnWtp7t-WiFgGC7r-ZkLFawmPDmHbLpCit8luUbz6Wrwkzwpoxy1x4UrUSWZh3CDQ~sZ9jMaF337t~lJw3LUvo1hDnm1sHKHRm~ZP-RwtOQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Multiple residents and community organizers addressed the council during business from the audience to oppose installation of Flock automated license-plate reader (ALPR) cameras in Springfield and to urge the city to pause or cancel its contract.

Speakers raised multiple concerns about the system’s privacy, data-sharing and security practices. Rob Sheldon (resident) said Flock’s commercial valuation shows the company’s business model centers on data and told the council, “They are gathering movements and associations of millions of Americans, and they have ensured that they can broker that data.” Kai Fireside (resident) said planned camera locations put some residents on camera leaving or entering their homes: “I live on Hayden Bridge. I cannot go home or leave home without being on camera.” Cameron Stringfield (organizer, Party for Socialism and Liberation) said the system “scares me” as an organizer and transgender woman who works across Eugene and Springfield. Several other speakers cited national reporting and legal challenges, out-of-state agency access and potential impacts on immigrants and people seeking medical care.

Speakers described specific operational concerns in the contract language. One commenter cited the master services agreement and warned it allows data sharing beyond the local police department. Others noted audits and litigation in other jurisdictions, and the transcript records references to recent federal pilot programs and a pause or reexamination of similar data-sharing agreements elsewhere.

Multiple speakers asked the council to either terminate or suspend the contract and to redirect funding to social services, firefighters or community resources. Several speakers noted that initial grants funded the system’s rollout in neighboring Eugene but that ongoing maintenance costs would fall to the city when grants expire.

Council response: Mayor Van Gordon and several councilors thanked speakers for their testimony. The city manager and councilors said the testimony was compelling and asked staff to prepare a fuller memorandum that outlines: the city’s contract terms with the vendor; data ownership and access provisions in the master services agreement; what agencies have access to camera data; retention/deletion policies; cybersecurity protections; any state or federal restrictions; and cost and budget implications when outside grant dollars expire. The council did not take any immediate action to cancel the contract; instead, members requested additional staff research and a public memo to inform a future policy discussion.

Ending: Staff will prepare an informational memo and research paper for the council that addresses the contract terms, privacy and security questions, and budgeting for ongoing costs; councilors asked for a pause in additional installations until that information is provided.","Dozens of residents testified against planned Flock automated-license-plate-reader cameras, raising privacy, civil‑rights and security concerns. Councilors and the city manager agreed to have staff prepare further research and an informational memo before proceeding.",{"_33":99,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":100,"_41":101,"_43":102,"_45":103,"_47":104,"_49":105,"_51":106,"_53":107,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":108,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":109,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6477817,"Council begins annual review of operating policies; staff to review reimbursements, ethics guidance",584,36000,620000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5711260-ea1b1f61ba1b7d11318f2cd440ad59af&start=36&end=620","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5711260-ea1b1f61ba1b7d11318f2cd440ad59af/thumbnail_36000.jpg","/articles/6477817/Springfield/Lane-County/Oregon/Council-begins-annual-review-of-operating-policies-staff-to-review-reimbursements-ethics-guidance","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6477817-0909e7ef8baed5a1f81906d489e2618a/orig.mp4?Expires=1770518328&Signature=AGIrgRaZfakZEyh-emEDy0bsaVJ3tBUbz0UVmCcfR2UvAIAJ4Y9Z0hpwf7fxh9Wg8ncp0XbDHyzmBPbiuREgv6RQM3lDYl0hE1CgahF0mu7E~hC1UBGWSQ1ZCOc2pm2Fjl7hOEnG5bZ8~45DXX0u1hPfJZUMPGjYg-aiQ3H1bzxnEHAlW1OP9rrPN53hhZ~-ggHZNPNz97AhIKSnvj6Go4D-pfjZ0zH1FqZh4b7vT9vG9Na~B-TkJhm-x5D-bMqJnFLPFSVUB1spMSYspOUUNkTG~vck6sxw5YmgJBhQpb~0NkrlqlvhySHpqg-7jlHaHpcqJ0UZqu2AnM-45GfLgw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","City staff opened the Springfield City Council’s annual review of its operating policies and procedures, telling the council that by the city charter the council must annually review the rules that govern how it conducts business.

A staff presenter identified a reimbursement section in the current policy that covers items such as mileage (tied to IRS mileage rates), parking, office supplies, postage, long-distance phone calls and a fixed monthly reimbursement for cell phone and internet. The presentation noted the current fixed amounts for cell phone and internet reimbursements are $40 and $45 respectively and described the policy as dated in places.

The presenter also flagged a recent opinion from the state Government Ethics Commission regarding meal and beverage benefits for public officials. She said the commission’s new guidance recommends that such benefits be clearly addressed in adopted policies, and advised waiting briefly for any revised opinion from the commission before making policy changes. The presenter used a shorthand phrase from her office, saying the guidance had been referred to informally as “the cheese and crackers rule.”

Councilors asked for staff to research and return options. Councilor Stout asked for clarification on the difference between reimbursements and compensation and was reminded by staff that compensation changes would require a charter amendment and a public vote. Councilors also supported exploring a preset mechanism to update reimbursement amounts automatically — for example tying increases to CPI or setting a regular review period — to avoid frequent council votes on trivial adjustments.

Other council requests included: researching whether cell phone and internet amounts should be changed, looking at mileage-reporting simplifications for frequent local trips, checking whether tying council reimbursement policy to the city administrative policy is feasible, and exploring whether childcare or eldercare reimbursements should be included as allowable items. Councilors also asked staff to consider volunteer and guest hospitality rules in light of the ethics guidance, to avoid unintended effects on volunteers who attend long evening meetings.

Staff told the council it will return the operating policies for formal approval by resolution on October 6 and said it would bring more detail on reimbursements, potential automatic-adjustment mechanisms and any new ethics guidance from the state commission if available.

Ending: Council set direction for staff research and asked that a revised operating-policies package be prepared for a formal vote at the October meeting.","City attorney-led annual review of council operating policies highlighted reimbursements for phone, internet and mileage, flagged a recent government ethics opinion about meals, and prompted council direction to research automatic adjustments, childcare/eldercare reimbursements and simplified mileage processes ahead of an October vote.",{"_33":111,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":112,"_41":113,"_43":114,"_45":115,"_47":116,"_49":117,"_51":118,"_53":119,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":120,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":121,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6477822,"Springfield councilwork session begins detailed review of proposed payroll tax framework",1704,1299000,3003000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5711260-ea1b1f61ba1b7d11318f2cd440ad59af&start=1299&end=3003","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5711260-ea1b1f61ba1b7d11318f2cd440ad59af/thumbnail_1299000.jpg","/articles/6477822/Springfield/Lane-County/Oregon/Springfield-councilwork-session-begins-detailed-review-of-proposed-payroll-tax-framework","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6477822-20677d2c670bea94f4b6f5b7f34a3141/orig.mp4?Expires=1770519849&Signature=ek7rAmr7EQsKZ14Q~hVQnuqvufY7qwPPAgkipXm9mtwCK8cal6XYVMdUomB5oTLf94qUO2lxqotEaM20wd91akLVRu40pynifSFsyi9L8lAxP7kwfxDfQOXNET4cK8d7gKht8YjYOZJOnziBOp2sv2TYy9ueP0MspTt8-yMNwgEo-8Qm4ZntftuD96M7DP5EfyAYAxyWpawh4vPhgd0ZzmE7SicTcVYDfG-a2vvTrDiaYqNnuAgzry6xqv8UGH1j4J45qBQk91Nybc5wpj88SnSwtjSyrgA58FBZZ-SUWQP43LcqLwuJY~7nVvgAd9S7gBdM~Wr9Olspj3gKTb4RAw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","City staff presented a payroll-tax implementation framework at the Springfield City Council work session that follows recommendations from the mayor’s fiscal stability task force and asked the council for direction on several design choices, including rate, tax base, administration and oversight.

Nate (staff member presenting) told the council the task force recommended a payroll tax that “be evenly shared between employers and employees, that it be simple to understand and administer, applied without tiered rates or exemptions and, paired with guardrails to ensure transparency and protect taxpayers.” He said one early scenario modeled by the city’s consultant used a 0.1% rate (one-tenth of 1%), which under the assumptions in the presentation would generate roughly $2.9 million in net revenue in the first year of implementation and would be split between employers and employees.

The staff presentation listed several assumptions and costs that shaped the revenue estimate: about 15% for pretax (Section 125) deductions in some payrolls, 4.1% average wage growth, an estimated in-house administration cost of about $600,000 annually (including software and roughly 1.5 FTE), and an initial compliance estimate of 75% that could rise toward a 90% steady-state compliance rate. Staff said these inputs matched experience from other regional implementations cited in the consultant work.

Councilors and staff focused discussion on three linked policy decisions: whether to adopt the tax by ordinance or put it to voters; whether to base the tax on gross wages or allow carve-outs (for example, health premiums, 401(k) contributions and other Section 125 items); and what “guardrails” to put in place (annual reporting, stakeholder advisory group, limits on rate increases, restrictions on use of revenue, or charter protections).

Several councilors said they favored simplicity and transparency. Councilor Moe voiced support for a flat-rate approach and said a straightforward calculation would be easier for businesses and taxpayers. Councilor Blackwell said she preferred starting low and noted concern about competitiveness with neighboring jurisdictions. Councilor Stout emphasized the difference between reimbursements and compensation and reminded colleagues that changing council compensation would require a charter amendment and a public vote. Councilor Rodley asked about assistance for small businesses; staff said education and ongoing technical assistance would be part of the administrative plan and included in administration-cost estimates.

On the carve-out question, opinions split. Some councilors favored gross wages without exclusions because it is simple and the task force prioritized fairness and ease of administration; others argued that excluding pretax deductions would give relief to lower-income households and that the financial difference at the low rate might be modest but worth exploring. Staff recommended starting modeling on the gross-wage basis to provide a clear initial scenario for community outreach.

Staff also proposed five potential guardrails: annual public reporting, a stakeholder advisory or technical committee, limits on rate increases, explicit use restrictions for the revenue, and a possible charter restriction. Staff recommended against immediately placing a restriction in the charter because of the complexity and cost of charter amendments, while recommending statutory and code-level guardrails and an annual report similar to the city’s road bond reporting.

Council direction and next steps: councilors asked staff to begin public outreach, provide clearer personal-level examples of how a 0.1% rate would affect workers and businesses, stress-test assumptions (telecommuting impacts, pretax deduction incidence, and compliance rates), and return with more detailed modeling and recommended guardrails. Staff said it would also share a survey/QR code for community feedback and seek further input from the business community. No formal motion or vote to adopt a payroll tax was taken at the work session.

The council signaled openness to a 0.1% starting scenario for public discussion, while asking staff to return with more refined estimates and outreach results before any ordinance or referral to voters.

Ending: Staff will continue modeling and community engagement on the payroll-tax options and return with more specific recommendations and revenue estimates to inform any subsequent ordinance or ballot referral decision.","City staff presented a payroll-tax implementation framework based on the mayor’s fiscal stability task force recommendation, proposing a low, flat rate and a set of guardrails; councilors asked for further modeling, outreach and clarification of administration costs before any final decision.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Council adopts natural-hazard mitigation annex, seeks housing-planning grant; accepts Ward 5 resignation

Firefighters press Springfield council for a fire district as brownouts, rising calls stretch crews

Residents urge Springfield to pause or cancel Flock camera contract; council asks staff for memo

Council begins annual review of operating policies; staff to review reimbursements, ethics guidance

Springfield councilwork session begins detailed review of proposed payroll tax framework