Umatilla City Council members moved on a request from residents to address a string of shootings and property damage, voting to refer the matter to the council’s police subcommittee and to request quick-cost estimates for retrofitting street lighting and evaluating cameras. The action followed multiple public comments from neighborhood residents describing shots fired, damaged vehicles and personal safety fears.

The discussion matters because residents said the incidents occurred in alleys near playgrounds and yards, and they pressed the council for immediate steps to restore public safety. Council members said the city’s limited staffing and aging infrastructure constrain short-term options but asked staff to pursue quick, interim measures while longer-term capital work is planned.

During public comment, Glenn Bradley of 732 J Street said his neighborhood had “about 40 rounds” recovered recently and that children use nearby fields. Jeff Cashman of 830 Eighth Street told council “I had 20 rounds alone in my shops” and that a bullet struck his wife’s car. Val Bradley said parts of the neighborhood are “very dark” and urged more lighting. Brian Netzel said shooters hit vehicles in his backyard and described living “in fear” because investigations appear slow.

Police Chief Bridge said the department is actively investigating and is working with the Umatilla County Sheriff’s Office and law enforcement partners in Hermiston, Pendleton and Boardman. “We are actively investigating it,” the chief said, adding detectives are collecting shell casings for testing and reviewing neighborhood security footage. He described patrol constraints: the department is attempting 24/7 coverage “with 14 people,” and officers are assigned to patrol subdivisions as they can.

City Manager Dave (last name not specified in the record) discussed infrastructure limits and funding tradeoffs. He said full street reconstruction to bring streets and utilities up to adopted city standards is expensive — on the order of “$1,000,000 per half mile” for road work and far more with utility replacement — and that urban renewal projects on the council agenda are intended to help address such needs. He recommended pursuing a retrofit approach to lighting — using existing utility poles and off‑the‑shelf luminaires — as a potential quick interim measure while larger projects are planned.

Councilors and staff also discussed non-infrastructure responses. Several council members said increased patrols and more officers are needed. The council voted to place the matter on the agenda for immediate discussion and then approved a motion to refer the problem to the police subcommittee for recommendations on lighting, cameras and other reasonable public-safety measures. Council asked staff to obtain cost estimates for retrofit lighting options and to coordinate with Pacific Power and other franchise holders about work on poles the utility owns.

The council made two formal procedural actions. First it amended the agenda to add the public safety discussion after public comment. Later it approved a motion to have the police subcommittee investigate short‑term lighting retrofits, camera options, patrol-resource needs and return recommendations. Council members who voted aye during the second motion were recorded as: Councilor Fenderberg; Councilor Dufloff; Councilor Katie McMillan; Councilor Smith; Councilor Dennis McMillan; and Councilor McLean.

The council also discussed formation and membership of the subcommittee; the record shows the council intends the subcommittee to deliver recommendations in a “reasonable amount of time” and that staff will gather quotes and run coordination with the utility. Council directed staff to coordinate with residents who spoke at the meeting and to provide inventory and repair status for lights citywide. The police chief emphasized that some investigation tasks (forensic testing and lengthy evidence processing) take time, and detectives are pursuing leads.

Next steps the council ordered: staff to gather retrofit-lighting cost estimates; police to continue targeted patrols and investigations; and the police subcommittee to produce specific, near-term recommendations that may include interim lighting retrofits, additional patrol coverage and possible camera deployment.

Residents were told the council will continue the conversation in the subcommittee and return recommendations to the full council; the meeting record does not show further policy adoption tonight beyond the referral and requests for cost estimates.