St. Helens council discusses aligning governing policy with council–manager norms, adds focus on annual reviews and HR capacity

City of St. Helens officials met in a special council work session on March 17, 2025, to review recommended revisions to the city’s governing policy that would align local practice with the council–manager form of government and add clearer expectations for hiring, terminations and performance evaluations.

Policy attorney Ashley Ivans, representing the presenting legal team, told the council that “The City of St. Helens has a governing policy and that has been adopted,” and described the proposal as bringing the policy into closer alignment with what the League of Oregon Cities commonly sees in municipalities of similar size.

The draft changes put forward by staff and the city’s outside labor counsel would shift day-to-day operational authority toward the city administrator while preserving council oversight on who ultimately serves as city administrator. Under the recommended approach, the city administrator would select department heads and oversee hiring…