Scappoose city manager urges rules, training on public‑meetings law; police chief reports staffing openings

Scappoose — City Manager Ben Birgener used Mondays council meeting to urge a review of council rules and to remind members of recent changes to Oregon public‑meetings law, and City Attorney Ashley Jisco outlined how the Oregon Government Ethics Committee now oversees related rulemaking.

Birgener said the city would offer guidance and training on best practices and encouraged councilors to funnel staff and attorney questions through the city manager to reduce costs and avoid inadvertent public‑meetings violations. "There's a lot of risk when, even when 2 council members are talking, if then they talk to anybody else, there's a violation," he told the council as part of a broader explanation of serial communication risks.

Ashley Jisco of the City Attorney's Office said the ethics committee has taken oversight of public‑meetings rules, that a dispute resolution process now exists for alleged violations, and that formal rulemaking is expected to conclude by year end. She said the office will provide updates and the League of Oregon Cities likely will issue guidance as well.

In a separate update, Police Chief Lewellen told the council the department has several openings — including three patrol officer positions and a sergeant opening — and described increased joint training with neighboring agencies. He and other council members praised Interim Chief Chris for positive changes to the department's culture and community engagement.

Why it matters: Changes to public‑meetings law affect how councilors and staff communicate and could expose the city to dispute processes if rules are not followed. Staffing updates affect emergency response capacity and the city's public‑safety operations.