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Coos Bay council extends Devereaux Center revocation appeal 30 days after lengthy public hearing
Summary
After a two-hour hearing that included board presentations and dozens of public speakers for and against the Nancy Devereaux Center, the Coos Bay City Council voted to extend the center's appeal period for a proposed business-license revocation by 30 days and directed the board to report back with specific progress updates.
The Coos Bay City Council voted to extend by 30 days the period during which the Nancy Devereaux Center may appeal a proposed revocation of its business license, following a public hearing that included a board presentation and sustained public comment for and against the center.
The Devereaux Center board's treasurer and secretary, Amanda McCarthy, told the council the board had temporarily suspended operations to complete facility maintenance, review policies, institute on-site security and decentralize food services to other community partners. "This temporary suspension allowed for staff to focus on the physical location of the building ... and review of policies to ensure that we're following city code," McCarthy said, and confirmed an ORCA (Oregon Coast Community Action) grant to fund security at the site.
Dr. Timothy Lynch, a public-health official who addressed operations with the board, said the board aims to improve communication with neighbors through monthly updates and town-hall style forums. "We want to rectify [past communication] and give an opportunity and a voice to our community," Lynch said.
Speakers at the public hearing split along familiar lines: neighborhood residents described safety, sanitation and property‑value concerns, while faith leaders, volunteers and people with lived experience emphasized the center's role in connecting clients to services and preventing wintertime deaths. Donna Tyler, who provides weekly meals to people in the Empire area, urged the council to keep services available: "Some of these people, they have no transportation. They can't get anywhere else," she said. Formerly unhoused Jess Howell described how a warming center helped her recover from a violent crime and said, "Without some kind of service like that, I would have died."
Council discussion referenced a revocation timeline staff outlined: a 30‑day corrective period was formalized by letter on Aug. 14, a formal notice was issued Sept. 24 initiating the revocation process, and council previously agreed to pause the timeline until the current meeting. Concerned councilors said they wanted clear, specific operational changes and verification that on-site security, staff identification, trespass policies and community outreach were in place before reinstating the license.
Councilor (speaker 13) moved to extend the period to appeal the revocation by an additional 30 days; the motion carried on a voice vote. The mayor and multiple councilors asked the Devereaux board to return with concrete, documented progress — including security start dates, tracking/registration practices for clients and evidence of neighborhood outreach — at the next meeting, which the council indicated would be within the extension period (noted as Dec. 3 during the hearing).
The council's action keeps the center's business license in suspension while the board implements the changes it presented and provides updates to the city. The city emphasized neighbors should expect monthly updates and a check-in with council before any decision to reinstate the license.
What happens next: the Devereaux Center board will return to council with interim reports during the 30‑day extension. Council members said they will reassess based on documented operational changes and neighborhood feedback.
