Mosier council vets Strategic Plan and directs edits to diversity, sustainability language

Mosier, Ore. — At its Oct. 4 meeting, the Mosier City Council continued a work session on the draft Strategic Plan, directing edits to the plan’s values and identifying several areas for added emphasis.

President Pro-Temp Emily Reed, acting as meeting chair, asked council members to "test" the plan’s values against the council’s vision for the city and led a line-by-line review of the Strengths and Challenges section. Councilors raised a series of topics to add or clarify, including river access, local health services and public transportation (the LINK service), and discussed sidewalk and streetscape approaches to balance pedestrian safety and parking needs.

City Manager-elect Colleen Coleman asked whether a gas station was a possible local business option, prompting councilors Lacy Gries and Ann Van Osdol to reiterate the town’s preference that Mosier be "built for people, not cars," and to discuss sidewalks and downtown parking as mitigation measures. Councilor Acasia Berry suggested simplifying and grouping the Challenge section to make it more usable; Councilor Peny Wallace pressed for clarity about how that section would be applied in future planning.

During the meeting, Reed made on-the-spot edits to the Diversity and Sustainability values to add wording aimed at "economic integrity and economic diversity," and said she would refine the language and bring a revised draft back to the council for further review. The council did not adopt a final plan or vote on policy changes at the meeting; members agreed to continue vetting the document at a future session.

The council meeting, held at the Mosier Senior Center, ran from 6:32 p.m. until 7:47 p.m.