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Astoria council discusses charter revision process, arts RFP failure and accessibility accommodations
Summary
Councilors agreed to consider a citizen charter-revision committee and to schedule a retreat; staff reported no responses to an arts program RFP and recommended a direct personal-services contract if solicitation failed. Mayor Fitzpatrick described his profound hearing impairment and asked colleagues to help keep meetings accessible (identify speakers, avoid talking over one another).
Councilor Davis asked the council to launch a citizen committee to review potential charter revisions with the goal of placing measures on a 2026 ballot; Councilor Adams supported the review and urged broad community input and League of Oregon Cities involvement. City Manager Scott Spence said he will add the topic to a council retreat and coordinate timing.
Spence also reported that an RFP to support the city's arts program received no responses and proposed pursuing a direct personal-services contract consistent with procurement rules if competitive solicitations fail. Separately, Mayor Fitzpatrick described his profound hearing impairment, explained the limits of Zoom captioning and hearing aids, and requested that council members identify themselves before speaking and avoid interruptions. "I am profoundly hearing impaired," the mayor said, and asked for accommodation and patience from the dais and the public.
