November General Election Results—Once again, Jacksonville voters turned out in higher numbers than the Jackson County average and elected incumbent City Councilors Ken Gregg and Jim Lewis to new, 4-year terms. Donna Bowen, a first-time council candidate, was also elected to a 4-year seat. Bowen comes to the post after serving the city as the Chair of the Historic Architecture Review Commission and as a Budget Committee member.
Voters overwhelmingly said “No” to a proposed 5% Meals Tax by a 2-1 margin. The vote count (not yet certified) was 1343 NO (66.1%) versus 688 YES (33.8%.)
New City Website Online—The long-awaited upgrade to the city website (www.jacksonvilleor.us) is now mostly complete. Residents will find a plethora of city-related information on the newly designed site including minutes/recordings of all City Council and committee meetings along with a detailed city calendar of events and upcoming meetings with full agendas. Users will also find useful links to a variety of forms from the Planning Department and other departments.
Fire Chief Devin Hull Retires—Devin Hull has officially retired as Fire Chief and has been replaced with interim Fire Chief Wayne Painter. Painter comes to Jacksonville with 31 years of experience with the Medford Fire Incident Management Team, the Oregon State Fire Marshall’s office and a Federal fire management team. Mr. Painter is also an experienced Wildland Forest Officer. He received an Associate’s Degree in Fire Science and a BA in Fire Administration. He lives in Central Point with his wife of 28 years and has a 24-year-old son and 20-year-old daughter. Speaking to the hiring of Mr. Painter, the Mayor commented that the city of Jacksonville was incredibly fortunate to have found such a highly-respected and qualified candidate.
Dog Park Update—The City Council unanimously approved a 5-year ground lease, enabling Waggin Tails Dog Park to become a reality. The new park will be located adjacent to and south of the skate park, above the library and public parking lot. Before construction begins, backers need to raise $30,000 for construction, fencing, gravel, bark, a paved access road, benches, entry and rule signage, trees and more. The board of directors is comprised of President Sarah Maple, Secretary Linda Davis and Treasurer Jill Zan. The group is actively seeking grants and donations. It’s the holidays—so anyone interested in making a gift to this most worthwhile community project is encouraged to contact Sarah Maple at 541-701-2190.