Stayton's Latest News

We know many are nervous about the anticipated weather. ?? City staff are doing all we can to prepare, and our sander is ready to go! While we cannot sand every single street in Stayton, we do have priority routes that will be sanded. Additionally, we have coordinated with Marion County to ensure they are applying deicer to County maintained streets in Stayton (First Avenue, Shaff Road, Wilco Road, Golf Club Road, Washington Street, and E. Santiam). We are monitoring the weather and attending briefings from the National Weather Service to help ensure closures of City facilities are timed appropriately for public and staff safety. As of 2:00 p.m., the following City facility closures have been determined:

• The Stayton Family Memorial Pool will be closing at 2:00 p.m., following Open Swim
• City offices and the Library will be closing at 4:00 p.m.
  
  
• If power outages occur, you should report them to Pacific Power:
• Via the Pacific Power app, or by texting OUT to 722797, or by calling 1-877-508-5088

As outages occur, City staff will also be in contact with Pacific Power to determine the magnitude of outages and appropriate action plans.

Below are important numbers to take note of in case of outages or other issues:

• City of Stayton After-Hours Emergency Line - (503) 982-2340
• Pacific Power - (888) 221-7070
• Northwest Natural Gas - (800) 422-4012 

Shop with a Cop (SWAC)?? Stayton Police joined law enforcement personnel from around Marion County on December 10th for the annual Shop with a Cop program. Officers volunteered their time to shop with local youth. The event was sponsored by Believe in Your Community and held at the Target at Keizer Station. Each youth was paired with a law enforcement person and allowed to shop, take photos with Santa, have the gifts wrapped and enjoy cookies and cocoa. Over 600 Marion County kids were able to participate.

Stayton Police Officer Pindell has completed his 16-week Basic Police course at DPSST. He graduated on Friday, Dec 9, 2022, and will return to Stayton PD to complete his next phase of training. Officers complete extensive training in the classroom, tactical training, scenario training and in the field training before being solo qualified. He will be assigned a field training officer and work towards his next phase of training. We are excited to have him back. Graduation of the academy is a big step in an officer’s career. Congratulations Officer Pindell.

Sergeant Butler was officially sworn in during a ceremony on December 7, 2022. With the retirement of Sgt Wetzel, we had a vacancy on our supervisor team. We completed a promotional process and Dean Butler was promoted to sergeant.  

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Marion County, Oregon will be hosting a presentation and discussion on Saturday, November 5th from 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on the Marion County Recovery Plan. The event will be held at the Detroit Community Center (345 Santiam Avenue, Detroit). You can also join via Zoom (https://uso6web.zoom.us/j/83080985953)

 

Downtown Trick or Treating! Join us downtown on Halloween for Trick or Treating from 3:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Can't wait to see everyone's costumes! ??????

 

Event coordinated by Revitalize Downtown Stayton.

 

You will soon notice construction beginning at the empty lot between Cascade Highway and 3rd Avenue north of Fern Ridge Road. This is a private development project to construct a 72-unit multi-family apartment complex, on land that has been zoned for apartments.

 

A public hearing was held on the application (Land Use File #5-03/22) before the Stayton Planning Commission in May 2022. The Planning Commission found that the application, with conditions, met the standards for approval and issued a Notice of Decision on May 31, 2022.

 

A copy of the order containing a summary of the facts, conclusions, and decision is available for review at the Planning Office via email at dfleishman@staytonoregon.gov or calling 503-769-2998.

 

The Stayton Public Works Department has reviewed the Site Development Permit Application for compliance with the City’s Design and Construction standards and will be issuing the Site Development Permit to allow for work to begin this month. Work will include improvements to the frontage of the project along 3rd Avenue such as new sidewalk, driveway entrance, sanitary sewer improvement, and the installation of several streetlamps. The construction is estimated to be completed within the next 12 to 18 months.

 

Did you lose a kick scooter in the last couple of weeks?

 

Please reach out to the Stayton Police Department at (503) 769-3421 to see if it matches one we have as found property.

On the morning of October 17th, 2022, Stayton Police Department was alerted by Stayton High School staff to a possible bomb threat at the high school. School students and staff were evacuated from the high school buildings out of an abundance of caution. Students and staff staged at an evacuation site on the high school campus.

 

Stayton Police Department in cooperation with Oregon State Police Bomb Squad and Aumsville Police Department were onsite and investigated the threat. Based on information found during the investigation, resources from the bomb squad were used and areas of concern were searched. No device was found. As of 12:07 p.m., students returned to finish their school day.

 

The involved juvenile was charged with Disorderly Conduct under ORS 166.023.

 

The Stayton Police Department would like to thank Stayton High School staff, the Aumsville Police Department, and Oregon State Police for their assistance and cooperation with today’s events.

 

The safety of our schools and the greater community as a whole is our highest priority. We encourage individuals to promptly report incidents that seem suspicious or could threaten the safety of our citizens. Our 24 hour dispatch line is (503) 982-2340.

You may have noticed construction work that began on Monday, October 3rd, near the intersection of Shaff Road and Golf Club Road.

 

This is a private development project to construct a multi-family apartment complex. There will be approximately 100 apartment units, a club house, and storage units at the complex. The owner of this project is State Investments, LLC, from Salem. If you have specific questions about the apartment complex you can contact their representative Zach Pelz, AICP, with AKS Engineering & Forestry, LLC at pelzz@aks-eng.com (DO NOT CONTACT regarding rental applications as this development will not be complete for at least 12 to 18 months).

 

As part of the project, there will be public improvements on Golf Club Road which include the extension of the water main and the sanitary sewer main, as well as new curb and sidewalk. For questions concerning the public improvements, contact Michael Schmidt at (503) 769-2919 or email at mschmidt@staytonoregon.gov.

 

 

Additional information on this development:

 

Thank you to everyone who has commented on our post. We want to take this opportunity to inform people a bit more about the process for reviewing these types of projects. Projects such as the Shaff Square apartments are the subject of a public hearing and review by the City’s Planning Commission. The application was presented to the Planning Commission at a public hearing in November 2021. Notice of the public hearing is posted on the City’s website (https://www.staytonoregon.gov/page/gov_planning_agendas_minutes), is mailed to the owners of all property within 300 feet of the subject property, and is provided by a sign posted on the subject property. The Planning and Development Department also sends out a monthly email with an announcement of the agenda items before the Planning Commission. If you would like to be added to the distribution list for those emails in the future, please send an email to dfleishman@staytonoregon.gov. Between the time notice of the public hearing has been sent and the hearing is held, all the application materials submitted, and any review comments or public comments are posted on the City’s website for public review. While the application materials are removed from the City’s website a few weeks after the Planning Commission hearing, they are still available for review by contacting the planning department via email at dfleishman@staytonoregon.gov or calling 503-769-2998.

 

Most of the comments posted here address traffic and impacts on schools and other public services. Part of the application is a Transportation Impact Analysis (TIA), prepared by a transportation engineer. The analysis examines the impacts of the proposed project on the nearby street network and intersections and make recommendations for improvements. This analysis is then reviewed by the City’s transportation engineering consultants prior to presentation to the Planning Commission. The TIA concluded that there would be no change in the “Level of Service” at the Shaff/Golf Club intersection due to the development and the City’s consultants agreed with this assessment. Improvements will be made, however, including street frontage and sidewalk improvements along Golf Club Road to the intersection. In addition, the development is required to pay System Development Charges for streets, water, storm, and sanitary sewer which will go to future improvements to the systems.

 

In addition to traffic impacts, a development application is reviewed to assure there will be adequate water and sewer service and stormwater impacts meet the City’s standards.

 

The application materials are sent to eleven agencies, including the North Santiam School District, Marion County Public Works Department, Police Department, and private utilities requesting their review comments. State law prohibits the City from using the impacts on the school system as a criteria for approval of a residential development.

 

Following approval of the Site Plan, the applicant must prepare detailed engineering and construction plans, which are submitted to the City’s Public Works Department for review and approval prior to the issuance of a Site Development Permit. This permit ensures that construction will be done in accordance with all plans and specifications for safety and reliability over time. For Shaff Square, these plans were submitted in July and review will finalized this month or in November. An “Early Grading Permit” was issued by the Public Works Department to allow earth work to commence before the fall rains begin.

 

Finally, there is currently a vacancy on the Planning Commission. The Commission generally meets once a month. This is your opportunity to be involved in making decisions on the future of the City.

Due to construction outside of City Hall which prevents access to the building, our offices will be closed to the public today (Monday, October 3rd) from 12:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. and tomorrow (Tuesday, October 4th) from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

 

Employees will still be available via email and in the office answering phone calls.

 

On Saturday, September 10th, 2022, the Stayton Public Library will be extending their hours until 7:00 p.m. for the day to serve as a Cooling Center for those looking to cool off from the high temperatures expected and the planned Public Safety Power Shutoff that day.

 

Below is a list compiled by Santiam Service Integration on community resources available during this time and a preparation flier:

 

• Santiam Service Integration - Community Resource Centers
• Santiam Service Integration - Preparation Tips

Updated 9/8/22 at 9:33 a.m.:

 

To see if your address will be specifically impacted by the Public Safety Shutoff, view the map posted at: https://www.pacificpower.net/outages-safety/wildfire-safety/public-safety-power-shutoff.html

Also, make sure your contact information is up to date on your Pacific Power account. If you will be directly impacted, Pacific Power will send out a notice.

 

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Pacific Power issued the following notice late afternoon on Wednesday, September 7th:

 

**Update** Due to elevated wildfire conditions and forecasted high, gusty winds, we will perform a Public Safety Power Shutoff in your area. The Public Safety Power Shutoff will affect approximately 12,000 customers and begin at around 12 a.m. on Friday, September 9 and could last through Saturday evening.

 

Sections of the following communities could experience a Public Safety Power Shutoff:

 

• Stayton through the Santiam Canyon
• Lebanon
• Sweet Home
• Lincoln City
• Glide east along Umpqua Highway

 

A Public Safety Power Shutoff is a proactive measure to reduce wildfire risk during hazardous fire weather by proactively turning off power. Temporary community resource centers are being set up in the affected communities. Locations and a full list of amenities will be shared when that information is available.

 

Pacific Power is taking additional safety precautions by directing extra personnel and resources to monitor weather impacts on the system. After weather conditions subside, a safety patrol will occur to ensure it is safe to re-energize the electrical network.

 

We will provide a situation update in 24 hours. For a map of affected areas, visit www.pacificpower.net/psps.

 

We appreciate your understanding and patience during this important public safety measure.

 

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Debido a las elevadas condiciones de incendios forestales y el pronóstico de vientos muy altos, realizaremos un corte de energía de seguridad pública en su área. El corte de energía de seguridad pública afectará a aproximadamente 12,000 clientes y comenzará alrededor de las 12:01 a.m. el viernes 9 de septiembre y podría durar hasta el sábado por la noche.

 

Un corte de energía de seguridad pública es una medida proactiva para reducir el riesgo de incendios forestales durante el clima de incendio peligroso al apagar proactivamente la energía. Se están estableciendo centros temporales de recursos comunitarios en las comunidades afectadas. Las ubicaciones y una lista completa de servicios se compartirán cuando esa información esté disponible.

 

Pacific Power está tomando precauciones de seguridad adicionales al dirigir personal y recursos adicionales para monitorear los impactos climáticos en el sistema. Después de que las condiciones climáticas disminuyan, se realizará una patrulla de seguridad para garantizar que sea seguro volver a energizar la red eléctrica.

 

Proporcionaremos una actualización de la situación en 24 horas. Para obtener un mapa de las áreas afectadas, visite pacificpower.net/psps. Agradecemos su comprensión y paciencia durante esta importante medida de seguridad pública.

 

On Tuesday, July 26th, 2022, the Stayton Public Library will be extending their hours until 7:00 p.m. for the day to serve as a Cooling Center for those looking to cool off from the high temperatures expected. 

 

We will continue to monitor the weather and, if necessary, extend the Library hours as needed to serve as a Cooling Center.

The paving project on E. Jefferson Street will begin next week. Community members are encouraged to find alternate routes around this area of Stayton.

 

On Monday, June 27th, the street will be milled (pavement grinding) and on Tuesday, asphalt paving will begin.

 

If you have any questions, please reach out to the Public Works department at (503) 769-2919.

Is your neighborhood hosting an event or block party in honor of National Night Out on August 2, 2022? Let us know! The Stayton Police Department would love to drop by your event to visit and bring some swag.

 

Millions of neighbors take part in National Night Out across thousands of communities from all fifty states, U.S. territories and military bases worldwide on the first Tuesday in August. Neighborhoods host block parties, festivals, parades, cookouts and various other community events with safety demonstrations, seminars, youth events, visits from emergency personnel, exhibits and much, much more.

 

National Night Out is a great time to get to know your neighbors! If you plan to host a block party event in your neighborhood on National Night Out register at https://www.staytonoregon.gov/page/police_nno_register or let Stayton Police Department know by reaching out at (503) 769-3423.

On Thursday, June 2nd from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., in the Stayton Middle School Cafeteria (1021 Shaff Road), Marion County will be holding an Open House to discuss the upcoming Safe Routes to School improvements. 

 

Marion County has received state funds to design and construct pedestrian facilities along Shaff Road immediately south of Stayton Middle School. The project will construct a new sidewalk from the east end of the existing pedestrian path and extending to Gardner Avenue, construct ADA compliant curb ramps for the east-west crossing of Gardner Avenue, and an upgraded, ADA compliant pedestrian crossing of Shaff Road on the east leg of the Gardner Avenue intersection that will also include rectangular rapid flashing beacons, signage, and surface markings to enhance crossing visibility and safety. 

 

Shaff Road and Gardner Avenue will remain open during construction with flaggers directing traffic through the work area when needed. Construction is expected to be completed in summer 2023. 

 

If you are unable to attend but have questions about the project, please contact Lee Cronemiller, Project Manager, at (503) 566-4143 or via email at lcronemiller@co.marion.or.us.

 

You may view project information and a virtual presentation prior to the meeting at: https://www.co.marion.or.us/PW/Engineering/Projects/Pages/StaytonSRTS.aspx

 

To view the full memo and a map of the project:

 

• Marion County Open House - Shaff Road SRTS Project.pdf

CG Contractors, LLC from Salem, Oregon is going to begin work on the Jefferson Street Overlay project starting Tuesday, May 31st. The improvements will be from Third Avenue to Sixth Avenue. The work will include storm system upgrades, ADA sidewalk ramp construction, and a street overlay.

 

The work will be completed no later than June 30th. Traffic will generally be allowed on all streets during construction, although there may be delays. There will be notice given for street closures during grinding and paving work. Contact Ian Kintz-Stormo in Public Works at (503) 769-2919 if you have any questions.

The Stayton, Oregon, City Council has designated three finalists for the position of City Manager: Julia Hajduk, Daniel Hunter, and Matthew “Selby” Selby.

 

Julia Hajduk, current Community Development Director and past Planning Manager for the City of Sherwood, has 15 years of local government management experience. She has also served as a City of Sherwood Senior Planner, City of Tigard Associate Planner, City of Springfield Planner, and Economic Development Assistant at the Mid-Willamette Valley Council of Governments. She received her bachelor’s degree in Geography from Western Oregon University. Ms. Hajduk says, “I am extremely pleased to be a finalist for the City Manager position and look forward to meeting the community members and staff throughout the interview process. I look forward to sharing how my experiences and background will make me a great asset to Stayton and to hear how I can help you meet the community's needs and aspirations.”

 

Daniel Hunter, current Human Resources Director and Risk Manager for the City of The Dalles, has 6 years of local government management experience. He has also served as a Project Coordinator and Administrative Fellow for the City of The Dalles, Motor Carrier Enforcement Officer and Bridge Deck Inspector/Road Rater for the Montana Department of Transportation. Mr. Hunter holds a Master of Public Administration from American Military University and a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Linfield College. He is a veteran having proudly served in the US Air Force. Mr. Hunter says, “My Interest in city management began over twenty years ago while attending Clackamas Community College. As a native Oregonian my hope is that my career would be managing a City in Oregon. Stayton is a special place both because of its history and its proximity to recreation for those of us who love the outdoors.”

 

Matthew “Selby” Selby, current Interim Assistant City Manager for the City of Yakima, WA, has 11 years of local government management experience. He has also served as the Interim Executive Director for Middlesex West Chamber of Commerce, MA, Land Use and Economic Development Director for the Town of Acton, MA, Director of Community Development & Health, Economic Development Coordinator, and Conservation Agent/Zoning Enforcement Officer for the Town of Ashland, MA. Mr. Selby holds a Master of Resources Management & Administration from Antioch University and a bachelor’s degree in English from St. John’s University. Mr. Selby, originally from Massachusetts, shared "Since first visiting in 2006, I have wanted to move to the Pacific Northwest, but I had just started my public administration career. Sixteen years later, I'm more than ready to make the move to Stayton and into the City Manager's office."

 

The community will have an opportunity to meet the finalists at an in-person community reception the evening of Tuesday, April 26th, 2022 at 6:00 pm. The reception will be held at the Stayton Community Center: 400 W. Virginia St, Stayton, OR 97383.

 

City of Stayton - City Manager Finalist Press Release.pdf

 

The City of Stayton Parks and Recreation Board invites community members to enter the Stayton Parks Video Contest!

 

Show people the features that Pioneer Park and Riverfront Park have to offer visitors. Your video should feature Pioneer Park or Riverfront Park. Prizes for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place. Winners will have their video shared on the Parks webpage. Submissions are due by June 15, 2022.

 

To obtain contest information and register, please reach out to our Public Works Department at wcudd@staytonoregon.gov.

The Marion County Emergency Management team is working on the All-Hazard Mitigation Plan. Hazard mitigation planning reduces loss of life and property by minimizing the impact of disasters. It begins by identifying disaster risks and vulnerabilities that are common in our area. After identifying these risks, we develop long-term strategies for protecting people and property from similar events.

 

Please take a few minutes to share your thoughts and concerns by completing the survey: https://arcg.is/ivDbP

The City of Stayton is recruiting for the next City Manager and we would like your input on what skills, experience, and other attributes you feel are important for the successful candidate. As a community member, your opinion will provide an important perspective to develop the position profile and the recruitment materials. Feedback will be summarized with no comments being attributed to one person.

 

• https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/StaytonCommunity

 

The survey will be available through Monday, January 24, 2022.

 

If you have any questions or concerns please contact Amelia by email (amelia@jensenstrategies.com). 

For the week of December 27th through January 1st, the Stayton Family Memorial Pool will be closed due to the inclement weather.

 

The Stayton Public Library will be closed today, December 28th due to the weather and will be evaluated on a daily basis while the weather persists.

Beginning on December 8th, from 1:00 p.m. through at least 5:00 p.m., the phones, internet, and servers will be down at our City offices due to network upgrades. Employees will be in the office but have limited ability to assist with anything that utilizes our phones, internet, or servers. We appreciate your patience during this downtime.

The City of Stayton was notified earlier this week that the State of Oregon has placed load restrictions on bridges located on Shaff Road, Wilco Road and Golf Club Road, just south of the Golf Course. Marion County will be placing load limit signs no later than December 10th, 2021.

 

Trucks that do not meet the axel/loading restrictions shown in the link below will need to find an alternate route into and out of Stayton. If you are located on Wilco Road and north of the Salem Ditch you will need to go north to Shaff Road then east to Cascade Highway, and then north to Highway 22. If you are located on Wilco Road south of the Salem Ditch, you will need to follow the alternate route as shown on the attached map created by Marion County.

 

If you have questions, please contact Bill Brownlee at Marion County at wbrownlee@co.marion.or.us.

 

• Weight Limit Restrictions Sign Plan.pdf
• Load Restrict Rec - Salem Ditch Shaff Rd SE.pdf
• Load Restrict Rec - Salem Ditch Wilco Rd.pdf

 

The Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA) has presented a Distinguished Budget Presentation Award to the City of Stayton for its annual budget for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2021. This is the sixth consecutive year the City has received this recognition.

 

The award represents a significant achievement by the City of Stayton. It reflects the commitment of the City Council and staff to meeting the highest principles of government budgeting. In order to receive the budget award, an entity must satisfy nationally recognized guidelines for effective budget presentation. These guidelines are designed to assess how well an entity’s budget serves as:

 

• a policy document
• a financial plan
• an operations guide
• a communications device

 

Budget documents must be rated “proficient” in all four categories, and in the fourteen mandatory criteria within those categories, to receive the award.

 

Interim City Manager Alissa Angelo shared the following, “We are honored to receive this award for the sixth consecutive year. It’s a true reflection of the hard work and dedication put forth by the City Council and City staff each year during development, presentation, and consideration of our budget document. As a smaller community, putting together a document of this size is no easy feat, but our team is committed to providing a transparent and easy to understand document for the community.”

The Stayton Police Department would like to remind drivers to plan and use a designated non-drinking driver, Uber, taxi, or other form of transportation to get home safely when celebrating during this holiday season.

 

Starting this Thanksgiving weekend, we will be conducting targeted patrols to increase safety on our roadways. The patrols are funded by grants provided through the Oregon Department of Transportation.

 

In addition to grant funded patrols, on Saturday, November 27th, Mother Against Drunk Driving (MADD) is partnering with Stayton Police, the Oregon State Police, and other local law enforcement agencies from Marion and Polk counties to hold a Thanksgiving holiday high visibility saturation patrol throughout the area. Special thanks to Keizer Police and MADD for organizing the patrols.

 

The Stayton Police Department wishes you and your families a safe and happy holiday season!

 

 

Aumsville Police Department has challenged us to a No Shave November contest to see which department can raise the most money for the Can Cancer Fund during November. Officers have donated money to participate and are encouraged to grow a full beard to proudly show off during the month of November.

 

The public is encouraged to participate by also making donations via their local police department. For every donation made by a community member, their name will be entered into a drawing to win lunch with Police Chief Frisendahl. Other incentives will be announce throughout the month. Additionally, at the end of November, there will be a review of the progress and votes for Best Beard, Worst Beard, and Paul Bunyan look-alike.

 

To assist with donations, we've teamed up with the Santiam Service Integration team. Donations can be brought to the Stayton Police Department and dropped off in the lobby, the water bill drop box out front at any hour, or mailed to the Stayton Police Department (386 N. Third Avenue). Checks should be made out to the Santiam Service Integration Team and receipts are available upon request. At the end of the month, all monies donated will be given to the Can Cancer Fund.

 

Help a great cause and help Stayton raise more money than Aumsville in this friendly competition!

Recently, the Stayton Police Department has seen an increase in computer, phone, and rental scams. This is a reminder that if something seems to be too good to be true, it probably is, so please be cautious. Below are some great resources to help protect you and those you know:

 

• Oregon Department of Justice
• Federal Trade Commission Consumer Information
• USA.gov

The Stayton City Council currently has one vacancy after the recent resignation of Councilor Christopher Molin. Mayor Henry Porter is accepting Letters of Interest from interested community members who would like to serve on the Council.

 

The councilor term runs through December 2024. Meetings of the City Council typically occur at 7:00 p.m. the first and third Monday of every month. On occasion, the City may need a Special Call which most likely would occur on the second and fourth Mondays. Council members also serve as a Budget Committee member. For more information, please visit: www.staytonoregon.gov/page/gov_cc_home

 

The first review of Letters of Interest will be on October 29th, 2021 but will continue to be accepted until the position has been filled. If you would like to submit a Letter of Interest, please submit your letter to City Hall at 362 N. Third Avenue, Stayton, OR 97383 or via email at: citygovernment@staytonoregon.gov

 

On Tuesday, September 14th, 2021, an Open House regarding the Facilities Master Plan Project was held at 6:00 p.m. at the Stayton Public Library. During the meeting, Mackenzie shared a history of the project and three site studies. You can view the presentation and three site studies they conducted as well as participate in the Community Input survey by clicking the link below.

 

Facilities Master Planning Project

On Tuesday, September 14th beginning at 6:00 p.m., please join us for an open house at the Stayton Public Library to learn more about the efforts under way to develop a Master Plan for the City of Stayton’s public facilities. Hear from City staff as well as our architecture and engineering consultants, Mackenzie, as they present the current sites and considerations for the City’s facilities.

 

Mackenzie will provide further insight into their process and conceptual master plan for the following City of Stayton facilities:

 

• Stayton Family Memorial Pool
• Stayton Public Library
• Community Center
• City Hall
• Police Station
• Public Works and Planning

Many Americans look to the Labor Day holiday weekend as the unofficial end of summertime. No matter how you plan to celebrate the end of the season this year, make sure you plan it safely. This Labor Day weekend, law enforcement in Stayton are participating in the Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over impaired driving awareness campaign, which runs from August 18 through September 6, 2021. In support of the law enforcement community’s dedication to protecting the lives of residents in their communities, you’ll see officers working together during this holiday weekend to take drunk drivers off the roads. These expanded efforts to protect against impaired driving will be conducted in a fair and equitable way.

 

According to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 10,142 people were killed in motor vehicle crashes in 2019 that involved an alcohol-impaired driver. On average, more than 10,000 people were killed each year from 2015 to 2019, and one person was killed in a drunk-driving crash every 52 minutes in 2019. This is why Stayton Police Department is working together with NHTSA to remind drivers that drunk driving is not only illegal, it is a matter of life and death. As you head out to the Labor Day festivities, remember: Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over.

 

“We want our community members to understand that it’s our first priority to keep people safe, so we’re asking everyone to plan ahead if they know they’ll be out drinking,” said Captain Johns. “We need commitment from our community members that they’ll keep the streets free of drunk drivers so that everyone can have a safe holiday. This is a campaign to get the message out that drunk driving is illegal and it takes lives. Let’s make this a partnership between law enforcement and drivers: Help us protect the community and put an end to this senseless behavior,” she said.

 

During the 2019 Labor Day holiday period (6 p.m. August 30 – 5:59 a.m. September 3), there were 451 crash fatalities nationwide. Forty-five percent of those fatalities involved drivers who had been drinking (.01+ BAC). More than one-third (38%) of the fatalities involved drivers who were drunk (.08+ BAC), and nearly one-fourth (24%) involved drivers who were driving with a BAC almost twice the legal limit (.15+ BAC). Age is a particularly risky factor: Among drivers between the ages of 18 and 34 who were killed in crashes over the Labor Day holiday period in 2019, 46% of those drivers were drunk, with BACs of .08 or higher.

 

Stayton Police and NHTSA are reminding citizens of the many resources available to get them home safely. “Drunk driving is not acceptable behavior, especially when there are so many safe alternatives to get you home safely,” said Captain Johns.

 

Stayton Police recommends these safe alternatives to drinking and driving:

 

• Remember that it is never okay to drink and drive. Even if you’ve had only one alcoholic beverage, designate a sober driver or plan to use public transportation or a ride service to get home safely.
• If you see a drunk driver on the road, contact Stayton Police.
• Do you have a friend who is about to drink and drive? Take the keys away and make arrangements to get your friend home safely.

 

For more information on impaired driving, visit: https://www.nhtsa.gov/risky-driving/drunk-driving

The City of Stayton's email server is being upgraded beginning at 8:00 a.m. on August 24th, and will not be up and running until late in the day. Employees will not receive incoming emails during this time.

 

If you need to reach a City employee, we recommend you call City Hall at (503) 769-3425.

On July 7, 2021, the Governor directed State agencies to conserve water in response to drought conditions facing Oregon. The executive order directed State agencies to curtail non-essential water use, implement water conservation measures, and encourage drought resiliency.

 

Since the July 7th executive order was issued, the Stayton area has received 0.02 inches of rain. The entire Willamette River Basin is suffering from drought-like conditions.

 

In an effort to do our part, the City of Stayton will be activating our Water Curtailment Plan. We will start our efforts in stage “Mild.” The Mild stage consists of bringing public awareness to the drought-like conditions and to reduce water consumption by 5%.

 

The City will be reducing our irrigation efforts in Stayton parks and limiting water usage where we can while still providing the quality of service our residents have come to expect.

 

We are also asking our community members to limit irrigating their lawns and eliminate washing vehicles by residential hose. Again, we are trying to reduce our monthly usage by 5%. Your conservation efforts are very much appreciated.

 

To view the City’s Water Management and Conservation Plan go to:

 

http://www.staytonoregon.gov/page/open/3483/0/Stayton_WMCP_Final.pdf

If you or someone you know is experiencing issues with a dog in the Stayton area, please contact Marion County who handles Dog Control for our area. 

 

Dog Control can be contacted by calling (503) 588-5233 or you can visit their website at: https://www.co.marion.or.us/CS/dogservices/enforcement

The Stayton Water System provides a reliable supply of high quality drinking water. We are pleased to report on our annual testing in accordance with EPA and Oregon Drinking Water Program guidelines. Our water surpasses all state and federal water quality requirements. The City of Stayton strives to provide the best water possible.

 

An electronic copy of the report is available at: www.staytonoregon.gov/page/pw_water

 

Scroll to the bottom to view Stayton Consumer Confidence Report 2020.

 

Paper copies are available upon request by calling (503) 769-2919 or send a written request to:

 

Water Quality Report
Stayton Public Works
362 N. Third Avenue
Stayton, OR 97383

 

Copies are also available at City Hall, 362 N. Third Avenue.

 

El Informe de la Calidad del Agua en Stayton de 2020 ya está disponible para descargar. ¡Es Información importante!

Plan ahead and be prepared!

 

Sign up for emergency notifications through the Everbridge Citizen Alert system:

 

https://member.everbridge.net/index/892807736721950#/signup

 

Emergency notifications from Everbridge can be sent to a landline, as well as a cell phone via call and text.

The 4th of July is right around the corner, and we are experiencing extreme fire danger and drought, not only in our area, but a large majority of the state. We encourage you to use caution as you celebrate in the coming days. While there is not a fireworks ban inside Stayton city limits, please consider foregoing fireworks use at this time of year.

 

If you live outside Stayton city limits, we encourage you to reach out to the Oregon Department of Forestry or your local city offices to gather information on rules in place for your area.

 

If you choose to light off fireworks, take extreme caution and keep the fireworks legal.

 

• Be Prepared
• Be Responsible
• Be Safe
• Be Aware

 

As a reminder, an illegal firework is any firework that flies into the air, explodes, or behaves in an uncontrollable and unpredictable manner.

 

You can find a searchable list of legal fireworks vendors in Stayton by visiting the Oregon State Fire Marshal website. 

 

Please help firefighters across Oregon by being mindful of the conditions and celebrate safely this Independence Day!

 

A Cooling Center will be available today from 1:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. at the Stayton Public Library Meeting Room (515 N. First Avenue). Stop by if you need to cool off from the heat!

Beginning Friday, June 25, 2021 at 7:00 a.m., and until further notice, all fire agencies within Marion County will enact a High-Fire Danger Burn Ban, based on a recommendation by the Marion County Fire Defense Board.

 

Marion County fire agencies include: Aumsville Fire District, Drakes Crossing Fire District, Gates Fire District, Hubbard Fire District, Idanha Detroit Fire District, Jefferson Fire District, Keizer Fire District, Lyons Fire District, Marion County Fire District #1, Mill City Fire District, Monitor Fire District, Mount Angel Fire District, Silverton Fire District, St. Paul Fire District, Salem Fire Department, Stayton Fire District, Sublimity Fire District, Turner Fire District, and Woodburn Fire District. Burning restrictions are authorized under Oregon Revised Statute 478.960 and Oregon Fire Code 307.

 

The burn ban prohibits all of the following:

 

• Backyard or open burning (branches, yard debris, etc.).
• Agricultural burning (agricultural wastes, crops, field burning, etc.).
• Any other land clearing, slash, stump, waste, debris, or controlled burning.

 

The burn ban does not prohibit:

 

Small outdoor cooking, warming, or recreational fires. These include portable or permanent fire pits, fire tables, and campfires, with a maximum fuel area of three feet in diameter and two feet in height in a safe location away from combustibles or vegetation and are fully extinguished after use.

 

Barbeque grills, smokers and similar cooking appliances with clean, dry firewood, briquettes, wood chips, pellets, propane, natural gas, or similar fuels.

 

There may be more restrictive fire safety rules on and within a one-eighth mile of Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF)-protected land, which exists throughout much of rural Marion County. ODF restrictions may include prohibitions on campfires, smoking, target shooting, powered equipment, motorized vehicles, and other public/private landowner and industrial fire restrictions. More details about ODF fire restrictions are available at https://gisapps.odf.oregon.gov/firerestrictions/PFR.html.

 

Outdoor fires in violation of this burn ban may be immediately extinguished. If a fire agency responds to a fire that has been started in willful violation of this burn ban, the person responsible may be liable for all costs incurred, as well as legal fees per ORS 478.965.

 

Fire chiefs in Marion County encourage the public to use extreme caution with activities that could start a fire. It is everyone’s responsibility to prevent and be prepared for wildfires.

 

On Saturday, June 26th and Sunday, June 27th, there will be a Cooling Center open at the Stayton Community Center (400 W. Virginia Street) from 1:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

The weather forecast in our area is calling for extreme heat this weekend. Start planning and preparing your home and family now for the weather headed our way. Stay safe everyone!

 

Below are a couple links with excellent information:

 

• https://www.ready.gov/heat
• https://www.cdc.gov/disasters/extremeheat/index.html

 

Pacific Power shared some tips for staying safe as we head into this record heat wave.

 

"Heat waves are something Pacific Power experiences each year. From a power supply perspective, we do not anticipate heat-related service interruptions during this current heat wave. In addition to regular maintenance and equipment upgrades, Pacific Power, as part of PacifiCorp, can access a diverse mix of available energy resources – solar, wind, hydro and thermal – which is key to fulfilling our promise of reliability and stability."

 

To read the full press release visit: https://www.pacificpower.net/about/newsroom/news-releases/stay-safe-during-record-heat-wave.html

Thank you to the community for voting on both the Recreation (Pool and Parks) and Library local option levy at the May 18th, 2021 election.

 

The goal for the pool is an August reopening. Now that the levy has passed, we are able to move forward with required repairs that must be done to the HVAC system plus allowing for additional time for the staff hiring process to take place.

As COVID-19 levels in Marion County improve and vaccination rates continue to increase, the City of Stayton has made the following adjustments:

 

• City offices have begun a limited reopening to the public, Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. At this time, masks are required (regardless of vaccination status) for staff and customers over the age of five.

 

• City staff and services continue to be available to the public Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. via phone, email, or video conferencing (e.g. Zoom).

 

The COVID-19 pandemic has fundamentally changed how we operate. Throughout the pandemic, the essential functions of the City have remained fully functional and operational. The focus of the City has been to meet our top priority, the health and safety of our residents and employees. As such, the City must continue to follow the recommendations and guidelines of the Oregon Health Authority (OHA), the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), Oregon Occupation and Health Administration (OR-OSHA) and City-County Insurance Services (CIS).

 

All staff contact information, with an option to send an email, is available on our Staff Directory page.

 

• City Hall – (503) 769-3425 or email cityofstayton@ci.stayton.or.us
• Police Department Office – (503) 769-3423
• Emergencies dial – 9-1-1
• For non-emergencies – (503) 982-2340
• Public Works Office Office – (503) 769-2919
• After-hours non-emergency – (503) 769-3421
• Planning & Development – (503) 769-2998
• Stayton Municipal Court – (503) 769-2668 or (503) 769-3425
• Stayton Public Library – (503) 769-3313

The statewide eviction moratorium ends on June 30th. The Oregon Emergency Rental Assistance Program online portal is now open to help Oregonians avoid eviction. The Program assists qualified tenants with funding to pay rent (including past rent, current and future rent) and certain home utility costs.

 

You can visit their website at www.OregonRentalAssistance.org. The website also has a variety of helpful tools including videos, information about income limitations, tenant checklists and links to paper applications etc. The portal is available in English, Spanish, Vietnamese, Simplified Chinese and Russian.

 

 

The City has hired contractors to perform gravel street grading and dust control treatment on Thursday, June 17th and Friday, June 18th. Vehicles need to be moved off the shoulders of gravel roads from 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on both days. All work will be completed by 4:00 p.m. on the 18th.

 

The following streets will be graded and sprayed with dust control: 

 

• E Regis St & 6th Ave
• E Robidoux St. and 7th Ave
• 5th Ave and E Hollister St
• E Florence St and 4th Ave
• Water Plant road
• W Water St and N Evergreen Ave
• N Birch Ave and W Ida St
• N Alder Ave and W Ida St
• W High St and N Cherry Ave
• W High St and N Evergreen Ave
• W High St and N Gardner Ave
• W Water St and N Holly Ave
• N King Ave and W Ida St
• N Peach Ave and W Washington St
• Jetters Way
• Police Department Shooting Range

 

If you have any questions or concerns, call the Public Works office at (503) 769-2919.

June 15th is National Elder Abuse Awareness Day. All across our state and especially during the time of COVID, older Oregonians are being abused by family members, friends, professionals, and scammers. Rarely are these incidents reported and even more rare are cases investigated and prosecuted.

 

The Oregon Attorney General is dedicated to improving awareness, reporting, investigations and prosecutions of these heinous crimes across the state. Please join us in the fight to create awareness and protect older vulnerable adults.

 

If you suspect an older adult is being abused, call 1-855-503-SAFE (7233) or contact the local law enforcement agency where the older adult lives.

 

One call could rescue an older adult who is unable to speak for themselves.

 

Have you ever considered volunteering time in your community? We are looking for civic-minded volunteers to fill vacancies on two of our boards:

 

• Parks and Recreation Board which meets on the first Tuesday of each month at 6:00 p.m. The Board is responsible for developing and maintaining parks and recreation programs, and serves as an advisory board to the City Council.

 

• The Public Arts Commission is a new board that has not begun meeting yet. The purpose of the Commission is to pursue placement of public art in public spaces within Stayton city limits while also serving to preserve and develop public access to the arts.

 

If you or someone you know would be interested in learning more about volunteering to serve on the Parks and Recreation Board, please email cityofstayton@ci.stayton.or.us or visit our Boards & Commissions page.

While the official start of summer is still a few weeks away, the State of Oregon and our region are already experiencing a severe drought. It is anticipated and expected the drought conditions could get worse in the months ahead. These conditions will again place our community at risk for wildfires. Preparation and planning *now* can make a significant difference in protecting your family, and your friends and neighbors.

 

The City of Stayton Police Department is reminding drivers about the lifesaving benefits of wearing a seat belt this spring, during the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) national Click It or Ticket high-visibility enforcement effort. The national seat belt campaign, which coincides with the Memorial Day holiday, runs from May 24 to June 6, 2021.

 

“We want the act of buckling up to become automatic to all drivers and passengers,” said Captain Johns, “It’s not just a safe thing to do – it’s the law. During the Click It or Ticket campaign, we’ll be working with our fellow law enforcement officers across local and state lines to ensure the message gets out to drivers and passengers. Buckling up is the simplest thing you can do to limit injury or save your life during a crash. We see the results of not wearing a seat belt all the time. We see the loss of life. So often, it could have been prevented.”

 

For this year’s Click It or Ticket seat belt mobilization effort, NHTSA is asking all states to participate in the kickoff event, Border to Border (B2B), a one-day, 4-hour national seat belt awareness event on May 24 that is coordinated by participating state highway safety offices and their respective law enforcement liaisons. The B2B program aims to increase law enforcement participation by coordinating highly visible seat belt enforcement and providing seat belt fact sheets for drivers at heavily traveled, highly visible state border checkpoints.

 

According to NHTSA, in 2019, there were 9,466 unbuckled passenger vehicle occupants killed in crashes in the United States. In that same year, 55% of passenger vehicle occupants killed at night (6:00 p.m. to 5:59 a.m.) were not wearing their seat belts. That’s why one focus of the Click It or Ticket campaign is nighttime enforcement. Participating law enforcement agencies will be taking a no-excuses approach to seat belt law enforcement, writing citations day and night. In Marion County Oregon, the maximum penalty for a seat belt violation is $265.00.

The Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA), again, for the fifth consecutive year, presented the Award for Distinguished Budget Presentation to the City of Stayton for its annual budget for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2020.

 

There are several criteria that must be met with a score of Proficient or higher to receive the Award for Distinguished Budget Presentation. The City of Stayton received Proficient or higher in every category. The GFOA Award Criteria includes the following categories:

 

Introduction and Overview

• Table of contents
• Strategic goals & strategies
• Short-term organization-wide factors influencing decisions
• Priorities and issues
• Budget overview

 

Financial Structure, Policy, and Process

• Organizational chart
• Fund descriptions and fund structure
• Department/fund relationship
• Basis of budgeting
• Financial policies
• Budget process

 

Financial Summaries

• Consolidated financial schedule
• Three (four) year consolidated & fund financial schedules
• Fund balance
• Long-range financial plans

 

Capital & Debt

• Capital expenditures
• Impact of capital investments on operating budget
• Debt

 

Departmental Information

• Position summary schedule
• Department descriptions
• Unit goals and objectives
• Performance measures

 

Document-wide Criteria

• Statistical/supplemental section
• Glossary
• Charts and graphs
• Understandability and usability

 

Overall

• Overall as a policy document
• Overall as a financial plan
• Overall as a operations guide
• Overall as a communications device

 

City Manager Keith Campbell had this to say about the GFOA recognition, “Receipt of this award is because of the Governing Body and City staff’s dedication to being leaders in best practices, transparency, and inclusiveness in sharing how our local government operates. This recognition from the GFOA shows our budget document is not only one of the very best in Oregon, but one of the very best in the entire country.”

The City is now accepting applications for plots at the Clarence Adams Community Garden located on Evergreen Avenue. Each plot is $25.00 and includes a spigot for irrigation.

 

First come, first serve!

 

Applications can be found on the Community Garden page. Download and complete the application, then email it to ikintz@ci.stayton.or.us.

 

If you have any additional questions, please contact Public Works at (503) 769-2919.

 

As clean-up of debris from the ice storm continues, we wanted to take a moment to recognize and thank our City of Stayton Public Works crews and Police Department for their dedication to the Stayton community during the storm and days following.

 

With no electricity, public works employees were on-site keeping our water and sewer systems up and running. Additionally, Public Works employees were also busy keeping the streets as clean as possible. Public Works employees worked a combined 162 hours during the storm to ensure no failures happened for our critical services.

 

The Police Department took on the role of identifying dangerous debris in rights-of-way, and when needed, securing dangerous areas as a result of the storm.

 

Please help us give a huge shout-out and thanks to the following Public Works employees:

 

• Michael Bradley
• Danielle Emmert
• Tom Etzel
• Joe Gesek
• Jason Miley
• Merle McCloud
• Bob Parsons
• Kendall Smith
• Troy Sanders

 

And, also help us recognize the Police Officers whose duties as public safety officers took on a new meaning during this storm:

 

• Cpt. Gwen Johns
• Sgt. Danielle Wetzel
• Sgt. Michael Meeks
• Officer Dean Butler
• Officer Tim Hankins
• Officer Matt Leonard
• Officer Travis Mumey
• Officer Daniel Reynolds
• Officer Christian Sandoval

 

Thank you for going above and beyond for the community, and for being awesome!

 

The City of Stayton's designated "Yard Debris Drop-Site" for storm debris will reopen today at 1:30 p.m. and close at dusk. Please leave your tree limbs inside the designated area in the park. This drop site is available only to Stayton residents.

 

After today, hours for the drop-site will be 9:00 a.m. to dusk.

 

The drop-site is located at Mill Creek Park (2800 Kindle Way SE). Please remember to be courteous and respectful as you travel through this residential area and maintain safe speeds.

Beginning this evening, the City of Stayton will open the Stayton Community Center for those who need to charge their electronic devices. The Community Center will have electrical outlets, chargers, stocking caps, and granola bars.

 

• Today - February 16th - the Center will be open from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

 

The hours for Wednesday and Thursday will be announced early tomorrow morning. Additionally, tomorrow we hope to have more supplies including blankets.

 

Remember to bring your mask, as it is required to enter the building.

 

According to Pacific Power, there are still approximately 3,500 people without power in the Stayton area. It is estimated that it will be Friday before power is fully restored to our community.

 

Please share this information with friends and neighbors who may need this service.

Today through Friday, from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., the Stayton Community Center (400 W. Virginia Street) will be open for those who need to charge their electronic devices. The Community Center will have electrical outlets, chargers, stocking caps, and granola bars.

 

Remember to bring your mask, as it is required to enter the building.

 

Please share this information with friends and neighbors who may need this service.

 

Marion County has established a call center for residents in need following the ice storm and subsequent widespread power outages. Call (503) 588-5108 for information about available resources or to request a welfare check for a medically vulnerable friend or family member in unincorporated areas of the county. Current call center hours are Monday-Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

 

Please do not call this number for updates about power outages. Please call your power company for that information.

An Aumsville mother and her four children have started a "Poké Blue Helping You" program. They are providing local police departments with packages of Pokémon cards to distribute to local children they may come in contact with on patrol.

 

The hope is the Pokémon cards will create an ice breaker with the children and create a rapport between them and the officers. Additionally, reminding them they are cared for and there are helpers in their community who they can reach out to for help and support.

 

A huge thank you to this family!

 

Have you ever considered volunteering time in your community? We are looking for civic-minded volunteers to fill vacancies on our Parks and Recreation Board which meets on the first Tuesday of each month at 6:00 p.m.

 

If you or someone you know would be interested in learning more about volunteering to serve on the Parks and Recreation Board, please visit our Board and Commissions Page to download an application.

At their Monday, December 21st meeting, the Stayton City Council received a presentation from staff titled “2020 State of the Streets and Local Motor Vehicle Fuels Taxation Report.” This presentation provided an overview of the City’s streets, the rating system used to rank the streets, and how street projects are chosen.

• View Monday’s presentation on YouTube.
• Review the PDF of the presentation here.
• Learn more about street ratings and project selection.

On Monday, the Stayton Police Department made an arrest after receiving a report from a resident of a stolen generator from the back of their work vehicle on W. Kathy Street. Luckily, the victim was able to provide details regarding the suspect and their vehicle. A short time later, a vehicle matching the description was located and Police were able to confirm it was the same vehicle the victim had identified earlier. Additionally, the stolen generator was seen in the back seat of the vehicle.

 

Ultimately, David Surratt Jr. was arrested and charged with crimes associated with stealing the generator. Other items in the car associated him with thefts in Aumsville and he had an outstanding warrant in Clackamas County.

 

This highlights the importance of promptly reporting crimes and good eyewitness details and descriptions in order to catch the suspect. Further, citizen mounted surveillance cameras have proven helpful time and again in developing suspects, tying crimes together, or developing leads.

 

This is also a good reminder for residents that criminals are also out holiday shopping this time of year and any unsecured vehicles prove to be areas of interest for them. It is always suggested to secure your valuables and, if you are not able to remove them from your vehicle, put them out of sight or conceal them.

This holiday season, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is partnering with Stayton Police Department to share the message about the dangers of drunk driving. From December 18, 2020 through January 1, 2021, law enforcement will participate in the high-visibility national enforcement campaign, Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over. During this period, local law enforcement will show zero tolerance for drunk driving. Increased state and national messages about the dangers of driving impaired, coupled with enforcement and increased officers on the road, aim to drastically reduce drunk driving on our nation’s roadways.

 

Sadly, the statistics prove that we have a lot of work to do to put an end to drunk driving. According to NHTSA, 10,511 people were killed in drunk-driving crashes in 2018 across the nation. On average, more than 10,000 people were killed each year from 2014 to 2018 — one person was killed in a drunk-driving crash every 50 minutes in 2018. This is why Stayton Police Department is working with NHTSA to remind drivers that drunk driving is not only illegal, it is a matter of life and death. As you head out to the holiday festivities, remember: Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over.

 

The holidays should be an enjoyable time for our community members, not a marker for the death of a loved one due to a drunk-driving crash. We need commitment from our community members that they’ll keep the roads free of drunk drivers so that everyone can have a safe holiday. This is a campaign to get the message out that drunk driving is illegal and it takes lives. Help us put an end to this senseless behavior.

 

During the month of December 2018, 839 people lost their lives in traffic crashes involving a drunk driver. During the Christmas and New Year’s Day holiday periods in 2018 alone, there were more drunk-driving-related fatalities (285) than during any other holiday period that year. These fatalities are preventable, and drivers must remember that driving impaired by any substance — alcohol or other drugs — is deadly, illegal, and selfish behavior.

 

Stayton Police Department and NHTSA are reminding citizens of the many resources available to get them home safely. “Drunk driving is not acceptable behavior,” said Sgt. Wetzel. “It is essential to plan a sober ride home before you ever leave for the party. That’s why, during the holiday season, we will make zero exceptions and arrest all drunk drivers.

 

Stayton Police Department recommends these safe alternatives to drinking and driving:

 

• Remember that it is never okay to drink and drive. Even if you’ve had only one alcoholic beverage, designate a sober driver or plan to use public transportation or a ride service to get home safely.
• If you see a drunk driver on the road, contact your local Dispatch center by dialing 911.
• Do you have a friend who is about to drink and drive? Take the keys away and make arrangements to get your friend home safely.

For more information about the 2020 Holiday Season Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign, visit www.nhtsa.gov/risky-driving/drunk-driving.

On Wednesday, November 25th from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., the Covered Bridge Café will be hosting its 15th annual Community Dinner utilizing drive-up curbside service only.

 

This event is open to everyone in the community, no questions asked! The dinner is a traditional Thanksgiving feast plus dessert. The cost is FREE!

 

Please call (503) 767-3945 for information or to volunteer. If you wish to make a donation, contact the Covered Bridge Café.

 

The City of Stayton is offering disposal of yard debris, including leaves and brush, on Saturday, November 14th from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and Saturday, December 5th from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

 

The collection site is at the City of Stayton Shops located at 1820 N. 1st Avenue, Stayton. The only cost to Stayton residents is a donation of canned food to be given to the Stayton Food Bank. Those who reside outside city limits, the cost is $1 per bag.

 

Seniors needing assistance raking, bagging, or having yard debris picked up and delivered to the drop-off site should contact Stayton Public Works at (503) 769-2919.

 

Applications are now available for the Stayton Community Improvement Grant program. The goals of the Grant program are to help neighbors work together to accomplish shared goals that support the overall health, vitality, and livability of the place they call “home” and to support non-profit organizations that provide a service to Stayton residents. The City of Stayton offers these grants to non-profit organizations and to groups of at least three neighbors that are willing to match funding through cash, in-kind donation, and volunteer hours.

 

Grants are available to support programs and services that directly benefit Stayton residents. Funds may also be spent on public improvements identified by a neighborhood or on private improvements. Examples of public improvements are new or replacement play equipment or landscaping in parks, street tree plantings, or construction or replacement of sidewalks. An example of private improvements would be coordinated improvement to front yard landscaping.

 

This is a competitive grant program. Applications are reviewed by City staff, and selected grants are awarded by the City Council. For 2020-21, a total of $30,000 is available to disburse. Individual grant amounts are expected to typically be in the range of $1,000 to $5,000 each.

 

Awardees will be required to complete a brief summary of the project outcomes and submit a minimum of two visual items to illustrate the project (photos, printed materials, etc.). Awardees will be required to account for the allocation of the grant monies at the completion of the project, or at the request of City staff. The learn more about the program, visit our website at www.staytonoregon.gov/page/resources_community_imp_grants or by contacting the Planning and Development Director Dan Fleishman at dfleishman@ci.stayton.or.us.

 

Applications must be submitted by November 27th.

Have you dropped off or mailed your ballot already? You can track your ballot and even sign up for alerts by visiting: https://marioncountyclerk.ballottrax.net/voter/login#/

Here are some behind the scenes statistics of how our Library continues to serve our community since the building closure due to COVID-19. Our staff has worked hard to find new and innovative ways to serve and connect with our patrons such as curbside services and virtual programs for all ages.

 

During the month of October, you will see Stayton Police Officers wearing pink and purple undershirts in support of both Domestic Violence awareness and Breast Cancer awareness. Officers will wear purple as their part in bringing awareness and education of domestic violence.

 

Additionally, you will see officers wearing pink in support of survivors and bringing attention to finding a cure for breast cancer.

 

 

On July 21, 2020 when a Stayton medic unit was reported stolen from Santiam Hospital, the Stayton Police Department and Linn County Sheriff’s Office have been working follow-up. The 2014 Dodge medic unit was found burned to the frame on a forest road outside of Mill City on that same date. The theft and fire resulted in an estimated $150,000 loss in the vehicle and its contents. Linn County assisted in the recovery of the unit and subsequent arson investigation.

 

The suspect in the case, Joshua Matlock, was taken into custody by Linn County deputies and assisting officers on an unrelated Linn County incident on October 8, 2020. Stayton officers followed up on information related to Joshua Matlock for possession of stolen property from the medic unit. With the new information, Joshua Eric Matlock was charged on October 10, 2020 with Theft 1, UUMV and Arson II related to Stayton case 20-4233, and the stolen medic unit. He is currently lodged at the Linn County jail https://www.linnsheriff.org/jail/current-inmates/view-inmate/?id=284950

 

The case is still an open investigation. Should anyone have further information related to this case, please contact Stayton Police at (503) 982-2340.

The Stayton Police Department has added a new service called CityProtect, which is an online and mobile platform that allows you to see crime activity in our community including your neighborhood, schools, and parks. The program shows on a map icons representing the types of crimes occurring in our community.

 

CityProtect is a free service and requires no usernames or passwords. The crime information (incident information) does not show a specific address or names, only a general area (street and block) is used. The data you see on CityProtect is from our records management system (mark43), which contains completed reports by your Stayton Police Officers.

 

CityProtect is also used by law enforcement agencies throughout our region and nationally. This service allows you to look at crimes occurring in various cities where you work, visit, and play.

 

The Stayton Police Department is working to improve our abilities to provide our residents, the ability to see the work your police department is doing and strive to give you relevant and timely information.

 

Click here to visit our CityProtect page: https://cityprotect.com/agency/stayton

In partnership with the Marion County Clerk's Office, the City of Stayton is happy to announce the installation of a 24 hour ballot box at Stayton Public Library!

 

The Stayton Police Department would like to thank the residents of Stayton and greater Santiam area for their support of the law enforcement community during these past months. The numerous cards, social media posts, phone calls, and in-person contacts from you have only reassured us that what we do is worthy and noble. The Stayton Police Department is committed to improving our operational capabilities, transparency, policy, and procedures. Our actions will only strengthen the connection with the community where we work, live, and play.

 

The Stayton Police Department recently joined the Oregon Accreditation Alliance (OAA). OAA standards are derived from standards produced by the Commission on Accreditation of Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA). Being accredited is a method of measuring the performance and accountability of police agencies. Accreditation establishes a uniformed set of “Best Practices” for police agencies consistent, measurable, and verified by an independent body as to compliance and creates accountability to the community, elected officials, and the department staff who are performing the day-to-day work.

 

Our Police Department has been accepted to the OAA and is currently in a self-assessment phase. This phase requires the agency to review department policy and determine our level of compliance with OAA standards. The agency must establish proof of compliance, and through this process, we will be required to update and revise policies as necessary to obtain accreditation.

 

The next phase is an onsite assessment by OAA assessors who review our policies, procedures, and practices against the standards to ensure compliance was met. A report will then be compiled and forwarded to the Oregon Accreditation Alliance Board for review and nomination to award accreditation to the agency.

 

This is not a one-time process in order to maintain accreditation; an agency must provide annual documentation of continued compliance and undergo an onsite assessment every three years.

 

The Stayton Police Department is committed to this process to provide a high level of service to the community by adhering to the best practices in law enforcement. On average, it can take from 18-24 months to obtain accreditation. Of the one hundred and seventy-four (174) law enforcement agencies in Oregon currently, there are only fifty-three (53) who are accredited and fifteen (15) who are in a self-assessment stage of the process.

 

Again, we thank you for your ongoing support of the law enforcement community and your agency.

Any future Santiam Fire Updates can be found by visiting: 

 

http://staytonoregon.gov/page/resources_santiam_wildfire

 

We have taken all of our links and information and put them on our webpage. We hope this can be a complete resource for information.

UPDATE at 5:00 p.m.  (No change: Level 2 remains in place.) Unless there is a change of status, this will likely be the last post today. 

Our thoughts and well wishes are with the firefighters and first responders who are brave and unselfish public servants. 

Our thoughts are with our neighbors and friends up the canyon, and with all Oregonians impacted by these wildfires. 

 
Thank you to all the community members that have been following our updates. 

Communities up the canyon asked for us to share the following information. From Mile Post 13 to mile post 81 Hwy 22 is closed. This is for public safety, emergency responders, and search and rescue efforts. It is critical that people stay out of the areas around this closure.

The City of Stayton is remains at LEVEL 2 which is “Be Set” to evacuate. For our Sublimity friends and neighbors, you are still at Level 2. We will continue to monitor the situation and provide immediate updates if there are any changes. If you live outside of the City limits, notably to the North or the East) your situation may be different. 

Stating the obvious, the air quality in Stayton is hazardous. If you have to be outside take precautions or limit your time. Please be aware that poor air quality is expected to continue through the weekend, maybe longer. 

From the Marion County Sheriff’s Office:  “If you would like to donate food, water, pet food, blankets, or anything of that nature, please drop those at the United Way at 455 Bliler Ave NE. They are accepting donations between 8-5pm.

If you would like to donate money, we ask that you please visit redcross.org to donate any money to the cause.”

Please check out our prior post for helpful links and information.

*********************

UPDATE at 2:45 p.m.  (No change to our status: we remain at Level 2.)

The City of Stayton is remains at LEVEL 2 which is “Be Set” to evacuate. For our Sublimity friends and neighbors, you are still at Level 2. We will continue to monitor the situation and provide immediate updates if there are any changes. If you live outside of the City limits, notably to the North or the East) your situation may be different. 

Stating the obvious, the air quality in Stayton is hazardous. If you have to be outside take precautions or limit your time. Please be aware that poor air quality is expected to continue through the weekend, maybe longer. 

Our thoughts are with the residents of Lincoln City and with our neighbors and friends up the canyon. 

Copied from the Marion County Sheriff’s Office:  “If you would like to donate food, water, pet food, blankets, or anything of that nature, please drop those at the United Way at 455 Biller Ave NE. They are accepting donations between 8-5pm. If you would like to donate money, we ask that you please visit redcross.org to donate any money to the cause.”

Republic Service has suspended trash and recycling services to Stayton and Sublimity. Service will resume when it is determined it can be done safely.

Due to an extreme call volume Metcom 911 is asking that you do not call 911 unless you have a life threatening emergency. For power outages or updates on existing outages, please contact your provider.


Please check out our prior updates for helpful links and information.

 

**************

UPDATE: As of 9:00 a.m. on September 9th

There was no change in evacuation levels overnight. The City of Stayton and the City of Sublimity are under a LEVEL 2 "Be Set" Evacuation Notice. Residents should be prepared to evacuate. Please prepare to take all pets, medication and essential items.

 

You do not need to wait to evacuate the area, but if you have a safe place to go, please do so. If you are evacuating, please drive safely and with courtesy toward other motorists.

If you live EAST or NORTH of the Stayton/Sublimity City Limits your situation may be different.

The City has increased police patrols to make sure the community remains safe. 


Marion County Emergency Management has established a public info line for citizens to call about shelters or any evacuation questions. The number is 503-588-5108. 

The State of Oregon has a couple of resources available now:  https://wildfire.oregon.gov/ and https://www.oregon.gov/odf/fire/pages/firestats.aspx

 

We want everyone to sign up for Emergency Notifications that get pushed out to your phone. Please use the link below, or go to the app store on your mobile device and search “Everbridge” to install.

 

https://member.everbridge.net/index/892807736721950#/signup

 

While we continue to monitor our situation, our friends and neighbors in the canyon are going to need our help and assistance in the coming days, weeks, and months ahead.

 

If you or a family member who does not have transportation or who has a medical condition that needs transportation to please call METCOM at 503-982-2340. Please provide your name, phone number and address or email cityofstayton@ci.stayton.or.us with your information.

 

Marion County has declared a State of Emergency due to the wildfires.

On August 21, 2020, the Stayton Police Department presented Susan Harteloo of Postal Connections with a Certificate of Appreciation. During the month of July, on multiple occasions while working at Postal Connections, Susan identified Stayton residents who were being manipulated in phone and internet scams. Her efforts saved community members over $22,000 in lost income. The Stayton Police Department wanted to recognize her efforts in identifying and alerting our Police Department about the criminal activity. Susan’s actions have made the Stayton community safer. Thank you Susan!

 

Revitalize Downtown Stayton and the Stayton Public Works Department will be performing minor bridge maintenance on the Second Avenue Bridge beginning August 24th. They will be replacing boards and painting the bridge.

 

Maintenance will be performed starting August 24th, 2020. Please use caution while in this area. You may be detoured to the opposite side of the street to cross over the bridge.

 

If you have questions, please contact Public Works at (503) 769-2919.

The Santiam Water Control District notified the City they will be temporarily closing general public access to Wilderness Park and all other District owned properties. Community members will notice “Closed” and “No Trespassing” signs at all District owned locations. If you have questions or concerns, please contact the Santiam Water Control District at (503) 769-2669 or via email at office@santiamwater.com.

Beginning Monday, August 24th, the City of Stayton will be conducting smoke testing of its sanitary sewer system. To determine when work crews will be in your area, please reference the included map. IMPORTANT! If there is any individual in your home or business who has respiratory problems and is immobile, please notify us at (503) 769-2919 prior to testing.

 

A smoke test survey will assist our inspection crews in locating breaks and defects in our sewer system. The smoke you see coming from the vent stacks on houses or holes in the ground is NON-TOXIC, NON-STAINING, HAS NO ODOR, WHITE TO GRAY IN COLOR AND CREATE NO FIRE HAZARD. Smoke should not be entering your home unless you have a defective plumbing or dried up drain traps. All work will be in the City right-of-way, although they may have to encroach on to private property if smoke appears. They will come to your door if this happens and let you know who they are and what they are doing. 

 

It is advisable for the home owner to pour a gallon of water into each floor drain prior to our testing. If smoke enters your home there is good reason to assume that dangerous sewer gases may also be entering your home or business. You should evacuate immediately and notify our work crews. If you are not home and discover smoke when you return, please call us us (503) 871-2252.

 

If you have any questions, please contact the Public Works office at (503) 769-2919.

 

Beginning Monday, August 24th through Thursday, August 27th, the City's contractor will be completing a street resurfacing project in the industrial area of Stayton (see maps for specific streets). The following dates and work hours are scheduled for construction:

 

• Monday, August 24th from 6:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m.
• Tuesday, August 25th from 6:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m.
• Wednesday, August 26th from 6:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m.
• Thursday, August 27th from 6:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m.

 

We are requesting patience as access may be delayed at times through the night while construction is performed. On street parking during the construction hours will not be allowed. 

 

If you have question, please contact Michael Schmidt in Public Works at (503) 769-2919 or via email at mschmidt@ci.stayton.or.us.

 

On Friday, July 24th, our contractor will be out in the Pioneer Meadows neighborhood making repairs to areas of the slurry seal performed earlier this month. Homes impacted by the repairs will receive a door hanger notifying them of the work. If you have questions, please contact the Public Works office at (503) 769-2919.

 

On July 8, 2020, Stayton Police Officers were alerted by a conscientious employee at Postal Connections regarding a situation they believed resembled a scam. The customer came in with an envelope they wanted to send out of state and said they had been given very specific directions on how it needed to be mailed and that it absolutely had to arrive the next morning. The customer was willing to pay several hundred dollars in shipping costs. Police were notified to assist.

 

It was discovered to be an elaborate scam where the caller caused the customer to believe a family member was in trouble and needed to send money immediately. Unfortunately, these scammers are skilled and use scare tactics. They prey on the concern people have for loved ones and add a sense of urgency to get the victim to respond quickly, often without fact checking. Thanks to the concern, quick thinking and compassion of the employees at the Postal Connections working in conjunction with the Stayton Police Department, the customer’s $7,500 was recovered and did not make it into the hands of the scammers.

 

If you want to educate yourself on other common scams, please see the DOJ link attached:

 

https://www.doj.state.or.us/consumer-protection/scam-alert-network/

A slurry seal project in the Pioneer Meadows neighborhood has been scheduled for Thursday, July 9th and Friday, July 10th. Street maintenance activities will be limited to the hours of 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. A project area map is below.

 

The streets that are to be slurry sealed are:

 

• 9th Ave. - Burnett St. to Virginia St.
• 10th Ave. - Burnett St. to the Dead End
• 12th Ave. - Burnett St. to Virginia St.
• 15th Ave. - Burnett St. to Jefferson St.
• 19th Ave. - Virginia St. to the Dead End
• Virginia St. - 10th Ave. to 19th Ave.
• Burnett St. - 9th Ave. to 19th Ave.
• Jefferson St. - 15th Ave. to Dead End
• Cooper Ct. & Brody Ct. (entire roadways)
• Highland Dr. - Jefferson to Santiam

 

Door hangers will be delivered no later than Monday, July 6th. The notice will include a work schedule, parking instructions, and guidance on how to access your property during the project.

 

If you have any questions or concerns please contact Ian Kintz-Stormo at (503) 769-2919 or by email at ikintz@ci.stayton.or.us.

 

At the 2020 General Election, the positions of two Councilors will appear on the ballot. The filing period for interested candidates began on June 3, 2020. The filing process must be completed by August 25, 2020 at 4:00 p.m.

 

To learn more about filing for a position, please visit the City’s November 3, 2020 General Election page at: http://www.staytonoregon.gov/page/gov_election_2020

We would like to congratulate Officer Dan Reynolds on his notable accomplishments while attending the Basic Police Academy at the Department of Police Safety, Standards, and Training!

 

Officer Reynolds was awarded the Lee M. Bown Academic Achievement Award for Basic Police Class 397, an award given to the top academic student. Additionally, he was the recipient of the Outstanding Health and Fitness Award, along with being awarded as one of the top shooters in the class.

 

Officer Reynolds demonstrated the core values of the Stayton Police Department while at the Academy, which are: Attitude, Leadership, Integrity, Service, and Teamwork. We are happy and honored to have Officer Reynolds back at the department serving the residents of Stayton and the Santiam Canyon community.

 

City of Stayton playgrounds are now open for public use. Please be advised that the use of the playground equipment and park amenities is to be done at the risk of you and any children in your care. The playground equipment and amenities will not be cleaned or sanitized by the City.

 

Per the Centers for Disease Control (CDC):

 

Carefully consider use of playgrounds, and help children follow guidelines. Playgrounds can be hard to keep safe because:

 

• They are often crowded and could make social distancing difficult
• It can be difficult to keep surfaces clean and disinfected
• SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, can spread when young children touch contaminated objects, and then touch their eyes, nose, or mouth.

 

If you choose to visit a playground:

 

• Maintain a distance of at least 6 feet away from people you don’t live with.
• Wash hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds
  
  • Adults and older children who can safely use hand sanitizer: Use hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol and rub hands together until dry, if soap and water are not readily available

 

• Wear a cloth face covering, if you can. Cloth face coverings should not be placed on:
  
  • Children under age 2
  • Anyone who has trouble breathing

 

For the safety of others, adults and children with these symptoms should avoid the playground or park amenities. People with these symptoms may have COVID-19:

 

• Fever or chills, Cough, Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, Fatigue, Muscle or body aches, Headache, New loss of taste or smell, Sore throat, Congestion or runny nose Nausea or vomiting, Diarrhea

 

These temporary guidelines may change as state or federal agencies update their guidelines.

The Stayton Water System provides a reliable supply of high quality drinking water. We are pleased to report on our annual testing in accordance with EPA and Oregon Drinking Water Program guidelines. Our water surpasses all state and federal water quality requirements. The City of Stayton strives to provide the best water possible.

 

An electronic copy of the report is available on the Public Works - Water page of our website. Scroll to the bottom to view Stayton Consumer Confidence Report 2019. Paper copies are available upon request by calling (503) 769-2919 or send a written request to Water Quality Report, Stayton Public Works, 362 N. Third Ave., Stayton, OR 97383. Copies are also available at City Hall, 362 N. Third Avenue.

 

El Informe de la Calidad del Agua en Stayton de 2019 ya está disponible para descargar. ¡Es Información importante!

Update posted May 14, 2020:

Yes, we're back with another update. Marion County has updated us this morning that location and hours have changed! Yes, there will be a ballot box in Stayton beginning tomorrow through May 19th. However, they've changed the location to Stayton Roth's Fresh Market (1770 Shaff Road) from 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 pm. We apologize for the multiple information updates. Unfortunately, during this time of COVID-19, things seem to be ever changing.

 

***********

 

Originally posted May 7, 2020:

 

During the May 19, 2020 Primary Election season the COVID-19 pandemic could change the access, hours, and availability of ballot drop boxes.

 

Below are options for turning in your ballot for the May 19, 2020 election:

 

Mail Option

 

• If today is before May 12, 2020 you are strongly encouraged to return your voted ballot by mail. Postage has already been included on the envelope, and stamps are not necessary to mail a voted ballot.

 

• Mailing a ballot after May 12th may not leave enough time for the ballot to arrive by 8:00 p.m. on the May 19, 2020 deadline.

 

24-hour Ballot Drop Box Option

 

A 24-hour drop box is always an option, but if today is after May 12, 2020 it is the best option. Drop boxes are open and available 24-hours a day from today until 8:00 p.m. on May 19, 2020 (except Marion County Public Works).

 

• Mt. Angel Library (290 E Charles St - Sidewalk on Charles St, south side of Library)
• Woodburn Library (280 Garfield St - N 2nd St between Garfield and Montgomery)
• Marion County Health Building (3180 Center St, Salem - South end of the first parking meridian)
• Keizer City Hall (930 Chemawa Rd NE - In the parking lot outside of Keizer City Municipal Court and Police Department)
• Silverton (208 Lewis St - In parking lot close to Jersey St and S 1st Street intersection)
• Marion County Public Works (5115 Silverton Rd NE - Parking lot to the right of the gate entrance) Hours are M-F, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; and open 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. on May 19, 2020

The Crack Seal project in the Pioneer Meadows subdivision has been rescheduled to begin on Wednesday, May 6th. Work will last three days and be completed by the end of the day Friday, May 8th. Please be sure to move parked vehicles off the road these three days.

 

The streets to be crack sealed are within the Pioneer Meadows Subdivision:

 

• 9th Avenue
• 10th Avenue
• 15th Avenue
• 19th Avenue
• E Burnett Street
• E Virginia Street

 

We ask that residents do not park on these streets Wednesday, May 6th through Friday, May 8th from 7:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m.

 

The contractor will need access to the entire street during these hours. Access will be maintained at all times although there may be delays. Please exercise caution when entering the work zone.

 

If you have any questions or concerns please contact Ian Kintz-Stormo at (503) 769-2919 or by email at ikintz@ci.stayton.or.us.

 

Looking for a space to plant your garden? The City is now accepting applications for plots at the Clarence Adams Community Garden located on Evergreen Avenue. Each plot is $25.00 and includes a spigot for irrigation. First come, first serve!

 

Applications can be found on the community garden page on our website: http://www.staytonoregon.gov/page/pw_Community_Garden

 

Download and complete the application, then email it to ikintz@ci.stayton.or.us. If you have any additional questions, please contact Public Works at (503) 769-2919.

Stayton’s Exceptional Quality (EQ) Class-A Biosolids are available for pick-up (by appointment only) weekdays year round from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at 957 Jetters Way in Stayton.

 

EQ Class-A Biosolids are excellent to use as a fertilizer, soil amendment (builder or conditioner), mulch, or as a potting medium. They are not made from livestock manure or yard debris; free of pathogens; heat-cured in a temperature controlled dryer; digitally monitored and laboratory tested; and designated EPA EQ Class A status “for use without restriction” (CRF40-503).

 

For more information about the nutrient content and biosolids process, please visit http://www.staytonoregon.gov/page/pw_Wastewater.

 

To schedule an appointment or if you have questions, please contact Sewer System Supervisor Troy Sanders via email at trsanders@ci.stayton.or.us or at (503) 769-2810.

Have you completed the 2020 Census? If not, visit https://2020census.gov/ and complete it online today! There's also the option to complete it via phone or mail.

The results of the 2020 Census will help determine how hundreds of billions of dollars in federal funding flow into communities every year for the next decade. That funding shapes many different aspects of every community, no matter the size, no matter the location.

Getting a complete and accurate count in 2020 requires everyone's help.

The Stayton Police Department is requesting information regarding an Assault II, which occurred at the Stayton Bi-Mart, located at 1701 Shaff Road, on March 26, 2020. Stayton Police Officers conducted an investigation and learned the suspect, a young white male adult, confronted and assaulted a disabled 60 year-old white male adult. The assault was unprovoked; the victim suffered serious physical injuries to the left side of his face and was transported to the Santiam Hospital. The victim was treated and later released.

 

The suspect fled the scene prior to police arrival. Witnesses described the suspect as being a white male adult, early 20’s with short blond hair, thin build being between 5’8” to 5’11” in height. The suspect was wearing dark pants, a dark shirt or jacket, possibly Carhartt style. The suspect vehicle is described as a 90’s Volvo wagon dark in color having a partial Oregon license plate of 849.

 

Anyone with information related to this investigation is encouraged to contact our 24-hour phone line and reference case number SYP 20-1647.

 

For further information, contact:

Stayton Police Department
(503) 769-3421 (24-hour line)
Case number SYP 20-1647

The City was notified today that community members may be receiving phone calls from a company called Doxo claiming you can use their company to pay your City of Stayton Utility Bill. This is not the case.

 

The City of Stayton is in no way affiliated with this company.

 

The only payment service utilized by the City of Stayton is XPress Bill Pay which you can learn about through our website. 

 

If you have any questions, please contact City Hall at (503) 769-3425.

To find the latest news regarding the City of Stayton and our COVID-19 response, please visit our page titled City of Stayton Public Health Information and Updates. 

The health and safety of our citizens is the number one priority of local government. We are at a critical point in terms of protecting the most at-risk portions of our community, the elderly and those with pre-existing health conditions.

 

Effective immediately, and until further notice, the City of Stayton will be closing the public lobbies of City Hall, Public Works, and Planning. The Police Department lobby will remain open with access to a public restroom and emergency phone.

 

Additionally, until further notice, the Stayton Public Library, Stayton Family Memorial Pool, and Stayton Municipal Court will be closed. All activities at the Library and Pool are canceled. If you have business with the Stayton Municipal Court, please contact the Court at the number provided below.

 

The Monday, March 16th City Council meeting has been postponed.

 

It is important to know that the critical functions of the City of Stayton will continue. The Police Department will continue serving and protecting the community. Our water and wastewater plants will continue to be fully operational. Our Public Works crews will be available to address critical infrastructure needs.

 

City staff in all departments will be available via phone to accept payments and answer questions. Additionally, there is a payment drop box available on the wall outside the Stayton Police Department. If you have a building permit to pick up from the City, please contact the Public Works Department to schedule an appointment.

 

We are taking active steps to limit direct interaction where COVID-19 could be shared or spread. These actions are for the safety and well-being of our community.

 

For updates, please follow our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/CityofStayton or visit our website.

 

All staff contact information, with an option to send an email, is available in our Staff Directory. 

 

• City Hall – (503) 769-3425 or email cityofstayton@ci.stayton.or.us
• Police Department Office – (503) 769-3423
  • Emergencies dial – 9-1-1
  • For non-emergencies – (503) 769-3421
• Public Works Office Office – (503) 769-2919
  • After-hours non-emergency – (503) 769-3421
• Planning & Development – (503) 769-2998
• Stayton Family Memorial Pool – (503) 767-7665
• Stayton Municipal Court – (503) 769-2668 or (503) 769-3425
• Stayton Public Library – (503) 769-3313

In an effort to share further information regarding Coronavirus (COVID-19) in Oregon, we are sharing this link to the Oregon Health Authority's website. The website includes updates, frequently asked questions, resources, videos, and other general information.

 

https://www.oregon.gov/oha/PH/DISEASESCONDITIONS/DISEASESAZ/Pages/emerging-respiratory-infections.aspx?fbclid=IwAR11GTUXaJdDe4nBUXcJlaE4_LNTjQYMvjIyj4QcIPexljpcrgexsGops6U

Our third party payment service, Xpress Bill Pay, is experiencing intermittent problems with their customer side service. We apologize for the inconvenience. You may call (503) 769-3425 and pay over the phone with our office staff during regular business hours.

The Oregon Association of Water Utilities 42nd Annual Technical and Management Conference, is held each March at the Sunriver Resort. At its annual awards banquet, for the fourth year in a row, the City of Stayton was named as the Best Tasting Surface Water in Oregon.

 

The City of Stayton has excellent water which was proven this year again by an unbiased panel of three judges who blind taste tested drinking water from around Oregon, judging it on clarity, bouquet, and taste. The City of Stayton has now won the Best Tasting Surface Water in Oregon for four years in a row.

 

Great work and thank you to our Public Works team!

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that a ballot title for a measure referred by the City Council of the city of Stayton was filed with the City Elections Official on February 3, 2020, for an election to be held on Tuesday, May 19, 2020. The election shall be conducted by mail pursuant to ORS 254.465 and ORS 254.470.

 

Caption: Five Year Local Option Tax for Library, Pool, Parks Support

 

Question: Should City of Stayton impose $0.70 per $1,000 of assessed value for operations for five years beginning in 2021-2022? This measure may cause property taxes to increase more than three percent.

 

A complete copy of the ballot title, which includes caption, question, and summary as well as the text of the measure may be obtained at City Hall, 362 N. Third Avenue, Stayton, OR 97383; by contacting the Elections Official at aangelo@ci.stayton.or.us; or by calling (503) 769-3425.

 

An elector of the city who is dissatisfied with the caption may file a petition for review in the Marion County Circuit Court no later than 4:00 p.m. on the 7th business day after the date the city received the title. The deadline to request a review from Circuit Court will be February 21, 2020 at 4:00 p.m.

The Master Planning team would like to hear from you!

 

Please join us on Wednesday, February 12th at 7:00 p.m. at an open house at the Stayton Public Library to learn more about efforts under way to develop a Master Plan for the City of Stayton's public facilities. You will hear from City staff on why we are conducting this effort and meet our Architecture and Engineering consultants, Mackenzie, as they introduce the current state of the City's existing facilities. 

 

Mackenzie will provide early insight into the process and their findings after initial analysis of the following City of Stayton facilities:

 

• Stayton Family Memorial Pool
• Stayton Public Library
• Stayton Community Center
• City Hall 
• Police Station
• Public Works and Planning

 

If you have any questions, please reach out to us at cityofstayton@ci.stayton.or.us or (503) 769-3425.

The Stayton Police Department is joining other law enforcement agencies across the state in participating in three statewide traffic enforcement and safety campaigns.

 

The first of three campaigns began February 3rd and will continue through February 16th. During this time, traffic patrols will increase during daylight hours for the purpose of enforcing seat belt and child restraint violations along with speed violations and distracted driving.

 

The Oregon Safety Belt Overtime Campaign is a statewide selective traffic enforcement program which utilizes federal funding from the U.S. Department of Transportation. The campaign’s goal is to reduce the number of motor vehicle-related deaths and injuries by increasing public awareness of laws regarding the three most prevalent factors contributing to traffic crash injuries which are safety restraint use, speed, and impaired drivers.

 

2017 crash data from the Oregon Department of Transportation shows lack of safety belt or child restraint use was a factor in 64 of 285 motor vehicle occupant fatalities, or 22%.

 

Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for children ages one through 12 years old. In 2017, 1,906 children under the age of 12 were injured in Oregon traffic crashes, of which 9% percent were reported not using a child restraint system. It is estimated that car seats may increase crash survival by 71% for infants under the age of one and by up to 59% for toddlers, ages one to four years. Booster seats may reduce the chance of non-fatal injury among four to eight year old children by 45% compared to safety belts used alone. Moreover, safety belts used correctly can reduce the risk of major crash injury or death by up to 65%.

 

In 2017 an Oregon law was passed requiring:

 

• Children to ride in a rear-facing safety seat until they are at least two years old. Previously, the rear-facing requirement was until the age of 1. However, the law now takes into account the better protection of the child’s head, neck, and spine from potential crash injuries given a rear-facing seat spreads crash forces evenly across the seat and the child’s body while also limiting forward or sideways motion of the head.

• A child over the age of two must continue to ride in a car seat with a harness, or booster, until they reach the age of eight years old, or the height of 4 feet 9 inches and the adult belt fits them correctly.

 

For help selecting or installing child car seats, consult the seat manufacturer’s instructions, your vehicles owner’s manual, or visit a local child seat fitting station. For resources please follow the links from our public safety partners, Oregon Impact and the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration.

 

The Stayton Police Department along with the Oregon Department of Transportation encourages all drivers and passengers to make a conscious effort to use their seat belt at all times when traveling in a motor vehicle regardless of distance traveled. We also encourage the proper use of child safety and restraints.

 

Please contact the Stayton Police Department with any questions at (503) 769-3421.

Beginning February 3rd, 2020, the Jordan Bridge will be closed periodically for maintenance work. The contractor, Oregon Woods Inc., will be replacing several truss diagonals and repairing other structural components.

Once structural repairs are completed, the contractor will clean and repair the roof, make repairs to flashing and caulking, and paint the interior and exterior of the bridge. The project is expected to be completed by April.

If you have any questions or concerns please contact Ian Kintz-Stormo at (503) 769-2919 or by email at ikintz@ci.stayton.or.us.

The Stayton Public Library is announcing a call for art for its 3rd Annual Art Show to be held at the Library from February 1 through February 29, 2020.

Any artists that live or work in Stayton or its surrounding communities can submit a maximum of two works of 2-dimensional or 3-dimensional art. There is no submission fee.

To be included in the show, the artist needs to submit a registration form and release available at the Library or below. All art and registrations must be delivered to the library by Thursday, January 30, 2020.

On Friday, January 31, 2020 there will be an opening reception for the public to meet the artists from 6:00 to 7:00 pm.

For more information please call 503-769-3313 or email staytonpl@ccrls.org.

The US National Weather Service Portland Oregon has forecast heavy rains over the next couple of days. Rainfall totals are expected to be 4” to 6” in the mid-Willamette Valley.

The City of Stayton may experience minor street flooding in some neighborhoods. City Public Works crews have been sweeping streets and clearing catch basins in anticipation of the storm. The Stayton Police Department and Public Works crews will monitor streets during the storm. If you notice high water in your neighborhood, please assist the City by raking leaves and removing debris from clogged inlets or catch basins.

 

The Census Bureau is hiring people for different positions to support the 2020 Census. To learn more visit: https://2020census.gov/en/jobs.html

The City of Stayton announced Friday, that David Frisendahl has been appointed as Stayton’s new Police Chief. Chief Frisendahl was selected as part of a nationwide search.

 

Chief Frisendahl had the following to say about his appointment as Police Chief, “It is an honor to be selected to serve the Stayton community as the Chief of Police. I’m committed to enhancing the safety, resiliency, professional capacity, and abilities of the Stayton Police Department. The Stayton Police Department will work to be a progressive agency, working with local and regional emergency service agencies, school districts, non-profit, faith-based organizations, and the community-at-large to ensure and enhance the safety and security of the community. I look forward to creating new relationships within the Stayton community and supporting the goals of the City of Stayton.”

 

Mr. Campbell added, “Chief Frisendahl will be an outstanding addition to our Police department, the City’s leadership team, and our community.”

 

Chief Frisendahl has over 28 years of police experience. He spent almost 4 years as a police officer in Oakridge and 25 years with the City of Tigard where he served as a Field Training Officer, Detective, Defensive Tactics Instructor, Force on Force Instructor, and Motor Officer. While at the City of Tigard, Chief Frisendahl spent 4 years as a Sergeant and 5 years as a Lieutenant before he retired. He has an associate’s degree in Criminal Justice from Chemeketa Community College. Since retirement, he’s continued his involvement in law enforcement by teaching survival skills at DPSST and has lived in the local area for nearly ten years.

 

The City of Stayton would like to thank the City of Sherwood and Sherwood Police Department, Interim Police Chief Ty Hanlon, the Oregon Association of Chiefs of Police (OACP), the City of Bend Police Department, the City of Boardman Police Department, Akin Blitz, City/County Insurance Services (CIS), and the other cities and police agencies that assisted the City during this process.

 

Have you ever considered volunteering time in your community? We are looking for civic-minded volunteers to fill vacancies on our Parks and Recreation Board which meets once monthly, in the evening.

 

If you or someone you know would be interested in learning more about volunteering to serve on the Parks and Recreation Board, please contact City Hall at (503) 769-3425 or visit our Boards and Commissions page to download an application.

 

Beginning in 2019, the Stayton City Council allocated money from the General Fund to the Community Improvement Grants program.

 

This initiative is designed to improve communication between neighborhoods and City government, to forge partnerships to address neighborhood issues, and to support non-profit organizations that provide services to Stayton residents. The funds may be used by applicants for programs and projects in the following categories:

 

• Neighborhood Improvement Projects: The funds may be used to improve the shared space within a neighborhood or strengthen neighborhood identity. This may include items such as landscape improvements and maintenance, signage, natural features management, benches, painting, or certain exterior improvements.

 

• Neighborhood Livability Initiatives: Funds may be used to provide education and outreach opportunities that strengthen the social connections in a neighborhood, increase safety, address a neighborhood challenge or conflict, or serve senior or low-income residents, and programs that provide services to Stayton residents.

 

This is a competitive grant program. Applications are reviewed by the City staff and selected grants are awarded by the City Council. Grant amounts are expected to be in the range of $1,000 to $5,000 each. To learn more about the Community Improvement Grants program, visit the Community Improvement Grants page on our website or by contacting Planning and Development Director Dan Fleishman at (503) 769-2998 or via email at dfleishman@ci.stayton.or.us.

On Tuesday, November 5th, the contractor constructing the new subdivision off of Kindle Way will be paving the shoulders of Shaff Road between 8:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. During this work, traffic will be reduced to one lane with flagging.

Expect delays and please use caution when driving through the work zone.

The City of Stayton appreciates your patience. If you have questions, contact Public Works at (503) 769-2919.

 

On Friday, November 1st from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., the Stayton United Methodist Church will be hosting a spaghetti dinner to help raise funds for the Santiam Youth Peer Court Program.

 

The Stayton United Methodist Church is located at 1450 Fern Ridge Road SE in Stayton. If you have questions, contact the church at (503) 769-5700.

Join us on Halloween afternoon for Stayton's annual downtown Trick or Treat Extravaganza from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Third Avenue. ????

 

This event is organized by local downtown businesses as a way for the littlest of Trick or Treater's to have a fun & safe place to get treats!

Help decorate the Stayton Public Library with painted book character pumpkins!

Decorate your own pumpkin that is inspired by a book character and bring it to the Stayton Library from now until October 26, 2019. Please do not carve or poke holes in the pumpkins. We will have public voting for favorite pumpkins from October 28-30.

Questions? Contact the Library at (503) 769-3313.

Who’s ready for Halloween? We wanted to share a great way to help keep everyone safe, share how you plan to celebrate, and see who’s participating in the neighborhood.

 

Nextdoor offers an interactive Halloween Treat Map which allows you to see who will be hosting a haunted house or passing out candy or non-food treats for kids with food allergies.

 

To participate:

 

1. Visit the Treat Map at https://nextdoor.com/treat_map. Mark your home with a candy corn, teal pumpkin, or haunted house depending on how you plan to celebrate.
   
   
2. Encourage your neighbors and friends to add their home to the Treat Map so you’ll know exactly who is handing out treats or hosting a haunted house.


3. On Halloween night, take the Treat Map on the go with you to find the best streets for treats.

 

Remember to bring a flashlight for when it gets dark and try your best to use sidewalks and crosswalks to avoid cars. Avoid candy that has loose wrappings, is completely unwrapped, has puncture holes, or is homemade and not factory-wrapped.

 

Wishing everyone a fun Halloween! BOO safe out there.

 

It's once again time for Stayton's Annual Fall Leaf Clean-Up Days! The flier below has all the details. If you have questions, contact Public Works at (503) 769-2919.

 

The public is invited to a community meet-and-greet of candidates for the Police Chief position on Thursday, October 17th at 6:00 p.m. in the E.G. Siegmund Meeting Room at the Stayton Public Library (515 N. First Avenue, Stayton). Candidates will be available for approximately an hour to chat and answer any questions community members may have. Additionally, there will be comment cards available to provide community feedback on the candidates. 

The semi-annual Friends of the Stayton Public Library Book Sale begins on Thursday, October 3rd at the Stayton Community Center (400 W. Virginia Street). Hours for the sale are as follows:

 

• Thursday, October 3rd from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
• Friday, October 4th from 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
• Saturday, October 5th from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

 

Enjoy shopping for gently used books, CDs, DVDs, and audiobooks at bargain prices. The annual sale is organized by the Friends of the Library to help support programming for the Stayton Public Library. For prices and more information, please visit www.staytonfol.org.

 

The Stayton Police Department would like to announce its participation in the Fourth Annual National Coffee with a Cop day on Wednesday, October 2nd, 2019. We will be at the Stayton McDonald’s from 8:00 a.m. until 10:00 a.m.

 

Coffee with a Cop events allow officers and community members to connect in a relaxed setting to build relationships and share information about what’s happening in the community. Join your neighbors and members of the Stayton Police Department to discuss your questions, concerns, and stories.

 

We are excited for the chance to interact with you, our citizens, in a collaborative way and build our relationship to keep Stayton a safe place to live and play.

 

On Wednesday, September 25th at 6:00 p.m., the Marion County Commissioners will be holding a Board Session and Town Hall meeting at the Stayton Public Library in the E.G. Siegmund Meeting Room (https://www.facebook.com/events/2382093002061616/).

 

The agenda for the evening includes:

 

6:00 p.m. - Board Session

7:00 p.m. - Town Hall

 

Everyone is welcome to attend either or both sessions.

The City has received several inquiries about the Stayton Community Dog Park. In an effort to be transparent, the City has released pertinent documents available on our website.

 

We encourage interested parties to review the documents and materials. If you have questions, please contact City Hall at (503) 769-3425.

 

http://www.staytonoregon.gov/page/doc_center_dogpark

 

Please join us in the E.G. Siegmund Room at the Stayton Public Library (515 N. First Avenue) as we thank former council member Brian Quigley for his public service for the community of Stayton.

The Stayton Police Department would like to remind drivers that students are returning to school this week, please take extra precautions when driving through school zones or trailing school buses.

Some reminders:

 

• Watch your speed in school zones. A zone begins where the school speed limit sign is posted and continues until you reach an end school zone sign or another posted speed sign.
• Slow down near bus stops, and areas children tend to congregate. Kids may be distracted or act unpredictably, so give yourself time to react.
• Stop and remain stopped while people enter and clear the crosswalk.
• Comply with directions from school crossing guards.
• If you see flashing amber lights on a school bus, please prepare to stop.
• “When the red lights flash on buses, stop before reaching the bus and remain stopped until the driver turns off the flashing lights.
• A painted median strip or turn lane does not create two separate roads. In this case, all lanes of traffic must stop.” (OR DMV)
• Remove distractions so you can fully pay attention to all the people and activities in the area. Pullover if you need to text or answer a call.
• Please don't park in bike lanes and along streets marked "No Parking at Any Time" as this force’s cyclists and pedestrians into the paths of travel.
• Allow for extra time in your commute. Drivers take more risks when they are late.

 

The Stayton Police Department will be conducting extra patrols during the times when students are arriving and leaving school to enhance the safety of students, parents, and community members.

Thank you for taking the time to read and understand the responsibilities we all need to take as drivers. Have a safe holiday and throughout the entire back to school time.

If you have questions, please contact:

Stayton Police Department
503-769-3421 (24-hour line)

The U.S. Census Bureau recently announced field workers will start address canvassing to improve and refine their list of households nationwide. The bureau has verified 65% of addresses using satellite imagery and is now verifying the remaining 35% of households.

 

In Oregon, address canvassing is expected to begin August 18 and conclude in mid-October.

 

Census Bureau employees will walk through neighborhoods across the county checking addresses not verified with satellite data. Census employees will have badges and briefcases indicating their affiliation with the Census Bureau. They will knock on doors and ask a few simple questions to verify the address and any additional living quarters on the property for inclusion in the census.

 

Employees will introduce themselves as a Census Bureau employee, show their official government ID badge, and explain the purpose of the visit. People may also ask them for a picture ID from another source to confirm their identity.

 

For more information on address canvassing, visit the Census Bureau website at: https://www.census.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2019/ad-can-launch.html

City Manager Keith Campbell has announced two interim appointments to the Stayton Police Department. Ty Hanlon has been appointed Interim Police Chief and David Frisendahl has been appointed Interim Deputy Police Chief.

 

Mr. Campbell had this to say about the appointments “I am honored to be able to appoint two distinguished police officers to oversee and lead our police operations during this transition.”

 

Ty Hanlon – Interim Police Chief

 

Ty Hanlon has over 24 years of police experience. Mr. Hanlon spent almost 15 years as a police officer in Beaverton where he served as a K9 Handler, Detective, Firearms Instructor, and Tactical Negotiations Team Member. Mr. Hanlon has spent almost 10 years with the City of Sherwood, the last 7 years as a Captain. Mr. Hanlon has his Bachelor of Applied Science in Business Administration and Management and his Master of Business Administration from Corban University.

 

David Frisendahl – Interim Deputy Police Chief

 

David Frisendahl has over 28 years of police experience. Mr. Frisendahl spent almost 4 years as a police officer in Oakridge. Mr. Frisendahl spent 25 years with the City of Tigard where he served as a Field Training Officer, Detective, Defensive Tactics Instructor, Force on Force Instructor, and Motor Officer. While in the City of Tigard, Mr. Frisendahl spent 4 years as a Sergeant and 5 years as a Lieutenant before he retired. Mr. Frisendahl has an associate’s degree in Criminal Justice from Chemeketa Community College. Since retirement, Mr. Frisendahl has continued his involvement in law enforcement by teaching survival skills at DPSST. Mr. Frisendahl has lived in the local area for nearly ten years.

Police Chief Rich Sebens has announced his decision to resign from his position with the City of Stayton. Chief Sebens had the following to say about his decision, “I would like to thank the City and Community of Stayton for the opportunity to serve you for the past 20 years and your Police Chief for the past 10 years.”

 

During the past 20 years, Rich served in the role of a Patrol officer, School Resource Officer, Patrol Sergeant, Lieutenant and Police Chief. In 2009 Rich attended and graduated from the FBI Academy and obtained Advanced Police and Executive certifications. He also functioned as the City Emergency Manager and sat on numerous local and state oversight boards and committees.

 

Stayton City Manager Keith Campbell had the following comments about the resignation, “I want to thank Police Chief Sebens for his service to the people of Stayton, and wish him the very best in the future.”

 

The City has appointed an Interim Police Chief and Interim Deputy Police Chief. More information will be available in the coming days. The City will begin an immediate nationwide search to find a new Police Chief.

The City of Stayton has partnered with Marion County for slurry sealing streets in the Stayton area. The work is to place a bituminous slurry seal over the entire roadway. The slurry will minimize oxidation and aging of the asphalt, fill minor cracks, reduce water infiltration, improve skid resistance, and restore aesthetic of the asphalt.

 

Street maintenance activities will be limited to the hours of 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The work is scheduled for Monday, August 19th and Tuesday, August 20th. See the attached map for street closures on Monday (green) and Tuesday (blue).

 

Streets scheduled for Monday, August 19th are shown in green on the map:

 

• Wildflower Drive (from 3rd Avenue to Sunrise Drive)
• Wildflower Court
• Spring Breeze Drive
• Spring Breeze Court
• Meadowbrook Lane (west half)
• Summerview Drive (west half)
• Summerview Way

 

Streets scheduled for Tuesday August 20th are shown in blue on the map:

 

• Meadowbrook Lane (east half)
• Summerview Drive (east half)
• Lupine Court
• Wildflower Drive (Sunrise Drive to Fern Ridge Rd)
• Sunrise Drive

 

During street maintenance, vehicles must be located or parked off of the street. A “No Parking” notice will be posted on the streets a minimum of 24-hours prior to the scheduled maintenance. Vehicles or property not removed or relocated to outside of the maintenance area will be towed per City of Stayton Municipal Code 10.16.

 

Vehicles may park along 3rd Avenue for the duration of the project. Do not drive on fresh slurry seal before the road is re-opened. Fresh slurry damages vehicles and the street, and may result in fines. Any damages incurred during the closure period will be at the vehicle owner’s expense.

 

The Stayton Public Works department appreciates your patience during the street maintenance. If you have any questions, concerns, or comments please contact Michael Schmidt at (503) 769-2919 or by email at mschmidt@ci.stayton.or.us.

 

The Stayton City Council currently has one vacancy after the recent resignation of Councilor Brian Quigley. Mayor Henry Porter is accepting Letters of Interest from interested community members who would like to serve on the Council. The councilor term runs through December 2020.

 

Meetings of the City Council typically occur at 7:00 p.m. the first and third Monday of every month. On occasion, the City may need a Special Call which most likely would occur on the second and fourth Mondays. Council members also serve as a Budget Committee member. For more information, please visit: www.staytonoregon.gov/page/gov_cc_home

The first review of Letters of Interest will be on August 30th, 2019 but will continue to be accepted until the position has been filled. If you would like to submit a Letter of Interest, please submit your letter to City Hall at 362 N. Third Avenue, Stayton, OR 97383 or via email at aangelo@ci.stayton.or.us.

The 2019 Stayton National Night Out event will be held on Tuesday, August 6th beginning at 6:00 p.m. National Night Out debuted in 1984 in the Philadelphia area in an effort to bring neighbors together to help prevent crimes and make neighborhoods feel safer. The event grew in popularity with both the community and police departments nationwide.

Stayton’s event will be held at several local parks including:

 

• Pioneer Park
• Quail Run Park
• Santiam Park
• Westown Park

Hot dogs and hamburgers will be provided by the Stayton Police Department. If you plan on attending, please bring a store bought item to the event like chips or a dessert.

In addition, if you are planning a block party separate from the events above and you’d like to ensure one of our officers stops by to say hello, please contact Stayton Police Sergeant Danielle Wetzel at (503) 769-3421 or via email at dwetzel@staytonpd.org. We would also like to take this opportunity to thank our generous community members who have donated to this great event!

Today Councilor Brian Quigley tendered his resignation from the City Council to Mayor Porter.

Mr. Quigley has served 8.5 years as a councilmember. Prior to his time on the City Council he served on the Planning Commission, Parks and Recreation Board, and Charter Review Committee.

The City would like to extend its sincere gratitude for Brian’s dedicated public service to our community and wish him the very best.

The City has received several inquiries about the Phillips Estates subdivision. In an effort to be transparent, the City has released pertinent information on our website.

You can view the information by visiting http://www.staytonoregon.gov/page/doc_center_Phillips.

We encourage interested parties to review the documents and materials. If you have questions, please contact City Hall at (503) 769-3425.

A Message from the City Manager

As a policy I don’t think it is in the best interest of the City to attempt to address rumors and gossip on social media. There are always exceptions to the rule, and a rumor regarding police services is one that can’t be ignored.

The City is committed to the Police Department and Public Safety. There has never been any discussion of eliminating or outsourcing our department.

This year’s adopted police budget is $2,342,600 which is 110% or our property tax revenue. This remains consistent with funding levels for previous years. In addition, this year the City adopted additional funding of $250,000 to address funding shortages in PERS.

While we can’t say for certain how the rumor was started, the best guess is from the decision to not fill an empty position in the Police Department.

Below is an updated version of my budget message this year. I encourage everyone to read it. The message will show that the City is committed to funding public safety, committed to good stewardship of public monies, and taking a long-term approach to police funding in the coming years.

“I personally believe that the biggest long-term risk to the City of Stayton is pension liability. Over the last two years the City has invested significant resources to address the Unfunded Actuarial Liability (UAL) of the City’s Defined Benefit Plan. The UAL is an actuarial term that refers to the difference between the actuarial values of assets owned by the plan and the total benefits due to be paid.

The second benefits liability doesn’t carry the same risk, but the obligation costs are still significant enough to have a detrimental impact on our operations, PERS. At this time the only employees in PERS are sworn police officers. The estimated annual increase to PERS contributions, relative to fiscal year 2019, during the next five fiscal years is approximately:

2020 $ 62,000
2021 $ 67,000
2022 $142,000
2023 $148,000
2024 $172,000

The cost increases could have a long term impact on our police services. In order to try to address this challenge the adopted budget for the City had reduced the police FTE by one. In addition there is recommendation of investing $250,000 (or approximately 12.5% of the UAL) in a Pension Stabilization Fund or a “side account.” Side accounts allow employers to “pre-pay” their PERS rates, which can ultimately reduce their total costs. The deposit would lead to an application prior to December 31, 2019 for up to a 25% match from the Employer Incentive Fund. Currently awards are not available until the 2021-23 biennium. The level of participation is unknown. There is no guarantee that the application would lead to funding.

While the budget shows a continued commitment to public safety the increase in PERS costs and the investment in addressing the UAL require a cautious approach to spending and the Police Budget. Currently the Police Budget accounts for approximately 110% of our Property Tax Revenues, this means that the City currently supplements approximately 10% of the Police Budget with General Fund Dollars. This figure does not include the additional $250,000 investment this year in the stabilization fund. Factoring in the PERS increases requires a need to be cautious of our stewardship of taxpayer resources and to balance the other needs in the community. To help cover the UAL costs and to be cognitive of future costs we have reduced the approved FTEs in the Police Department by 1.0.

The budget proposal for the Police is taking a long-term approach. The goal is to be addressing the UAL now so in the next few years, especially if the City grows, it will have the appropriate resources available when they are needed. It is estimated a current investment of $2,000,000 would be need would be needed to fully fund the PERS UAL. At this time I don’t think this is the best approach. If the Oregon Legislature is unable to provide assistance in this matter, and if the demand for public safety increases the matter will need to be addressed.”

The International City/County Management Association (ICMA) is pleased to announce that Stayton, Oregon, has been recognized for its data-driven management and reporting efforts with a Certificate of Achievement in Performance Management. ICMA awards certificates each year to recognize cities that instill a culture of performance management, pursue comparative analysis and data-informed decision-making, and promote transparency.

“Performance management is a bedrock principle of professional local government management,” ICMA Executive Director Marc A. Ott said. “By recognizing these leaders, ICMA hopes to encourage others to make a commitment to collect and analyze data, report it transparently, and use it to continuously engage their communities and improve their organizations.”

Stayton City Manager Keith Campbell had the following comments about the honor, “This award is a reflection of the values and expectations of the City of Stayton Governing Body. We may not be a large city, but our community should expect for the City of Stayton to be a benchmark for quality, transparency, and best practices. This award is a validation of the dedication and hard work of our elected officials and our wonderful City staff.”

Stayton is among 17 jurisdictions receiving the Certificate of Achievement, and one of 63 recognized overall.

International City/County Management Association (ICMA) was founded in 1914 and is the premier local government leadership and management organization. In addition to supporting it over 10,000 members, ICMA provides publications data, information, technical assistance, and training and professional development to thousands of city, town, and county experts and individuals throughout the world.

In the next couple of weeks, Hayden Homes, LLC will begin construction of a 51-lot Subdivision just east of Kindle Way. The subdivision will access off of Kindle Way at Eagle and Meadowlark Streets.

The construction will include new streets, sanitary sewer, storm water, water and franchise utilities lines. The contractor is Northcore USA, LLC located out of Salem, Oregon. AKS Engineering and Forestry is the engineering and surveying firm for the project. AKS will also be performing the primary inspection services for the construction. The City will be performing site inspections and monitoring the daily inspection reports provided by AKS.

The City would like to ask for your patience during the construction period. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Public Works at (503) 769-2919 or email us at cityofstayton@ci.stayton.or.us.

 

For the third year in a row, the City of Stayton has been awarded the Distinguished Budget Presentation Award by the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA). This award is the highest form of recognition in governmental budgeting. The GFOA established the Distinguished Budget Presentation Awards Program to encourage local governments to prepare, provide, and utilize budget documents of the very highest quality as adopted by the National Advisory Council on State and Local Budgeting and the GFOA’s best practices on budgeting.

The award represents a significant achievement and reflects the commitment of the governing body and the staff in meeting the highest principals in governmental budgeting. The award reflects that the Stayton Municipal Budget has achieved a high level of proficiency as a policy document, a financial plan, an operations guide, and a communication device.

City Manager Keith Campbell noted, “This award is recognition of the values and priorities of our Governing Body. They deserve the credit for their leadership and clear expectations that the City of Stayton budget be accessible and transparent to all of the stakeholders of our community. This award would also not be possible without the hard work of our outstanding City employees.”

The City has already announced their plans to submit the City of Stayton fiscal year 2019-2020 Budget for consideration.

Have you seen the newly resurfaced tennis courts at the Community Center Park? The project recently wrapped up with new nets are in place.

 

Stayton’s Exceptional Quality (EQ) Class-A Biosolids are now available for pick-up weekdays year round from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at 957 Jetters Way in Stayton.

EQ Class-A Biosolids are excellent to use as a fertilizer, soil amendment (builder or conditioner), mulch, or as a potting medium. They are not made from livestock manure or yard debris; free of pathogens; heat-cured in a temperature controlled dryer; digitally monitored and laboratory tested; and designated EPA EQ Class A status “for use without restriction” (CRF40-503).

For more information about the nutrient content and biosolids process, click here.

And if you have questions, please contact Sewer System Supervisor Troy Sanders via email at trsanders@ci.stayton.or.us or at (503) 769-2810.

 

The City of Stayton has contracted with Canyon Contracting, LLC to perform street crack seal work that is scheduled to begin on Monday, June 10th, 2019, and work will be completed in three days. The streets to be crack sealed are:

 

• Wildflower Drive
• Wildflower Court
• Sunrise Drive
• Summerview Drive
• Summerview Way
• Lupine Court
• Meadowbrook Lane
• Spring Breeze Drive
• Spring Breeze Court

 

We ask that residents do not park on these streets Monday, June 10th through Wednesday, June 12th, from 7:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. The contractor will need access to the entire street during these hours. Access will be maintained at all times although there may be delays. Please exercise caution when entering the work zone.

 

If you have any questions or concerns please contact Ian Kintz-Stormo at (503) 769-2919 or by email at ikintz@ci.stayton.or.us.

Join us as we celebrate National Public Works Week in Stayton!

Our Public Works staff is committed to representing Stayton residents with ongoing integrity and professionalism. They are on call 24/7, 365 days a year to help make our community better. Stayton’s water was voted the Best Tasting Surface Water in Oregon three consecutive years, our Parks are first class, and we continue to upgrade our streets for the betterment of our community.

If you see a Public Works employee this week (or anytime) give them a shout out of thanks for the work they do for our community. They are committed to making Stayton a better place.

The City of Stayton is beginning the Regis Street Improvement Project this week with a completion date near the end of June 2019. The work will include:

?Upgrade of hydrants and water service connections.
?Installation of future water improvement connections.
? Installation of ADA ramps at intersections to bring to current code requirements.
?Grind and overlay of Regis Street asphalt from First Avenue to Gardner Avenue.
?Planting street trees within the planter strip or behind existing sidewalk.

Access to properties will be maintained at all times. If access will be interrupted, the contractor or City representative will notify you in advance. Water service interruptions will be kept to a minimum and you will receive a notice of interruptions 48 hours prior to the work.

If you have questions concerning this project, contact Sr. Engineering Technician Michael Schmidt at (503) 769-2919.

 

Revitalize Downtown Stayton is hosting a Main Street Town Hall on Monday, April 22nd at 6:00 p.m. in the E.G. Siegmund Meeting Room at the Stayton Public Library.

This is a great opportunity to learn about everything that's happening in Stayton's Historic Downtown! To learn more visit: https://www.facebook.com/events/2092822577482009/

In an effort to make our roads safer, Stayton Police Department announced today that it has joined the “One Text or Call Could Wreck It All” campaign to stop distracted driving. The Police Department has pledged its support to help spread the message that distracted drivers are not only a danger to themselves, but everyone else on the road.

“We all know that talking on our cell phones while driving is distracting, but that doesn’t stop most people from continuing to do it,” said Sgt. Danielle Wetzel, Stayton Police. “This effort is intended to educate our community about the dangers of cell phone use and other distractions while driving. We hope that once people see the statistics and realize the danger involved, they will change their driving habits to help protect themselves, their families, and others on the road.”

In 2018, 3,477 people were killed in crashes involving a distracted driver and an estimated additional 391,000 were injured in motor vehicle crashes involving a distracted driver. Distracted Driving causes 58% of teen accidents.

While anything that takes your eyes off the road, hands off the wheel, or mind off the task of driving is a hazard, there is heightened concern about the risks of texting while driving because it combines all three types of distraction – visual, manual and cognitive.

The national distracted driving effort focuses on ways to change the behavior of drivers through legislation, enforcement, public awareness and education – the same activities that have curbed drunk driving and increased seat belt use.

Stayton’s campaign will consist of enhanced enforcement, focusing on cell phone usage while driving throughout the coming year.

“Every driver in Stayton has a role in this effort,” said Sgt. Wetzel “However, we especially want to reach out to parents with teen drivers because we know that statistically, the under-20 age group had the highest proportion of distracted drivers involved in fatal crashes.”

Stayton’s goal with this campaign is simple – save lives by getting drivers to remember that “One Text or Call Could Wreck It All.”

For more information about distracted driving, please visit www.distraction.gov, or you can contact the Stayton Police Department at 503-769-3421.

The City of Stayton has launched a process to develop an Economic Development Strategy and Action Plan. Over the past several decades the City has experienced steady growth but growth has substantially slowed during the past ten years.

With roots in the agricultural and manufacturing industry, the City saw the development of an industrial park on the west side of City in the 1970s. However, that industrial park still has vacant available land, and there has been no new industrial construction in the City close to 15 years. Furthermore, in the past ten years the city has seen only three new commercial buildings constructed – a bank and a sandwich shop, and the new retail store now under construction on Martin Drive. This limited employment growth stifles opportunities for the existing residents to obtain local family-wage jobs.

In response to this trend, the current City Council has adopted a goal of developing strategies for promoting economic development. To implement the goal, the City hired Bridge Economic Development and Mackenzie to evaluate opportunities for employment growth and identify steps to remove barriers to foster private investment within the industrial park.

Alisa Pyszka of Bridge Economic Development has been the project leader. Pyszka and her team have looked at employment trends within the City, the existing programs the City has in place, the City’s utility rate structure, and the infrastructure needs to serve new commercial and industrial growth.

As part of the evaluation process, the consultant team met with community stakeholders in January and presented preliminary findings to the City Council at their March 4 meeting. The presentation and future information can be found on the City’s website: http://staytonoregon.gov/page/planning_eco_devo_strategies

The City has posted a survey that can be completed online at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/WQZML8K. The survey asks participants about their priorities for industrial and commercial development.

The public will also have the opportunity to provide input at a community open house on April 18 in the E. G. Siegmund meeting room of the Stayton Public Library. The Open House will start at 7:00 and will feature a presentation from the consultant team on the findings and an opportunity to participate in the discussion as to the types of development residents would like to see and the steps that are appropriate to achieve it.

 

If you have questions or comments, don't hesitate to reach out to Planning and Development Director Dan Fleishman at dfleishman@ci.stayton.or.us or via phone at (503) 769-2998.

The Oregon Association of Water Utilities 41st Annual Technical and Management Conference, is held each March at the Sunriver Resort. At its annual awards banquet, for the third year in a row, the City of Stayton was named as the Best Tasting Surface Water in Oregon.

The City of Stayton has excellent water which was proven this year again by an unbiased panel of three judges who blind taste tested drinking water from around Oregon, judging it on clarity, bouquet, and taste. The City of Stayton has now won the Best Tasting Surface Water in Oregon for three years in a row.

Great work and thank you to our Public Works Team!

On February 4th, the Stayton City Council received an update on the Mill Creek Park Conceptual Master Plan.

You can access the presentation and view a video of the presentation on our City Council Videos page.

On February 4th, the Stayton City Council received an update on the draft Transportation System Plan from our consultant Kittelson and Associates.

You can access the presentation and view a video of the presentation at on our City Council Videos page. 

 

The City of Stayton was named as the community with the least contaminated recycling as part of the 5-City Contamination Contest. A representative from Republic Services presented the Stayton Public Library with a check for $2,500 at the City Council meeting on Monday, February 4th.

Great work Stayton!

 

The City of Stayton is partnering with the SIT program through the Santiam Memorial Hospital to open a Warming Center at the Stayton Community Center on Saturday, February 9th from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. on Sunday. The Stayton CERT Team will be assisting with the Warming Center.

We will continue to monitor the weather forecast to see if there is a need to continue the shelter beyond Sunday.

At their January 7, 2019 meeting, the City Council awarded two Neighborhood Improvements Grants. This is a new program established this budget year to provide an opportunity for groups of neighbors to come together and propose a project that promotes the livability of neighborhoods within the City. A total of $5,000 was made available for the grants this year.

A group of residents in Sylvan Springs were awarded $2,500 for improvements to the pedestrian trail system in their neighborhood. They will be clearing vegetation, installing benches and solar lights. The grant will be matched through in-kind contributions of equipment and labor and $350 in cash.

A group of residents in Westown was awarded $2,500 for a new wood chip surface in the playground at Westown Park. The City’s Public Works Department will carry out the project using Neighborhood Improvement Grant funds.

For more information on the grant program, contact Dan Fleishman, Planning and Development Director at (503) 769-2998 or via email at dfleishman@ci.stayton.or.us.

Brews, Bites & Books is set for Saturday, January 26th from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at the Stayton public Library. Come join friends, community members and local vendors for a different kind of library experience.

Three Creeks Brewery from Sisters, Oregon provides generous sampling of their craft beer and even a brief explanation on beer and food pairing. Other local vendors generously provide us with delicious bites to sample their menu offerings. You'll definitely walk away with a new perspective on where to grab food in Stayton... "I had no idea this existed!" is a phrase you'll likely utter.

In addition to an ample selection of Three Creeks craft beer and local food, wine and non-alcoholic beverages will be available.

To purchase your tickets, visit the Brews, Bites & Books facebook event: https://www.facebook.com/events/1823289834463088/

On Wednesday, January 9th, the second open house for the Transportation System Plan update was held. The goal of the open house was to provide participants with an opportunity to share their thoughts and concerns on proposed long-term improvements to Stayton's transportation system with City staff and the consultants.

If you were unable to attend the meeting in person, a Virtual Open House is available online now through Sunday, January 20th. The Virtual Open House will offer the same opportunities to provide input as the in-person meeting.

If you have questions, please contact the Public Works office at (503) 769-2919. To learn more about the project including draft memos and upcoming meeting dates, please visit: http://sites.kittelson.com/StaytonTSP

Have you ever considered volunteering time in your community? We are looking for civic-minded volunteers to fill vacancies on our Library Board and Parks and Recreation Board. Each meets only once monthly, in the evening.

If you or someone you know would be interested in learning more about volunteering to serve on these boards or committees, please contact City Hall at (503) 769-3425 or visit our Boards and Commissions page.

The City of Stayton is updating our Transportation System Plan (TSP). This project will identify the long-term vision for Stayton’s transportation system as well as near-term solutions to address community concerns and support city needs.

The second open house will be held on Wednesday, January 9th from 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at the Stayton Public Library E.G. Siegmund Room. The Open House will provide participants with an opportunity to share their thoughts and concerns on proposed long-term improvements to Stayton's transportation system with City staff and the consultants. A series of poster boards will be used to illustrate these improvements and how well they score on various evaluation criteria. Come see what's proposed in your community and let us know what you think the City's priorities should be.

If you are unable to attend the meeting in person, a Virtual Open House will be available online starting Wednesday, January 9th, continuing through Sunday, January 20th. The Virtual Open House will offer the same opportunities to provide input as the in-person meeting. Please plan on attending either the Open House or Virtual Open House and help guide the City’s future transportation system.

If you have questions, please contact the Public Works office at (503) 769-2919. To learn more about the project including draft memos and upcoming meeting dates, please visit http://sites.kittelson.com/StaytonTSP

 

Open House Flyer - January 9.pdf

The City of Stayton is seeking community feedback as part of the master planning process for Mill Creek Park. The latest concept plan for the park is now on display at the Stayton Public Library until January 25th. There will be a comment box placed by the exhibit for comments which will be forwarded to our master planning consultant. Be sure to drop by and submit your comments. You can also view a high resolution PDF by clicking the link below and comments can be sent to cityofstayton@ci.stayton.or.us. 

 

Draft - Mill Creek Master Plan.pdf

The Stayton Public Library is announcing a call for art for an Art Show to be held at the Library from February 2 through February 16, 2019.

Any artists that live or work in Stayton or its surrounding communities can submit a maximum of two works of 2-dimensional or 3-dimensional art. Art may be of any subject, but must be family friendly. There is no submission fee.

To be included in the show, the artist needs to submit a registration form and release available at the Stayton Library, 515 N. 1st Ave, Stayton, or online at staytonlibrary.org. All art and registrations must be delivered to the library by Thursday, January 31, 2019. All 2-dimensional artwork must be wired and ready to hang at time of delivery.

On Friday, February 1, 2019 there will be an opening reception for the public to meet the artists from 6:00 to 7:00 pm.

For more information please call 503-769-3313 or email staytonpl@ccrls.org.

The Stayton Public Library is creating a map of holiday lights in our area. You can share your festive efforts with others by submitting your address via the form at: http://goo.gl/forms/iEKrNfWZsHLA2s0i1

 

And you can access our map to tour, stroll or drive through a neighborhood lit for the season. Find all the details on our website: http://www.staytonoregon.gov/page/library_lights

 

 

The Stayton Public Library is excited to announce an author visit with best-selling Oregon author Rene Denfeld on Thursday, December 13, 2018 at 7:00 pm in the E. G. Siegmund Meeting Room. There will be a reception accompanying the event.

Rene is the author of the acclaimed novels The Child Finder and The Enchanted, as well as essays in publications such as the New York Times. Rene’s literary thriller, The Child Finder, explores themes of survival, resiliency and redemption.

Rene’s lyrical, beautiful writing is inspired by her work with sex trafficking victims and innocents in prison. Rene was the Chief Investigator at a public defender’s office and has worked hundreds of cases. In addition to her advocacy work, Rene has been a foster adoptive parent for twenty years. She was awarded the Break The Silence Award in Washington, DC in 2017 for her social justice work, and was named one of the heroic stories of the year by the New York Times.

The child of a difficult history herself, Rene is an accomplished speaker who loves connecting with others. Rene lives in Portland, Oregon, where she is the happy mom of three kids adopted from foster care as well as other foster kids.

The Stayton Public Library’s speaking events for 2018 are sponsored by the Stayton Friends of the Library.

As the holiday season approaches, the Stayton Police Department would like to remind the public to be aware of your surroundings as you go about your holiday shopping. The following are some tips to keep you and your purchases safe:

 

• Always park your vehicle in a well-lit area.
• Be aware of your surroundings prior to exiting your vehicle.
• When walking to and from your vehicle, listen to your instincts and be watchful of who is around you.
• Keep your vehicle locked at all times.
• Place any shopping bags or packages in the trunk or out of sight.
• If you are uncomfortable walking to your vehicle alone ask a store employee, most businesses will escort you to your vehicle.
• While shopping, keep a close eye on your purse/wallet, never leaving them in your cart as you browse.

 

It’s also important to remember to stay safe at home and on the roads:

 

• If driving in inclement weather or heavy traffic, give yourself plenty of room between your vehicle and other vehicles.
• Don’t drink and drive! If you are going to drink, plan ahead and have a designated driver.
• Always keep your residence locked, even if you are home.
• Do not advertise you are going out of town on social media.

 

The Stayton Police Department will have enhanced patrols and our officers will be out ensuring the safety of our community this holiday season. If you have questions, contact us at (503) 769-3421.

The Stayton Public Library is excited to announce a visit and reading with Oregon Poet Laureate Kim Stafford on Thursday, November 29, 2018 at 7:00 pm in the E. G. Siegmund Meeting Room. There will be a reception accompanying the event.

 

Kim Stafford is an Oregon writer and teacher who has published books about his poet father, his brother's suicide, nine books of poetry, and essays about resonant landscapes of the Pacific Northwest. He is the founding director of the Northwest Writing Institute, a zone for exploratory writing, and he co-founded the Fishtrap Writers Gathering in Wallowa County in 1987. In 2018 Gov. Kate Brown selected him as Oregon's ninth Poet Laureate to travel the state witnessing for poetry, succeeding Elizabeth Woody. He views the practice of writing as a fundamental doorway to happiness and discovery, and travels to witness for this process.

 

This event is sponsored by the Stayton Friends of the Library and “Salem for All!” Salem for All strives to be a resource valuable and meaningful experiences for members of the Salem community and providing free or low cost tickets to cultural events to people of low incomes.

The City of Stayton is offering disposal of yard debris, including leaves and brush, on Saturday, November 17th from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

The collection site is at the City of Stayton Shops located at 1820 N. 1st Avenue, Stayton. The only cost to Stayton residents is a donation of canned food to be given to the Stayton Food Bank. Those who reside outside city limits, the cost is $1 per bag.

A second Clean-Up day will be offered on Saturday, December 15th from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Seniors needing assistance raking, bagging, or having yard debris picked up and delivered to the drop-off site should contact Stayton Public Works at (503) 769-2919.

The Stayton Public Library is excited to announce a presentation featuring award winning author and photographer Tim Palmer on Thursday, November 15, 2018 at 7:00 pm in the E. G. Siegmund Meeting Room. There will be a reception accompanying the event.

 

Palmer will present a slide show based on his book, Wild and Scenic Rivers: An American Legacy, published in 2017 by Oregon State University Press. His program presents an illuminating portrait of the world's premier system for the protection of natural rivers.

 

Please join us in celebrating this path-breaking approach to conservation as we celebrate the 50th anniversary of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers Act in 2018.

 

Tim Palmer is the author and photographer of 26 books about rivers, the environment, and adventure travel. As a writer, citizen conservationist, and environmental planner he has been involved in the Wild and Scenic Rivers system almost since its founding. See his work at www.timpalmer.org.

 

The Stayton Public Library’s speaking events for 2018 are sponsored by the Stayton Friends of the Library.

On Wednesday, November 21st from 3:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., the Covered Bridge Café is once again hosting its annual Community Dinner. This event is open to everyone in the community, no questions asked! The dinner is a traditional Thanksgiving feast plus dessert. The cost is FREE and open to anyone in the community.

 

Please call (503) 767-3945 to make your reservations, whether you prefer to dine-in or have your meal delivered, no later than November 20th. Donations are greatly appreciated.

If you missed last week's Transportation System Plan Open House, you can still participate via an online version that will be available through October 29th. 

The Stayton Public Library will be spending the week of October 21-28, 2018, celebrating its Friends of the Library group as part of the 13th annual celebration of National Friends of Libraries Week.

 

The Stayton Friends of the Library were established in 1968 and have been raising money and supporting the Library ever since. Their funding comes from semi-annual book sales, the Stayton FOL Used Bookstore, dues and monetary gifts. Currently the Friends have over 50 members, and 12 members volunteer at the Friends of the Library Used Book Store.

 

In the 2017-2018 fiscal year, the Stayton Friends of the Library contributed over $30,000 in Library program support, the lease of the public copier and printer, 9 cultural passes, books for babies at the Santiam Hospital, and more.

 

Learn more about the Stayton Friends of the Library by visiting www.staytonfol.org.

 

The City of Stayton is offering disposal of yard debris, including leaves and brush, on Saturday, November 17th from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and Saturday, December 15th from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

 

The collection site is at the City of Stayton Shops located at 1820 N. 1st Avenue, Stayton. The only cost to Stayton residents is a donation of canned food to be given to the Stayton Food Bank. Those who reside outside city limits, the cost is $1 per bag.

 

Seniors needing assistance raking, bagging, or having yard debris picked up and delivered to the drop-off site should contact Stayton Public Works at (503) 769-2919.

Please join us for part two of the Mill Creek Park master planning process as we build on your ideas and feedback from the first community meeting this past spring. The meeting will be held on Tuesday, November 13th from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the Stayton Community Center (400 W. Virginia Street). If you are on Facebook, you can RSVP "going" to the event here: https://www.facebook.com/events/321405315109204/

 

The City of Stayton is seeking community feedback as part of the master planning process for Mill Creek Park. Join us for an interactive evening to view the latest park plans and discuss the improvements you would like to see for Stayton's newest park. This meeting is open to all members of the general public, so bring your family, friends, and neighbors!

 

During the recent League of Oregon Cities annual conference, the City of Stayton received a well-deserved safety award. The City took home the Silver Safety Award.

 

CIS (Citycounty Insurance Services) presented the award in recognition of the City’s good employee safety record during the 2017-18 year. The award showcases cities that foster employee safety, have a proven track record related to safely operating equipment and machinery, and where management has a clear commitment to a safe work environment. This year’s winning cities also have a strong focus on training.

 

CIS’ annual safety awards are presented in three categories: gold, silver and bronze. Cities are grouped by their number of full-time employees, and award-winning cities are determined by the number and duration of time-loss injuries the city has, compared with the number of hours their employees worked in a year.

 

“At CIS, we take the safety of our workers’ compensation program members seriously,” said CIS’ Executive Director Lynn McNamara. “The City of Stayton has adopted safe work practices — and makes sure those practices are followed, day in and day out. Their commitment and vigilance produces results: employees stay on the job, and costs stay down.”

 

For the annual safety awards, open to all members of the League of Oregon Cities, qualifying cities may win a gold, silver or bronze award.

 

Cities are grouped by the number of full-time employees:

 

• Group 1 (1-14 employees)
• Group 2 (15-29 employees)
• Group 3 (30-79 employees)
• Group 4 (80-149 employees)
• Group 5 (150-399 employees)
• Group 6 (400-above employees)

 

The City is recognized based on the number of time loss injuries the city has, and their duration, compared to the number of hours worked in a year. Gold awards went to those cities with zero, time-loss injuries. If no cities in a group had zero time-loss injuries, then the gold went to the city with the lowest injury ratio.

 

To learn more about the CIS safety award, please visit cisoregon.org/SafetyAwards.

 

If you were unable to attend the Candidate Forum, which was presented by the Stayton Sublimity Chamber of Commerce, it's now available on YouTube by visiting: https://youtu.be/0J6FJycbxF0

 

Calling all artists and crafters! Clean out your craft closets and bring in surplus supplies to swap at the Stayton Public Library, Saturday November 3rd. This is a great time to share what you aren’t using, and pick up items can you can put to good use now.

 

“Creatives have so many great ideas, sometimes it’s hard to finish all of the projects we start. Swaps are a great way to share materials like paint that have a shorter shelf life. Swaps enable us to avoid throwing usable items away and helps showcase how fun reuse can be,” says Jessica Ramey, a Waste Reduction Coordinator with Marion County.

 

Starting October 15th through November 2nd, bring clean, usable art and craft supplies to the Stayton Public Library. Please no aerosols or food containers. Those who contribute items will receive a ticket admitting them to the swap for first crack at the loot at 1:00 pm on November 3. The doors will open at 1:30 pm to the general public.

 

To sign up or learn more about this event, contact Stephanie at Stayton Public Library at (503) 769-3313 or email srubel@ccrls.org.

 

The Stayton-Sublimity Chamber of Commerce is hosting a Candidate Forum on Wednesday, October 10th at 6:30 p.m. at the Stayton Public Library on behalf of the local Stayton community, to afford voters the opportunity to meet and hear from candidates regarding their experience and position on various issues of importance to local businesses and the community.

 

The forum will be live streamed via Facebook, as well as recorded and uploaded to YouTube for citizens who are unable to attend in person.

 

Be sure to visit the Facebook event and RSVP that you are going so you'll be notified as the date approaches.

 

************

 

The Stayton-Sublimity Chamber of Commerce is conducting and regulating this Candidate Forum. The City of Stayton, its employees, officers and agents have no connection with the forum in any manner. Any concerns with the conduct or rules of the forum should be directed to Stayton-Sublimity Chamber of Commerce only.

The City of Stayton is updating our Transportation System Plan (TSP). The current TSP was written over 15 years ago. The update project will identify a long-term vision for Stayton’s transportation system as well as near-term solutions to address community concerns and support city needs. You are invited to the first of several scheduled open houses about the update process.

 

The first open house will be held on Wednesday, October 17th from 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at the Stayton Public Library E.G. Siegmund Room. The Open House will provide participants with an introduction to the project and an overview of the planning process. Participants will be free to ask questions and share their thoughts and concerns on transportation-related issues with City staff and consultants Kittelson & Associates. A series of poster boards will be used to illustrate the existing conditions and future needs associated with each of the major travel modes (pedestrian, bike, transit, and motor vehicle) and to facilitate the discussion.

 

If you are unable to attend the meeting in person, a Virtual Open House will be available online starting Wednesday, October 17th, continuing through Sunday, October 28th. The Virtual Open House will offer the same opportunities to provide input as the in-person meeting. Please plan on attending either the Open House or Virtual Open House and help guide the City’s future transportation system. If you have questions, please contact the Public Works office at (503) 769-2919. To learn more about the project including draft memos and upcoming meeting dates, please visit http://sites.kittelson.com/StaytonTSP

 

Transportation System Plan Open House Announcement.pdf

Starting in 2018, the Stayton City Council allocated money from the General Fund to the Neighborhood Improvement Grant program. Funding for the Neighborhood Improvement Grants comes from the 2018-19 fiscal year City of Stayton budget. Money will become available on July 1, 2018 and must be disbursed and spent before June 30, 2019.

 

This initiative is designed to improve communication between neighborhoods and City government, and to forge partnerships to address neighborhood issues. The grant program is intended to fund items such as landscape improvements, neighborhood social events, and public art installations. Groups of at least three neighbors may apply for funding for projects that benefit a clearly defined geographic area within Stayton city limits. The group must authorize one individual to manage the grant contracts and funds.

 

To learn more, visit our Neighborhood Improvement Grants page and download an application packet and brochure. 

The City of Stayton is now on Nextdoor, which provides us an additional way to reach out to our community members and engage with you and your neighbors.

 

If you are already utilizing Nextdoor, you can subscribe to our updates by visiting https://nextdoor.com/agency/city-of-stayton and clicking subscribe.

 

Not a Nextdoor member yet? We are inviting you to join us by going to https://nextdoor.com and signing up for an account. 

 

At the November 6, 2018 General Election, the positions of Mayor and three Councilors will appear on the ballot. The Mayor position and all three Council positions will serve four year terms.

 

The following people have appropriately filed for candidacy per ORS 249.722:

 

Mayor

• Henry "Hank" A. Porter
• Scott Vigil

 

City Council

• Priscilla Gaylene Glidewell
• Paige Hook
• Ralph R. Lewis
• Jordan Ohrt
• David Patty

 

 

If you have any questions, please contact Elections Officer & Deputy City Recorder Alissa Angelo at aangelo@ci.stayton.or.us. 

The Stayton Public Library is excited to be offering a new Cultural Pass to the Oregon State Parks. The Parks Pass is a Day-Use Parking Permit that can be checked out with your Stayton Library Card. Cultural Passes check out for two days and can be reserved by calling (503) 769-3313.

The Library currently offers Cultural Passes to nine different venues thanks to help from the Stayton Friends of the Library. For a complete list of passes, visit the Library Services page.

The 2018 Stayton National Night Out event will be held on Tuesday, August 7th beginning at 6:00 p.m. National Night Out debuted in 1984 in the Philadelphia area in an effort to bring neighbors together to help prevent crimes and make neighborhoods feel safer. The event grew in popularity with both the community and police departments nationwide.

 

Stayton’s event will be held at several local parks including:

 

• Pioneer Park
• Quail Run Park
• Santiam Park
• Westown Park

 

Hot dogs and hamburgers will be provided by the Stayton Police Department. If you plan on attending, please bring a store bought item to the event like chips or a dessert.

 

In addition, if you are planning a block party separate from the events above and you’d like to ensure one of our officers stops by to say hello, please contact Stayton Police Sergeant Danielle Wetzel at (503) 769-3421 or via email at dwetzel@staytonpd.org. We would also like to take this opportunity to thank our generous community members who have donated to this great event!

The City of Stayton is scheduled to begin construction of the Mill Creek Park Regional Detention Facility along Kindle Way beginning July 16, 2018. K&E Excavating will be performing the work.

 

The work will include:

 

• Excavation of 50,000 cubic yards of native material
• Construction of stormwater conveyance system along the east side of Kindle Way
• Construction of stormwater detention facility and outfall to Mill Creek, east of Kindle Way
• Fencing and Restoration

 

The project is scheduled to be completed by October 2018. Plans for the work are available on our Public Works Engineering page under the tab "Current Bid Advertisements" at the bottom of the page. 

 

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the Public Works office at (503) 769-2919.

The City of Stayton has partnered with Marion County for slurry sealing streets in the Stayton area. The work is to install a slurry seal over the entire roadway. The slurry will minimize oxidation and aging of the asphalt, fill minor cracks, reduce water infiltration, improve skid resistance, and restore aesthetic of the asphalt.

 

Work for this project is being performed by Intermountain Slurry Seal Inc. and is scheduled to be performed in Stayton on Friday July 13th and Monday July 16th.

 

On Friday July 13th, vehicles will need to be off of the following streets for the work to be performed. Any vehicle remaining on these streets after 8 am, July 13th, 2018, will be towed at the owner’s expense.

 

• Eagle Street
• Weldon Street

 

On Monday July 16th, vehicles will need to be off of the following streets for the work to be performed. Any vehicle remaining on these streets after 8 am, July 16th, 2018, will be towed at the owner’s expense.

 

• Quail Run Ave.
• Partridge Ct.
• Meadowlark Dr.
• Goldfinch Ave.
• Hummingbird Ln.
• Cardinal Ave.
• Grier Ave.
• Hobson St.
• Whitney St.

 

Please plan on having your vehicle off the street from 8 am until 5 pm. The contractor will need access to the entire street during these hours. Vehicles may be parked on any streets that are not listed above. Vehicles may be parked on Eagle Street or Weldon Street on Monday July 16th. Access to your property will be limited during the construction period of 8 am to 5 pm each day.

 

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the Public Works office at (503) 769-2919. 

The City of Stayton adheres to water testing standards issued by the Oregon Health Authority. The City of Stayton follows the protocols, standards, and testing of the Oregon Health Authority.

 

Oregon Health Authority is working with the City of Stayton to continue testing our water. To learn more about the testing for cyanotoxins, and for our most recent results, you can visit our Water Testing Information page.

The City of Stayton adheres to water testing standards issued by the Oregon Health Authority. The City of Stayton follows the protocols, standards, and testing of the Oregon Health Authority.

 

This morning the City of Stayton received it's most recent water testing results back from the lab. The sample showed no signs of contaminants in Stayton’s water. Oregon Health Authority is working with the City to continue testing our water. To learn more about the testing for cyanotoxins, and for our most recent results, you can visit our Water Testing Information page.

The City of Stayton continues, in coordination with the Oregon Health Authority, to test our drinking water. We have not received a positive test for cyanotoxins in our water system. We are providing this information as a public service to our residents because the City of Salem and the City of Stayton both use the North Santiam River as our water source.

 

We have just been advised the City of Salem received a new positive test for cyanotaoxins in their drinking water distribution system in the Salem area. Salem’s Drinking Water Advisory applies to the following populations ONLY:

 

• Children under the age of six
• People with compromised immune systems or pre-existing liver conditions
• People receiving dialysis treatment, or other sensitive populations
• The elderly
• Pregnant women or nursing mothers
• Pets

 

Please follow our Facebook page for updated information.

This afternoon, the City of Stayton received test results which show our water is safe for everyone to consume. The City will no longer be following the City of Salem’s Water Advisory.

 

On May 23rd, the City of Stayton performed testing which indicated our drinking water was safe.

 

Late on the afternoon of May 29th, the City of Stayton received notice that over the Memorial Day Weekend the City of Salem received two positive tests indicating that low levels of cylindrospermopsin and microcystin. The City of Salem’s water intake system is approximately two miles upstream from the City of Stayton’s water intake system. Due to the proximity of the two water systems and Salem’s test results being more recent, the City of Stayton recommended our resident’s follow Salem’s advisory as a precaution of a potential public safety risk.

 

With the new test results the City water is safe for everyone. We will continue our testing and will notify the community if there are any changes.

Late yesterday afternoon the City of Stayton was notified of a pending water advisory from the City of Salem. As a precaution the City of Stayton is advising residents to follow the City of Salem’s Water Advisory. There seems to be confusion about the advisory.

 

The advisory is for:

• Children under the age of 6
• Pregnant or nursing mothers
• Pets
• People with compromised immune systems
• People receiving dialysis treatment
• People with preexisting liver conditions
• People with sensitive immune systems

 

The water is safe for everyone who does not meet the above criteria. Low levels of cylindrospermopsin and microcystin (cyanotoxins) have been found in Salem’s processed drinking water. These toxins are created by algal blooms from the Detroit Reservoir. The City of Stayton has the same water source. The City will continue to provide updates as they become available.

The City of Stayton is issuing a Drinking Water Advisory following an advisory just released by the City of Salem. We have the same water source, the North Santiam River, and are taking the same precautions as the City of Salem.

 

You can read more by visiting: https://www.cityofsalem.net/Pages/drinking-water-advisory.aspx

 

 

The 2018 Fishing Derby is approaching quickly. Download the registration form and submit no later than June 12th!

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Keith D. Campbell, City Manager of Stayton, Oregon recently received the Credentialed Manager designation from ICMA, the International City/County Management Association. Mr. Campbell is one of over 1,300 local government management professionals currently credentialed through the ICMA Voluntary Credentialing Program.

ICMA’s mission is to create excellence in local governance by promoting professional management worldwide and increasing the proficiency of appointed chief administrative officers, assistant administrators, and other employees who serve local governments and regional entities around the world. The organization’s nearly 10,000 members in 27 countries also include educators, students, and other local government employees.

To receive the prestigious ICMA credential, a member must have significant experience as a senior management executive in local government; have earned a degree, preferably in public administration or a related field; and demonstrated a commitment to high standards of integrity and to lifelong learning and professional development.

For more information regarding the ICMA Voluntary Credentialing Program, contact Jenese Jackson at ICMA, 777 North Capitol Street, N.E., #500, Washington, D.C., 20002-4201; jjackson@icma.org; 202-962-3556.

The Oregon Association of Water Utilities 40th Annual Technical and Management Conference, is held each March at the Sunriver Resort. At its annual awards banquet, for the second year in a row, the City of Stayton was named as the Best Tasting Surface Water in Oregon.

 

The City of Stayton has excellent water which was proven this year by an unbiased panel of three judges who blind taste tested drinking water from around Oregon, judging it on clarity, bouquet, and taste. The City of Stayton has now won the Best Tasting Surface Water in Oregon for two years in a row.

 

City Manager Keith Campbell noted, “The back-to-back award shows the hard work and dedication of our Public Works staff and their commitment to providing our community the best water in the state of Oregon.” Stayton’s Public Works department includes Tom Etzel, Bob Zeller, Michael Bradley, Kendall Smith, Mark Flande, Lance Ludwick, Lisa Meyer, and Michael Schmidt.

 

The City of Stayton has been a member of the Oregon Association of Water Utilities (OAWU) since 2015. OAWU is a non-profit organization with over 700 members and serves Oregon’s water and wastewater utilities in hands-on training and technical services. The association serves as a legislative liaison and is active in supporting legislation that improves the utilities that serve Oregon’s residents. For more information about OAWU, visit their website at www.oawu.net or contact the office at (503) 837-1212.

Congratulations to our own Tom Etzel, who was honored this evening as the Oregon Association of Water Utilities Operator of the Year!

 

Tom has dedicated 29 years of service to the City of Stayton Public Works Department and more specifically, to water treatment. He works tirelessly to educate himself on the latest rules and requirements to keep our drinking water safe and flowing to the community. Thank you for all you do for our community Tom!

If you were unable to attend last week's Mill Creek Park: Pick Your Park meeting, don't worry. We are looking for committee members to serve during the master planning process. If you are interested, please fill out the form below and bring it to City Hall or email it to cityofstayton@ci.stayton.or.us. 

Mill Creek Park Committee Application.pdf

The City of Stayton has been advised that local water customers may receive mail or phone solicitations from a company known as "HomeServe" or "American Water Resources" that offers water service line insurance coverage.

While customers are responsible for any required repairs to the section of the water line running from the meter to the customer's home, we want to let our community know that the City of Stayton does not recommend or endorse the insurance coverage HomeServe is offering.

Questions? Please contact the Public Works Department at (503) 769-2919.

Join your community in designing the new Mill Creek Park on Thursday, February 22 from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the Stayton Community Center (400 W. Virginia Street). If you are on Facebook, you can RSVP "going" to the event here: https://www.facebook.com/events/527273024322080

 

The City of Stayton is seeking community feedback as part of the master planning process for Mill Creek Park. Join us for an interactive evening as we select the features and amenities for Stayton's newest park. 

 

Did you hear that Smart Meters are coming your way soon from Pacific Power?

Stayton’s Pacific Power home and business customers are getting an upgrade this year with the installation of new smart meters in February 2018. A smart meter is a digital electric meter that can send and receive simple communications with Pacific Power through a secure wireless network. Your new smart meter can:

 

• Help Pacific Power respond faster to outages
• Give you insights into your energy use
• Provide a forecast of your next power bill
• Allow you to set usage budgets and alerts
• Support the transition to clean energy

 

The replacement of your meter is quick and won’t cost you anything. For additional information on smart meters and Pacific Power’s installation of the technology in Oregon , visit www.pacificpower.net/smartmeter or call 1-866-869-8520.

 

Concluding a six-month investigation, Stayton Police Department arrested Jorge Ramos, a 53 year old Stayton man, on four counts of Sexual Abuse in the First Degree. Police indicated the charges involve two separate victims. Investigators believe there are likely more victims who have not yet come forward.

Ramos was taken into custody Thursday afternoon following a Marion County Grand Jury issuing an indictment for Ramos’ arrest. He was transported to the Marion County Jail where he was lodged.

Stayton Police would like to hear from additional victims and anyone who has information to share about the case. Those with information can call Detective Paul Eves at (503) 769-3421.

The Stayton Public Library Foundation is excited to invite you to their Brews, Bites & Books 2018 event.

 

This event is a community fundraising event where you'll be able to experience an evening of beer & food pairings with live music and is presented by Three Creeks Brewing.

 

To learn more and purchase tickets, visit the event page. Tickets are $20 per person and include a 4-course beer & food pairing and non-alcoholic beverages. This event is for those 21 years & older.

Did you hear about the new traffic laws that went into effect in Oregon as of January 1st? If not, here's a quick recap:

 

• Motorists are required to move over if they see any vehicle with hazard or flashing warning lights on the side of the roadway. If it is unsafe to change lanes, drivers must slow down. Previously, this requirement only applied to emergency vehicles but now applies to any vehicle employing warning lights.
  
  
• Cities that utilize electronic red-light enforcement technology can now also issue electronic citations for speeding at those intersections. Prior to issuing both types of citations, a city is required to enact an ordinance establishing the authority to issue both citations, conduct a public information campaign and place signage at the intersection. Please note Stayton does not utilize this technology.

 

• Finally, businesses in Oregon’s rural counties, which are defined has having 40,000 people or less, may now offer full-time self-service gasoline. Self-service was previously allowed in those counties, but only after dark.

 

Also, a reminder of the enhanced distracted driving law, which clarified that using entertainment apps or programming of navigation devices while driving are unsafe driving behaviors, which took effect on October 1, 2017.

On Friday evening around 11:00 p.m., a fuel tanker truck lost control in icy conditions and crashed on Highway 22 near Idahna. The tanker was carrying an estimated 11,600 gallons of gasoline, some fraction of which burned in the ensuing fire. An unknown amount of fuel made its way to the banks and into North Santiam River.

The City of Stayton gets its drinking water from the North Santiam River. On Saturday night, as a precaution, the City of Stayton Public Works Department closed its water intake on and began using water reserves and the City’s well water. As a precaution, please conserve water until further notice.

On Sunday, responders from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency conducted water sampling at the City’s intake, we should see the results this afternoon or Tuesday morning.

Over the past several weeks, the Stayton Police Department has conducted a very extensive investigation regarding counterfeit money. As a result, Mr. Frank Berry (age 49) was arrested for multiple counts of Forgery I, Possession of a Forged Instrument and Possession of a Controlled Substance-Meth. Mr. Reid Dekker (age 26) was arrested for multiple counts of Forgery I, Possession of Controlled Substance-Meth, Theft II, Escape III, Attempt to Elude, and Driving While Suspended.

It is important to pay attention when taking cash or checks as payment for purchased items. The most common currency counterfeited is $20 and $100 bills but other denominations may also be used. Look for incorrect serial numbers, incorrect paper quality, and use currency marking pens. Obtain valid ID and verify funds when taking checks. You may also want to consider a fingerprint system.

After the first of the year, Stayton Police Department, Columbia Bank, and the Stayton-Sublimity Chamber of Commerce will be partnering to host a Fraud Awareness Class for businesses.

Don't forget... this Saturday, December 9th from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., the City of Stayton is offering disposal of yard debris, including leaves and brush at the City of Stayton Shops located at 1820 N. 1st Avenue. As a reminder, if you are a Stayton resident, the only cost is the donation of canned food. If you reside outside city limits, the cost is $1 per bag.

The Stayton Public Library is announcing a call for art for our Art Show to be held at the Library from February 3 through February 16, 2018.

Any artists that live or work in Stayton or its surrounding communities can submit a maximum of two works of 2-dimensional or 3-dimensional art. Art may be of any subject, but must be family friendly. There is no submission fee.

To be included in the show, the artist needs to submit a registration form and release available at the Stayton Library, 515 N. 1st Ave, Stayton, or online at www.staytonlibrary.org. All art and registrations must be delivered to the library by Thursday, February 1, 2018. All 2-dimensional artwork must be wired and ready to hang at time of delivery. On Friday, February 2, 2018 there will be an opening reception for the public to meet the artists from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 pm.

For more information please call (503) 769-3313 or email staytonpl@ccrls.org.

The Stayton Public Works Department has announced their upcoming 2018 street projects. To learn more about the projects, visit their Streets and Construction page and scroll to the bottom section titles "Upcoming Projects."

The Stayton City Council currently has one vacancy after the recent resignation of Councilor Jennifer Niegel. Mayor Henry Porter is accepting Letters of Interest from interested community members who would like to serve on the Council.

The councilor term runs through December 2020. Meetings of the City Council typically occur at 7:00 p.m. the first and third Monday of every month. On occasion, the City may need a Special Call which most likely would occur on the second and fourth Mondays. Council members also serve as liaisons to other City Boards and Commissions and as a Budget Committee member. For more information, please visit: www.staytonoregon.gov/page/gov_cc_home

The first review of Letters of Interest will be on October 27th, 2017, but will continue to be accepted until the position has been filled. If you would like to submit a Letter of Interest, please submit your letter to City Hall at 362 N. Third Avenue, Stayton, OR 97383 or via email at aangelo@ci.stayton.or.us.

On Friday, November 3rd from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., the Stayton United Methodist Church will be hosting a delicious spaghetti dinner to help raise money for the Stayton Police Department’s K-9 Drug Dog Program. Free will donations are accepted. All donations go to the Stayton Police K-9 Drug Dog Program and will help with dog food, veterinary bills, etc. The Stayton United Methodist Church is located at 1450 Fern Ridge RD SE in Stayton. If you have questions, contact the church at (503) 769-5700.

The Stayton Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) is offering a free training starting September 19th. This training is for individuals who want to become a CERT member or just learn to be more prepared. Training topics include personal and family preparedness, first aid, fire extinguisher use, disaster psychology, light search and rescue, operations, etc. Curriculum is from FEMA. Classes are about 3 hours each for 8 consecutive Tuesdays. 

For more information and to register, contact CERT Team Leader Jamie Mattison or Sgt. Michael Meeks at (503) 769-3421.

The City is of Stayton is deeply saddened to announce the passing of longtime City Attorney David Rhoten. For almost 30 years Mr. Rhoten has loyally and faithfully served the community.

Mr. Rhoten was an esteemed, highly respected and regarded attorney who was admitted to the Oregon State Bar in 1961. Additionally, he was a member of the Marion County Bar Association and the Northern Willamette Valley Leadership Council. Mr. Rhoten was the 2015 recipient of the Marion County Bar Association Paul J. De Muniz Professionalism Award.

Stayton’s Mayor Henry Porter shared, “I’ve known David for almost 30 years and considered him a friend. I enjoyed working with him, he was a great guy. David will be missed.”

“I am deeply saddened by the news of David’s passing,” shared City Administrator Keith Campbell. “He was a gifted and talented attorney who was passionate and dedicated to our community. More importantly David was a warm and kind individual whose joy and happiness was infectious. He will be greatly missed.”

In addition to his service with Stayton, Mr. Rhoten served on the committees of Oregon State Bar - Election Laws; Chair of the Law Economics Committee; Special Assistant to the Attorney General of Oregon; Chair of the Oregon Arts Commission and Oregon Arts Foundation; Chair of the Salem Civil Service Commission; Marion County Bar Association Board; Oregon Community Foundation Board (Chair, Scholarship Committee); Chair (Hon.) of the Friends of Halley Brown Ford Art Gallery (Willamette University); Chair of the Historic Elsinore Theatre Board; and MERIT Board Member.

For more information, please go to David Rhoten’s facebook page.

The Stayton Community Dog Park is now open. The dog park is located at 4th and Florence Street.

The Stayton Family Memorial Pool's annual maintenance closure begins today, August 28th. The Pool will reopen on Saturday, September 9th. If you have any questions, contact the pool at (503) 767-7665.

We’ve received many inquiries about camping within city limits. The City of Stayton would like to remind guests camping is prohibited on public property unless a camping permit is obtained.

Permit applications are available at the Stayton Police Department, which is open 24 hours a day during the eclipse weekend, or via our website under the Document Center tab.

Camping permits will only be issued to those who have self-contained water, sewage, and garbage containers. Permits may be revoked if visitors disturb the peace and become disruptive. A full description of the municipal code on camping is available here. 

For those taking advantage of our beautiful parks please be mindful of local regulations:

• No tobacco or marijuana use
• No alcoholic beverages
• No open flame fires
• No swimming in the Stayton Ditch

If you have questions or would like to report suspicious activity please contact the Stayton Police Department at (503) 769-3421. We will have officers dedicated to park patrol during peak hours of the weekend.

Stayton has free on-street parking throughout the city unless otherwise posted. The Library, Community Center, and Stayton Family Memorial Pool parking lots are for Library, Community Center, and Pool patrons only.

There are two public parking lots available in downtown Stayton, one on the corner of Second Avenue and Florence Street (behind the Municipal Court) and another at Third Avenue and Florence Street.

If you have any questions or concerns about where someone is parked, you can contact the Police Department's non-emergency line at (503) 769-3421.

The Stayton Family Memorial Pool will be holding an extended open swim time on Monday, August 21st to celebrate the Eclipse. The extended Open Swim will run from 4:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

The City of Stayton would like to welcome all of the visitors to our town during the Eclipse weekend. We encourage those who are visiting to become familiar with our Park rules which are posted in each park.

The police department will be doubling our staff throughout the weekend of the Eclipse, with the addition of dedicated traffic personnel along with those dedicated to patrolling our local parks and our front office.

Our front office (located at 386 N. 3rd Avenue) will be open 24 hours a day starting Friday, August 18th at 7:00 a.m. until Tuesday, August 22nd at 7:00 a.m.

We would like to remind our residents that with the influx of people who are not familiar with our City to exercise patience so we can all enjoy the Eclipse as it unfolds.

The City of Stayton would like to remind its citizens of the dangers attributed to swimming in our local waterways. Please use flotation devices for those who are entering the Santiam River, as it can often be very swift with very low temperatures.

Swimming in cold water can increase the danger of drowning as the body will begin to shutdown to preserve its core temperature. We encourage you to use flotation devices when using the waterways.

Also, please remember there is absolutely NO swimming (by either people or pets) in the Stayton Ditch (Power Canal), which flows through the north side of Riverfront park.

We are expecting an influx of visitors to our community this upcoming eclipse weekend. To be sure everyone is aware, we wanted to share our Park rules with not only our community, but also with visitors.

All City of Stayton Parks are closed from 10:00 p.m. until 6:00 a.m., unless a permit has been issued by the Chief of Police or his designee.

The City's Park rules are as follows:

1. Boisterous, disturbing, threatening, abusive or indecent behavior is prohibited. There is absolutely no obscene gestures or language or unnecessary noise will be tolerated.
   
   
2. There is no spitting, urinating or defecating on the floors, walls, partitions, furniture, fittings, or any portion of the public restroom located in any park, or in any place in a public restroom except for directly into the particular fixture provided for that purpose.
   
   
3. No vandalizing of any property, water ways or facilities within the city parks.
   
   
4. No using any recreational equipment and facilities for activities other than their intended or approved purpose or in any way which could result in damage to them.


5. No smoking of tobacco, marijuana, or any other substances including e-cigarettes and use of smokeless tobacco in any City parks, facilities or property.


6. No fires except within designated fire rings or barbecue stands.


7. No swimming, floating, kayaking, rafting, boating fishing, wading or playing in the Stayton Ditch/Power Canal, which runs through Riverfront park. No person shall put anything into or cause anything to end up in the waterway known as the Stayton Ditch. Also no pets are allowed in the Stayton Ditch.


8. No person shall drink or consume alcoholic beverages in or upon any public street or sidewalk, alley or public grounds, parks or City-owned facilities and properties except for when a permit is issued.


9. It is important to remember any violations of the City Park Rules will result in an exclusion from that park or public facility for a period of 30-days. Returning to the park or public facility will result in the person being charged with Trespass.

Join us at Santiam Park for a Community Eclipse Watch Party on Monday, August 21 from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

Staff will be on hand with refreshments and will have a limited amount of eclipse glasses to hand out to community members. Hope to see you there!

The City of Stayton is in the path of totality for the Solar Eclipse. The eclipse will occur on Monday, August 21st. The eclipse will begin at 9:06 a.m. and end at 11:39 a.m. Peak totality will be from approximately 10:18 until 10:20 a.m.

The video at this link is from an update from the Stayton Police Department to the Governing Body. The City has worked hard to prepare for the events and its expected impacts.

Expectations are that there will be a large influx of people into the Willamette Valley and along the 60 mile wide path of totality. Area hotels and car rental agencies have sold out. The influx is expected to have a significant impact on the service industry and public safety officials.

Projections are that I-5 could be slow to a standstill as early as 6:00 a.m. and that Hwy 22 will be slow to a standstill near the peak totality.

If possible it might be good to try to avoid travel outside of Stayton on August 21st. If you do need to leave the City it might be good to check travel conditions prior to leaving your home. Basically, be smart, use common sense, avoid excess travel, expect delays in travel and increased crowds and restaurants, coffee shops, bars, grocery stores and other service based industries.

Most of important take some time to enjoy the eclipse.

For more information you can go to www.SalemAreaEclipse.info.

Due to excessive heat, Marion County and Linn County have a total burn ban in place. There is no burning allowed.

The first of three electric car charging stations has been installed in Stayton! The first station has been installed at the Stayton Public Library.

After working with an electrician to identify viable locations to install the stations, the two additional charging stations will be located in downtown Stayton near City Hall and at Pioneer Park. You will see these stations being installed over the next few months.

The charging stations were made possible by a generous donation to the City.

The City enjoys looking for progressive ways to provide services to our community, and we are all extremely excited about this project.

Have you read the latest edition of the City's newsletter, Word on the Street? If not, be sure to download the July / August 2017 newsletter.

The Stayton Water System provides a reliable supply of high quality drinkin