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Published By Your City Hall |
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 In addition to being Coos Bay’s Mayor, I have the pleasure of serving on various other community, business, and governmental boards. Serving in those positions as well as being a long-time director on the Oregon Pacific Bank Board, I know the value of conducting annual audits. At this week’s City Council and Urban Renewal Agency (URA) Board meetings, the annual financial statement audits were presented and approved. The audits were completed by Pauly, Rogers & Co, PC. The City and URA both received an unmodified opinion on the financial statements and records, the highest level to be achieved as part of the annual audit process. As required by Oregon Administrative Rules and Oregon Revised Statutes, the City and URA undergoes an annual audit of their accounting records which includes auditor fieldwork each spring and fall to test established internal controls and their effectiveness, as well as confirming financial statement account balances are fairly presented in all materials respects. The two audit reports can be found at the following links:
FY 2021-2022 City Audit
FY 2021-2022 URA Audit
 The four-person team in our Finance Department consists of Finance Director Melissa Olson, Accounting Tech I Eric Barker, Accounting Tech II Brianna Chapanar and Finance Assistant Meghan Stark (pictured above). They focus their daily efforts to ensure the financial activity is accurate, recorded and reconciled in a timely manner while continuing efforts to achieve full transparency to the public and development of collaborative interaction with internal departments. The Finance Department has a long-term history of compiling financial records that result in unmodified audit opinions for the City and URA.
This is an excellent achievement by the team in the Finance Department. Without their hard work and dedication, excellent audit reports would not have been possible!
-Joe Benetti, Mayor of Coos Bay
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Council Oath of Office Ceremony, Election of Council, and Agency Officers
With the close of the election and certified results issued by the Coos County Clerk’s Office, the City of Coos Bay held the Oath of Office Ceremony during the December 20, 2022, City Council meeting.
 Four members of the City Council were re-elected to the Council during the recent general 2022 election: Joe Benetti as Mayor; Rob Miles, Carmen Matthews, and Sara Stephens (photo above from right to left) as City Councilors. The term for Mayor is two years; whereas the term for a Councilor position is four years. With the seven-member Council, three Council positions are up for election at each two-year Mayor cycle. All seven City Council and Agency Board members serve on a voluntary (unpaid) basis only.
Additionally, during the December 20, 2022 Council meeting, Councilor Rob Miles was nominated and unanimously appointed as Council President. As required by City Charter, the role of Council President is to serve as Mayor Pro-Tem and perform the functions of the office in the Mayor’s absence.
During the Coos Bay Urban Renewal Agency (Agency) Board meeting, officer elections were held, and the following officers were elected:
- Stephanie Kilmer, Agency Chair (photo below at left)
- Drew Farmer, Agency Vice Chair (photo below middle)
- Lucinda DiNovo, Agency Secretary (photo below right)
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City Employees Receive a Holiday Treat
 City employees received a treat last week in the form of song. Ms. Danielson’s second grade class from Eastside School spent some time at Coos Bay Library, Coos Bay City Hall, and Coos Bay Fire Department singing cheerful holiday tunes. City employees would like to send out a big thank you to the class for their visit.
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 The Partnership for Coastal Watersheds (PCW), which includes staff from Coos County, City of Coos Bay, City of North Bend, and Port of Coos Bay, has gone through an extensive process to evaluate the needs of the local governments and the community for the Coos Bay Estuary Management Plan. Their past work included public meetings and an open house to share results from all of the data products that were created. The process was patterned from the original CBEMP workgroup setup in the late 1970’s and early 1980’s. This effort has resulted in the development of an integrated assessment which was conducted with the assistance of the PCW steering committee, stakeholders representing, economic, socio-cultural, and natural resource protection interests, and public feedback from a previously held open house.
This effort started in 2015 and was presented by consultants, University of Oregon, Institute for Policy Research and Engagement to the Coos Bay, North Bend, and County Planning Commissioners and City Councilors and County Board of Commissioners in 2019. The plan was to move the products from the effort into formal hearings and adoptions for a unified plan. COVID19 stalled the process and after a re-evaluation and additional funding, the County and City staff would like to move this project forward. The findings and products will be presented to city councilors, planning commissioners and Board of Commissioners in an informational work session setting.
The work sessions will take place in the Coos Bay City Council Chambers (500 Central Avenue, Coos Bay, OR). The Planning Commissioners will be meeting on January 4, 2023, at 5 p.m. The City of Coos Bay, North Bend City Councilors, and Board of Commissioners will meet on January 4, 2023, at 6:30 p.m.
A public house will be held on January 7, 2023, from 1-4 p.m. at the North Bend Community Center, 2222 Broadway North Bend, OR to allow the public to learn about the products and process going forward.
If you have questions, please contact Coos County Community Development at 541-396-7770 or email planning@co.coos.or.us.
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Share Your Thoughts on Coos Bay Housing Production Needs
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A primary goal of the Coos Bay City Council is to expand housing opportunities in Coos Bay, especially housing types that may be smaller-scale and less expensive than single unit homes. Consistent with state requirements, the Council has directed work on a Coos Bay Housing Production Strategy (HPS). The work includes a request for your feedback on housing strategies by filling out a short questionnaire. Share your thoughts on housing needs and opinions on City programs and policies that could be considered to ensure or incentivize production of needed housing by price point for rent and ownership. This questionnaire should take about 10 minutes. Responses will be kept confidential and reported in aggregate. Please complete the survey by December 30, 2022.
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Oregon Winter Whale Watching Week
 Oregon Whale Watch Week is back! Thanks to the knowledgeable volunteers from the Whale Watching Spoken Here® program, Oregon Coast visitors can learn more about the mysterious and awe-inspiring gray whales and their annual migration in designated Whale Watching Spoken Here® sites (like Shore Acres State Park ) between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. December 28, 2022 – Sunday, January 1, 2023.
Bring your binoculars, you just may witness the beautiful sight of gray whales blowing, breaching and fluking as they pass by, and don’t forget to dress in layers and bring a waterproof coat!
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As the Holidays Near, Make a Plan If You Are Spending an Evening on the Town
The holiday season is a busy time on America’s roads. To keep drivers and their passengers safe, Coos Bay Police Department is teaming up with the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to remind drivers about the dangers of drinking and driving. Help NHTSA and Coos Bay Police share this message: Buzzed Driving Is Drunk Driving.
“December is a busy time on the roads. We know everyone is rushing around during the weeks leading up to the holidays, preparing for holiday gatherings and getting into the seasonal mood,” said Coos Bay Police Captain Lindahl. “If you plan to head out to festivities, make sure you plan a sober ride home, because driving drunk should never be an option. Even one drink is one drink too many if you’re the driver. Buzzed Driving Is Drunk Driving,” he said.
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According to NHTSA, 11,654 people were killed in motor vehicle crashes in 2020 that involved an alcohol-impaired driver. On average, more than 10,000 people were killed each year from 2016 to 2020, and one person was killed in a drunk driving crash every 45 minutes in 2020. This is why Coos Bay Police Department (CBPD) is working together with NHTSA to remind drivers that drunk driving is a matter of life and death. Remember: Buzzed Driving Is Drunk Driving.
If you plan on drinking, plan on not driving. Doing so could change your life, not to mention the lives of your passengers, of pedestrians, or of other drivers and passengers nearby. If you’re the designated driver, make sure you keep that promise of safety to yourself and your passengers. Stay hydrated with water and other non-alcoholic beverages. Support other designated drivers, too. It can be a long night, but people are counting on you, not to mention the other drivers, passengers, and pedestrians on the streets. Take the role of designated driver seriously — people are relying on you.
For more information about the Buzzed Driving Is Drunk Driving campaign, visit www.nhtsa.gov/risky-driving/drunk-driving.
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 Work on a community art project by painting a tile at the Coos Bay Public Library! During the last two weeks of the year, participants are invited to paint a tile for the Library. Tile painting focus will be on hopes and dream for our community in the future and/or what the Library means to you. Tiles will remain the property of the Library, will be put on display at the Library, and may be used in a future art installation. All ages are welcome to attend.
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 Join us at the Coos Bay Public Library for Game Night! New and experienced gamers (teen-adult) are invited to come join the fun this Friday 6 p.m. -9 p.m. in the Myrtlewood Room. We will have snacks and a variety of games from the library's collection to choose from, or attendees are welcome to bring a game to share. For more information see coosbaylibrary.org or call 541-269-1101.
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HR Coordinator
The City of Coos Bay is soliciting applications for the position of full-time HR Coordinator. To apply for the position, interested parties should submit a city application, resume, and letter of interest to the City Manager’s Office or by email at administration@coosbay.org. City applications are available from the City Manager’s Office, City Hall, 500 Central Avenue, Coos Bay, Oregon 97420, by email at administration@coosbay.org. For full announcement and application packet, click button below.
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Administrative Coordinator
The City of Coos Bay is soliciting applications for the position of full-time Administrative Coordinator. To apply for the position, interested parties should submit a city application, resume, and letter of interest to the City Manager’s Office or by email at administration@coosbay.org. City applications are available from the City Manager’s Office, City Hall, 500 Central Avenue, Coos Bay, Oregon 97420 by email at administration@coosbay.org. For full announcement and application packet, click button below.
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Transportation and Facilities Superintendent
The City of Coos Bay is soliciting applications for the position of full-time Transportation & Facilities Superintendent. To apply for the position, interested parties should submit a city application, resume, and letter of interest to the City Manager’s Office or by email at administration@coosbay.org. City applications are available from the City Manager’s Office, City Hall, 500 Central Ave., Coos Bay, OR 97420, by email at administration@coosbay.org.
For full announcement and application packet, click button below.
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Planner I
The City of Coos Bay is soliciting applications for the position of full-time Planner I. To apply for the position, interested parties should submit a city application, resume, and letter of interest to the City Manager’s Office or by email at administration@coosbay.org. City applications are available from the City Manager’s Office, City Hall, 500 Central Avenue, Coos Bay, Oregon 97420, by email at administration@coosbay.org or on the City’s website at https://www.coosbayor.gov/government/job-openings. This job will be opened until filled. To be considered for first application review, submit complete application by December 5, 2022 at 5 p.m. For full announcement and application packet, click button below.
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