Aumsville has been singled out by the League of Oregon Cities for a “Good Governance” award for its work with the community on its proposed new water treatment plant.
The award was presented to city officials during the League of Oregon Cities’ annual conference, this year held in Bend. The award recognizes progressive and innovative city operations and services.
A press release on the award issued by the LOC noted that when Aumsville was required to finance a new $28 million wastewater facility it worked to reduce the cost to residents by partnering with local legislators, Business Oregon, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality to submit funding applications.
The statement from the LOC also noted that thanks in large part to a letter of support signed by nearly 1,000 community members, the city secured more than $20 million in grants and forgivable loans, including $9 million from the state and $6 million from the USDA.
“We are deeply honored and humbled to be the recipient of the Good Governance award from the League of Oregon Cities,” Mayor Angelica Ceja told Our Town. “Our journey has been guided by the principles of integrity, inclusiveness, and innovation. We as a council have been striving to create a governance model that not only meets the needs of our community but also sets a benchmark for other small cities to follow.
“This award is a reflection of the collective efforts of every member of our team, residents and business owners, whose hard work and dedication have made this achievement possible.”
City administrator Ron Harding praised the work of Ceja and councilors for going door-to-door to explain the issue to residents and urge them to sign petitions.
“This was a good example of person-to-person outreach on this issue,” Harding said. “In recent years, the city has created videos and increased its social media presence to build a strong communication platform for engaging residents.
“The petition served two purposes: one, it provided information on the project and our challenge, so community members were aware of the issue, but it also served as a communication tool. From the city to the community and the community back to us and our residents to state officials, highlighting the significant challenges communities face.”
Aumsville already has begun design work on the new plant, Harding said. The city hopes to have it in operation by 2027.
