By Mary Owen
After serving on the Stayton City Council since February 2011, Jennifer Niegel is leaving.
“You have to reside within the city limits of Stayton to serve,” said Niegel, an attorney with Stayton Law. “I no longer qualify.”
With Niegel’s departure, Mayor Hank Porter is accepting letters of interest from community members who would like to serve on the city council.
“It will be a challenge to fill Jennifer’s seat,” Porter said. “I thought a letter of interest was a good way to go about this. There is always a bigger pool of talent than you casually think exists.”
As of Oct. 25, five letters of interest had been received by the city: Steve Frank, Ralph Lewis, Christopher Molin, David Patty and Travis Woods.
The councilor term runs through December 2020, with meetings typically occurring at 7 p.m. on the first and third Monday of every month. On occasion, the city call a special meeting which typically falls on the second or fourth Mondays.
Council members also serve as liaisons to other city boards and commissions and as a budget committee member.
“One of the biggest challenges is having to address many interests when an issue arises,” Niegel said of her role as city councilor. “Often times issues are not black and white, and often times there’s more than one side to an issue. You may have a lot of people with opinions all over the spectrum.”
Niegel said person appointed to fill the position will have to be able to take all views into consideration and then decide what is best for the city and its residents.
“And responsible people will disagree about what may be the best course of action,” she said. “You can’t always make everyone happy.”
Niegel believes she has been able to work well with others – staff and councilors – even when not in agreement.
“As a councilor, I think it’s important to have an opinion, and if you disagree with others, keep it professional and not get personal,” she said. “I was able to appreciate the views of other councilors even if we had disparate opinions. At the end of the day, we’re still colleagues and friends.”
Niegel’s goal was to help the council reach decisions by taking a “logical, pragmatic approach and trying to find a practical solution, a happy medium.”
Letters of interest will be accepted until the position has been filled. If interested, submit a letter to City Hall at 362 N. Third Ave., Stayton, OR 97383 or via e-mail at aangelo@ci.stayton.or.us.
