City leaders approve letter seeking state funding as SOU warns it could run out of money by July and faces possible merger

By Damian Mann for Ashland.news

Southern Oregon University’s looming existential threat prompted the Ashland City Council Tuesday night to approve a letter asking for financial help from the Oregon Legislature.

Councilor Dylan Bloom, an SOU graduate, urged the council to lobby for state funds to help prop up one of Ashland’s leading institutions that underpins the local economy.

“If it goes, the city will follow,” Bloom said. “This is about our entire community.”

SOU has warned it could run out of cash by July and has asked legislators for $15 million as a stopgap measure and to avoid a potential merger.

The cash crunch comes after four years of reducing faculty and staff by 25%, while also facing a precipitous decline in enrollment, which is less than 2,500 full-time students, an amount not seen since the 1964-1965 school year.

During the past four years, SOU has had four different chief financial officers.

Bloom said the ongoing cuts in funding to higher education will eventually affect other Oregon universities.

“By 2030, other universities will follow,” he said. “We might be the first, but we won’t be the last.”

He said the request for state aid for the university provides SOU with time to deal with the emergency.

Bloom said the state of Idaho spends more per capita on higher education than Oregon.

Oregon spends about $8,000 for each full-time student, ranking at 37th in the nation for public higher education funding, according a State Higher Education Finance report.

Mayor Tonya Graham endorsed the letter idea and offered to draft it on behalf of the council. “You have my full support,” she said.

Graham worried what would happen to the students in this region who depend on getting an education at SOU.

She said the Legislature will have a very difficult short session this year “In large part because of the way the government is behaving.”

An ongoing dispute with the federal government has tied up about $900 million in dollars that would otherwise flow into Oregon during the current biennium.

The Legislature is contemplating disconnecting Oregon from the U.S tax code, which could recoup $342 million of that money.

Communities and institutions across the state are feeling the pinch, Graham said.

Councilor Gina DuQuenne endorsed the letter, saying, “Absolutely. Higher education is very important.”

She said state legislators are in Salem right now, so it’s important to send a message to them.

Councilor Eric Hansen said he supports higher education, but he said everyone needs to brace for drastic changes at SOU.

“We’re not going to have the SOU we have,” he said. “It’s going to be different.”

According to a Jan. 7 Oregon Public Broadcasting article, the state’s financial landscape for Oregon’s seven universities is increasingly uncertain.

The Oregon Higher Education Coordinating Commission recently asked the Legislature to direct universities to develop proposals for mergers or cooperatives, according to the OPB article.  

Other business

The council approved a slew of ordinance changes related to barking dogs, dead trees, the role of the city recorder and a succession plan for the city manager.

The ordinances will come back for a second reading on Feb. 17.

After voter approval of an appointed city recorder rather than elected in 2024, the council placed the city recorder under the city manager’s office.

Ashland resident Clarinda Merripen urged the council to reconsider this option because it consolidates too much power under the city manager.

“The city recorder should be under the mayor or council,” she said.

Councilor Jeff Dahle said he appreciated the comments, but he said the action the council took “does provide more oversight.”

Councilor Gina DuQuenne said, “At the end of the day, we all answer to the citizens of Ashland.”

A new ordinance clarifies wording regarding public art on both public and private land.

The council approved an ordinance that changes language regarding disposal of public property despite concerns raised that someone in the city might take advantage of the sale of a vehicle or city property.

“Could something be sold to a friend,” Mayor Graham wondered.

City Manager Sabrina Cotta responded, “No.”  She said the city follows specific rules about the disposal of city property.

Graham said she thought the new disposal language would potentially attract more bidders for city property.

In an emergency situation, the city will now have a chain of command in case the city manager is incapacitated during an emergency situation.

Next in line is the deputy city manager, then the fire chief, followed by the police chief, the emergency management coordinator and the incident commander.

An ordinance approved by the council empowers Code Compliance to compel a property owner to remove hazardous or infested trees. If the owner fails to do so, the city will remove the vegetation and place an assessment on the property.

In a somewhat related ordinance, the city would require tree trimming on new construction or remodels in hazardous situations according to requirements of the Electric Service Requirements Manual.

Councilor Derek Sherrell, a builder, warned this new requirement is going to mean more costs for in-fill housing projects.

Despite his reservations, Sherrell voted for the ordinance.

Dogs barking excessively between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. will be a no-no under an ordinance that revises current codes.

It is unlawful for a dog to excessively whine, bark, howl, or emit any similar noise in a residential area and unreasonably disturb the quiet, comfort, or repose of reasonable persons of ordinary sensitivities.

Ashland resident Susan Peck said she worried that even a small amount of barking each night would be a disruption.

“Dog owners will potentially put their dogs out at night and disturb the quiet of the neighborhood,” she said.

City Attorney Johan Pietila said the new rule would apply for any amount of time that a dog disturbed the peace.

A new ordinance changes language regarding marijuana dispensaries. The word “medical” has been deleted, and the new wording refers to marijuana retailers.

Reach freelance writer Damian Mann at dmannnews@gmail.com.

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