Ashland City Council to review DEI assessment and vote on telecommunications ordinance

The building housing the city of Ashland City Council chamber on East Main Street. Ashland.news photo by Bob Palermini
March 30, 2024

Joint session with Ashland Parks & Recreation Commission on Monday, then city councilors have regular business meeting Tuesday

By Morgan Rothborne, Ashland.news

The Monday, April 1, a study session will be held jointly between Ashland Parks & Recreation commissioners and Ashland city councilors in order to review the city’s contracted Diversity, Equity and Inclusion report. 

Through the advice of its Social Justice and Racial Equity Commission, the city allocated $40,000 for the assessment of its organization in June 2022. The contract was awarded to Paradigm Public Affairs firm to perform the assessment beginning in August 2023. The results of the survey will be presented Monday. 

On Monday evening, the council will also review the potential to expand the urban growth boundary in response to Oregon Senate Bill 1537 and receive a progress update from the Homelessness Master Plan Subcommittee.

During the Tuesday, April 2, City Council meeting, council will vote on the second reading of the new telecommunication’s ordinance. The first reading passed in a 5-to-1 vote during the Tuesday, March 19, council meeting. Councilor Gina DuQuenne voted in opposition while Councilors Jeff Dahle, Dylan Bloom, Paula Hyatt, Eric Hansen and Bob Kaplan voted in favor. A majority vote Tuesday would make the ordinance law. 

In other council business Tuesday, councilors will reconsider a section of the proposed project area for the helicopter logging project in the Ashland Watershed and Siskiyou Mountain Park. During the March 19 business meeting, councilors asked that this section of the project area be brought back for further discussion of pile and burn cost .

Council will also hold a second confirmation vote to formally create a Human Resources department within the city and vote to approve an update to the city’s fire code. A potential ad hoc committee to determine the future of 2200 Ashland St. is also on the agenda. 

Both meetings will be held in the council chamber at 1175 E Main St. Both meetings can be attended in person or watched remotely through Channel 9 or Channels 180 and 181 (Charter Communications) or live streamed via rvtv.sou.edu (select RVTV Prime). The Monday study session begins at 5:30 p.m., while the Tuesday business meeting begins at 6 p.m. 

Public testimony will be accepted for the meetings and can be delivered either via Zoom, in person, or as written comment. To sign up for public comment, fill out the public testimony form

Email Ashland.news reporter Morgan Rothborne at [email protected].

Picture of Bert Etling

Bert Etling

Bert Etling is the executive editor of Ashland.news. Email him at [email protected].

Related Posts...

Ashland offer free Narcan training Wednesday, Feb. 12

The Ashland Community Emergency Response Team will offer training on how to offer basic medical aid, including administering naloxone in case of opioid overdoses, on Wednesday evening, Feb. 12. The training is free and open to the public starting at 6 p.m. at Ashland Fire Station No. 1 at 455 Siskiyou Blvd.

Read More »

Sen. Golden proposes changing state wildfire map to curb anger and rumors

Nearly four years ago, in the aftermath of the state’s most destructive wildfires in history, the Oregon Legislature passed a bipartisan package of wildfire prevention initiatives, including one that required state experts to create a map showing high wildfire risk areas statewide. Sen. Jeff Golden, D-Ashland, who supported creating the map, said it’s become counterproductive in its current form. 

Read More »

Our Sponsors

Klamath Bird Observatory Experience the wonders of Souteast Brazil Ashland Oregon
Conscious Design Build Ashland Oregon
Pronto Printing Ashland Medford Southern Oregon

Latest posts

Ashland offer free Narcan training Wednesday, Feb. 12

The Ashland Community Emergency Response Team will offer training on how to offer basic medical aid, including administering naloxone in case of opioid overdoses, on Wednesday evening, Feb. 12. The training is free and open to the public starting at 6 p.m. at Ashland Fire Station No. 1 at 455 Siskiyou Blvd.

Read More >

Obituary: Sandra Risser

Obituary: Sandra Risser, who began life in quiet eastern Nebraska before building a family and a professional career in Washington, D.C., and the San Francisco Bay Area, died Jan. 4 in Ashland. She was 87.

Read More >

Sen. Golden proposes changing state wildfire map to curb anger and rumors

Nearly four years ago, in the aftermath of the state’s most destructive wildfires in history, the Oregon Legislature passed a bipartisan package of wildfire prevention initiatives, including one that required state experts to create a map showing high wildfire risk areas statewide. Sen. Jeff Golden, D-Ashland, who supported creating the map, said it’s become counterproductive in its current form. 

Read More >

City Corner: A look at City Hall accomplishments in 2024

City Corner: The 2024 city of Ashland list of accomplishments highlights numerous advancements and initiatives across various departments. Following is a summary of the key achievements, including completion of the wastewater treatment plant outfall relocation and UV system upgrades.

Read More >

Our Sponsors

City of Ashland Public Notice Ashland Oregon
Ashland Parks and Recreation Ashland Oregon
Ashland.news House Ad

Explore More...

The Ashland Community Emergency Response Team will offer training on how to offer basic medical aid, including administering naloxone in case of opioid overdoses, on Wednesday evening, Feb. 12. The training is free and open to the public starting at 6 p.m. at Ashland Fire Station No. 1 at 455 Siskiyou Blvd.
City Corner: The 2024 city of Ashland list of accomplishments highlights numerous advancements and initiatives across various departments. Following is a summary of the key achievements, including completion of the wastewater treatment plant outfall relocation and UV system upgrades.
Curtain Call: After university studies in Indiana and Colorado, and pursuing his career playing with several orchestras, Jerry Su returned to Southern Oregon in 2022 to audition for the second E-flat clarinet position with the Rogue Valley Symphony — and got the job.
Some rural Talent residents say the recent Southern Oregon snowstorm gave them more practice than they’d have liked to test out their assortment of doomsday supplies and survival skills — a more than three-and-a-half-day-long exercise in relying on the array of off-the-grid infrastructure put in place over the past decade. 
The new Talent Travel Center has begun round-the-clock operations that aim to attract locals, travelers and truckers. Located off Interstate 5 at Exit 21 on West Valley View Road, the business replaces the old Talent Truck Stop, offering some big rig fueling services beginning in 2018.
ashland.news logo

Subscribe to the newsletter and get local news sent directly to your inbox.

(It’s free)

Don't Miss Our Top Stories

Get our newsletter delivered to your inbox three times a week.
It’s FREE and you can cancel anytime.