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Talent council appoints interim city manager Saturday Nov 18, 2017 at 11:01 PM Tony Boom for the Mail Tribune TALENT — The City Council has appointed Finance Director Ryan Martin to serve as interim city manager while City Manager Tom Corrigan remains on leave pending an assessment of his performance. Corrigan was placed on indefinite, paid, non-disciplinary leave Nov. 2 for what the council said was a review of his performance and/or potential misconduct. The group ]also directed Mayor Darby Ayers-Flood to hire a personnel investigator to review concerns. The council met in an executive session at the beginning of its meeting Wednesday that is closed to the public. Ayers-Flood said afterward that the session was held to cover communication from the city’s attorney under attorney-client privilege and that there was no decision to be made in open session. The city is represented by Eugene law firm Speer Hoyt’s Local Government Law Group. Martin previously was an accountant with the city of Ashland for five years and began working for Talent in 2016. He has a bachelor’s degree in business administration and accounting and a master’s degree in business administration from Southern Oregon University. He also worked as a produce manager for Albertsons. In a memo to the council prepared by Martin, who has had oversight of City Hall and Public Works staff since Nov. 2, he noted hiring an outside interim manager would result in the city paying two managerial staff salaries at the same time. Councilors unanimously approved the appointment. Before the meeting, the council — serving as the Talent Urban Renewal Agency’s board of directors — appointed Community Development Director Zac Moody to serve as interim executive director of the agency, another position which Corrigan filled. In other business Wednesday, the council: Authorized a contract for a loan at a 1 percent interest rate from the state’s Safe Drinking Water Revolving Loan Fund for a new city reservoir. The loan would be for $3.14 million, but $1 million would be forgiven if the city meets set criteria. Among them is a minimum water rate to ensure the loan will be repaid or half the forgiveness would be forfeited. Fulfilling that provision will require an increase to city water rates. Design and building of the 2 million-gallon reservoir is estimated to take 18 to 24 months. The city already has land for the reservoir west of Helms Road. Approved raising the surcharge on water utility bills to support parks from $3 to $5 per month effective in January. One dollar of the rate would be reserved for capital improvement projects. The rate was last raised in 2007. There was no input during a public hearing on the proposed increase. Councilman Ken Baker, liaison to the Parks Commission, noted that financial projections showed parks maintenance and operation would have expenses in excess of revenue beginning in 2020 if the rate was not increased. Recognized the South Talent Neighborhood Association. The group asked for recognition so that it can be informed as development is proposed under the Railroad District Master Plan. The land lies west of the railroad tracks. City zoning codes require that notices should be mailed to neighborhood associations, but there are not criteria for the recognition. The council approved the step with the proviso that the group meets criteria once they are established. Tony Boom is an Ashland freelance writer. Reach him at [email protected].