Document text
Changes at the top Medford City Hall is seeing a lot of turnover. Some aren't bothered. But others worry that the city is losing too much talent in a short time. By JIM DAVIS Mayors come and go. City managers get hired and fired. Police chiefs serve with definite shelf lives. But not in Medford. For about a decade, Mayor Jerry Lausmann, City Manager Harold "Andy" Anderson and Police Chief Ray Shipley held the three highest-profile positions at Medford City Hall. Now, in a matter of months, they will be or have been replaced. And the change of leadership goes far deeper than those three. After this election, Medford City Hall will see a huge shift, with seven of the eight council members coming in with about three years or fewer in experience. Also, nearly half of the city department heads have been replaced or will be replaced in a matter of months. Lausmann said that he's seen a number of changes in the 12 years he's been mayor, but not so much change so fast. "I'm not too concerned about leaving office, because it looks like we've got some pretty bright people coming on board," Lausmann said. "And (new City Manager) Mike Dyal can gently guide people within the bounds of the legal system." But former Councilman Bill Mansfield is troubled, especially by the loss of department managers. "What's happening at city hall is unsettling to me," Mansfield said. "I don't like to see the city government lose all that talent." The change in council makeup occurred mainly within the past three years. For more than a decade, familiar faces like Mansfield, Linda Casey and Mel Winkelman occupied seats on the City Council. Most of the older, experienced council has since been replaced with people like Curt Bennett, Skip Knight and Matt Hart. Perhaps the most notable change this fall is the retirement of Lausmann, who is the city's longest-serving mayor. Current Councilman Bill Moore and former Councilwoman Lindsay Berryman are vying for the position. Casey, who has served since 1986 and sat on the old and new council, said she thinks both groups have done good things. But she thinks the new councils lacks the experience of the past. "There's not as much a sense of history," Casey said. "They don't always know the background of projects that come up." Medford Council President Rob Patridge, who has worked on the council for three years but is stepping down in his bid for the state Legislature, credited the new council with working to create a link to the public. He pointed to the broadcast of council meetings on a cable access channel, the establishment of a city review board and distribution of comment cards. He also noted efforts by Dyal to reach out to the public, including the Neighborhood Walk, in which city department heads knock on doors and ask questions one afternoon a month. Moore, who started with the the older, experienced council in 1993, said councils can and do carry on each other's work. As an example, he points to the city's transportation plan. He said the 1991 council set the $21 million plan in motion by establishing a system of funding with system-development charges and street utility fees. "They set the fundamental groundwork for what we're doing now," Moore said. The current council saw the project through, and the beginning of the transportation plan kicks off next year with construction of the East McAndrews extension. Moore said the newcomers don't have the experience of the older group. But he added that they all came through the city government ranks through committees, commissions or boards. "It's not like they're coming in out of a vacuum," Moore said. "They have had some experience." One of the biggest changes at Medford City Hall has been in the staffing. Last year, some of the new council members pressured Anderson into resigning. This spring, nine-year veteran Police Chief Ray Shipley retired and was replaced by Eric Mellgren. Longtime City Recorder Kathy Ishiara died of cancer in August. The biggest ripple may have been the most recent. This past week, City Attorney Gene Hart and Finance Director Jon Jalali -- each having served 21 years at the city -- announced their plans to retire in February. Also this week, personnel director Charles Van Deusen was placed on leave because of "concerns about his job performance," according to City Manager Dyal. Van Deusen has worked for the city for 17 years. Mansfield, a Medford lawyer who served on the City Council from 1985 until 1996, said he doesn't ever remember three department heads leaving at the same time, so close together. "I have a great deal of respect for all three of those staff heads," Mansfield said. "They've contributed a great deal to the proper functioning of the city. All three are experts in their fields." Mansfield said he doesn't know the reasons for the retirement of Jalali or the placing of Van Deusen on leave. He is representing Gene Hart and would not talk about his situation. But Mansfield said the departure of so many key personnel raises questions about city hall. "It does kind of raise eyebrows, doesn't it," he said. Dyal, who started as city manager five months ago, said the departures are coincidental and noted that Jalali was planning to retire before Dyal came. Lausmann praised Dyal for being a hands-on city manager. "I think he's done more in the four or five months than Andy Anderson did in 10 years," Lausmann said. "I don't feel quite so bad about leaving office now that Mike Dyal is on board." Dyal has gotten a vote of support from most of the council. Casey, however, declined to comment about the performance of Dyal. Even so, Casey said the departures of so many top managers at city hall isn't as troubling as it may seem. "People get up to that retirement age and if they can retire, they should," Casey said. As far as the elected officials, Casey said she just hopes the future council will work at making the city better. "I hope they come prepared, they've done their homework and have given a great deal of thought to the issues," Casey said. With all the comings and goings at City Hall, most people seemed to agree that the city will face the same problems it has faced for years -- namely growth, transportation and the pursuit of jobs. Lee Ferguson, a Medford lawyer and a councilwoman from 1991 until she resigned last year, said the current council has a different "flavor," but she wasn't sure that it would matter in the long run. "The city of Medford is a monument," Ferguson said, "and luckily we mere mortals come and go and it stands despite what we do.'' Mail Tribune Copyright � interRogue & The Mail Tribune 1998, Medford, Oregon USA