QuickTake:

Andrew Buck, chair of the Springfield Planning Commission, was the only applicant for the Ward 5 City Council seat vacated by Victoria Doyle. The City Council also discussed repairs and updates — expected to cost at least $12 million — for the aging City Hall.

Springfield city councilors said at a Monday, Oct. 13, work session they will interview the one person who has applied for the vacant Ward 5 council seat.

Andrew Buck, who works at Oregon Insurance Company in Springfield, was the only person who applied. Applications for the seat were due Oct. 8.

Buck currently chairs the Springfield Planning Commission, having been appointed to his current term there in December 2024. He also serves on the budget committee of Willamalane Park and Recreation District. His application states he has lived in Springfield for 20 years.

Asked why he wants to be an interim city councilor, Buck wrote in his application, “My time on Planning Commission has given me valuable insight into how things work in city government and I see the potential for Springfield. Ward 5 also needs a strong advocate as well with the likelihood of development occurring there.”

Councilors will interview Buck next Monday, Oct. 20, and vote on whether to appoint him. The council is set to swear in the new interim member on Oct. 27.

The Ward 5 seat opened in August when Victoria Doyle resigned from the council, saying she wanted to focus on her job and her family.

The interim councilor will serve out the remainder of Doyle’s term, which expires Dec. 31, 2026. Ward 5 encompasses an area in east Springfield between 42nd Street and Bob Straub Parkway. 

The Ward 5 seat will be on the May 2026 primary election ballot, and the interim councilor could run for the seat. The councilor selected in May (or at a run-off election in November) will begin serving in January 2027.

Buck did not immediately respond to an email from Lookout Eugene-Springfield seeking comment. 

City Hall maintenance

At the work session, the council also discussed millions of dollars in needed repairs to City Hall, including replacing the building’s failing heating, ventilation and air conditioning system. 

The City Hall project began last year when the council approved a remodel of the building, which called for new paint, carpet and lights, as well as reorganizing space to be more efficient, said Jeff Paschall, director of the city’s Community Development Division.

Earlier this year, however, a preservation report by the city’s building maintenance supervisor identified $31.34 million in needed City Hall updates. An Occupational Safety and Health Administration audit of the building also identified safety and code deficiencies, Paschall said.

“As we dug deeper into the building conditions, it’s just kind of become clear that that simple of a remodel won’t really address the deeper issues to keep City Hall functioning,” Paschall said.

The building, at 225 Fifth St., was designed and constructed as a mall in 1972, and the city purchased and renovated it in 1980.

Paschall said City Hall faces critical deferred maintenance, including the HVAC system. It is largely original to 1980, and its network operating system is no longer supported, Paschall said. Of the system’s 64 heat pump units, 10 are fully operational, 18 are nonoperational and the remaining 36 function with temporary repairs using salvaged parts from irreparable units. 

City Manager Nancy Newton said the HVAC system “is currently on life support.” 

Other high-priority maintenance needs include upgrading fire and electrical panels and wiring; updating restrooms and plumbing; addressing building security needs and improving wayfinding; replacing the building’s roof membrane; and replacing inefficient windows. 

“The goal is to look at City Hall, and what work does this building need to make it an effective, safe civic center for the next generation,” Paschall said.

The updates will also address the initial intent of the project, including realigning City Hall to have one customer service counter.

Paschall said the preservation report identifies $19.5 million in updates that are needed soon, and staff are working with an architect consultant to lower the cost of the project to less than $12 million. He said the bigger estimate is if each project was done individually. 

“There’s some pricing efficiencies and cost efficiencies by doing one project,” Paschall said.

The council agreed it wants to move forward with the update project and asked city staff to come back with financing options.