Ben
Botkin
Lane County

Grace
Chinowsky

Eugene

Lillian
Schrock-Clevenger

Springfield

Good morning,

Lane County got some love last week as local officials from all corners of Oregon traveled to Eugene for the Association of Oregon Counties’ annual conference. The gathering at the Graduate hotel downtown ran from Tuesday to Thursday. 

The association represents all 36 of Oregon’s counties and the event drew about 700 people, including county officials and employees, along with others that work closely with counties, such mental health providers. The headcount includes speakers, such as Gov. Tina Kotek, who talked to the group Wednesday morning.

Kotek said it’s crucial that Oregon become known as a pro-business state and stressed the need for regional partnerships across the state.

“How do we make sure that every community in the state is well-served and no one is left behind?” Kotek said in her speech.

The conference had panel discussions on a variety of topics, including transportation and road safety, health care, land use and energy. Lane County Commissioner Heather Buch moderated a panel discussion on county emergency management, aptly titled: “What Happens When the Feds Don’t Come? County Emergency Management in an Era of Devolution.”

“We are in an inflection point,” panelist Erin McMahon, director of the Oregon Department of Emergency Management, told the group. “Emergency management is at an inflection point, and I’ve spoken to our Legislature about this as well, to say that, ‘Hey, look, the federal government may not be there in the future to support our recovery efforts, and they may not be there to help us prepare for what is essentially a state responsibility.’”

In dealing with emergencies — and preparing for them — officials recognize that the federal purse strings are tightening in the same way they are with programs such as federal food aid and Medicaid.

Oregon denies county request for homeless funding, ICE raids continue in Lane County, and more 

Homeless cuts: Lane County will have 60 fewer beds in homeless shelters after the Oregon Housing and Community Services agency declined the county’s request to ask state lawmakers for more funding to bridge a budget shortfall, county officials said. About 200 fewer beds will be available this winter at the Egan Warming Centers.

ICE raids: Lane County residents voiced their concerns Tuesday to county commissioners about the recent federal immigration raids in the region. The next day, ICE raids continued in Eugene and Springfield, advocates said. 

Health care costs: Correspondent Ashli Blow caught up with Bartley Armitage and Carla Zimmerman, a Eugene couple hit with rising health insurance costs. They testified Wednesday at a U.S. Senate Finance Committee hearing, sharing their story about how expiring tax credits will make their monthly premiums rise from $443 to $2,200. 

Oregon State Hospital: We also kept an eye on what Oregon State Hospital officials told a state legislative committee about efforts to improve patient care after the March 18 death of Kenneth Hass, a 25-year-old patient from Lane County. The hearing followed reporting by Lookout Eugene-Springfield that revealed systemic problems at the hospital. It’s too soon to say if any bills will emerge in the 2026 session to prevent future tragedies and increase accountability.

Lane Transit District: LTD is phasing out 30 electric buses, a quarter of its fleet, just six years after paying $30 million for them in 2019. Correspondent Michael Zhang reports that the buses, plagued with battery issues, were unreliable. 

— Ben Botkin

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Inside Eugene City hall with Grace chinowsky

City manager search: About 50 people have applied for the city manager job, including one internal candidate, according to city councilors. The council received a packet with the top 10 names on Friday and will pick up recruitment discussions during an executive session today.

White Bird’s lawsuit: The clinic that used to operate CAHOOTS in Eugene sued a former employee and the new nonprofit that wants to pick up the mantle and return crisis-response services to the city. Lookout Eugene-Springfield was first to report the news.

On the ballot: Two changes to Eugene’s city charter will go before voters in May 2026, and they might not generate much controversy: If approved, the amendments would remove the residency requirement for city department heads and eliminate the charter’s use of gendered pronouns.

Checking in on Springfield With lillian Schrock-Clevenger

Affordable townhomes: The Springfield City Council OK’d a proposal last week from nonprofit DevNW to build six two-story townhouses, each expected to sell for $230,000 through a community land-trust model. 

Library funding: After several community members spoke at the City Council meeting last week about their concerns with a potential $500,000 cut to library funding, Mayor Sean VanGordon and City Manager Nancy Newton explained any cuts would be explored in the budget process in the spring.

Capital improvement: This week, the council will review and discuss a draft list of projects for the city’s Capital Improvement Plan. The city earlier this year asked for community input on improvements to public infrastructure.

beyond lane county

In Salem, state lawmakers gathered last week for hearings and updates on issues, from Flock cameras to the economy. State Economist Carl Riccadonna gave lawmakers an overview of the state’s economic shape and outlook, which includes a rising 5% statewide unemployment rate, slowing population growth and sluggish economy, the Oregon Capital Chronicle reported.

Eugene Police Chief Chris Skinner and opponents of the license-plate reader technology that the city started — then halted — through Atlanta-based company Flock Safety briefed a Senate panel about the issue, Oregon Capital Chronicle reported. State Sen. Floyd Prozanski, D-Eugene and chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, expects to see a bill in the 2026 session to address concerns centered around privacy and who can access the data. 

The Oregon Journalism Project reported a developer is no longer working on a riverfront development project that would have brought housing to Eugene following a determination by the Oregon Bureau of Labor & Industries that the project must pay workers prevailing wages.

Oregon Journalism Project also gave us a story about PacifiCorp’s agreement to pay $150 million to about 1,400 Oregonians impacted by the 2020 Labor Day fires.

Public Meetings this week

As we know, Thanksgiving is approaching on Thursday. So we have one more reason to be thankful — fewer government meetings.

Monday: 

  • This meeting isn’t open to the public, but you should know about it anyway: The Eugene City Council will hold an executive session at 5:30 p.m. to review recruiters’ recommendations for city manager candidates.
    • At 7:30 p.m., the Eugene City Council will meet for its regular meeting, where it will vote on discontinuing the low-income rental housing property tax exemption for Reveille on Sixth Avenue, among other things. 

  • The Springfield City Council will have a work session at 5:30 p.m. to interview applicants for various city committees, among other discussions.

  • The Springfield Economic Development Agency will hold an executive session at 7:30 p.m.

Tuesday: Lane County commissioners are not having their usual meeting.

Do you have story ideas or tips? Send them our way: ben@lookoutlocal.com | grace@lookoutlocal.com | lilliansc@lookoutlocal.com

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Ben Botkin covers politics and policy in Lane County. He has worked as a journalist since 2003, most recently at the Oregon Capital Chronicle, where he covered justice, health and human services and documented regional efforts to combat fentanyl addiction. Botkin has worked in statehouses in Idaho, Nevada, Oklahoma and, of course, Oregon. When he's not working, you'll find him road tripping across the West, hiking or surfing along the Oregon Coast.

Grace Chinowsky graduated from The George Washington University with a degree in journalism. She served as editor-in-chief of the university’s independent student newspaper, The GW Hatchet, and interned at CNN and MSNBC. Grace covers Eugene’s city government and the University of Oregon.