October 9, 2023 3:40 a.m.

The Roseburg City Council will consider the city manager’s report of emergency action and a related contract award at its meeting Monday night at 7:00 p.m.

City Manager Nikki Messenger recently awarded a contract for consultant services for the annexation of Sunshine Park into the city limits under what she determined to be emergency circumstances. The council will hear her report on the situation and decide whether to accept the contract award or asked that it be canceled.

In November of 2021, the city was notified that it had received a grant for nearly $149,000 to construct mountain bike trails in the park. This project had been identified in the Parks Master Plan and had been envisioned since the parks original purchase and construction in the early 2000s. Messenger’s report said not all the park’s property is located within the city limits and Urban Growth Boundary, and a significant portion of the trail system would fall outside the city limits. County Commissioners have overturned a County Planning Commission decision to allow a conditional use permit for the project. Given the uncertainly of gaining county approval at some point in the future, and the potential for losing the grant funding due to the inability to move forward, staff requested a scope and fee from 3J Consultants to perform the work necessary to annex the land into the city. The fee estimate is $34,980. Staff is proposing that ARPA funds be used to cover the cost. After consultation with the city attorney, Messenger awarded the contract given the situation. Normally a Request for Proposals process would have been undertaken to award a grant, but Messenger noted that would have taken several weeks.

Councilors will also consider allowing the city manager to negotiate and execute a donation agreement accepting $150,000 from a local couple for the Brown Park expansion project. This includes purchasing property adjacent to the park on West Francis Street. Expansion of the park was identified in the 2008 Parks Master Plan.

Roseburg Public Library Director Kris Wiley will share information from the 2023 Oregon Public Library Statistical Report regarding the use of the library by the public.

Other items are on the agenda as well.

The meeting will be held in the City Council Chambers. It can be seen on the city’s Facebook page and viewed later at: www.cityofroseburg.org.