CJ mayor proud of first year successes
From our weekly issue dated December 30, 2009
Cave Junction Mayor Don Moore (I.V. News file photo)
Cave Junction Mayor Don Moore said that he’s proud of what the city accomplished during 2009, and that he looks forward to his second year in office.
When Moore took office in January, he set out to pass an ordinance banning public alcohol consumption within city limits. It wasn’t easy, as the city had received multiple legal opinions questioning its ability to do so.
But despite the seeming setbacks, Moore and the city council persisted and passed the ordinance.
“We didn’t take ‘No’ for an answer,” he said. “We moved on to the state, got a state hearing on it and came out the victors on that. It has made a difference in the city.”
Other accomplishments for the city during 2009 included repairing the tennis courts, walkways and skateboard ramps at Jubilee Park; and purchasing a piece of property to better control discharge from its sewer and water plants, Moore said.
Also passed by the council was an Advance Financing District (AFD) for improvements near Schumacher Street. That process was lengthy and contentious, but Moore said that Cave Junction City Hall has become a model of civility, in stark contrast to the controversies that enveloped the city of Grants Pass throughout the past 12 months.
“We all understand the challenges we’re facing here,” Moore said. “We work together as a team to work those problems out.”
Moore praised the efforts of George Gasperson, who serves as the city’s contract deputy through the Josephine County Sheriff’s Office (JCSO).
“He’s been a gift to the city of Cave Junction,” Moore said. “He’s made a difference here.”
JCSO is set to increase its patrols from 12 to 20 hours per day early next year, Moore said, which will only serve to bolster law enforcement in Illinois Valley.
The much-delayed Kerby Water District project began last November, much to Moore’s delight.
“I think it’s a boon for the Illinois Valley, the Kerby area and Cave Junction,” he stated.
For 2010, Moore said the installation of traffic signals at Hwy. 199 and River Street is a top priority, plus trying to obtain state and federal funds to transform the municipal pool into a “sprinkler park” including water features for outdoor recreation.
Advertisement:
The city also will begin union negotiations with its employees, and amendments will likely will be made to its AFD and Local Improvement District (LID) ordinances.
Moore said that he would like to see AFDs made no longer available to developers; and LIDs limited to municipal use only.
“It’s patently unfair to the buyer of a lot when a developer offers a price on a lot of $80,000 but it’s $85,000 because they have AFDs and LIDs against them,” Moore said. “At best, it’s convoluted and patently unfair to the public. It’s our fiduciary duty to amend these ordinances because they are unfair.”
Councilors also will examine a possible social gaming ordinance. Moore said there are some reservations about approval.
“The biggest problem is that we don’t have enough law enforcement here,” he said. “Cities that do have gaming have their own police departments and some sort of control over it.”
Earlier this year, councilors were approached about enabling citizens to own chickens within city limits. Moore said the city “might revisit it next year.”
“I’m sure it’s going to be on very large parcels of land and nothing that would really impact the city, per se,” Moore said. “We’re looking at maybe an acre or more being able to have some chickens on it. On smaller lots, it just doesn’t work out. It goes back again to having a big enough staff to be able to monitor this.”
Overall, Moore said, 2009 was a good year for the city of Cave Junction.
“We moved forward,” he said. “I think we should be proud of our achievements.”
Advertisement:
