A Trammart News editorial on those who worked for financial transparency in the city
By Anne Scheck
EDITORIAL
I can pinpoint with precision the moment I saw a hero surface at city hall. Her name was Kamala Austin, and she had come to convey the results of an external municipal audit.
It was 2017, about a year after I started attending city council meetings. Word had gotten around that I was a retired journalist; I was prevailed upon by a few neighbors to send brief email reports – some residents were worried about city spending.
It didn’t take much time for me to share their sentiment.
MINET, the city’s co-owned municipal fiberoptic company, needed loans to make its bond payments – the company hadn’t yet come close to profitability.
If I recall correctly, none of the city councilors said much when they voted yes to allocate that money. It all seemed as routine as winter rainfall. And about as common.
By the time Municipal Auditor Kamala Austin arrived, I’d gotten accustomed to the outward flow of cash, a flow that seemed to suggest – at least to me – that the city had plentiful
revenue streams.
However, Austin told city councilors that the rising debt worried her – not at that time, which she deemed “okay” – but what about a few years down the road? She issued a note of concern. It seemed dismissed by Mayor John McArdle, and the councilors appeared to regard her commentary the same way, thanking her for her report and moving on to other council business.
I followed her out of the council chambers, into the foyer. I stopped her with a question: Could the MINET debt be considered at risk of not being repaid? I remember how reluctantly she answered, while affirming that I wasn’t wrong to see that possibility. It seemed a very hard moment for Austin. That’s why she and others like her deserve to be highlighted in this editorial.
In 2023, a new accounting firm was responsible for the outside audit. There, printed on one of the pages of their audit report, was a listing of about $4 million in a “doubtful account.” It was MINET’s debt to the city.
I thought of Kamala Austin, and of a special kind of heroism.
A similar act was demonstrated again this past December, when City Councilor Sarah Jobe wanted an explanation for a resolution that classified nearly $3.9 million as a new loan – a loan from years ago, a loan of unknown origin that seemed to be a transfer between city funds and needs to be paid back.
Almost $4 million seems like a lot of money to be called a “housekeeping” item, doesn’t it? But that is just the way City Manager Kenna West characterized it, after Jobe asked about the sum. West further commented that it could be a waste of overworked city staff time to track down exactly how the $4 million was used.
Though City Councilor Dawn Roden joined Jobe in voting against the resolution, the current city council looked a lot like the one I viewed when I started. There wasn’t much hesitation voting yes with certainty – for a dollar amount that appeared steeped in uncertainty.
No one can seem to find the way that nearly $3.9 million was spent. I’ve filed three different public records requests, and I have gotten one fact back – that there isn’t any documentation to be found, even in the meeting minutes – just the term “capital projects."
I brazenly told our city recorder that I will be the one to find it.
It is important to do so in a time when a $20 monthly fee for public safety will be assessed to households in town, and residents are being asked to approve a levy for keeping doors open at the new museum, library and parks – a tax increase that will add hundreds of dollars to many property-tax bills.
I have a couple of theories about where the money was spent, even if the city cannot come up with the cause – I have kept track of tax dollars all these years as best I can. Those millions may have gone to the riverfront project, likely to the Independence Civic Center, which was listed for a loan cost of $10.8 million on the last debt analysis. I had it as being $2 million higher. Of course, I could be wrong. Time will tell.
Shortly after Jobe’s questions weren’t answered, I contacted the Oregon Secretary of State Office via a special hotline on suspected waste. I wanted to ask if my over-reliance on the city recorder, Karin Johnson, might constitute unjustified use of taxpayer money – the last thing I ever want to do is to run up tax-paid time. I’ve had to do this because officials at city hall refuse to speak with me. The response from the Secretary of State Office included a suggestion: Take the issue to the city manager and city council.
I’ve tried – directly with city officials and publicly at city council meetings. I have been unable to use the city’s communication director, who ignores my press requests for information. It has made me dependent on those public records requests in lieu of simple news inquiries. I myself, as Trammart News have subsequently been the subject of a public records request for my Secretary of State hotline inquiry – a little heat I don't mind taking for staying in the hot kitchen of local government news coverage.
Sooner or later, I will find out the way that $3.9 million was spent.
In the meantime, I have pestered City Recorder Johnson, for information that she cannot find, during a period in which she is frantically busy getting ready for election season. She’s a hero, too – always treating me in a kindly, professional way, always ready to dig, always ready to meet the hassle factors head on.
And numerous hassle factors loom ahead, as the city faces a severe financial shortfall and residents struggle to understand a situation that seems to defy understanding.
Recently, I discovered Jobe isn’t seeking re-election. Who next will ask the discomforting question that needs asking, such as the background of the $3.9 million, after she leaves the council? Who will answer my public records requests as the communications director ignores my press inquiries, after Johnson retires in December?
Because I will still be there, sitting in a backrow chair at city council meetings and council work sessions, a reporter who, every once in a while, gets to witness an act of civic heroism. It may be a warning that is brushed off or a question deserving of an answer that proves elusive. But it is heroism, at least to me. ▪
By Anne Scheck
EDITORIAL
I can pinpoint with precision the moment I saw a hero surface at city hall. Her name was Kamala Austin, and she had come to convey the results of an external municipal audit.
It was 2017, about a year after I started attending city council meetings. Word had gotten around that I was a retired journalist; I was prevailed upon by a few neighbors to send brief email reports – some residents were worried about city spending.
It didn’t take much time for me to share their sentiment.
MINET, the city’s co-owned municipal fiberoptic company, needed loans to make its bond payments – the company hadn’t yet come close to profitability.
If I recall correctly, none of the city councilors said much when they voted yes to allocate that money. It all seemed as routine as winter rainfall. And about as common.
By the time Municipal Auditor Kamala Austin arrived, I’d gotten accustomed to the outward flow of cash, a flow that seemed to suggest – at least to me – that the city had plentiful
revenue streams.
However, Austin told city councilors that the rising debt worried her – not at that time, which she deemed “okay” – but what about a few years down the road? She issued a note of concern. It seemed dismissed by Mayor John McArdle, and the councilors appeared to regard her commentary the same way, thanking her for her report and moving on to other council business.
I followed her out of the council chambers, into the foyer. I stopped her with a question: Could the MINET debt be considered at risk of not being repaid? I remember how reluctantly she answered, while affirming that I wasn’t wrong to see that possibility. It seemed a very hard moment for Austin. That’s why she and others like her deserve to be highlighted in this editorial.
In 2023, a new accounting firm was responsible for the outside audit. There, printed on one of the pages of their audit report, was a listing of about $4 million in a “doubtful account.” It was MINET’s debt to the city.
I thought of Kamala Austin, and of a special kind of heroism.
A similar act was demonstrated again this past December, when City Councilor Sarah Jobe wanted an explanation for a resolution that classified nearly $3.9 million as a new loan – a loan from years ago, a loan of unknown origin that seemed to be a transfer between city funds and needs to be paid back.
Almost $4 million seems like a lot of money to be called a “housekeeping” item, doesn’t it? But that is just the way City Manager Kenna West characterized it, after Jobe asked about the sum. West further commented that it could be a waste of overworked city staff time to track down exactly how the $4 million was used.
Though City Councilor Dawn Roden joined Jobe in voting against the resolution, the current city council looked a lot like the one I viewed when I started. There wasn’t much hesitation voting yes with certainty – for a dollar amount that appeared steeped in uncertainty.
No one can seem to find the way that nearly $3.9 million was spent. I’ve filed three different public records requests, and I have gotten one fact back – that there isn’t any documentation to be found, even in the meeting minutes – just the term “capital projects."
I brazenly told our city recorder that I will be the one to find it.
It is important to do so in a time when a $20 monthly fee for public safety will be assessed to households in town, and residents are being asked to approve a levy for keeping doors open at the new museum, library and parks – a tax increase that will add hundreds of dollars to many property-tax bills.
I have a couple of theories about where the money was spent, even if the city cannot come up with the cause – I have kept track of tax dollars all these years as best I can. Those millions may have gone to the riverfront project, likely to the Independence Civic Center, which was listed for a loan cost of $10.8 million on the last debt analysis. I had it as being $2 million higher. Of course, I could be wrong. Time will tell.
Shortly after Jobe’s questions weren’t answered, I contacted the Oregon Secretary of State Office via a special hotline on suspected waste. I wanted to ask if my over-reliance on the city recorder, Karin Johnson, might constitute unjustified use of taxpayer money – the last thing I ever want to do is to run up tax-paid time. I’ve had to do this because officials at city hall refuse to speak with me. The response from the Secretary of State Office included a suggestion: Take the issue to the city manager and city council.
I’ve tried – directly with city officials and publicly at city council meetings. I have been unable to use the city’s communication director, who ignores my press requests for information. It has made me dependent on those public records requests in lieu of simple news inquiries. I myself, as Trammart News have subsequently been the subject of a public records request for my Secretary of State hotline inquiry – a little heat I don't mind taking for staying in the hot kitchen of local government news coverage.
Sooner or later, I will find out the way that $3.9 million was spent.
In the meantime, I have pestered City Recorder Johnson, for information that she cannot find, during a period in which she is frantically busy getting ready for election season. She’s a hero, too – always treating me in a kindly, professional way, always ready to dig, always ready to meet the hassle factors head on.
And numerous hassle factors loom ahead, as the city faces a severe financial shortfall and residents struggle to understand a situation that seems to defy understanding.
Recently, I discovered Jobe isn’t seeking re-election. Who next will ask the discomforting question that needs asking, such as the background of the $3.9 million, after she leaves the council? Who will answer my public records requests as the communications director ignores my press inquiries, after Johnson retires in December?
Because I will still be there, sitting in a backrow chair at city council meetings and council work sessions, a reporter who, every once in a while, gets to witness an act of civic heroism. It may be a warning that is brushed off or a question deserving of an answer that proves elusive. But it is heroism, at least to me. ▪
Leaky water pipes in city's distribution system a issue the city will need to address
By Anne Scheck
Independence is taking big steps to provide more water – building a new well and clinching an extension to rights for harvesting water from the Willamette River. But beneath the streets and homes in the city, a relatively high percentage of water loss occurs on a daily basis due to leaking pipes.
That is the finding in a report that was included in the Water Management Conservation Plan, which was approved by the Independence City Council at its meeting earlier this month.
The city keeps losing water underground, according to measurements that show the difference between the volume of water pumped at the city’s wells and metered public consumption. The last data collected, in 2021, shows a water loss of 17.6%, according to the report.
Because it exceeds 10%, the city is required to analyze and identify potential factors involved in the loss, under Oregon Administrative Rules. If those actions don’t reduce the water loss to 10% or less within five years from the date of approval of the recently adopted Water Conservation Master Plan, the city is required to undertake a “regularly scheduled and systematic program” of leak detection, repair and prevention.
Inquiries about the underground water loss to the city’s communication director, Emmanuel Goicochea, have gone unanswered. However, in a 2022 legislative report on water use, the state labeled as “critical” finding solutions to address water shortages, including data on how it happens.
At the city council meeting, Public Works Director Gerald Fisher confirmed for city councilors new construction for Polk Well #4. “We’re building that well,” he said. Also, other work is aimed at improving the distribution system, including leak prevention. The nearly 18% loss is actually 2-3% less than it was in several previous years, according to the report.
Occasionally, leaks have meant a “boil water” alert for some city residents. About the time the report was issued, for example, two homes on Corvallis Road were advised to sterilize water by heating it – the result of a leak detected on a two-inch waterline. ▪
By Anne Scheck
Independence is taking big steps to provide more water – building a new well and clinching an extension to rights for harvesting water from the Willamette River. But beneath the streets and homes in the city, a relatively high percentage of water loss occurs on a daily basis due to leaking pipes.
That is the finding in a report that was included in the Water Management Conservation Plan, which was approved by the Independence City Council at its meeting earlier this month.
The city keeps losing water underground, according to measurements that show the difference between the volume of water pumped at the city’s wells and metered public consumption. The last data collected, in 2021, shows a water loss of 17.6%, according to the report.
Because it exceeds 10%, the city is required to analyze and identify potential factors involved in the loss, under Oregon Administrative Rules. If those actions don’t reduce the water loss to 10% or less within five years from the date of approval of the recently adopted Water Conservation Master Plan, the city is required to undertake a “regularly scheduled and systematic program” of leak detection, repair and prevention.
Inquiries about the underground water loss to the city’s communication director, Emmanuel Goicochea, have gone unanswered. However, in a 2022 legislative report on water use, the state labeled as “critical” finding solutions to address water shortages, including data on how it happens.
At the city council meeting, Public Works Director Gerald Fisher confirmed for city councilors new construction for Polk Well #4. “We’re building that well,” he said. Also, other work is aimed at improving the distribution system, including leak prevention. The nearly 18% loss is actually 2-3% less than it was in several previous years, according to the report.
Occasionally, leaks have meant a “boil water” alert for some city residents. About the time the report was issued, for example, two homes on Corvallis Road were advised to sterilize water by heating it – the result of a leak detected on a two-inch waterline. ▪
Tribute bands pack them in at Riverview Park Friday concert series
By Lance Masterson
For Trammart News Service
Brian Link wasn’t surprised, but he was delighted by the turnout.
Link is bassist for Taken by the Sky (TBS), the Fleetwood Mac tribute band that was the only act in this year’s River’s Edge Summer Series that performed here last year.
“Independence has one of the biggest and most enthusiastic crowds that we see all year,” Link said. “Last year we were completely blown away by all the excitement and energy coming back at us. I can’t believe that this year was even better.”
It’s not known how many TBS fans were on hand in 2023. That uncertainty doesn’t exist in 2024. TBS drew some 2,000 fans, making it this summer’s number one draw. Quite an honor when one considers the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame-inspired talent that took to the stage at Riverview Park.
That lineup also included Whiskey River (Lynyrd Skynyrd), Hysteria (Def Leppard) and Best of Both Worlds (Van Halen). Each of these three acts drew at least 1,500 fans to their shows.
This summer marked the first time the city charged $5 admission to the shows. What wasn’t known was how a mandated charge would affect attendance.
However, the tribute bands, as they often are called, packed them in. The large crowds didn’t surprise residents who were asked why musical groups with hits from decades ago proved to be such a big draw. From a 20-year-old college student to a retiree who identified himself as “an old baby boomer,” the popularity was attributed to great sounds by great artists whose songs are as enjoyable today as they were in an earlier era. “People really like good, classic rock music,” explained Ethan Wilson, a music instructor at Western Oregon University.
“With this being the first time we’ve actually had an admission charge, we’ve been very happy with the amount of people that have come up. So far, it’s all been good,” said Emmanuel Goicochea, communication director for the City of Independence. “We were a little anxious to see what the numbers would be like compared to other years. But we’re happy to see that it’s been similar sized crowds.”
For at least one summer, it appears fans believed a night of entertainment was worth the price of admission.
“With the crowds being similar sized to previous years, it showcases that we’re putting on a show that people are seeing has value to it. Right. And the value is beyond $5. It’s beyond any simple admission charge. So we’re very happy,” he added. “It’s not just a concert. It’s an Independence experience.”
He added this experience includes the park setting and relaxed atmosphere, vendors selling their goods inside the fenced area and other businesses in the downtown area.
Revenue generated by the concerts is used to help fund tourism-related events, Goicochea said.
“In theory, the $5 will then help keep the concert series self-sustaining. Rather than needing to take money from the General Fund, or wherever else,” he added.
The Brew Coffee & Tap House is right across the street from Riverview Park. It played its part in creating the “Independence experience” Goicochea described.
Maddie Lehrer worked the night Best of Both Worlds - the Van Halen tribute - performed. The two-year employee said their line, at times, extended beyond their front door and onto the sidewalk.
“It was awesome. It wasn’t as busy as Fourth of July night. Fourth of July is always the busiest time of the year. But it was up there,” said the two-year employee. “I was honestly surprised at how busy it was for Van Halen.”
Lines formed with Brew Coffee fully staffed and running two registers.
“Nothing too unmanageable. It was great,” Lehrer said.
Concert nights are busier than the Heritage Hop Festival and other special events that dot the calendar, she added.
A few doors from Brew Coffee, Shane Blackwell, and his Ice Age Candy Company, also benefited from the concert series. Just not as much.
“I do see a bit of an uptake. Probably around 3 or 4 in the afternoon, I started seeing a few more people coming in,” Blackwell said of recent Fridays. “It stays pretty consistent until about 7:30 or 8 o’clock, and then it drops off.”
It’s easy to spot the concert goers.
“I start seeing people coming across the front of the shop with folding chairs and stuff like that. I would say as early as 3, maybe even earlier. They’re clearly heading to the concert area, and I do see a bump in business,” he said. “But after a certain point it tapers off.”
Blackwell usually shuts down around 8 p.m., so he doesn’t know if he’s missing any post-concert surge. He has an early start the next day as he’s a vendor at the Saturday market in Salem, and there’s loading and unloading to do.
The Tap Station adjoins the northwest corner of the park. It’s outside the fenced-in area, so outside the charged admission zone. It has a large patio that seats 100 people and overlooks the concert stage. It’s a great venue to watch the concerts for free. Beer and food are available. Despite these pluses, business on concert nights is half of what it was last summer, said employee Jack Blevins.
“Concert nights generally bring us more business than usual. But this year has not been as good as last year because they started charging people $5. Last year was by donation,” said Blevins. “But the concerts still help our business.”
Blevins added the City also increased admission to the Fourth of July fireworks show, and these charges accumulate and make a difference.
“(The City) started charging for the concerts, which used to be free. Then you increase what it costs to get into the fireworks show, from $5 to $10,” he said. “Five dollars isn’t a huge deal in the big picture of things. Unless you’re a family. Maybe you’re a mom and dad with five kids. So now it’s costing you $70 to go to a fireworks show that you used to be able to get in for $35. Given the state of the economy, I think it’s taking a toll.”
That said, Blevins remains a fan of the series. “The concerts are a good thing and I’m glad they’re here,” he said.
The La Super Sonora Dinamata concert was held after the story's deadline. No admission fee was charged to this concert, though donations were accepted.▪
By Lance Masterson
For Trammart News Service
Brian Link wasn’t surprised, but he was delighted by the turnout.
Link is bassist for Taken by the Sky (TBS), the Fleetwood Mac tribute band that was the only act in this year’s River’s Edge Summer Series that performed here last year.
“Independence has one of the biggest and most enthusiastic crowds that we see all year,” Link said. “Last year we were completely blown away by all the excitement and energy coming back at us. I can’t believe that this year was even better.”
It’s not known how many TBS fans were on hand in 2023. That uncertainty doesn’t exist in 2024. TBS drew some 2,000 fans, making it this summer’s number one draw. Quite an honor when one considers the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame-inspired talent that took to the stage at Riverview Park.
That lineup also included Whiskey River (Lynyrd Skynyrd), Hysteria (Def Leppard) and Best of Both Worlds (Van Halen). Each of these three acts drew at least 1,500 fans to their shows.
This summer marked the first time the city charged $5 admission to the shows. What wasn’t known was how a mandated charge would affect attendance.
However, the tribute bands, as they often are called, packed them in. The large crowds didn’t surprise residents who were asked why musical groups with hits from decades ago proved to be such a big draw. From a 20-year-old college student to a retiree who identified himself as “an old baby boomer,” the popularity was attributed to great sounds by great artists whose songs are as enjoyable today as they were in an earlier era. “People really like good, classic rock music,” explained Ethan Wilson, a music instructor at Western Oregon University.
“With this being the first time we’ve actually had an admission charge, we’ve been very happy with the amount of people that have come up. So far, it’s all been good,” said Emmanuel Goicochea, communication director for the City of Independence. “We were a little anxious to see what the numbers would be like compared to other years. But we’re happy to see that it’s been similar sized crowds.”
For at least one summer, it appears fans believed a night of entertainment was worth the price of admission.
“With the crowds being similar sized to previous years, it showcases that we’re putting on a show that people are seeing has value to it. Right. And the value is beyond $5. It’s beyond any simple admission charge. So we’re very happy,” he added. “It’s not just a concert. It’s an Independence experience.”
He added this experience includes the park setting and relaxed atmosphere, vendors selling their goods inside the fenced area and other businesses in the downtown area.
Revenue generated by the concerts is used to help fund tourism-related events, Goicochea said.
“In theory, the $5 will then help keep the concert series self-sustaining. Rather than needing to take money from the General Fund, or wherever else,” he added.
The Brew Coffee & Tap House is right across the street from Riverview Park. It played its part in creating the “Independence experience” Goicochea described.
Maddie Lehrer worked the night Best of Both Worlds - the Van Halen tribute - performed. The two-year employee said their line, at times, extended beyond their front door and onto the sidewalk.
“It was awesome. It wasn’t as busy as Fourth of July night. Fourth of July is always the busiest time of the year. But it was up there,” said the two-year employee. “I was honestly surprised at how busy it was for Van Halen.”
Lines formed with Brew Coffee fully staffed and running two registers.
“Nothing too unmanageable. It was great,” Lehrer said.
Concert nights are busier than the Heritage Hop Festival and other special events that dot the calendar, she added.
A few doors from Brew Coffee, Shane Blackwell, and his Ice Age Candy Company, also benefited from the concert series. Just not as much.
“I do see a bit of an uptake. Probably around 3 or 4 in the afternoon, I started seeing a few more people coming in,” Blackwell said of recent Fridays. “It stays pretty consistent until about 7:30 or 8 o’clock, and then it drops off.”
It’s easy to spot the concert goers.
“I start seeing people coming across the front of the shop with folding chairs and stuff like that. I would say as early as 3, maybe even earlier. They’re clearly heading to the concert area, and I do see a bump in business,” he said. “But after a certain point it tapers off.”
Blackwell usually shuts down around 8 p.m., so he doesn’t know if he’s missing any post-concert surge. He has an early start the next day as he’s a vendor at the Saturday market in Salem, and there’s loading and unloading to do.
The Tap Station adjoins the northwest corner of the park. It’s outside the fenced-in area, so outside the charged admission zone. It has a large patio that seats 100 people and overlooks the concert stage. It’s a great venue to watch the concerts for free. Beer and food are available. Despite these pluses, business on concert nights is half of what it was last summer, said employee Jack Blevins.
“Concert nights generally bring us more business than usual. But this year has not been as good as last year because they started charging people $5. Last year was by donation,” said Blevins. “But the concerts still help our business.”
Blevins added the City also increased admission to the Fourth of July fireworks show, and these charges accumulate and make a difference.
“(The City) started charging for the concerts, which used to be free. Then you increase what it costs to get into the fireworks show, from $5 to $10,” he said. “Five dollars isn’t a huge deal in the big picture of things. Unless you’re a family. Maybe you’re a mom and dad with five kids. So now it’s costing you $70 to go to a fireworks show that you used to be able to get in for $35. Given the state of the economy, I think it’s taking a toll.”
That said, Blevins remains a fan of the series. “The concerts are a good thing and I’m glad they’re here,” he said.
The La Super Sonora Dinamata concert was held after the story's deadline. No admission fee was charged to this concert, though donations were accepted.▪
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