City Manager Tom Pessemier Takes Center Stage
Question & Answer Session With the Man Now Helming Independence
By Anne Scheck
Tom Pessemier, the city manager for Independence, has a dual background in engineering and economics. He was chosen from a relatively wide field of applicants presented to the city council after a Portland-based search firm had culled them down to a handful of prospective city managers.
He was selected after a day-long session of deliberations by the councilors, as they consumed copious amounts of coffee and tea, conducted interviews with all final candidates, and then evaluated them over several hours.
Mr. Pessemier, a father of four, was tapped by the council to lead the city. But he was a popular choice by the public, too, according to interviews with those who attended an open house for the candidates prior to his selection. He steps into the role as city manager as Independence faces some old challenges, such as infrastructure needs, and a new budget, which now shows a debt of about $37 million.
What follows is an interview with City Manager Pessemier. No question put to him was declined. Questions by The Independent are in italics, Mr. Pessemier’s answers appear in regular text.
-- In your role as city manager, what is your top priority?
Right now my priority is the budget. It is what we've been working on, so that is what has been on my mind.
-- What is your impression of your new workplace so far?
I think the staff is doing a good job and everyone cares about this community
-- You got a nice, clean bill of health from the auditor who reviewed the budget. She was very flattering about it at a recent city council meeting. But a budget is not the same as debt. The city seems to have a debt higher than many of its size in Oregon. How are you going to address that?
I am not really worried about the debt. It is spread out all over many different funds in the budget, and being managed. We will have to make thoughtful decisions in the future with utility rates in mind so we do not have increases that would impact residents.
-- Is there any one goal you have going forward?
I think it is important no matter what decisions get made or don't get made that we need to have the public engaged. If you look at cities who have public engagement, there is more support as a city grows. And there will be more development here. The city is growing but we need to manage that growth in a way that does not change the character of Independence.
-- Are there any cities you consider model examples?
Well, I worked in Sherwood and many of the cities in the Portland Metro area I think have done a lot of good things. But I also think that is true of Silverton and other cities in the Mid-Willamette Valley. Again, one piece of successful city development is public engagement.
-- What about Monmouth? Do you see a partnership there?
Scott McClure and I get along very well. The cities have a lot of shared interests.
-- After degrees in economics from OSU, and civil engineering from PSU, you ended up a community development director in Sherwood. How did that happen?
I worked in construction during summers to pay for school. I was skilled in AutoCAD (computer-assisted programming for drafting). Then I was an engineer for 15 years. I got a job with a company where I had a variety of work -- I had to understand policies, how they could affect a project. I learned a lot about planning, city government, policy. I got interested in things that led to this work, and all of that previous experience has been very helpful.
-- But what about your background in engineering?
Engineering is great because you can use engineering principles in much of what I do. I think metrics are important. It makes you evaluate things on a regular basis. With engineering, you have to meet milestones in building. This is helpful in all areas. I know Chief Mason is using metrics -- he probably uses a lot of them for the police department. And they're doing a good job and with metrics it is easy to measure their effectiveness.
-- Are there any special tools to help you navigate city management? It seems so multi-faceted.
An organization, ICMA (International City/County Management Association) has a lot of helpful information. They put out a huge manual of metrics for cities, which has lists of items to consider when developing a plan to measure how each department is doing. It's just something to consider -- maybe incorporate some of the recommended practices, depending on the situation. Cities are different so there isn't one way that works for everything. (See Downtown Dispatch for a look at infrastructure demands.)
-- You make a daily commute from Sherwood, where you have a home, what drew you to this Mid-Willamette city?
I love this town. Look at it -- the river, the downtown. There are towns I wouldn't have been interested in. But there is so much to admire here.
-- But our schools are relatively low-scoring, unlike Sherwood. Is there a way the city can help strengthen the education here?
The superintendent, Jennifer Kubista, is amazing, and great for our community. I met with her and plan on meeting with her regularly, and on our partnering with the school district. Cities do better when citizens are engaged, and I think the more parents you have who are engaged in their child's education, the better for the school. (See Insert, Bulletin Board)
-- I understand that several years ago you took up beekeeping, and that you have a couple of hives buzzing at your home in Sherwood. Is there anything beekeeping has in common with city management? Anything that applies to your job here?
The thing about beekeeping is everything you do has an impact. Every year is different. The weather is different, the conditions are different. You have to be adaptable with bees all the time, determining what they need to be healthy. Are things going well? It's complex. You have to be organized, and you have to keep learning.
-- So bees have taught you a few lessons you apply to your professional life. Is there a way to master that learning curve early on, without losing honey or hives?
When you work with bees, you have questions come up. And, because there is community involved in beekeeping, there are others who may have answers. So that is one thing. You have a group of people who can help. You have people you can talk to -- and that is a good for managing anything. Asking and learning from that.
Tom Pessemier, the city manager for Independence, has a dual background in engineering and economics. He was chosen from a relatively wide field of applicants presented to the city council after a Portland-based search firm had culled them down to a handful of prospective city managers.
He was selected after a day-long session of deliberations by the councilors, as they consumed copious amounts of coffee and tea, conducted interviews with all final candidates, and then evaluated them over several hours.
Mr. Pessemier, a father of four, was tapped by the council to lead the city. But he was a popular choice by the public, too, according to interviews with those who attended an open house for the candidates prior to his selection. He steps into the role as city manager as Independence faces some old challenges, such as infrastructure needs, and a new budget, which now shows a debt of about $37 million.
What follows is an interview with City Manager Pessemier. No question put to him was declined. Questions by The Independent are in italics, Mr. Pessemier’s answers appear in regular text.
-- In your role as city manager, what is your top priority?
Right now my priority is the budget. It is what we've been working on, so that is what has been on my mind.
-- What is your impression of your new workplace so far?
I think the staff is doing a good job and everyone cares about this community
-- You got a nice, clean bill of health from the auditor who reviewed the budget. She was very flattering about it at a recent city council meeting. But a budget is not the same as debt. The city seems to have a debt higher than many of its size in Oregon. How are you going to address that?
I am not really worried about the debt. It is spread out all over many different funds in the budget, and being managed. We will have to make thoughtful decisions in the future with utility rates in mind so we do not have increases that would impact residents.
-- Is there any one goal you have going forward?
I think it is important no matter what decisions get made or don't get made that we need to have the public engaged. If you look at cities who have public engagement, there is more support as a city grows. And there will be more development here. The city is growing but we need to manage that growth in a way that does not change the character of Independence.
-- Are there any cities you consider model examples?
Well, I worked in Sherwood and many of the cities in the Portland Metro area I think have done a lot of good things. But I also think that is true of Silverton and other cities in the Mid-Willamette Valley. Again, one piece of successful city development is public engagement.
-- What about Monmouth? Do you see a partnership there?
Scott McClure and I get along very well. The cities have a lot of shared interests.
-- After degrees in economics from OSU, and civil engineering from PSU, you ended up a community development director in Sherwood. How did that happen?
I worked in construction during summers to pay for school. I was skilled in AutoCAD (computer-assisted programming for drafting). Then I was an engineer for 15 years. I got a job with a company where I had a variety of work -- I had to understand policies, how they could affect a project. I learned a lot about planning, city government, policy. I got interested in things that led to this work, and all of that previous experience has been very helpful.
-- But what about your background in engineering?
Engineering is great because you can use engineering principles in much of what I do. I think metrics are important. It makes you evaluate things on a regular basis. With engineering, you have to meet milestones in building. This is helpful in all areas. I know Chief Mason is using metrics -- he probably uses a lot of them for the police department. And they're doing a good job and with metrics it is easy to measure their effectiveness.
-- Are there any special tools to help you navigate city management? It seems so multi-faceted.
An organization, ICMA (International City/County Management Association) has a lot of helpful information. They put out a huge manual of metrics for cities, which has lists of items to consider when developing a plan to measure how each department is doing. It's just something to consider -- maybe incorporate some of the recommended practices, depending on the situation. Cities are different so there isn't one way that works for everything. (See Downtown Dispatch for a look at infrastructure demands.)
-- You make a daily commute from Sherwood, where you have a home, what drew you to this Mid-Willamette city?
I love this town. Look at it -- the river, the downtown. There are towns I wouldn't have been interested in. But there is so much to admire here.
-- But our schools are relatively low-scoring, unlike Sherwood. Is there a way the city can help strengthen the education here?
The superintendent, Jennifer Kubista, is amazing, and great for our community. I met with her and plan on meeting with her regularly, and on our partnering with the school district. Cities do better when citizens are engaged, and I think the more parents you have who are engaged in their child's education, the better for the school. (See Insert, Bulletin Board)
-- I understand that several years ago you took up beekeeping, and that you have a couple of hives buzzing at your home in Sherwood. Is there anything beekeeping has in common with city management? Anything that applies to your job here?
The thing about beekeeping is everything you do has an impact. Every year is different. The weather is different, the conditions are different. You have to be adaptable with bees all the time, determining what they need to be healthy. Are things going well? It's complex. You have to be organized, and you have to keep learning.
-- So bees have taught you a few lessons you apply to your professional life. Is there a way to master that learning curve early on, without losing honey or hives?
When you work with bees, you have questions come up. And, because there is community involved in beekeeping, there are others who may have answers. So that is one thing. You have a group of people who can help. You have people you can talk to -- and that is a good for managing anything. Asking and learning from that.
The CIVICS LESSON: A 1st Amendment Facebook Face-Off
The First Amendment – at times one of the most misunderstood parts of the Bill of Rights – just got more confusing, if an example right here in Independence is a common occurrence. A few weeks ago, a group of civic-minded individuals met at the Independence Library to judge an oratorical contest on the constitution. The effort was headed by Billy Whisenant, of American Legion Post 33. His wife, Rhonda, served as timekeeper. Steve Russell, a member of the Post 33, served as a judge, as did City Councilor Marilyn Morton. Evan Sorce, chief of staff for Rep. Paul Evans, also helped officiate. A sophomore at Central High School won the right to continue on to higher competition. But a posting on Trammart News’ Facebook site was rejected by Facebook after a $20 payment was submitted to “boost” the reach of the announcement.
Under relatively new community standards, Facebook bans objectionable text in a paid “boost” – and that seems to extend to some ads with political or government content. Apparently, the local American Legion Post meets that criterion. So does an even more recent post on MINET, which explained the expansion of Independence’s municipal fiberoptic. In both cases, the message was rejected by Facebook in a short email: “Your ad isn't approved because it doesn't comply with our Advertising Policies.” In a brief article on this subject, Eric Goldman, a law professor and co-director of the High Tech Law Institute at Santa Clara University, has countered that Facebook engages in press activities and is entitled to free speech and First Amendment protection. However, under Facebook’s own rule known as 10a, Facebook may restrict ads related to politics and issues, and that can be interpreted as relating to any national legislative issue of public importance.
Under relatively new community standards, Facebook bans objectionable text in a paid “boost” – and that seems to extend to some ads with political or government content. Apparently, the local American Legion Post meets that criterion. So does an even more recent post on MINET, which explained the expansion of Independence’s municipal fiberoptic. In both cases, the message was rejected by Facebook in a short email: “Your ad isn't approved because it doesn't comply with our Advertising Policies.” In a brief article on this subject, Eric Goldman, a law professor and co-director of the High Tech Law Institute at Santa Clara University, has countered that Facebook engages in press activities and is entitled to free speech and First Amendment protection. However, under Facebook’s own rule known as 10a, Facebook may restrict ads related to politics and issues, and that can be interpreted as relating to any national legislative issue of public importance.
The INDY HOP: Songs and Drinks to Bring Out the Sun
A group of caffeine-appreciating (and champagne-imbibing) women who met at Jubilee in downtown Independence last month came up a list of drinks and songs to help beat the winter blues. This is serious stuff! Seasonal Affective Disorder is a Real Thing! Here are the results: Drink Red Bull while listening to "Here Comes The Sun." Hydrate with green tea while playing "I Can See Clearly Now The Rain Is Gone." Grab the mini-marshmallows and put them atop hot cocoa, and sip while singing "Let the Sun Shine In." And, of course, espresso is the drink of choice for enjoying the classic song "Walking on Sunshine."
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