City Council Vacancy Subcommittee Meeting Notes 06/09/22
This meeting is the big one, so I am putting in extra effort. Tonight, Council will be interviewing the 8 potential candidates for the 2 vacant seats, and may even decide who fills these positions. I went ahead and read through all of the applications yesterday and wrote you cute little summaries of all the people who are being interviewed. So who are our 8 contestants? Turns out they're all incredible. We've got a retired Air Force Colonel, an ex member of the Oregon House of Representatives, someone with a letter of recommendation from a District Attorney, a City Councilor who served on the body for 8 years, and more! Here's a link to my pre-interview hot take about who I think should get the crown if you're interested in my opinion.
Okay, so here is how this game works. Council has decided on 4 questions to ask each applicant, and emailed them ahead of time so they can be prepared. The councilors will take turns asking the questions. The initial questions for each applicant will be the same, but the councilors may ask any follow up question that they would like. Each interview should take around 20 minutes. After the interviews are completed, Council will discuss amongst themselves and potentially decide who fills the vacancies. If they don't come to a decision, there will be another special meeting on June 13th. Really hoping for a conclusion tonight, because I am burning out y'all.
Interview Questions:
Take a few minutes to tell us about yourself, your background and other key elements of your personal and professional life that have prepared and motivated you to apply for this position.
As a City Councilor you will be working with a range of people from diverse backgrounds and walks of life. They may have personal values that are very different to your own. Can you describe a time when you have encountered this and how you handled it?
Given that Council is already one year into a 2-year Work Plan (found here), please tell us how your strengths align with that plan, where they do not, and how would you work within the City system.
Typically, the Council meets on the 1st and 3rd Wednesday’s of each month from 5pm - 9pm, sometimes later and often a few subcommittee meetings and other committee liaison assignments. Do you foresee any conflicts with that schedule? Given this commitment, how will you maintain your resiliency in a very public role that is often managing through challenging and controversial issues?
These questions are too long to type and read 8 times, so I have shortened them to this:
Tell us about yourself and why you'd be a good councilor.
Do you work well with people different from you? Give me an example.
What do you think of our work plan? How can you help?
This job is a lot of work and also a lot of trauma. Can you handle it?
Interviews
And we're live. Kinda. The stream is live, but its muted and has no video. I haven't seen the stream fail this exact way before. How interesting. I really hope they haven't started the interviews yet. The first one is supposed to start right now. Oh here we go. Broadman had a flight delay so he has to listen in on his phone for the beginning of the meeting. We're starting immediately with Steve Platt.
Steve Platt
Steve (he/him) is a retired Air Force Colonel with experience managing over 200 personnel and over a billion dollars of assets. He is also a physics teacher at Redmond High School, and did volunteer work building net-zero housing with Habitat for Humanity in 2021.
Why am I interested in serving on City Council?
In 2017, my family and I chose Bend for our "forever home", following retirement from a 25-year career in the US Air Force. As a USAF officer, I commanded at many levels, worked on allied nation teams and served in conflict. We chose Bend for the lifestyle and a belief that we can contribute to our community. Currently, I teach physics at Redmond High School. I hope to bring my local teaching and international command experience to serve on the Bend City Council.
These technical difficulties remind Steve of trying to get students on stream during the pandemic.
Tell us about yourself and why you'd be a good councilor.
He's hoarse right now because this is the end of a long week of a long year as a high school teacher. Science is near and dear to him. His first career was in the air force for 25 years. He spent a lot of time in the Pentagon doing budgets. He is familiar with government work. He is also a parent that wants Bend to be as great a community as it can be. He thinks service is something that he has been doing his entire adult life, and he thinks of this as another opportunity to serve.
2. Do you work well with people different from you? Give me an example.
He served all over the world, South Korea, Asia, and the Middle East. When he was in Afghanistan, one of his jobs was trying to maintain consensus with multiple opposing factions (American, and Afghan). Also, he taught science during the pandemic, and had to navigate working with people with wildly varying views on that.
3. What do you think of our work plan? How can you help?
He really aligns in the environmental and climate goals of the council. He teaches climate in his classroom. That unit used to not be taught. A lot of the goals outlined in this plan match the States goals. He spent a lot of time in a resource constrained environment. He was in charge of a 500 million dollar budget. Large budgets are hard, detail oriented work. He is very good at aligning budgets and goals. He thinks he can be a lot of help with water and wildfire management. One of the last points in the goals is finding a dignified place for people to live that people can afford. He wants to help achieve that.
4. This job is a lot of work and also a lot of trauma. Can you handle it?
Steve is a school teacher that teaches during the day. The Council meetings happen outside of that time-frame. The audio cut out but he's still talking. He understands that making hard decisions may not always be popular, but it's the job of leadership to make those decisions. Bend is an incredible place to de-stress if he's had a rough day.
Steve recognizes that this is an odd seat to be sitting in right now. He can imagine that the person who ends up getting this seat may face additional criticism.
Councilor Kebler says that he said that we was interested in running in November? Is he still planning to run? He doesn't know.
He thanks the council for their time.
Brittany Brown
Brittany (she/her) is a newer resident of Bend with a work background in healthcare. She has a degree in healthcare management and is currently working on a Masters Degree in Public Health at Southern New Hampshire University. She joined the Bend-La Pine School District Equity Coalition in 2021, and is also a member of Bend's Human Rights and Equity Committee (HREC).
Why am I interested in serving on City Council?
Council members have an ability to effect change in the city in which they serve. If chosen as an appointee, I want to serve my city as a beacon of hope that the city we all love can be welcoming and inclusive of all as well as improve it so that not only current residents but future residents can have the access to all of our beautiful city. I am committed to helping make Bend the city we can all be proud of.
Tell us about yourself and why you'd be a good councilor.
Brittany moved here pre-covid from Vegas, which had a diverse population. She has a degree in healthcare management, and getting a master in public health. There is a lot of overlap between public health and public service. She wants to sit on council because she has noticed there is not much representation. She wants to be representation on the council for her community. Helping people has always been something she has always felt strongly about.
2. Do you work well with people different from you? Give me an example.
One of her favorite sayings is that Integrity is what you do when nobody is looking. In a previous job she had a coworker friend that was trying to pocket a donation. She reported it. She does not compromise her values when she is faced with a situation where someone else's values are in conflict.
3. What do you think of our work plan? How can you help?
Brittany has some notes. She connects with the council goal to reach out to less heard groups. She wants to make sure everyone is represented equally. She doesn't have a lot of experience in transportation, so those goals are not something she can contribute a lot to.
4. This job is a lot of work and also a lot of trauma. Can you handle it?
She doesn't foresee any issues in scheduling. She is on HREC so she is familiar with how long these meetings run and how late they go. She stands firm in her beliefs and is resilient. If you are unsure of your beliefs it is easy to bend to criticism, she feels that she can stand strong. She has experienced a lot of negativity in her life already and is still here.
Councilor Perkins wants to know how she would work in a bureaucracy. She says that she feels comfortable working those parameters. She views her role as setting stones that people who come after her can build on.
Brittany is interested in running in November. Why start the work and suddenly stop?
David Daniels
David (he/him) is a team leader at Bend Parks and Recreation Department (BPRD), where he as been working since September. He also works full time at Holistic Wellness as a Business Operations Manager. He has worked there since 2010. David wrote a very good cover letter. He is the candidate that mentioned housing the most in his application.
Why am I interested in serving on City Council?
I am a person who likes organizations to run efficiently, equitably and with transparency. As a resident of Bend, I am excited by every new roundabout, walkable street, and community garden. Generally, I believe we are better positioned than many communities to meet the challenges of a rapidly changing world. Polarization, high population growth, and issues related to affordable housing, health equity and education present an opportunity for us to fail or lead with considered solutions
Tell us about yourself and why you'd be a good councilor.
David is a father, husband, and government worker. He has a range of soft skills and is interested in the why and the how. He wants to be a part of the solution to Bend's many problems, particularly childcare. He is a father to a child with learning disabilities. He values Bend and wants to preserve what is great about it, and change what is not.
2. Do you work well with people different from you? Give me an example.
He grew up in Texas, and Alabama. He has lived in conservative and liberal cities. He has worked with a diverse spectrum of people. Whether it is healthcare, education, or childcare, it has always been his job to keep his personal biases and such outside of his work, and putting others first.
3. What do you think of our work plan? How can you help?
He is fully aligned with the spirit of the council's mission statement. It is an excellent guiding statement. He likes looking at problems and finding solutions. He believes that he can jump into the work plan and help out when needed. His hard skills of developing budgets and writing and editing can be directly applicable to certain goals. Housing, Climate, Health and Safety goals are of particular importance to him. He will work thoughtfully on houselessness and housing affordability and climate. He prioritizes safety and security. We need to prepare for the increased risk of wildfire. He is not a subject matter expert, when making decisions he will reach out to people who knows more about topics than he does. We need expand access to mental health professionals. He is a bike commuter that is passionate about walk-able communities.
4. This job is a lot of work and also a lot of trauma. Can you handle it?
His supervisor in BPRD is fully supportive of making sure he can make it to meetings. David is drawn to finding solutions to controversial issues. The nature of this vacancy appointment means that he can get right to work. He is open to running in November, but is not taking a position about that right now. Doing the job is much more appealing than running for the job.
David wants to know more about the committee assignments from a logistical/ time standpoint. Each councilor is a liaison to a variety of commissions. As a councilor you would need to fill some vacancies that were created when the other councilors left. The council will work to find committees that fit with your schedule.
Councilor Barb is humming a little jingle.
Judith Stiegler
Judy (she/her) has a doctorate in law. She began practicing law in Central Oregon in 1979 as one of the few women working in law here. She was in the Oregon House of Representatives from 2009 - 2011. She currently teaches political science at OSU Cascades and COCC.
Why am I interested in serving on City Council?
After having lived in Bend for nearly 44 years, and having served in a variety of public service positions, I believe that I would bring a unique depth of perspective and experience to the position which would serve the Council well in the interim period between now and when newly elected Councilors take office.
Council loves this lady.
Tell us about yourself and why you'd be a good councilor.
Judy is a public service junky. From the time her husband in she moved here in 1978 she has been involved in the community. She feels compelled to be a voice in the community. Her first time doing so was as a voice for a non-profit daycare center. Her career continued in public service from there. She has a variety of experience that is applicable to this role. She teaches political science at OSU and COCC. Its fun trying to upgrade the knowledge and attention of younger people, and teach them how things function and operate. She really enjoys teaching state and local government classes. On top of being elected to the house of representatives, she was also elected to the local school board. She had to resign because she was appointed to a juvenile judicial role. She has had such a variety of experience. When she thought about potentially applying, her husband did not believe that it would be temporary. She knows that she can hit the ground running on the council because of her background and experience. It would take her less time than others.
2. Do you work well with people different from you? Give me an example.
In her legal career, that happened all the time. One time she had a case where she had to represent a man accused of child abuse. Another colleague asked her how she could take that case. Its because under our system of law, everyone is entitled to representation. She doesn't like them, but that person had a right for someone to speak on his behalf. Another example was from her time in the legislature. She often held town halls. Often in those meetings there was a fellow who showed up every time who was very hostile. She responded to the person in a non-confrontational way every time. Lastly, she has two grandsons whose father was Palestinian. She reached out to an immigration attorney to get him legalized. She was really shocked when the attorney refused to work with him because he was Muslim.
3. What do you think of our work plan? How can you help?
Judy read the work plan. She is aligned with the Council's goals. This is a growing city that has seen a lot of changes. The goals are solid considering that we are a growing, diverse community. When she moved here the town only had 13k people, now there are 100k+. There are problems that have to be addressed. She may disagree with some aspect for some of the goals, but she is aligned on solving these problems. She doesn't have any major complaints or opposition to the overall plan or direction. If she disagrees with some element, she will not be afraid to voice it. She is happy to make her voice heard in a constructive way.
4. This job is a lot of work and also a lot of trauma. Can you handle it?
Judy has been having to stand with resiliency throughout her whole career. There wasn't a job she's done that didn't have this kind of public scrutiny or criticism. She is very aware of the challenges, and very able to handle it. Judy does not expect any conflicts with the schedule, except one week in August.
Judy wants to know the timeline for this decision. If Councilor Broadman flies in on time, they plan on making the decision tonight. Broadman is in Redmond and driving to City Hall now. GIDDY UP BROADMAN. HURRY.
Break time. I'm here to take notes and drink Pilsner, and I'm neither out of Pilsner nor notes.
Break is over and hello Councilor Broadman.
Jordan Elliott (Zoom)
Jordan (he/him) is the president of The Pacific Northwest Ski Areas Association. He has 20 years of experience in the Tourism and Ski Industry. He also volunteers with OSU's Center for the Outdoor Recreation Economy, and with The Wave NW, a regional environmental coalition.
Why am I interested in serving on City Council?
I believe that if a citizen is willing and capable of serving their community, should an occasion arise where service is needed, it is their responsibility to make themselves available and known. I am willing and capable. There is a community need. Hello, I’m Jordan Elliott. I graduated the Bend Chamber’s Leadership Bend program in 2014, where I learned a great deal about the inner workings of our community.
Jordan is calling in from his backyard.
Tell us about yourself and why you'd be a good councilor.
Jordan moved here in 2008 as a lift operations manager at Bachelor. He spent his summers in SE Alaska guiding people. In 2012 he became the Bachelor HR director. In 2018 he stepped in to the leadership role with the Ski Association. In the last couple years he had his first kid. Last year he had another. Since then he has worked remotely he has disengaged from his work. He has some catching up to do. He's felt in the last couple years that voting is the LEAST you can do in democracy. He wants to engage further. He's familiar with the workings of the City through Leadership Bend, so he thinks he can help.
2. Do you work well with people different from you? Give me an example.
At Bachelor he was used to being a public punching bag. He has thick skin. A lot of people come from all walks of life to work at Bachelor. Its really important to remain factual. Clearly establish your goals and methodically go after them. You need to step back and remove yourself from the emotions of the situation, yet remain empathetic.
3. What do you think of our work plan? How can you help?
He looked at the plan, but didn't really understand the color coding. There is a lot going on. He looked at the work planned for the current term. It looks like the city is working on Efficiency and Transportation and Implementing the Climate action plan. There is a bunch of things starting in the term going in to January. The equity lens and improving access is directly related to his sociology degree. He loves the Orchard District Neighborhood Association. Clean air stuff sounds like its just wildfire mitigation. His job is Regional efforts so he's interested in wildfire resiliency. Broadband utility access is really important. He has some learning to do about SDCs. Water Utility Investment stood out to him. He watched the last week's council meeting, he has some learning to do about homelessness. It's the one he is least read up on. He's also not really plugged into the policing issues. He'd want to get up to speed as quickly as he can.
4. This job is a lot of work and also a lot of trauma. Can you handle it?
He just looked at his calendar, he doesn't have any conflicts at this time. He has some stuff coming up, but he can work around it. He just stepped away from a very intense job. So long as he has a good work life balance, he can handle anything.
Jordan is not interested in running in November.
Mo Mitchell
Mo (they/she) is a licensed professional councilor that specializes in therapy services for LGBTQIA+, BIPOC, and persons in poverty. They serve as a member of HREC. Their intention to serve on the Council is to continue the valuable work of making equity a priority in our community as a framework for how our local government leads and makes decisions.
Why am I interested in serving on City Council?
I am interested in serving on City Council because I want to create lasting systemic change. I align with the Council’s current goals and the power of equity at the center of its framework. Without equity, we continue to oppress members of our society – consciously or not. I want to be a part of a system that has a voice that values all people and the planet. I’d like to help the City of Bend make equitable changes in its way of service delivery, system change, and perspective.
Mo is calling in from home.
Tell us about yourself and why you'd be a good councilor.
Mo identifies as queer. They have lived here since they were 23. They love the community here and is a mental health therapist professionally. They have a lot of experience working for the county in mental health. Being on HREC helped motivate their desire to apply for this position. They want to raise up the voice of equity in this community as a guiding principle. Their work motivates and helped them a lot as well. They've seen what happens when our systems fail people. They don't mind conflict. They've done a lot of crisis work. It doesn't scare them.
2. Do you work well with people different from you? Give me an example.
Mo encounters people with different life experiences all the time during work. It's happening less than it used to when they worked in a hospital setting. They were in an Ace Hardware recently on the Oregon Coast, and someone was like "I'm so sorry" about them living in Bend because of the politics here. It made them feel kind of threatened, to disarm the situation they used humor. It's important to listen to understand people to try and connect when there is difference. The exception to that is when there is threats of violence.
3. What do you think of our work plan? How can you help?
Mo can get behind all of the council's goals. They can see the intersectionality of all the goals. Council clearly wants to do a lot. Mo's strength is their ability to communicate and ask critical questions. Anyone who comes into this role will be able to bring in an outside perspective. Mo is comfortable saying things that are uncomfortable but true. Equity will be a lens that they will look at everything through. They would like to work within the system with integrity and as a teammate. Mo is a really good public speaker.
4. This job is a lot of work and also a lot of trauma. Can you handle it?
Mo is able to commit to all of the council meetings for the rest of the term. They spoke with their wife and have the support of their family. As a queer person, Mo experiences this kind of tension and criticism constantly. Dealing with that kind of thing is something they can handle.
Mo says that the Council has had a lot of change recently. What does the Council think the group needs from these new appointments. Mayor Goodman Campbell says that she likes what Mo said about speaking your mind. We lost that with Rita and we would love to have a voice like that back on Council.
Mo is not sure if they will run in November. They just turned 40 and have a lot going on. A big part of them has always wanted to contribute more to the community. HREC has been big for them on that. They realize how great a need there is, but November is super soon. Running in November would be a lot. Maybe they'll change their mind and decide to run later. If they do, they will be very transparent about it.
Locking in my preference for Mo to replace Rita. They're great.
Mark Capell
Mark Capell is a 4th generation bendite that was elected to be a Bend City Councilor in 2006, and served on the body for 8 years. During his time as a councilor, he served as the chair of BURA and MPO.
Why am I interested in serving on City Council?
I enjoyed the time I had on Council. It is mentally stimulating and you meet many interesting and bright people. I remember that the learning curve when you join Council is long and steep. Therefore, to be able to contribute, appointing someone who has already been on Council would be a benefit to the City and the Council. I care deeply for our community and would like to be of service in any way I can.
Mark is here.
Tell us about yourself and why you'd be a good councilor.
Mark was on Council for 8 years. He really enjoyed it. You meet a lot of nice people and hear about issues you would not ordinarily have thought about. For the majority of time on Council he was the BURA chair and on MPO and a bunch of other boards and committees. He really liked solid respectful debate when he was on Council. He remembers this one time where he had an intense debate about affordable housing with Bruce. After the debate people came up to him and asked if he was okay, but he was fine. He later shook hands with Bruce in that meeting because that was what democracy was about. They came out of that with a compromise that was probably better than either of their ideas. He's a small business owner, he likes that he learns something new every day. Most of his clients are businesses. He interacts with a wide variety of people in that job. He also manages real estate.
2. Do you work well with people different from you? Give me an example.
Mark comes in to contact with someone who has a different background than him every day. He doesn't think that working with diverse people is something to handle. It's something to appreciate. Working with diverse people makes life more interesting and rewarding. Meeting diverse people makes him a better person and he appreciates the experience.
3. What do you think of our work plan? How can you help?
Mark read the work plan when they released it a year ago, and read it again yesterday. He understands that the goals distill down to treating all people well, improving the environment, helping people do better, and improving infrastructure and public safety. He has absolutely no problem with those goals and find them to be worthy things to accomplish. Mark is very familiar with the city, and knows most of the senior staff. He can get to work day 1, which is important for a role that is only 6 months long.
4. This job is a lot of work and also a lot of trauma. Can you handle it?
Mark has been in council meetings in this room that have run past midnight. He is aware of the commitment and is really quite comfortable with it. "When I was on council, we had to walk to council uphill both ways". Council is at times a full time job. His schedule is flexible since he owns his own business and trusts his employees. He is very comfortable with challenging and controversial issues. The big drama during his time was the water project, it went to the 9th circuit court of appeals. He isn't bothered by it. When people send him nasty emails, his favorite thing to do is find their phone number and call them. It slides off his back. He'll miss the first meeting in September because he'll be on his honeymoon.
Councilor Broadman wants to know if there will be anything he'd do differently than his previous time on Council? He hasn't watched enough of the current council's meetings to know how they work together, but he wants to make sure there is an environment for debate and teamwork between Councilors. He likes that with a 6 month commitment he knows that who he is working with isn't going to change. He would like to go out and interact with the community more this time than his last time on Council. Telling the City's story is really important. The council is doing so many things and it's important that the City knows about that so they don't misunderstand.
Mo and Mark, locking it in, lets go.
Stephen Sehgal
Stephen (he/him) has lived in Bend for over 20 years. He currently works as a Victim Advocate at the Deschutes District Attorney's office and as a BPRD Football coach. He has a personal letter of recommendation from District Attorney John Hummel. He also serves on HREC.
Why am I interested in serving on City Council?
I believe a City Council member should be a passionate advocate and representative of the public they are serving. They should be someone who has compassion, listening and communication skills, knowledge of the city, and understands the community as it is and has the commitment to helping grow Bend to what it can be. I am interested in this public servant position, as I believe I embody those skills and knowledge. I am interested because I want to give back to the city that gave so much to me.
Stephen looks spiffy AF.
Tell us about yourself and why you'd be a good councilor.
Stephen thanks the council for the opportunity. All 8 candidates are amazing and he's happy to be here. He was born and raised here in Bend and is a first generation american. His parents taught him the value of hard work. When he was a child, his parents lost all their money to a ponzi scheme. The case wasn't settled until college. He now works at the DA's office as a victim advocate and specializes in bias crimes and crimes that are politically motivated. He graduated college with an economics degree. He also is a 7th grade football coach. He's also worked with veterans. He wants to bring representation to the council. Not just from his race, but also his background.
2. Do you work well with people different from you? Give me an example.
Being at the DAs office and bar tending, he's experienced hundreds of different times where he interacted with people he disagreed with. If appointed to this council and someone came up to him who disagreed with, he would listen, and try to find mutual ground.
3. What do you think of our work plan? How can you help?
He reviewed all of the goals. He feels like he really agrees with the work plan. He sees his strengths align with the accessibility, shared prosperity, effective government and safety goals. He can provide an unique equity lens. His degree in economics is directly applicable in shared prosperity. His experience as a Victim's Advocate at the DA is most applicable to safety. He understands the goals and hopes to hit the ground running. Change is a slow process, and that is okay. Change is incremental.
Stephen plans on running in November. It doesn't matter who you appoint, the city is going to decide in November. He believes that he can fit in as someone who represents Rita's positions. He is a brown person and renter from the east side of town. He believes his strengths compliment the council's strengths.
4. This job is a lot of work and also a lot of trauma. Can you handle it?
Public comment is harsh at times. Having a strong support system is important. His job at the DA isn't easy either. You have to have an ability to communicate in a calm manner in the face of criticism. The DA will give him a flexible schedule to accommodate Council meetings.
Ugh Stephen is awesome too. Mo / Stephen + Mark lets go.
Time for a break for Broadman to catch up on the couple interviews he missed. Out of Pilsner. Sad emoji. Onwards, to 10 Barrel WINE! The rosé flavor is garbage, but the white wine flavor isn't bad.
Discussion and Decision
Councilor Perkins says holy cow, that was an amazing group of candidates. Councilor Broadman says that there was an amazing amount of energy from the 8 candidates. Experience is still a top criteria for him. Mark and Judy stood out to him among the people who said they wouldn't run. Mo and Stephen stood out to him for people who did not commit to not running. Barb has noticed that people think that it could be perceived as an impropriety to appoint someone who is running in November because it would give them a head start. She's afraid it would seem unfair. It's kind of a deal breaker for her. She says her upcoming re-election campaign is not factoring into her decision, just the concern about impropriety. Mayor Goodman Campbell thinks that a good idea would be to pick someone not running for one role, and someone who is in the other. Kebler says that the voters put Russell and Schenkelberg in these positions, it makes sense to pick people that match the values that people voted for.
The voting process is a modified version of ranked choice voting. Each council will pick their top three candidates for each of the two positions. They will vote one at a time. After the voting process has been completed, they will do a motion to make the appointments.
Councilor Barb Campbell says that Ranked Choice voting is not difficult, and we should do it for other elections. I agree Barb.
Result for Schenkelberg's seat: Stephen Sehgal
He was everyone's number 1 pick but Councilor Campbell's. (he was number 2)
Result for Russell's seat: Mo Mitchell
They were number 1 for Goodman Campbell, Perkins, and Barb. Number 2 for Broadman(?).
Council approved a motion to appoint both councilors. They will be sworn in either on the 13th, or during the next regular session, depending on Mo and Stephen's availability.
Meeting Adjourned.
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