Tag Archives: Local Government

Advocates for homeless seek lasting solutions even as Supreme Court weighs Grants Pass case

The Supreme Court’s decision in the case out of southern Oregon, expected in June, will broadly impact how local governments write homelessness policy in the United States. Leach said most Grants Pass residents are well aware of the case before the Supreme Court. Some hope the justices will uphold the ordinance, and others generally support […]
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Portland unanimously passes new regulations for camping on public property

After a number of setbacks, Portland City Council unanimously approved a policy Wednesday morning that regulates camping on public property. “Addressing the issue of unsheltered homelessness in the city is obviously a complex as well as an urgent order,” said Mayor Ted Wheeler, whose office drafted the ordinance. “And I believe that this ordinance represents […]
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Jackson and Josephine counties will vote on measures to restructure local government

Voters’ decisions on ballot measures in the May 21 primary could have big impacts on the structure and function of the two Southern Oregon counties. On a Wednesday night in Grants Pass, residents Alan and Julie Hartford pass around soda and cookies and chat during a meetup for Citizens for Responsible Government (CRG). The nonpartisan group […]
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The Coquille Medford casino plan, and how it came back from the dead

It’s been nearly four years since the federal government said no to the Coquille tribe, denying its request to put a casino on land the tribe owns in South Medford. But the denial did not stick, and the process has resumed. Why? What would have been a lengthy process involving environmental impact statements and other […]
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Portland’s 90-day fentanyl emergency is over. What now?

Portland made national headlines in January when Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek and local leaders declared a 90-day state of emergency in response to the fentanyl crisis that roiled the city. Those three months ended this week. Locals and officials are split on how much was accomplished, and many are wondering what’s next. In a Friday […]
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What’s changed in Portland after a 90-day ‘fentanyl emergency’ declaration – OPB’s Think Out Loud

Earlier this year, Gov. Tina Kotek, Multnomah County Chair Jessica Vega Pederson and Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler declared a 90-day state of emergency to address what has become widely seen as a fentanyl crisis in downtown Portland. The idea was to bring more coordination and resources to bear on the crisis that is claiming lives […]
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Dump on Marion County farm worries neighbors. Oregon environmental agency investigating

Some residents, farmers and a farmland conservation group in Marion County, Oregon, say they are outraged after finding out a local farm owner, along with the services of an excavating company, dug an open pit and allegedly violated Oregon land use protections and environmental laws. An Oregon environmental agency has ordered the excavating company to […]
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More shelter beds, expanded treatment access a result of 90-day fentanyl emergency

The tri-government 90-day fentanyl emergency declaration has come to an end. On Friday, Gov. Tina Kotek, Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler and Multnomah County Chair Jessica Vega Pederson shared what was accomplished during the 90 days, and what happens next. Source: More shelter beds, expanded treatment access a result of 90-day fentanyl emergency

Oregon Court Approves Local Flavor Ban

The Oregon Court of Appeals upheld a Washington County ban on flavored tobacco sales. Washington County commissioners approved Ordinance 878 in 2022, but it was not enforced because a circuit court judge overturned it. In his opinion, Circuit Judge Andrew Erwin wrote that prohibiting the sale of flavored tobacco must come from the state, not […]
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Brookings against BOEM offshore wind energy project

On Monday, the Brookings City Council wrote a letter of opposition to the Bureau of Energy Management about the Offshore Wind Energy Project. That project was finalized on Feb. 13, 2024. “It’s feeling like they’re checking the boxes on a list of things they need to do, but the project itself has already decided it […]
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