Mayor appointment process starts July 15; Parks petition awaits council decision to accept or deny

Council set the process into motion at its Monday meeting.

On June 10, council directed staff to implement a vacancy process for the anticipated mayoral vacancy, opening the application process to all registered voters living within the City of Hood River.

(The position will be open because Blackburn and his wife, Dr. Kristen Dillon, are moving out of state in September.)

Applications will be available July 15 and interviews will happen before council on Monday, Sept. 23.

Current council members are also eligible to apply, so the potential is there for councilors to interview other councilors for the appointment.

Council approved a staff recommendation that council appoint a council subcommittee to develop interview questions. This subcommittee would be appointed after the applications have been received and would not include any members of council who have applied for the position.

The subcommittee would develop questions that would be included, along with the applications, in the Sept. 23 meeting packet, providing an opportunity for all applicants to see the questions ahead of the interviews.

Parks petition

An initiative measure to protect city parks filed by two Hood River citizens has been approved by Hood River County Elections Supervisor Kim Kean for the November ballot.

Council has 30 days, from June 24, to either adopt the initiative or place it on the ballot, according to Kean.

If approved by voters, the initiative will amend the Hood River City Charter to require a public vote before the city can dispose of any designated city park.

“I look forward to the conversation with the rest of council,” Blackburn said.

The council will discuss its options at the next meeting, July 8.