Stayton's News Archive 2020-2024

W IDA STREET SANITARY SEWER PIPE REPLACEMENT PROJECT:

W Ida Street will be closed at the intersection of W Washington St. & Wilco Rd on Thursday, December 21, 2023, for paving. The closure will be from 7 am to 6 pm. A detour will be set up to route traffic to N Oak Avenue. Access for local traffic only will be assisted into the work zone. Delays in this area should be expected.

Please be patient and exercise caution while traveling through the construction area.

 NOTICE OF ROAD WORK 

Stayton Community Telephone Company (SCTC) will be performing infrastructure work for the removal of aerial wire and associated poles this week.

Starting Tuesday, December 19^th, SCTC’s crew will be working at the intersection of N First Ave. and Washington St.  Flaggers will be stopping all traffic in all directions at 9:00 am for approximately 15 minutes.  Work on Washington St. between N Evergreen Ave. and N Fourth Ave. will continue through Thursday, December 21^st.  The work outside of the intersection will be performed on the shoulder of the roadway.

 SCTC’s crew will move on to E Jefferson St., from N Fifth Ave. to N Tenth Ave., on Thursday and be completed with the work by Friday the 22^nd.

Please take caution when travelling through any work zones.  If you have any questions or concerns, contact the City of Stayton Public Works office at 503-769-2919.

Buzzed Driving Is Drunk Driving:
‘Tis the Season to Make a Plan

December, 2023 through January, 2024

‘Tis the season to be jolly, and ‘tis the season to celebrate that jolliness responsibly. The winter holiday season ushers in parties and festivities, and that means more drunk drivers on the roads. To help keep drivers and their passengers safe, the City of Stayton Police Department is teaming up with other law enforcement agencies across Oregon and with the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to caution drivers about the dangers of drinking and driving. Help NHTSA and the Stayton Police Department share this message: Buzzed Driving Is Drunk Driving.

No one should mix drinking and driving, and no one is immune to the effects of drunk driving. If you find yourself drunk and stranded with your vehicle, give your keys to a sober driver who can safely drive you home. Remind your friends to never get in the vehicle with a drunk driver. If you have a friend who is about to drive drunk, take away their keys and help them get home safely. Don’t worry about offending someone — you might be saving their life, or someone else’s. Always have a plan before you head out for the evening. If you wait until after you’ve been drinking to figure out how to get from one place to the next, you may already be too impaired to make the right choices.

To learn more about traffic safety and driving tips, visit: https://www.nhtsa.gov/

PROJECT UPDATE:
W Ida Street will be closed at the intersection with Jetters Way beginning Monday, November 20 through Wednesday, November 22, 2023. The closure will be from 7 AM to 6 PM.

A detour will be set up to route traffic to N Oak Avenue. Access for local traffic only will be assisted into the work zone. Delays in this area should be expected.

Please be patient and exercise caution while traveling through the construction area.

PROJECT UPDATE:  

W Ida Street will be closed at the intersection with Jetters Way on Friday, October 27th. The closure will be from 1 pm to 6 pm. A detour will be set up to route traffic to N Oak Avenue. Access for local traffic only will be assisted into the work zone. Delays in this area should be expected.

If possible, please use an alternate route.

The Stayton Apartment project located at 2101 N Third Avenue will be paving Third Avenue at the frontage of the project. The work will take place on Thursday and possibly Friday, October 19 & 20, 2023. Third Avenue will be closed for the paving work between 7 am and 6 pm on Thursday and between 7 am and 3 pm on Friday. The roadway will be open outside of these hours. Please plan an alternate route if needed during these dates.

If you have any questions, please contact Public Works at 503-769-2919.

H&H Paving and Willamette Valley Excavating will be paving Douglas Avenue Friday October 20th. The road will be closed to through traffic for extended periods of time during construction. The work is to complete the final layer of asphalt pavement. Please avoid the area during construction if possible. Road closed and no parking signs will be posted throughout construction. Local residents will have limited access with possible delays.

Call Ian Kintz Stormo at 503-769-2919 if you have any questions.

The Douglas Avenue improvement project was partially funded with local gas tax funds. Thank you for your support.

PROJECT UPDATE:

W IDA STREET SANITARY SEWER PIPE REPLACEMENT PROJECT:

W Ida Street will be closed at the intersection with Jetters Way Thursday October 19^th.  The closure will be from 12 pm to 6 pm.  A detour will be set up to route traffic to N Oak Avenue.  Access for local traffic only will be assisted into the work zone.  Delays in this area should be expected.  Please be patient and exercise caution while traveling through the construction area.

The Stayton Apartment project located at 2101 N Third Avenue will be paving Third Avenue at the frontage of the project.  The work will take place on Thursday and possibly Friday, October 19 & 20, 2023.  Third Avenue will be closed for the paving work between 7 am and 6 pm on Thursday and between 7 am and 3 pm on Friday.  The roadway will be open outside of these hours.

 Please plan an alternate route if needed during these dates.  If you have any questions, please contact Public Works at 503-769-2919.

H&H Paving and Willamette Valley Excavating will be paving Douglas Avenue Wednesday October 11^th, through Friday October 13^th. Potential rain may cause a delay into next week, but the road will be accessible outside

of construction hours. The road will be closed to through traffic for extended periods of time during construction.

The work includes leveling the asphalt base and an additional layer of new asphalt.

Please avoid the area during construction if possible. Road closed and no parking signs will be posted throughout construction. Local residents will have limited access with possible delays. Call Ian Kintz Stormo at 503-769-2919

if you have any questions.

The Douglas Avenue improvement project was partially funded with local gas tax funds.

Thank you for your support.

Near the NE corner of Ida St. & Fern Ave.

Near Evergreen Ave. 400’ north of Ida St.

The City of Stayton is installing two monitoring wells in association with the Ida St. Sanitary Sewer Replacement Phase II project.  The wells will be used to monitor the fluctuations in groundwater to assist with dewatering during construction.  The well installation work will be taking place on Wednesday, October 11, 2023.

If you have any questions, please contact Public Works at 503-769-2919.

Beginning Tuesday, October 10th, the City of Stayton will be shutting off water from the Stayton Water Treatment Plant. The City of Stayton will be using water supplied from the City of Salem's Water Treatment Plant, located just east of Stayton on Geren Island. The reason for this temporary switch is that the City of Stayton is replacing 3 sodium hypochlorite pumps and installing new piping. This project is expected to be completed by Friday October 13th.

The North Santiam River provides some of the cleanest, most pure tasting water in the country for our citizens.

Thank you for your understanding.

Willamette Valley Excavation is scheduled to begin construction on Douglas Avenue Monday September 18th. The first phase of the project will be to replace the water main and services. The second phase is to repave Douglas Avenue. All work is scheduled to be completed by October 31st. Please avoid driving on Douglas Avenue during construction if possible.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Ian Kintz-Stormo at (503) 769-2919 at Stayton Public Works or by email at ikintz@staytonoregon.gov.

In honor of National Police Woman’s Day, the City of Stayton would like to honor our female officers, Chief Gwen Johns and Sergeant Sofia Bielenberg!

National Police Woman's Day is a day that celebrates and recognizes the contributions and achievements of women in law enforcement. Today only roughly 10% of the police force in the United States is made up of women.

The area in front of the Regis St. water tower will be closed to through traffic September 12th and 13th for maintenance on communications equipment. Residents will have access to their homes at all times and the road will be open at the end of both days. Please avoid driving through the area if possible.

Questions related to this work may be directed to Stayton Public Works (503) 769-2919.

The City has contracted with Elwood’s Tree Service to clear brush from an area of Riverfront Park just south of the Water Treatment Plant (see map). The project will allow for better trail access and visibility in the area and will help reduce the risk of wildfires. If a wildfire occurred today, it could potentially spread quickly through the underbrush, disrupt traffic across the Santiam River, and affect operations at the Water Treatment Plant. The area will be closed Monday September 11th through Thursday September 14th.

Please avoid the area until all no parking/no trail access signs have been removed. If you have any questions, please contact Ian Kintz-Stormo at (503) 769-2919. Thank you for your support.

Marion County will be applying a fog seal on both Wilco Rd and Shaff Rd today. They will start on Shaff Rd and head towards Golf Club Rd at 11:00 am. From there they will finish up the day on Wilco Rd at around 1:30 pm.

Message boards and signs will be placed out first thing this morning.

NOTICE OF WATER SERVICE INTERUPTION

Water service will be temporarily interrupted between the hours of 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM on Friday, August 25, 2023, for a water system improvement. The impacted area is highlighted on the map below.

Questions related to this work may be directed to Stayton Public Works (503) 769-2919.

PARK MAINTENANCE WORK SCHEDULED

UPDATE – 8/21: Due to an unforeseen delay, this work has been postponed to late September.

 The City has contracted with Elwood’s Tree Service to clear brush from an area of Riverfront Park just south of the Water Treatment Plant (see map). The project will allow for better trail access and visibility in the area and will help reduce the risk of wildfires. If a wildfire occurred today, it could potentially spread quickly through the underbrush, disrupt traffic across the Santiam River, and affect operations at the Water Treatment Plant.

The area will be closed Monday August 21st through Friday August 25th. Please avoid the area until all no parking/no trail access signs have been removed. If you have any questions, please contact Ian Kintz-Stormo at (503) 769-2919. Thank you for your support.

On Wednesday, August 16th, the Stayton Public Library will be extending their hours until 7:00 p.m. for the day to serve as a Cooling Center for those looking to cool off from the high temperatures expected.

We will continue to monitor the weather and, if necessary, extend the Library hours as needed to serve as a Cooling Center.

On Tuesday, August 15th the Stayton Public Library will be extending their hours until 7:00 p.m. for the day to serve as a Cooling Center for those looking to cool off from the high temperatures expected.

We will continue to monitor the weather and, if necessary, extend the Library hours as needed to serve as a Cooling Center.

A Cooling Center will be available today from 2:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at the Stayton Public Library Meeting Room (515 N. First Avenue).

Stop by if you need to cool off from the heat!

The weather forecast in our area is calling for hot weather next week. Start planning and preparing your home and family now for the weather headed our way. Stay safe everyone!

Below are a couple links with excellent information:

• https://www.ready.gov/heat
• https://www.cdc.gov/disasters/extremeheat/index.html

After recommendations from the Parks and Recreation Board and hard work from our Parks Department, Stayton now has the option for playing Tennis and/or Pickleball.

The center court has been striped and has movable pickleball nets to allow for two games of pickleball or two games of tennis. There is still the option for three tennis courts, just unlock the caster wheels and move the pickleball nets out of the way for center court tennis. It’s that easy!

Come on down and get some exercise on the courts with either game option. Don't have your own pickleball equipment? Swing by the Stayton Public Library and borrow a set!

Coming soon to other Stayton area parks: Cornhole and/or Bean Bag Toss - In memory of our Santiam Bean Festival.

Congratulations to Sofia Contenta Bielenberg as she was sworn in as a Police Sergeant on July 24, 2023. We are excited to have her join our team at the City of Stayton.

Her most recent experience is with the Marion County Sheriff's Office where she served in both the corrections department and on patrol. She will continue in her role on the county-wide SWAT team, which is very exciting for both Stayton and Marion County as she will be a regional asset.

At the ceremony, she was surrounded by family, friends, city staff, city officials, and law enforcement professionals from around the county.

Starting on July 14th and through the Labor Day holiday period, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) will be working alongside the City of Stayton Police Department and other law enforcement agencies to increase patrols looking for impaired driving.

In support of the law enforcement community’s dedication to protecting the lives of residents in their communities, you’ll see officers working together during this time to take impaired drivers off the roads.

Remember:

• A few dollars spent on a ride home is a lot cheaper than a DUI, which can cost up to $10,000.

• Don’t ever be too proud or embarrassed to ask for a ride. Allowing a sober driver to help you get home safely keeps you and others safe.

What’s more embarrassing than asking for a sober ride home? Spending the night in jail. Having your car impounded. Losing your job or your security clearance. Take your pick.

Marion County Public Works has received an ODOT grant for safety improvements along Shaff Road, in Stayton immediately south of Stayton Middle School. Improvements will include construction of a new sidewalk that will connect an existing pedestrian path to N. Gardner Avenue (approximately 300 feet), construction of ADA compliant curb ramps for the east-west crossing of Gardner Avenue and the north-south crossing of Shaff Road, and installation of Pedestrian Hybrid Beacons (signals), signage and surface markings to enhance crossing visibility and safety.

Marion County Public Works and Brown Contracting Inc. will be starting construction on Monday, July 17th and is scheduled to be completed by Monday July 31st. Flaggers will direct traffic throughout the project. Please use caution around the work zone.

For more information about the project follow the link below: http://www.co.marion.or.us/PW/Engineering/Projects/Pages/StaytonSRTS.aspx

Marion County Public Works just informed us that they will be performing annual road maintenance in the coming weeks. Below is a tentative list of roads in and around Stayton that will be affected by the work and a tentative list of the dates of the work.

• Marion County will be Chip Sealing Golf Road SE from the EB Ramp of Hwy 22 to Wilco Road on July 13th and 17th.
  
  

•  Marion County will be Chip Sealing Stayton Rd SE from Marion Road SE to Wilco Road on July 27th and August 1st.

•  Marion County will be Chip Sealing West Stayton Road SE and from Main St. (Aumsville) to Shaff Road on August 9th and 10th.

•  Marion County will be Chip Sealing Wilco Road SE from Stayton Road/Ida Street to Shaff Road on August 10th.

•  Marion County will be Chip Sealing Shaff Road SE from Marion Road to Golf Club Road on August 10th and 14th – 15th.

Please follow the link for more information:

https://www.co.marion.or.us/PW/Roads/Pages/chip.aspx

For additional information contact:

Marion County Public Works Road Maintenance Division

5155 Silverton Rd NE

Salem, OR 97305

503-588-5304

The City has hired contractors to perform gravel street grading and dust control treatment on Thursday, July 13th and Friday, July 14th. Vehicles need to be moved off the shoulders of gravel roads from 7 AM to 4 PM on both days. All work will be completed by 4 PM on the 14th.

The following streets will be graded and sprayed with dust control:

E Regis St & 6th Ave

E Robidoux St. and 7th Ave

5th Ave

E Florence St

Water Treatment Plant driveway

W Water St

N Birch Ave

N Alder Ave

W High St

N Gardner Ave

N Fern Ave

N King Ave

N Peach Ave

Jetters Way

Police Department Shooting Range

If you have any questions or concerns, call the Public Works office at 503-769-2919.

A water shutdown is scheduled for Monday July 10, 2023, at 9:00 am on Golf Club Road. The water supply to the Oak Estates Mobile Home Park and the Shell station at the corner of Shaff Road and Golf Club Road will be interrupted. The interruption will end no later than 3:00 pm in the afternoon. The shutdown is for the Shaff Square apartment project.

If you have any questions, please contact the City of Stayton Public Works department at 503-769-2919.

During the early morning hours of June 29, 2023, Stayton Police handled two separate suspicious circumstance calls. Based on behavior and suspect description, they are believed to be the same person involved.

Just before 1:00 a.m., a resident in the 1400 block of N Third Ave reported someone on her property behaving oddly. Officers arrived on scene, but the person had left the property and was not located during a search of the area.

At 3:58 a.m., a resident on E. Elwood Street called stating an unknown male was on their property and had engaged in a conversation with their young daughter through an open window. The young girl responded perfectly to the situation by promptly reporting the incident to her parents, who then called 911. Prior to officers being dispatched, the male had left the property.

This is an open and active investigation. If you have information regarding these incidents, please contact our 24-hour dispatch center at (503) 982-2340.

The basic suspect description is white male adult, slender, 5’6 to 5’7, age 20-40, dark chin length hair, no facial hair, and possibly having heavy acne.

Since the reports, officers have been working on developing leads by contacting residents and have been active in the neighborhood to see if there are any unreported incidents, any witness statements that may lead to identification of the individual, or any related surveillance video.

This is a reminder in the warm weather to work to ensure your home and personal safety. Putting dowels in windows and slider doors to allow air circulation but restricting how far the window can be opened is a helpful way to still stay cool but safeguard your residence.

This Independence Day, safeguard your freedom, and the lives of others, by committing to sober driving. City of Stayton Police Department will be teaming up with the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) for the Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over high-visibility enforcement impaired driving campaign. The primary goal of the increased law enforcement presence will be to help prevent tragedies previously seen around the July 4th holiday.

The sidewalk in front of the Police Department will be closed Monday, June 26th for repairs. The contractor will remove the cones and sidewalk closed signs once the concrete is ready for traffic. Please avoid the area where signs are posted.  

H&H Paving and Canyon Contracting will be paving Wyatt Avenue Saturday, June 24th, Monday, June 26^th and  Tuesday, June 27^th. The road will be closed to through traffic for extended periods of time during construction. The work includes leveling the asphalt base and an additional layer of new asphalt.

Please avoid the area during construction if possible. Road closed and no parking signs will be posted throughout the construction zone. Local residents will have limited access with possible delays.  

The Wyatt Avenue improvement project was partially funded with local gas tax funds. Thank you for your support.

Canyon Contracting will be replacing eight water services at the intersection of Westown Drive and Wyatt Avenue Monday, June 19^th through Wednesday, June 21^st. The intersection will be closed during construction hours. Access to Wyatt Avenue will be open from Gardner Avenue.

Please use caution when driving near the work zone.

Canyon Contracting will be reconstructing the intersection of Gardner Avenue and Wyatt Avenue Wednesday June 14^th through Friday June 16^th. The intersection will be closed during construction hours.  The work includes removal of asphalt, addition of base rock, and repaving.

Access to Wyatt Avenue will be open from Westown Drive. Please use caution when driving near the work zone.

On June 8th, Stayton Police joined law enforcement from around Marion County to safely escort the Special Olympics torch across Salem leading into regional competitions this weekend, with some competitions being held in Salem at Willamette University.

Chief Johns and Officer Gamble joined the route from DPSST to Salem PD.   Records staff, Rachel Farris, served as support staff.   Gamble rocked it and ran the entire 9-mile leg and then went in for his afternoon shift. 

We are proud to be dedicated to the athletes of Special Olympics Oregon.  For more information on events go to soor.org or the Special Olympic Oregon Facebook page.        

This evening (June 8th) the Stayton Fire District will be conducting a "Live Fire Exercise" on a home located at 190 E. Pine Street between the hours of 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. A portion of Pine Street and Second Avenue will be closed to traffic.

The Fire District recommended the following tips if you live in this area:

• We recommend you keep your house and windows closed due to potential smoke.
• We also advise to park a car a block or two away if you will need to leave during this time.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Stayton Fire District at (503) 769-2601 or (503) 932-7805 and ask for Jay Alley.

Are you ready to find your voice? Join the Stayton Public Library's Summer Reading Program. Sign-ups for all ages begin June 17th online or in person at the Library.

Mark your calendar for the Summer Reading Kick-Off Party on June 17th from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the Library. You'll be able to sign up for the program AND celebrate the start of this year’s program for all ages with crafts, activities, games, prizes, and more!

https://www.staytonoregon.gov/page/library_summer

PROJECT UPDATE:

W IDA STREET SANITARY SEWER PIPE REPLACEMENT PROJECT: 

W Ida Street will be closed at the intersection with Jetters Way starting Monday June 5^th and ending Friday June 9^th.  The closure will be each day from 7 am to 6 pm.  A detour will be set up to route traffic to N Oak Avenue.  Access for local traffic only will be assisted into the work zone.  Delays in this area should be expected.  Please be patient and exercise caution while traveling through the construction area.

Here are a few tips to keep your children safe:

• Remember that all children under age 13 should always ride properly buckled in the back seat.
• Make sure car seats and booster seats are properly installed and that any children riding with you are in the right seat for their ages and sizes. See NHTSA’s child passenger safety recommendations to find the right seat for your child’s age and size (https://www.nhtsa.gov/road-safety/child-safety)
• Visit NHTSA’s Child Car Seat Inspection Station Locator to find a free car seat inspection station near you or to get information on virtual inspections (https://one.nhtsa.gov/nhtsa/m/searchbyzip.html)
• Never leave your child unattended in or around a vehicle.
• Always remember to lock your vehicle and to keep your keys out of reach so children do not play or get trapped inside.

Before National Public Works Week comes to a close, we wanted to join our partners across the country in recognizing the incredible contributions of public works professionals. Thank you for your exceptional work and unwavering dedication to delivering public works projects within our community.

Picture is from the 2023 Public Works Appreciation luncheon at Pioneer Park.

Is your neighborhood hosting an event or block party in honor of National Night Out on August 1, 2023? Let us know! The Stayton Police Department would love to drop by your event to visit and bring some swag.

Millions of neighbors take part in National Night Out across thousands of communities from all fifty states, U.S. territories and military bases worldwide on the first Tuesday in August. Neighborhoods host block parties, festivals, parades, cookouts and various other community events with safety demonstrations, seminars, youth events, visits from emergency personnel, exhibits and much, much more.

National Night Out is a great time to get to know your neighbors! If you plan to host a block party event in your neighborhood on National Night Out register at https://www.staytonoregon.gov/page/police_nno_register or let Stayton Police Department know by reaching out at (503) 769-3423.

Please join us in celebrating National Public Works Week in Stayton. Our Public Works staff is committed to representing Stayton residents with ongoing integrity and professionalism. They are on call 24 – 7 – 365 and work in the rain, sleet, snow and sun to help make our lives better.

Stayton’s Water Treatment Plant produces some of the best tasting water in the state of Oregon and has won numerous awards for its quality. Our Parks are first class and are used by people throughout the canyon for birthdays, anniversaries, and weddings in addition to recreation and enjoyment of the outdoors.

We continue to upgrade the street network with the available funds and our Wastewater Treatment Plant serves not just Stayton but the City of Sublimity to the north. Our crew, who are instrumental in all of these operations being done without a hitch, all work tirelessly to make our lives better.

If you see a Public Works employee this week, give them a shout out of “Thanks” for all the work they do for our community. They work hard and are committed to making Stayton a better place to live and work.

National Police Week is celebrated every May, under President Kennedy’s decree to honor the men and women who risk their lives every day in the line of duty.

It is also a time for police officers to honor their fallen colleagues, make sure those surviving them are supported, as well as to remember their commitment to keeping people safe.

Citizens and civilians can also celebrate the day by showing some love and gratitude to the police officers around them. National Police Week is all about honor, gratitude, remembrance, servitude, and peer support.

PROJECT UPDATE:

W IDA STREET SANITARY SEWER PIPE REPLACEMENT PROJECT:

W Ida Street will be closed Monday the 22^nd of May from 12pm to 5pm for work associated with the new sanitary sewer project.  A detour will be set up to route traffic to N Oak Avenue.  Access for local traffic only will be assisted into the work zone.  Delays in this area should be expected.  Please be patient and exercise caution while traveling through the construction area.

The Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) will be performing maintenance work on two of the traffic signals in Stayton next week. They will be at First Avenue and Fern Ridge on May 23^rd and at Cascade Hwy and Whitney Street on May 24^th.

The signals will be shut down, and flaggers will be posted at the intersections to control traffic movements.  There may be some minor delays so be patient and do your part by driving safely through the work zones. Everyone one wants to go home at night.

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The Stayton Police Department is urging drivers to buckle up during the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) national Click It or Ticket high-visibility enforcement effort. The national seat belt campaign, which coincides with the Memorial Day holiday, runs from May 22 to June 4, 2023.

No matter the type of vehicle you’re driving in or the type of road you’re driving on, the safest way to stay safe in case of a vehicle crash is to wear your seat belt.  Unfortunately, many families are suffering because their loved ones refused to follow this simple step.

PROJECT UPDATE:

W IDA STREET SANITARY SEWER PIPE REPLACEMENT PROJECT:

The City of Stayton will be replacing the sanitary sewer pipe located in W Ida Street from Jetters Way to near 1207 W Ida Street.  The contractor hired to construct this project will be starting construction activities on May 8^th.  

The allowed work hours are from 7 am to 6 pm, Monday through Friday.  Traffic control measures will be in place and flaggers will be used to assist traffic through the construction zone.  Delays in this area should be expected.  Please be patient and exercise caution while traveling through the construction area.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Michael Schmidt by email at mschmidt@staytonoregon.gov or by phone at (503) 769-2919.

Stayton Police Department participated in the Santiam Kinderfest presented by the Marion and Polk Early Learning Hub on Saturday, April 22, 2023. 

It was an opportunity for kids and families to connect with and learn about local resources and register for kindergarten.   We got to talk with local families, let kids check out our police car, and hand out Police Department swag. 

It was a great day and the weather cooperated.

NOTICE OF CITY MAINTENANCE WORK

The City of Stayton’s maintenance crew will be performing shoulder work along E Pine Street and E Fir Street on April 25^th and 26^th.

Temporary ‘NO PARKING’ signs will be placed along the areas of work prior to the start of work. This will allow the City crew and equipment access to the areas.

If you have questions, please contact the Public Works Department at 503-769-2919.

Last week was National Public Safety Telecommunications Week!

The Stayton Police Department wants to thank all of the call takers, dispatchers, and staff at Metcom 911 for their continued dedication to their job and their partnership with many police, fire, and medical agencies. We appreciate all that you do and want to express our gratitude.

In 1982, a Sheriff with Contra Costa County, CA, informally initiated the first “dispatch week”. In 1994, President Bill Clinton signed Presidential Proclamation 6667, declaring the second week of April as National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week.

To meet the objectives of the Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP), Marion County is asking all communities in the county to help in the development of the plan. To do this the Marion County CWPP Advisory Committee created a survey that is comprised of four sections that include:

• Wildfire risk awareness,
• Fire protection and preparedness,
• Reducing property risk to wildfire, and
• Reducing the community risk to wildfire.

The survey is an opportunity for the citizens and communities of Marion County to provide valuable data that will be used to help drive the CWPP in future projects. Here is the link to the survey, which closes on October 1, 2023 at 5:00 p.m. https://arcg.is/1Xb9nG or use the QR code in the flier.

Last week Stayton Police staff joined Santiam Hospital and Clinics for a Spring Break event. The "Seasons of Safety" event taught bike safety and car seat safety. Our staff helped do helmet safety checks and handed out free helmets.

The City of Stayton will be replacing the sanitary sewer pipe located in W Ida Street from Jetters Way to near 1207 W Ida Street.  The contractor hired to construct this project will be starting construction activities on April 11^th.  Installation of dewatering well points work will start and will continue through the month of April. 

The allowed work hours are from 7 am to 6 pm, Monday through Friday.  Traffic control measures will be in place and flaggers will be used to assist traffic through the construction zone.  Delays in this area should be expected.  Please be patient and exercise caution while traveling through the construction area.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Michael Schmidt by email at mschmidt@staytonoregon.gov or by phone at (503) 769-2919.

On April 22nd, the first annual Santiam Kinderfest will take place at the Santiam Center (11656 Sublimity Rd SE) from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. 

Santiam Kinderfest is a chance to connect and learn about local resources and register your kindergartener for elementary school.

This event is coordinated by the Marion & Polk Early Learning Hub.

On Monday, April 10th at 6:00 p.m. the Homeless Task Force is hosting a community listening session. The session will be held at the Stayton Community Center (400 W. Virginia Street).

The purpose of this session is hear from community members and businesses on the extent that they are impacted by homelessness in the Stayton area and to get input on potential regulations. This input will help the Task Force form recommendations for necessary policy updates.

Reminder from the Stayton Police Department to move over or slow down for ANY stopped vehicle with flashing lights. To learn more visit: https://www.oregon.gov/odot/Safety/Pages/Enforcement.aspx

The Homeless Task Force wants to hear from you!

Complete their survey by scanning the QR code on the right or by visiting: www.surveymonkey.com/r/BCYHBF3

Survey closes April 14, 2023.

The City of Stayton Police Department is teaming up with the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) for the national "U Drive. U Text. U Pay." high-visibility enforcement effort. From April 3rd to April 10, 2023, law enforcement officers will work together to enforce texting and distracted-driving laws.

According to NHTSA, nearly 32,483 people died in distraction-affected crashes over the ten-year period from 2011 to 2020. In 2020, there were 3,142 deaths linked to driver distraction, or 8% of all motor-vehicle crash fatalities. This is an increase of 23 fatalities compared to 2019.

Linn County’s Bridge Maintenance Division will be replacing guardrails on the smaller bridge by the Knife River Quarry and the south side of the larger bridge spanning the Santiam River from March 27 through April 6, 2023.

Please drive safely and watch out for construction workers.

If you have any questions call Kevin Hamilton - Linn County Operations Manager 541-967-3919.    

On Saturday, March 18, 2023, the Stayton Police Department handed out medals at Cascade High as they hosted the Special Olympics Oregon regional basketball competitions.

Stayton was proud to partner with Aumsville Police Department and Marion County Sheriff’s Office to share in the great honor of awarding medals to the athletes after their competitions. It was so fun to watch the games and see some amazing skill, competition, teamwork, and sportsmanship.

This year, the City of Stayton Police Department teamed up with the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and other law enforcement agencies across the State of Oregon over St. Patrick’s Day weekend with increased traffic enforcement.

Starting March 17th and ending March 19th, the City of Stayton Police Department conducted 21 traffic stops and issued 22 traffic warnings/citations. In addition, there were 3 drivers arrested for DUII. Those arrested for DUII face fines (up to $6,250), court appearances, and attorney fees along with the possibility of having their driving privileges suspended for 90 days to 3 years and increased insurance rates.

The financial impact from impaired-driving crashes is devastating to our community. Based on 2010 numbers (the most recent year for which cost data is available), impaired-driving crashes cost the United States $44 billion annually. In 2020 one person was killed every 45 minutes in a drunk-driving crash on our nation’s roads.

The Stayton Family Memorial Pool will be hosting a Lifeguard Certification Class for anyone ages 15 and up who is interested in becoming a certified lifeguard. There are limited spots available, so register now!

You can register by reaching out to Pool Manager, Emily Rushing at erushing@staytonoregon.gov. Registration must be completed no later than 12:00 p.m. on Monday, March 20th.

Questions? Contact Emily at erushing@staytonoregon.gov.

On Monday, March 13th, an alert community member quickly called 911 after seeing black smoke and then discovering an active fire behind the Stayton Community Center (400 W Virginia Street).

After receiving this call, Metcom Communication Center dispatched first responders at 4:37 p.m. Police officers from Stayton Police Department arrived on scene at 4:39 p.m. using fire extinguishers to knock down the flames that were now up against the structure. Stayton Police were proud to partner with Stayton Fire District who quickly responded. No one was inside the building at the time of the fire. Fans were used to disperse smoke that had gotten into the building and a scheduled meeting was displaced for the evening. There was some exterior damage to the building.

The police department quickly began gathering evidence, including footage from several surveillance cameras in the area and a suspect was quickly developed. This person and his belongings had been seen in the area previous to the fire as well as on video. On March 14th at 10:30 p.m., Kenneth Palmer, age 34, was taken into custody without incident and was lodged at the Marion County Jail for Arson I.

Although Irish in its roots, St. Patrick’s Day is most widely celebrated in the United States. To help keep your community’s streets safe, The City of Stayton Police Department is teaming up with the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to spread the message about the dangers of drunk driving. If your plans for the holiday include alcohol, make sure you plan for a sober driver. Help us spread the message that Buzzed Driving Is Drunk Driving.

This year, St. Patrick’s Day falls on a Friday, and that means more parties throughout the weekend. If you’ve been drinking, make the smart choice to plan for a sober driver to get you and your friends’ home safely. Before you put your keys in the ignition, remind yourself: Buzzed Driving Is Drunk Driving.

If you’re the designated driver, make sure you keep that promise of safety to yourself and your passengers. It can be a long night, but people are counting on you, not to mention the other drivers, passengers, and pedestrians on the streets. Take the role of a designated driver seriously — people are relying on you.

The Stayton Apartment construction project, located at 2101 N Third Avenue, will be performing work in Third Avenue starting Monday the 6th through Friday the 10th. Flaggers will be used to direct traffic through the construction zone. Vehicles traveling on Third Ave. between Wildflower Drive and Fern Ridge Road will experience delays due to the construction work.

If you have questions or comments, please contact the Public Works Department at (503) 769-2919.

The following is a press release issued by Marion County regarding a search warrant served in Stayton today:

On February 28, 2023, at about 7:00 am, Detectives from the Marion County Sheriff’s Office served a search warrant in the 1200 block of E. Jefferson St in Stayton. This is regarding an ongoing criminal investigation. Due to the nature of this investigation, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office SWAT team was used to serve the warrant and were assisted by the Linn County Sheriff’s Office regional SWAT Team. The warrant service was successful without incident and the scene has now been turned over to investigators.

We would like to thank our partners with the Stayton Police Department who assisted as well as the Oregon State Police crime lab. We have no further information available for release at this time.

Water service will be temporarily interrupted intermittently from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on Wednesday, March 1, 2023, for a water system improvement. The impacted area is highlighted on the map. Questions related to this work may be directed to Stayton Public Works at (503) 769-2919.

Beginning the evening of Sunday, February 27th, the City will be shutting off water from the Stayton Water Treatment Plant and will be using water supplied from the City of Salem’s Water Treatment Plant, located just east of Stayton on Geren Island.

The Santiam Water Control District is performing annual maintenance on the Power Canal. Stayton’s Water Treatment Plant’s raw water intake is located near the south end of Third Street and will be affected. Due to the canal maintenance, we will be closing the raw water intake until the maintenance is completed. This usually take a few days. We expect to be using the Stayton Water Treatment Plant water again by March 3rd or 4th.

The North Santiam River provides some of the cleanest, most pure tasting water in the country to our citizens. Thank you for your understanding.

On Tuesday, February 21st, community member Steve Sims was appointed to fill the vacant seat on the City Council. He will be completing the term vacated by Mayor Brian Quigley.

Congratulations Councilor Sims!

The Stayton Public Library will be open today from 11:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. due to the inclement weather.

Evening programs for today have been postponed.

Speeding is a dangerous and aggressive behavior that accounts for more than one-quarter of all traffic-related fatalities nationally. In 2020 alone, there were 11,258 people killed in speeding-related traffic crashes. This loss of life represented a dramatic increase (17%) in speeding-related crash fatalities from 2019-2020, with another projected 5% increase from 2020 to 2021.

The City of Stayton Police Department is teaming up with the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to remind drivers to stop speeding and to help put an end to this risky driving behavior. NHTSA and the City of Stayton Police Department will host the speeding campaign from March 1st through March 31st, 2023.

We are asking our town to please slow down and obey the posted signs. Our goal is to save lives, and we’re putting all drivers on alert — the posted speed limit is the law. Stop speeding and slow down.

On Friday, February 24, 2023, water service will be temporarily interrupted intermittently from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. for a water system inspection. The impacted area is highlighted on the map below.

Questions related to this work may be directed to Stayton Public Works (503) 769-2919.

On Tuesday, February 21, 2023, water service will be temporarily interrupted intermittently from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. for a water system inspection. The impacted area is highlighted on the map. Questions related to this work may be directed to Stayton Public Works Department at (503) 769-2919.

A contractor will be working in the right-of-way on E Santiam Street between N. 10th Avenue and Highland Drive. Flaggers will be directing traffic through the work zone while the contractor is installing a new sanitary sewer manhole. The work is expected to be performed from Wednesday the 15th and Thursday the 16th.

During Super Bowl LVII, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is teaming up with the City of Stayton Police Department to remind football fans everywhere that Fans Don’t Let Fans Drive Drunk. Super Bowl LVII is on Sunday, February 12, 2023. If you’re heading out to a Super Bowl party and you plan to drink alcohol, make sure you plan for a designated driver to get you home safely at the night’s end.

Only one team wins the Super Bowl, but if you drive drunk, you lose. Everyone should know by now that it is illegal to drive impaired. In 2020, there were 11,654 people killed in drunk-driving crashes. Drunk driving can have a range of consequences, including the possibility of causing a traumatic crash. These crashes could cause you, someone you love, or a total stranger to suffer serious injuries or even death.

We want our community members to enjoy Super Bowl festivities, but we also want responsible drivers on our roads.

If you are planning to be away from home during Super Bowl, make a game plan to ensure you don’t find yourself without a designated driver if you need one. If you’re hosting a party, make sure you take care of your designated drivers. Remind your friends and family: Fans Don’t Let Fans Drive Drunk.

Have you ever considered volunteering time in your community? We are looking for civic-minded volunteers to fill vacancies on two of our boards:

• Budget Committee (two vacancies): Meets on an annual basis to review the proposed City of Stayton fiscal year budget. Meetings typically occur the first two weeks of May, but on occasion, additional meetings may be held at other times during the year. Meetings generally begin at 6:00 p.m.
  
  
• Parks and Recreation Board (one vacancy): Meets on the first Tuesday of each month at 6:00 p.m. The Board is responsible for developing and maintaining parks and recreation programs, and serves as an advisory board to the City Council.

If you or someone you know would be interested in learning more about volunteering to serve, please email citygovernment@staytonoregon.gov or visit our Boards & Commissions page to learn more and download an application.

Last night a female was arrested on multiple charges including robbery, kidnap, and assault after stealing a car from Stayton and leading deputies in a pursuit.

On Wednesday, February 1, 2023, at about 6:40 p.m., Stayton Officers were dispatched to a car theft at a parking lot in the 1800 block of W Ida St. A female had approached the passenger who was seated in a parked car and asked for a ride. When the ride was refused, the female got into the driver’s seat and there was a struggle between the passenger, who is one of the vehicle’s owners, and the suspect. The passenger was ultimately able to escape before the suspect, who was unknown to her, drove off with the car.

Information was obtained by Stayton Police as to the possible location of the stolen vehicle and the information was shared with Marion County Sheriff’s Office. Marion County deputies located the vehicle in the Jefferson area. During a pursuit, deputies spiked the tires of the vehicle. The vehicle continued to travel for a distance. The vehicle came to a stop on Interstate 5 near Enchanted Way south of Salem. Shardell Bodda (44-year-old Stayton resident),the only occupant in the car, was taken into custody.

Shardell Bodda was booked into Marion County Jail on Robbery III, Attempted Kidnapping, Unlawful Use of Motor Vehicle, and Assault IV. Additional charges were filed by the Marion County Sheriff’s Office.

The City of Stayton Police Department would like to thank Marion County Sheriff’s Office for assistance with this incident.

We, as a law enforcement community in Marion County, find the actions of the police officers involved in the death of Tyre Nichols to be unconscionable. Collectively, we commend Memphis Police Chief Davis for acting quickly to hold those involved accountable.

We hold a deep respect for the sanctity of human life and basic human dignity. Inhumane acts deeply impact all who understand and hold true to the responsibilities of the badge we wear.

We affirm that excessive force is not tolerated by our agencies. Multiple layers of review and accountability are in place to ensure such heinous acts do not occur. Lack of dignity and respect toward those we serve simply run completely counter to who we are as individual officers and deputies and as your law enforcement leaders.

The honorable men and women who work to safeguard the residents of Marion County will continue to work diligently and with conviction to build positive and trusting relationships with all our residents.

Sheriff Joe Kast, Marion County Sheriff’s Office

Chief Trevor Womack, Salem Police Department

Chief Jim Anglemeier, Silverton Police Department

Chief Mark Chase, Gervais Police Department

Chief Mark Daniel, Mount Angel Police Department

Chief Damien Flowers, Aumsville Police Department

Chief Gwen Johns, Stayton Police Department

Chief Martin Pilcher, Woodburn Police Department

Chief David Rash, Hubbard Police Department

Chief Don Taylor, Turner Police Department

Chief John Teague, Keizer Police Department

On Wednesday, January 25, 2023, Mayor Quigley, Council President Patty, and City Manager Hajduk joined over 200 local government officials from across the State as part of the League of Oregon Cities “City Day at the Capitol”.

They heard about legislative priorities from both sides of the aisle and then had the opportunity to meet with our local representatives to share our local perspective. Stayton met with Representative Diehl and Senator Girod and shared our local issues and needs related to needed infrastructure funding, support for addressing homelessness and economic development.evelopment.

On January 20, 2023, Stayton Police Officer Branson Brewster graduated from the Police Academy with DPSST Academy Class 420.

Additionally, Officer Brewster earned the honor of the Top Academic Award. We were proud to learn of the award, as it shows his hard work during the 16 weeks he was in the Academy. He also earned 100% on his final exam (the Class Coordinator noted he'd never seen someone get 100% on both the midterm and final!).

Chief Johns had the honor and privilege of being the keynote speaker at the ceremony and handed out the certificates to each of the graduating recruits from around the state.

Congratulations Officer Brewster!!

Beginning on January 30th, 2023 and running through February 12th, 2023, the Stayton Police Department will join agencies across Oregon in taking part in the Click it or Ticket Campaign.

This campaign is an effort to increase seat belt use. Nationwide 90% of drivers and passengers use seat belts. Of people ages 18 to 34 who were killed in crashes, 60% were not wearing seat belts. The Stayton Police Department will be using Federal Grant Money to increase patrols focusing on seat belt use.

It is the hope of the Stayton Police Department to remind our citizens to wear their seat belts when traveling in any vehicle.

Appointments can now be scheduled online for AARP Foundation Tax Help. To sign-up, visit the link below and pick a date. Please note: AARP will be at the Stayton Public Library on Wednesday afternoons at the Library from February 1-April 12. You must make an appointment, they will not be doing walk-ins.

Schedule online at: http://tinyurl.com/5fts3udb

Call 1-888-687-2277 to receive assistance with scheduling tax preparation appointments. When calling ask for "Tax Aide" and someone will help with scheduling an appointment.

Due to overwhelming interest, this has been opened to all students in the area of the North Santiam School District. The City of Sublimity is also sponsoring a contest in their community, for more details contact them at (503) 769-5475.

Students residing in the North Santiam School District are invited to submit an entry for the 2023 “If I Were Mayor…” contest.

The contest is open to students residing within the area of the North Santiam School District and are enrolled in school or being homeschooled during this current school year. There will be three winners, one chosen from each of the following categories:

• Elementary School (grade 4-5) - Posters Contest (Photo of poster can be PNG, JPEG, BMP or PDF files)
• Middle School (grade 6-8) - Essay Contest (Word, PDF, PowerPoint or online essay format)
• High School (grades 9-12) - Digital Media Presentations (Videos only, MP4 or online video format) 

These three local winners will be invited to present their entries to the City Council on March 20th and will be submitted to the statewide competition where they will be eligible to win one of three statewide prizes.

Submissions will be accepted through Friday, February 24th, 2023 and will be accepted via email at citygovernment@staytonoregon.gov or at City Hall (362 N. Third Avenue, Stayton).

Any submissions for students in the Sublimity area should be submitted to the City of Sublimity. Contact them at (503) 769-5475 for details on submitting.

Questions? Contact City Hall at (503) 769-3425 or via email at citygovernment@staytonoregon.gov.

Calling all artists! After a two-year hiatus, the Stayton Public Library is announcing a call for art for its 4th Annual Art Show to be held at the Library from February 4 through March 4, 2023.

Any artists that live or work in Stayton or its surrounding communities can submit a maximum of two works of 2-dimensional or 3-dimensional art. There is no submission fee.

To be included in the show, the artist must submit a registration form and release available at the Library or https://www.staytonoregon.gov/page/article/763. All art and registrations must be delivered to the library by Thursday, February 2, 2023.

On Friday, February 3, 2023 there will be an opening reception for the public to meet the artists from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

For more information please call 503-769-3313 or email: info@staytonlibrary.org

Nationally, it is illegal to drive with a BAC of 0.08 or higher, except in Utah, where the limit is 0.05 g/dL. And the costs can be financial, too: If you’re caught drinking and driving, you could face jail time, lose your driver’s license and your vehicle, and pay up to $10,000 in attorney’s fees, fines, higher insurance rates, and lost wages.

The City of Stayton Police Department along with other agencies across the State of Oregon just finished an enhanced DUII patrol program. The City of Stayton Police Department arrested 3 DUII drivers during the month of December and a total of 70 DUII drivers were arrested in 2022 by the City of Stayton Police Department.

If you see a drunk driver on the road, contact your local law enforcement agency.

The State of Oregon has $3 million in its CDBG-CV Statewide Emergency Small Business & Microenterprise Grant Program, intended to help businesses remain solvent and able to retain/create low- and moderate-income jobs.

Applications will be accepted starting on Monday, January 23, 2023 at 8:00 a.m. and will close on Friday, January 27, 2023 at 5:00 p.m. To register and apply, visit ccdbusiness.org/oregonsbma.

There will be virtual Q&A meetings taking place Friday, January 13, 2023, at 10:00 am and 3:00 pm. Those interested in applying for the grant can register for these virtual Q&A meetings using this online form.

Eligibility

A microenterprise (5 or fewer employees) or small business (5-1,500 employees) that:

• Was in business prior to March 8, 2019
• Can document COVID-19 impact (lost revenue, mandated closures, workforce issues, supply complications, etc.)
• Was generally stable/strong prior to the COVID-19 pandemic
• Has an owner and/or employees who meet low- and moderate income (LMI) criteria

Grant Limits

Grant sizes will be between $2,500 - $30,000 per business:

• Microenterrprise whose owner is LMI can qualify up to $10,000
• Small business can qualify for $2,500 per LMI employee retained up to $30,000

Contact

• Via Email at CCD Business Development Corporation or phone 1-888-263-0971

Additional Resources

• CCD SBMA Website
• CDBG Homepage
• Program Information (in multiple languages)
• Program Flyer

On Wednesday, January 11th, the Stayton Apartment construction project located at 2101 N Third Avenue, will be performing work in Third Avenue.

Flaggers will be used to direct traffic through the construction zone. Vehicles traveling on Third Avenue between Wildflower Drive and Fern Ridge Road will experience delays due to the construction work.

If you have questions or comments, please contact the Public Works Department at (503) 769-2919.

In the spring of 2022, the Stayton Parks and Recreation Board held a Stayton Parks Contest. The Board requested videos be submitted featuring Stayton’s Riverfront Park and Pioneer Park.

This past fall, the Board chose two winners, one for Riverfront Park and the other for Pioneer Park. The winners were Whitley Stepp for her Riverfront Park video and Reuel Liwag for his Pioneer Park video.

You can view the videos by visiting:

• Whitley Stepp - https://youtu.be/bGl2XZBvvdk
• Reuel Liwag - https://youtu.be/oxvWBKy4qwQ

Congratulations and well done Whitley and Reuel!

In response to the Neighborhood Parking Collaborative hosted by Santiam Hospital on October 4, 2022, the City staff has looked more closely at several issues and ideas raised at the meeting.  Click on the link below to view a summary of actions/recommendations in response to the issues brought up at the Neighborhood Parking Collaborative:

Hospital parking options public notice-Final.pdf

The Stayton City Council currently has one vacancy after Brian Quigley was recently elected Mayor during the November 2022 General Election. Mayor Brian Quigley is accepting Letters of Interest from interested community members who would like to serve on the Council. The councilor term runs through December 2024.

Meetings of the City Council typically occur at 7:00 p.m. the first and third Monday of every month. On occasion, the City may need a Special Call which most likely would occur on the second and fourth Mondays. Council members also serve as a Budget Committee member.

For more information, please visit: www.staytonoregon.gov/page/gov_cc_home

Letters of Interest should be submitted no later than January 31, 2023. If you would like to submit a Letter of Interest, please submit your letter via email at citygovernment@staytonoregon.gov or to City Hall at 362 N. Third Avenue, Stayton, OR 97383

Update! Due to overwhelming interest, this has been opened to all students in the area of the North Santiam School District. The City of Sublimity is also sponsoring a contest in their community, for more details contact them at (503) 769-5475.

Students residing in the city limits of Stayton are invited to submit an entry for the 2023 “If I Were Mayor…” contest.

The contest is open to students residing within the city of Stayton who are enrolled in school or being home-schooled during this current school year. There will be three winners, one chosen from each of the following categories:

• Elementary School (grade 4-5) - Posters Contest (Photo of poster can be PNG, JPEG, BMP or PDF files)
• Middle School (grade 6-8) - Essay Contest (Word, PDF, PowerPoint or online essay format)
• High School (grades 9-12) - Digital Media Presentations (Videos only, MP4 or online video format) 

These three local winners will be invited to present their entries to the City Council on March 20th and will be submitted to the statewide competition where they will be eligible to win one of three statewide prizes.

Submissions will be accepted through Friday, February 24th, 2023 and will be accepted via email at citygovernment@staytonoregon.gov or at City Hall (362 N. Third Avenue, Stayton).

Questions? Contact City Hall at (503) 769-3425 or via email at citygovernment@staytonoregon.gov.

We know many are nervous about the anticipated weather. ?? City staff are doing all we can to prepare, and our sander is ready to go! While we cannot sand every single street in Stayton, we do have priority routes that will be sanded. Additionally, we have coordinated with Marion County to ensure they are applying deicer to County maintained streets in Stayton (First Avenue, Shaff Road, Wilco Road, Golf Club Road, Washington Street, and E. Santiam). We are monitoring the weather and attending briefings from the National Weather Service to help ensure closures of City facilities are timed appropriately for public and staff safety. As of 2:00 p.m., the following City facility closures have been determined:

• The Stayton Family Memorial Pool will be closing at 2:00 p.m., following Open Swim
• City offices and the Library will be closing at 4:00 p.m.
  
  
• If power outages occur, you should report them to Pacific Power:
• Via the Pacific Power app, or by texting OUT to 722797, or by calling 1-877-508-5088

As outages occur, City staff will also be in contact with Pacific Power to determine the magnitude of outages and appropriate action plans.

Below are important numbers to take note of in case of outages or other issues:

• City of Stayton After-Hours Emergency Line - (503) 982-2340
• Pacific Power - (888) 221-7070
• Northwest Natural Gas - (800) 422-4012 

Shop with a Cop (SWAC)?? Stayton Police joined law enforcement personnel from around Marion County on December 10th for the annual Shop with a Cop program. Officers volunteered their time to shop with local youth. The event was sponsored by Believe in Your Community and held at the Target at Keizer Station. Each youth was paired with a law enforcement person and allowed to shop, take photos with Santa, have the gifts wrapped and enjoy cookies and cocoa. Over 600 Marion County kids were able to participate.

Stayton Police Officer Pindell has completed his 16-week Basic Police course at DPSST. He graduated on Friday, Dec 9, 2022, and will return to Stayton PD to complete his next phase of training. Officers complete extensive training in the classroom, tactical training, scenario training and in the field training before being solo qualified. He will be assigned a field training officer and work towards his next phase of training. We are excited to have him back. Graduation of the academy is a big step in an officer’s career. Congratulations Officer Pindell.

Sergeant Butler was officially sworn in during a ceremony on December 7, 2022. With the retirement of Sgt Wetzel, we had a vacancy on our supervisor team. We completed a promotional process and Dean Butler was promoted to sergeant.  

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Marion County, Oregon will be hosting a presentation and discussion on Saturday, November 5th from 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on the Marion County Recovery Plan. The event will be held at the Detroit Community Center (345 Santiam Avenue, Detroit). You can also join via Zoom (https://uso6web.zoom.us/j/83080985953)

Downtown Trick or Treating! Join us downtown on Halloween for Trick or Treating from 3:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Can't wait to see everyone's costumes! ??????

Event coordinated by Revitalize Downtown Stayton.

You will soon notice construction beginning at the empty lot between Cascade Highway and 3rd Avenue north of Fern Ridge Road. This is a private development project to construct a 72-unit multi-family apartment complex, on land that has been zoned for apartments.

A public hearing was held on the application (Land Use File #5-03/22) before the Stayton Planning Commission in May 2022. The Planning Commission found that the application, with conditions, met the standards for approval and issued a Notice of Decision on May 31, 2022.

A copy of the order containing a summary of the facts, conclusions, and decision is available for review at the Planning Office via email at dfleishman@staytonoregon.gov or calling 503-769-2998.

The Stayton Public Works Department has reviewed the Site Development Permit Application for compliance with the City’s Design and Construction standards and will be issuing the Site Development Permit to allow for work to begin this month. Work will include improvements to the frontage of the project along 3rd Avenue such as new sidewalk, driveway entrance, sanitary sewer improvement, and the installation of several streetlamps. The construction is estimated to be completed within the next 12 to 18 months.

Did you lose a kick scooter in the last couple of weeks?

Please reach out to the Stayton Police Department at (503) 769-3421 to see if it matches one we have as found property.

On the morning of October 17th, 2022, Stayton Police Department was alerted by Stayton High School staff to a possible bomb threat at the high school. School students and staff were evacuated from the high school buildings out of an abundance of caution. Students and staff staged at an evacuation site on the high school campus.

Stayton Police Department in cooperation with Oregon State Police Bomb Squad and Aumsville Police Department were onsite and investigated the threat. Based on information found during the investigation, resources from the bomb squad were used and areas of concern were searched. No device was found. As of 12:07 p.m., students returned to finish their school day.

The involved juvenile was charged with Disorderly Conduct under ORS 166.023.

The Stayton Police Department would like to thank Stayton High School staff, the Aumsville Police Department, and Oregon State Police for their assistance and cooperation with today’s events.

The safety of our schools and the greater community as a whole is our highest priority. We encourage individuals to promptly report incidents that seem suspicious or could threaten the safety of our citizens. Our 24 hour dispatch line is (503) 982-2340.

You may have noticed construction work that began on Monday, October 3rd, near the intersection of Shaff Road and Golf Club Road.

This is a private development project to construct a multi-family apartment complex. There will be approximately 100 apartment units, a club house, and storage units at the complex. The owner of this project is State Investments, LLC, from Salem. If you have specific questions about the apartment complex you can contact their representative Zach Pelz, AICP, with AKS Engineering & Forestry, LLC at pelzz@aks-eng.com (DO NOT CONTACT regarding rental applications as this development will not be complete for at least 12 to 18 months).

As part of the project, there will be public improvements on Golf Club Road which include the extension of the water main and the sanitary sewer main, as well as new curb and sidewalk. For questions concerning the public improvements, contact Michael Schmidt at (503) 769-2919 or email at mschmidt@staytonoregon.gov.

Additional information on this development:

Thank you to everyone who has commented on our post. We want to take this opportunity to inform people a bit more about the process for reviewing these types of projects. Projects such as the Shaff Square apartments are the subject of a public hearing and review by the City’s Planning Commission. The application was presented to the Planning Commission at a public hearing in November 2021. Notice of the public hearing is posted on the City’s website (https://www.staytonoregon.gov/page/gov_planning_agendas_minutes), is mailed to the owners of all property within 300 feet of the subject property, and is provided by a sign posted on the subject property. The Planning and Development Department also sends out a monthly email with an announcement of the agenda items before the Planning Commission. If you would like to be added to the distribution list for those emails in the future, please send an email to dfleishman@staytonoregon.gov. Between the time notice of the public hearing has been sent and the hearing is held, all the application materials submitted, and any review comments or public comments are posted on the City’s website for public review. While the application materials are removed from the City’s website a few weeks after the Planning Commission hearing, they are still available for review by contacting the planning department via email at dfleishman@staytonoregon.gov or calling 503-769-2998.

Most of the comments posted here address traffic and impacts on schools and other public services. Part of the application is a Transportation Impact Analysis (TIA), prepared by a transportation engineer. The analysis examines the impacts of the proposed project on the nearby street network and intersections and make recommendations for improvements. This analysis is then reviewed by the City’s transportation engineering consultants prior to presentation to the Planning Commission. The TIA concluded that there would be no change in the “Level of Service” at the Shaff/Golf Club intersection due to the development and the City’s consultants agreed with this assessment. Improvements will be made, however, including street frontage and sidewalk improvements along Golf Club Road to the intersection. In addition, the development is required to pay System Development Charges for streets, water, storm, and sanitary sewer which will go to future improvements to the systems.

In addition to traffic impacts, a development application is reviewed to assure there will be adequate water and sewer service and stormwater impacts meet the City’s standards.

The application materials are sent to eleven agencies, including the North Santiam School District, Marion County Public Works Department, Police Department, and private utilities requesting their review comments. State law prohibits the City from using the impacts on the school system as a criteria for approval of a residential development.

Following approval of the Site Plan, the applicant must prepare detailed engineering and construction plans, which are submitted to the City’s Public Works Department for review and approval prior to the issuance of a Site Development Permit. This permit ensures that construction will be done in accordance with all plans and specifications for safety and reliability over time. For Shaff Square, these plans were submitted in July and review will finalized this month or in November. An “Early Grading Permit” was issued by the Public Works Department to allow earth work to commence before the fall rains begin.

Finally, there is currently a vacancy on the Planning Commission. The Commission generally meets once a month. This is your opportunity to be involved in making decisions on the future of the City.

Due to construction outside of City Hall which prevents access to the building, our offices will be closed to the public today (Monday, October 3rd) from 12:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. and tomorrow (Tuesday, October 4th) from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Employees will still be available via email and in the office answering phone calls.

On Saturday, September 10th, 2022, the Stayton Public Library will be extending their hours until 7:00 p.m. for the day to serve as a Cooling Center for those looking to cool off from the high temperatures expected and the planned Public Safety Power Shutoff that day.

Below is a list compiled by Santiam Service Integration on community resources available during this time and a preparation flier:

• Santiam Service Integration - Community Resource Centers
• Santiam Service Integration - Preparation Tips

Updated 9/8/22 at 9:33 a.m.:

To see if your address will be specifically impacted by the Public Safety Shutoff, view the map posted at: https://www.pacificpower.net/outages-safety/wildfire-safety/public-safety-power-shutoff.html

Also, make sure your contact information is up to date on your Pacific Power account. If you will be directly impacted, Pacific Power will send out a notice.

-------------------------------------

Pacific Power issued the following notice late afternoon on Wednesday, September 7th:

**Update** Due to elevated wildfire conditions and forecasted high, gusty winds, we will perform a Public Safety Power Shutoff in your area. The Public Safety Power Shutoff will affect approximately 12,000 customers and begin at around 12 a.m. on Friday, September 9 and could last through Saturday evening.

Sections of the following communities could experience a Public Safety Power Shutoff:

• Stayton through the Santiam Canyon
• Lebanon
• Sweet Home
• Lincoln City
• Glide east along Umpqua Highway

A Public Safety Power Shutoff is a proactive measure to reduce wildfire risk during hazardous fire weather by proactively turning off power. Temporary community resource centers are being set up in the affected communities. Locations and a full list of amenities will be shared when that information is available.

Pacific Power is taking additional safety precautions by directing extra personnel and resources to monitor weather impacts on the system. After weather conditions subside, a safety patrol will occur to ensure it is safe to re-energize the electrical network.

We will provide a situation update in 24 hours. For a map of affected areas, visit www.pacificpower.net/psps.

We appreciate your understanding and patience during this important public safety measure.

_____________

Debido a las elevadas condiciones de incendios forestales y el pronóstico de vientos muy altos, realizaremos un corte de energía de seguridad pública en su área. El corte de energía de seguridad pública afectará a aproximadamente 12,000 clientes y comenzará alrededor de las 12:01 a.m. el viernes 9 de septiembre y podría durar hasta el sábado por la noche.

Un corte de energía de seguridad pública es una medida proactiva para reducir el riesgo de incendios forestales durante el clima de incendio peligroso al apagar proactivamente la energía. Se están estableciendo centros temporales de recursos comunitarios en las comunidades afectadas. Las ubicaciones y una lista completa de servicios se compartirán cuando esa información esté disponible.

Pacific Power está tomando precauciones de seguridad adicionales al dirigir personal y recursos adicionales para monitorear los impactos climáticos en el sistema. Después de que las condiciones climáticas disminuyan, se realizará una patrulla de seguridad para garantizar que sea seguro volver a energizar la red eléctrica.

Proporcionaremos una actualización de la situación en 24 horas. Para obtener un mapa de las áreas afectadas, visite pacificpower.net/psps. Agradecemos su comprensión y paciencia durante esta importante medida de seguridad pública.

On Tuesday, July 26th, 2022, the Stayton Public Library will be extending their hours until 7:00 p.m. for the day to serve as a Cooling Center for those looking to cool off from the high temperatures expected. 

We will continue to monitor the weather and, if necessary, extend the Library hours as needed to serve as a Cooling Center.

The paving project on E. Jefferson Street will begin next week. Community members are encouraged to find alternate routes around this area of Stayton.

On Monday, June 27th, the street will be milled (pavement grinding) and on Tuesday, asphalt paving will begin.

If you have any questions, please reach out to the Public Works department at (503) 769-2919.

Is your neighborhood hosting an event or block party in honor of National Night Out on August 2, 2022? Let us know! The Stayton Police Department would love to drop by your event to visit and bring some swag.

Millions of neighbors take part in National Night Out across thousands of communities from all fifty states, U.S. territories and military bases worldwide on the first Tuesday in August. Neighborhoods host block parties, festivals, parades, cookouts and various other community events with safety demonstrations, seminars, youth events, visits from emergency personnel, exhibits and much, much more.

National Night Out is a great time to get to know your neighbors! If you plan to host a block party event in your neighborhood on National Night Out register at https://www.staytonoregon.gov/page/police_nno_register or let Stayton Police Department know by reaching out at (503) 769-3423.

On Thursday, June 2nd from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., in the Stayton Middle School Cafeteria (1021 Shaff Road), Marion County will be holding an Open House to discuss the upcoming Safe Routes to School improvements. 

Marion County has received state funds to design and construct pedestrian facilities along Shaff Road immediately south of Stayton Middle School. The project will construct a new sidewalk from the east end of the existing pedestrian path and extending to Gardner Avenue, construct ADA compliant curb ramps for the east-west crossing of Gardner Avenue, and an upgraded, ADA compliant pedestrian crossing of Shaff Road on the east leg of the Gardner Avenue intersection that will also include rectangular rapid flashing beacons, signage, and surface markings to enhance crossing visibility and safety. 

Shaff Road and Gardner Avenue will remain open during construction with flaggers directing traffic through the work area when needed. Construction is expected to be completed in summer 2023. 

If you are unable to attend but have questions about the project, please contact Lee Cronemiller, Project Manager, at (503) 566-4143 or via email at lcronemiller@co.marion.or.us.

You may view project information and a virtual presentation prior to the meeting at: https://www.co.marion.or.us/PW/Engineering/Projects/Pages/StaytonSRTS.aspx

To view the full memo and a map of the project:

• Marion County Open House - Shaff Road SRTS Project.pdf

CG Contractors, LLC from Salem, Oregon is going to begin work on the Jefferson Street Overlay project starting Tuesday, May 31st. The improvements will be from Third Avenue to Sixth Avenue. The work will include storm system upgrades, ADA sidewalk ramp construction, and a street overlay.

The work will be completed no later than June 30th. Traffic will generally be allowed on all streets during construction, although there may be delays. There will be notice given for street closures during grinding and paving work. Contact Ian Kintz-Stormo in Public Works at (503) 769-2919 if you have any questions.

The Stayton, Oregon, City Council has designated three finalists for the position of City Manager: Julia Hajduk, Daniel Hunter, and Matthew “Selby” Selby.

Julia Hajduk, current Community Development Director and past Planning Manager for the City of Sherwood, has 15 years of local government management experience. She has also served as a City of Sherwood Senior Planner, City of Tigard Associate Planner, City of Springfield Planner, and Economic Development Assistant at the Mid-Willamette Valley Council of Governments. She received her bachelor’s degree in Geography from Western Oregon University. Ms. Hajduk says, “I am extremely pleased to be a finalist for the City Manager position and look forward to meeting the community members and staff throughout the interview process. I look forward to sharing how my experiences and background will make me a great asset to Stayton and to hear how I can help you meet the community's needs and aspirations.”

Daniel Hunter, current Human Resources Director and Risk Manager for the City of The Dalles, has 6 years of local government management experience. He has also served as a Project Coordinator and Administrative Fellow for the City of The Dalles, Motor Carrier Enforcement Officer and Bridge Deck Inspector/Road Rater for the Montana Department of Transportation. Mr. Hunter holds a Master of Public Administration from American Military University and a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Linfield College. He is a veteran having proudly served in the US Air Force. Mr. Hunter says, “My Interest in city management began over twenty years ago while attending Clackamas Community College. As a native Oregonian my hope is that my career would be managing a City in Oregon. Stayton is a special place both because of its history and its proximity to recreation for those of us who love the outdoors.”

Matthew “Selby” Selby, current Interim Assistant City Manager for the City of Yakima, WA, has 11 years of local government management experience. He has also served as the Interim Executive Director for Middlesex West Chamber of Commerce, MA, Land Use and Economic Development Director for the Town of Acton, MA, Director of Community Development & Health, Economic Development Coordinator, and Conservation Agent/Zoning Enforcement Officer for the Town of Ashland, MA. Mr. Selby holds a Master of Resources Management & Administration from Antioch University and a bachelor’s degree in English from St. John’s University. Mr. Selby, originally from Massachusetts, shared "Since first visiting in 2006, I have wanted to move to the Pacific Northwest, but I had just started my public administration career. Sixteen years later, I'm more than ready to make the move to Stayton and into the City Manager's office."

The community will have an opportunity to meet the finalists at an in-person community reception the evening of Tuesday, April 26th, 2022 at 6:00 pm. The reception will be held at the Stayton Community Center: 400 W. Virginia St, Stayton, OR 97383.

City of Stayton - City Manager Finalist Press Release.pdf

The City of Stayton Parks and Recreation Board invites community members to enter the Stayton Parks Video Contest!

Show people the features that Pioneer Park and Riverfront Park have to offer visitors. Your video should feature Pioneer Park or Riverfront Park. Prizes for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place. Winners will have their video shared on the Parks webpage. Submissions are due by June 15, 2022.

To obtain contest information and register, please reach out to our Public Works Department at wcudd@staytonoregon.gov.

The Marion County Emergency Management team is working on the All-Hazard Mitigation Plan. Hazard mitigation planning reduces loss of life and property by minimizing the impact of disasters. It begins by identifying disaster risks and vulnerabilities that are common in our area. After identifying these risks, we develop long-term strategies for protecting people and property from similar events.

Please take a few minutes to share your thoughts and concerns by completing the survey: https://arcg.is/ivDbP

The City of Stayton is recruiting for the next City Manager and we would like your input on what skills, experience, and other attributes you feel are important for the successful candidate. As a community member, your opinion will provide an important perspective to develop the position profile and the recruitment materials. Feedback will be summarized with no comments being attributed to one person.

• https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/StaytonCommunity

The survey will be available through Monday, January 24, 2022.

If you have any questions or concerns please contact Amelia by email (amelia@jensenstrategies.com). 

For the week of December 27th through January 1st, the Stayton Family Memorial Pool will be closed due to the inclement weather.

The Stayton Public Library will be closed today, December 28th due to the weather and will be evaluated on a daily basis while the weather persists.

The City of Stayton was notified earlier this week that the State of Oregon has placed load restrictions on bridges located on Shaff Road, Wilco Road and Golf Club Road, just south of the Golf Course. Marion County will be placing load limit signs no later than December 10th, 2021.

Trucks that do not meet the axel/loading restrictions shown in the link below will need to find an alternate route into and out of Stayton. If you are located on Wilco Road and north of the Salem Ditch you will need to go north to Shaff Road then east to Cascade Highway, and then north to Highway 22. If you are located on Wilco Road south of the Salem Ditch, you will need to follow the alternate route as shown on the attached map created by Marion County.

If you have questions, please contact Bill Brownlee at Marion County at wbrownlee@co.marion.or.us.

• Weight Limit Restrictions Sign Plan.pdf
• Load Restrict Rec - Salem Ditch Shaff Rd SE.pdf
• Load Restrict Rec - Salem Ditch Wilco Rd.pdf

The Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA) has presented a Distinguished Budget Presentation Award to the City of Stayton for its annual budget for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2021. This is the sixth consecutive year the City has received this recognition.

The award represents a significant achievement by the City of Stayton. It reflects the commitment of the City Council and staff to meeting the highest principles of government budgeting. In order to receive the budget award, an entity must satisfy nationally recognized guidelines for effective budget presentation. These guidelines are designed to assess how well an entity’s budget serves as:

• a policy document
• a financial plan
• an operations guide
• a communications device

Budget documents must be rated “proficient” in all four categories, and in the fourteen mandatory criteria within those categories, to receive the award.

Interim City Manager Alissa Angelo shared the following, “We are honored to receive this award for the sixth consecutive year. It’s a true reflection of the hard work and dedication put forth by the City Council and City staff each year during development, presentation, and consideration of our budget document. As a smaller community, putting together a document of this size is no easy feat, but our team is committed to providing a transparent and easy to understand document for the community.”

The Stayton Police Department would like to remind drivers to plan and use a designated non-drinking driver, Uber, taxi, or other form of transportation to get home safely when celebrating during this holiday season.

Starting this Thanksgiving weekend, we will be conducting targeted patrols to increase safety on our roadways. The patrols are funded by grants provided through the Oregon Department of Transportation.

In addition to grant funded patrols, on Saturday, November 27th, Mother Against Drunk Driving (MADD) is partnering with Stayton Police, the Oregon State Police, and other local law enforcement agencies from Marion and Polk counties to hold a Thanksgiving holiday high visibility saturation patrol throughout the area. Special thanks to Keizer Police and MADD for organizing the patrols.

The Stayton Police Department wishes you and your families a safe and happy holiday season!

Aumsville Police Department has challenged us to a No Shave November contest to see which department can raise the most money for the Can Cancer Fund during November. Officers have donated money to participate and are encouraged to grow a full beard to proudly show off during the month of November.

The public is encouraged to participate by also making donations via their local police department. For every donation made by a community member, their name will be entered into a drawing to win lunch with Police Chief Frisendahl. Other incentives will be announce throughout the month. Additionally, at the end of November, there will be a review of the progress and votes for Best Beard, Worst Beard, and Paul Bunyan look-alike.

To assist with donations, we've teamed up with the Santiam Service Integration team. Donations can be brought to the Stayton Police Department and dropped off in the lobby, the water bill drop box out front at any hour, or mailed to the Stayton Police Department (386 N. Third Avenue). Checks should be made out to the Santiam Service Integration Team and receipts are available upon request. At the end of the month, all monies donated will be given to the Can Cancer Fund.

Help a great cause and help Stayton raise more money than Aumsville in this friendly competition!

Recently, the Stayton Police Department has seen an increase in computer, phone, and rental scams. This is a reminder that if something seems to be too good to be true, it probably is, so please be cautious. Below are some great resources to help protect you and those you know:

• Oregon Department of Justice
• Federal Trade Commission Consumer Information
• USA.gov

The Stayton City Council currently has one vacancy after the recent resignation of Councilor Christopher Molin. Mayor Henry Porter is accepting Letters of Interest from interested community members who would like to serve on the Council.

The councilor term runs through December 2024. Meetings of the City Council typically occur at 7:00 p.m. the first and third Monday of every month. On occasion, the City may need a Special Call which most likely would occur on the second and fourth Mondays. Council members also serve as a Budget Committee member. For more information, please visit: www.staytonoregon.gov/page/gov_cc_home

The first review of Letters of Interest will be on October 29th, 2021 but will continue to be accepted until the position has been filled. If you would like to submit a Letter of Interest, please submit your letter to City Hall at 362 N. Third Avenue, Stayton, OR 97383 or via email at: citygovernment@staytonoregon.gov

On Tuesday, September 14th, 2021, an Open House regarding the Facilities Master Plan Project was held at 6:00 p.m. at the Stayton Public Library. During the meeting, Mackenzie shared a history of the project and three site studies. You can view the presentation and three site studies they conducted as well as participate in the Community Input survey by clicking the link below.

Facilities Master Planning Project

On Tuesday, September 14th beginning at 6:00 p.m., please join us for an open house at the Stayton Public Library to learn more about the efforts under way to develop a Master Plan for the City of Stayton’s public facilities. Hear from City staff as well as our architecture and engineering consultants, Mackenzie, as they present the current sites and considerations for the City’s facilities.

Mackenzie will provide further insight into their process and conceptual master plan for the following City of Stayton facilities:

• Stayton Family Memorial Pool
• Stayton Public Library
• Community Center
• City Hall
• Police Station
• Public Works and Planning

Many Americans look to the Labor Day holiday weekend as the unofficial end of summertime. No matter how you plan to celebrate the end of the season this year, make sure you plan it safely. This Labor Day weekend, law enforcement in Stayton are participating in the Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over impaired driving awareness campaign, which runs from August 18 through September 6, 2021. In support of the law enforcement community’s dedication to protecting the lives of residents in their communities, you’ll see officers working together during this holiday weekend to take drunk drivers off the roads. These expanded efforts to protect against impaired driving will be conducted in a fair and equitable way.

According to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 10,142 people were killed in motor vehicle crashes in 2019 that involved an alcohol-impaired driver. On average, more than 10,000 people were killed each year from 2015 to 2019, and one person was killed in a drunk-driving crash every 52 minutes in 2019. This is why Stayton Police Department is working together with NHTSA to remind drivers that drunk driving is not only illegal, it is a matter of life and death. As you head out to the Labor Day festivities, remember: Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over.

“We want our community members to understand that it’s our first priority to keep people safe, so we’re asking everyone to plan ahead if they know they’ll be out drinking,” said Captain Johns. “We need commitment from our community members that they’ll keep the streets free of drunk drivers so that everyone can have a safe holiday. This is a campaign to get the message out that drunk driving is illegal and it takes lives. Let’s make this a partnership between law enforcement and drivers: Help us protect the community and put an end to this senseless behavior,” she said.

During the 2019 Labor Day holiday period (6 p.m. August 30 – 5:59 a.m. September 3), there were 451 crash fatalities nationwide. Forty-five percent of those fatalities involved drivers who had been drinking (.01+ BAC). More than one-third (38%) of the fatalities involved drivers who were drunk (.08+ BAC), and nearly one-fourth (24%) involved drivers who were driving with a BAC almost twice the legal limit (.15+ BAC). Age is a particularly risky factor: Among drivers between the ages of 18 and 34 who were killed in crashes over the Labor Day holiday period in 2019, 46% of those drivers were drunk, with BACs of .08 or higher.

Stayton Police and NHTSA are reminding citizens of the many resources available to get them home safely. “Drunk driving is not acceptable behavior, especially when there are so many safe alternatives to get you home safely,” said Captain Johns.

Stayton Police recommends these safe alternatives to drinking and driving:

• Remember that it is never okay to drink and drive. Even if you’ve had only one alcoholic beverage, designate a sober driver or plan to use public transportation or a ride service to get home safely.
• If you see a drunk driver on the road, contact Stayton Police.
• Do you have a friend who is about to drink and drive? Take the keys away and make arrangements to get your friend home safely.

For more information on impaired driving, visit: https://www.nhtsa.gov/risky-driving/drunk-driving

The City of Stayton's email server is being upgraded beginning at 8:00 a.m. on August 24th, and will not be up and running until late in the day. Employees will not receive incoming emails during this time.

If you need to reach a City employee, we recommend you call City Hall at (503) 769-3425.

On July 7, 2021, the Governor directed State agencies to conserve water in response to drought conditions facing Oregon. The executive order directed State agencies to curtail non-essential water use, implement water conservation measures, and encourage drought resiliency.

Since the July 7th executive order was issued, the Stayton area has received 0.02 inches of rain. The entire Willamette River Basin is suffering from drought-like conditions.

In an effort to do our part, the City of Stayton will be activating our Water Curtailment Plan. We will start our efforts in stage “Mild.” The Mild stage consists of bringing public awareness to the drought-like conditions and to reduce water consumption by 5%.

The City will be reducing our irrigation efforts in Stayton parks and limiting water usage where we can while still providing the quality of service our residents have come to expect.

We are also asking our community members to limit irrigating their lawns and eliminate washing vehicles by residential hose. Again, we are trying to reduce our monthly usage by 5%. Your conservation efforts are very much appreciated.

To view the City’s Water Management and Conservation Plan go to:

http://www.staytonoregon.gov/page/open/3483/0/Stayton_WMCP_Final.pdf

If you or someone you know is experiencing issues with a dog in the Stayton area, please contact Marion County who handles Dog Control for our area. 

Dog Control can be contacted by calling (503) 588-5233 or you can visit their website at: https://www.co.marion.or.us/CS/dogservices/enforcement

The Stayton Water System provides a reliable supply of high quality drinking water. We are pleased to report on our annual testing in accordance with EPA and Oregon Drinking Water Program guidelines. Our water surpasses all state and federal water quality requirements. The City of Stayton strives to provide the best water possible.

An electronic copy of the report is available at: www.staytonoregon.gov/page/pw_water

Scroll to the bottom to view Stayton Consumer Confidence Report 2020.

Paper copies are available upon request by calling (503) 769-2919 or send a written request to:

Water Quality Report
Stayton Public Works
362 N. Third Avenue
Stayton, OR 97383

Copies are also available at City Hall, 362 N. Third Avenue.

El Informe de la Calidad del Agua en Stayton de 2020 ya está disponible para descargar. ¡Es Información importante!

Plan ahead and be prepared!

Sign up for emergency notifications through the Everbridge Citizen Alert system:

https://member.everbridge.net/index/892807736721950#/signup

Emergency notifications from Everbridge can be sent to a landline, as well as a cell phone via call and text.

The 4th of July is right around the corner, and we are experiencing extreme fire danger and drought, not only in our area, but a large majority of the state. We encourage you to use caution as you celebrate in the coming days. While there is not a fireworks ban inside Stayton city limits, please consider foregoing fireworks use at this time of year.

If you live outside Stayton city limits, we encourage you to reach out to the Oregon Department of Forestry or your local city offices to gather information on rules in place for your area.

If you choose to light off fireworks, take extreme caution and keep the fireworks legal.

• Be Prepared
• Be Responsible
• Be Safe
• Be Aware

As a reminder, an illegal firework is any firework that flies into the air, explodes, or behaves in an uncontrollable and unpredictable manner.

You can find a searchable list of legal fireworks vendors in Stayton by visiting the Oregon State Fire Marshal website. 

Please help firefighters across Oregon by being mindful of the conditions and celebrate safely this Independence Day!

A Cooling Center will be available today from 1:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. at the Stayton Public Library Meeting Room (515 N. First Avenue). Stop by if you need to cool off from the heat!

Beginning Friday, June 25, 2021 at 7:00 a.m., and until further notice, all fire agencies within Marion County will enact a High-Fire Danger Burn Ban, based on a recommendation by the Marion County Fire Defense Board.

Marion County fire agencies include: Aumsville Fire District, Drakes Crossing Fire District, Gates Fire District, Hubbard Fire District, Idanha Detroit Fire District, Jefferson Fire District, Keizer Fire District, Lyons Fire District, Marion County Fire District #1, Mill City Fire District, Monitor Fire District, Mount Angel Fire District, Silverton Fire District, St. Paul Fire District, Salem Fire Department, Stayton Fire District, Sublimity Fire District, Turner Fire District, and Woodburn Fire District. Burning restrictions are authorized under Oregon Revised Statute 478.960 and Oregon Fire Code 307.

The burn ban prohibits all of the following:

• Backyard or open burning (branches, yard debris, etc.).
• Agricultural burning (agricultural wastes, crops, field burning, etc.).
• Any other land clearing, slash, stump, waste, debris, or controlled burning.

The burn ban does not prohibit:

Small outdoor cooking, warming, or recreational fires. These include portable or permanent fire pits, fire tables, and campfires, with a maximum fuel area of three feet in diameter and two feet in height in a safe location away from combustibles or vegetation and are fully extinguished after use.

Barbeque grills, smokers and similar cooking appliances with clean, dry firewood, briquettes, wood chips, pellets, propane, natural gas, or similar fuels.

There may be more restrictive fire safety rules on and within a one-eighth mile of Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF)-protected land, which exists throughout much of rural Marion County. ODF restrictions may include prohibitions on campfires, smoking, target shooting, powered equipment, motorized vehicles, and other public/private landowner and industrial fire restrictions. More details about ODF fire restrictions are available at https://gisapps.odf.oregon.gov/firerestrictions/PFR.html.

Outdoor fires in violation of this burn ban may be immediately extinguished. If a fire agency responds to a fire that has been started in willful violation of this burn ban, the person responsible may be liable for all costs incurred, as well as legal fees per ORS 478.965.

Fire chiefs in Marion County encourage the public to use extreme caution with activities that could start a fire. It is everyone’s responsibility to prevent and be prepared for wildfires.

On Saturday, June 26th and Sunday, June 27th, there will be a Cooling Center open at the Stayton Community Center (400 W. Virginia Street) from 1:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

The weather forecast in our area is calling for extreme heat this weekend. Start planning and preparing your home and family now for the weather headed our way. Stay safe everyone!

Below are a couple links with excellent information:

• https://www.ready.gov/heat
• https://www.cdc.gov/disasters/extremeheat/index.html

Pacific Power shared some tips for staying safe as we head into this record heat wave.

"Heat waves are something Pacific Power experiences each year. From a power supply perspective, we do not anticipate heat-related service interruptions during this current heat wave. In addition to regular maintenance and equipment upgrades, Pacific Power, as part of PacifiCorp, can access a diverse mix of available energy resources – solar, wind, hydro and thermal – which is key to fulfilling our promise of reliability and stability."

To read the full press release visit: https://www.pacificpower.net/about/newsroom/news-releases/stay-safe-during-record-heat-wave.html

Thank you to the community for voting on both the Recreation (Pool and Parks) and Library local option levy at the May 18th, 2021 election.

The goal for the pool is an August reopening. Now that the levy has passed, we are able to move forward with required repairs that must be done to the HVAC system plus allowing for additional time for the staff hiring process to take place.

As COVID-19 levels in Marion County improve and vaccination rates continue to increase, the City of Stayton has made the following adjustments:

• City offices have begun a limited reopening to the public, Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. At this time, masks are required (regardless of vaccination status) for staff and customers over the age of five.

• City staff and services continue to be available to the public Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. via phone, email, or video conferencing (e.g. Zoom).

The COVID-19 pandemic has fundamentally changed how we operate. Throughout the pandemic, the essential functions of the City have remained fully functional and operational. The focus of the City has been to meet our top priority, the health and safety of our residents and employees. As such, the City must continue to follow the recommendations and guidelines of the Oregon Health Authority (OHA), the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), Oregon Occupation and Health Administration (OR-OSHA) and City-County Insurance Services (CIS).

All staff contact information, with an option to send an email, is available on our Staff Directory page.

• City Hall – (503) 769-3425 or email cityofstayton@ci.stayton.or.us
• Police Department Office – (503) 769-3423
• Emergencies dial – 9-1-1
• For non-emergencies – (503) 982-2340
• Public Works Office Office – (503) 769-2919
• After-hours non-emergency – (503) 769-3421
• Planning & Development – (503) 769-2998
• Stayton Municipal Court – (503) 769-2668 or (503) 769-3425
• Stayton Public Library – (503) 769-3313

The statewide eviction moratorium ends on June 30th. The Oregon Emergency Rental Assistance Program online portal is now open to help Oregonians avoid eviction. The Program assists qualified tenants with funding to pay rent (including past rent, current and future rent) and certain home utility costs.

You can visit their website at www.OregonRentalAssistance.org. The website also has a variety of helpful tools including videos, information about income limitations, tenant checklists and links to paper applications etc. The portal is available in English, Spanish, Vietnamese, Simplified Chinese and Russian.

The City has hired contractors to perform gravel street grading and dust control treatment on Thursday, June 17th and Friday, June 18th. Vehicles need to be moved off the shoulders of gravel roads from 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on both days. All work will be completed by 4:00 p.m. on the 18th.

The following streets will be graded and sprayed with dust control: 

• E Regis St & 6th Ave
• E Robidoux St. and 7th Ave
• 5th Ave and E Hollister St
• E Florence St and 4th Ave
• Water Plant road
• W Water St and N Evergreen Ave
• N Birch Ave and W Ida St
• N Alder Ave and W Ida St
• W High St and N Cherry Ave
• W High St and N Evergreen Ave
• W High St and N Gardner Ave
• W Water St and N Holly Ave
• N King Ave and W Ida St
• N Peach Ave and W Washington St
• Jetters Way
• Police Department Shooting Range

If you have any questions or concerns, call the Public Works office at (503) 769-2919.

June 15th is National Elder Abuse Awareness Day. All across our state and especially during the time of COVID, older Oregonians are being abused by family members, friends, professionals, and scammers. Rarely are these incidents reported and even more rare are cases investigated and prosecuted.

The Oregon Attorney General is dedicated to improving awareness, reporting, investigations and prosecutions of these heinous crimes across the state. Please join us in the fight to create awareness and protect older vulnerable adults.

If you suspect an older adult is being abused, call 1-855-503-SAFE (7233) or contact the local law enforcement agency where the older adult lives.

One call could rescue an older adult who is unable to speak for themselves.

Have you ever considered volunteering time in your community? We are looking for civic-minded volunteers to fill vacancies on two of our boards:

• Parks and Recreation Board which meets on the first Tuesday of each month at 6:00 p.m. The Board is responsible for developing and maintaining parks and recreation programs, and serves as an advisory board to the City Council.

• The Public Arts Commission is a new board that has not begun meeting yet. The purpose of the Commission is to pursue placement of public art in public spaces within Stayton city limits while also serving to preserve and develop public access to the arts.

If you or someone you know would be interested in learning more about volunteering to serve on the Parks and Recreation Board, please email cityofstayton@ci.stayton.or.us or visit our Boards & Commissions page.

While the official start of summer is still a few weeks away, the State of Oregon and our region are already experiencing a severe drought. It is anticipated and expected the drought conditions could get worse in the months ahead. These conditions will again place our community at risk for wildfires. Preparation and planning *now* can make a significant difference in protecting your family, and your friends and neighbors.

The City of Stayton Police Department is reminding drivers about the lifesaving benefits of wearing a seat belt this spring, during the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) national Click It or Ticket high-visibility enforcement effort. The national seat belt campaign, which coincides with the Memorial Day holiday, runs from May 24 to June 6, 2021.

“We want the act of buckling up to become automatic to all drivers and passengers,” said Captain Johns, “It’s not just a safe thing to do – it’s the law. During the Click It or Ticket campaign, we’ll be working with our fellow law enforcement officers across local and state lines to ensure the message gets out to drivers and passengers. Buckling up is the simplest thing you can do to limit injury or save your life during a crash. We see the results of not wearing a seat belt all the time. We see the loss of life. So often, it could have been prevented.”

For this year’s Click It or Ticket seat belt mobilization effort, NHTSA is asking all states to participate in the kickoff event, Border to Border (B2B), a one-day, 4-hour national seat belt awareness event on May 24 that is coordinated by participating state highway safety offices and their respective law enforcement liaisons. The B2B program aims to increase law enforcement participation by coordinating highly visible seat belt enforcement and providing seat belt fact sheets for drivers at heavily traveled, highly visible state border checkpoints.

According to NHTSA, in 2019, there were 9,466 unbuckled passenger vehicle occupants killed in crashes in the United States. In that same year, 55% of passenger vehicle occupants killed at night (6:00 p.m. to 5:59 a.m.) were not wearing their seat belts. That’s why one focus of the Click It or Ticket campaign is nighttime enforcement. Participating law enforcement agencies will be taking a no-excuses approach to seat belt law enforcement, writing citations day and night. In Marion County Oregon, the maximum penalty for a seat belt violation is $265.00.

The Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA), again, for the fifth consecutive year, presented the Award for Distinguished Budget Presentation to the City of Stayton for its annual budget for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2020.

There are several criteria that must be met with a score of Proficient or higher to receive the Award for Distinguished Budget Presentation. The City of Stayton received Proficient or higher in every category. The GFOA Award Criteria includes the following categories:

Introduction and Overview

• Table of contents
• Strategic goals & strategies
• Short-term organization-wide factors influencing decisions
• Priorities and issues
• Budget overview

Financial Structure, Policy, and Process

• Organizational chart
• Fund descriptions and fund structure
• Department/fund relationship
• Basis of budgeting
• Financial policies
• Budget process

Financial Summaries

• Consolidated financial schedule
• Three (four) year consolidated & fund financial schedules
• Fund balance
• Long-range financial plans

Capital & Debt

• Capital expenditures
• Impact of capital investments on operating budget
• Debt

Departmental Information

• Position summary schedule
• Department descriptions
• Unit goals and objectives
• Performance measures

Document-wide Criteria

• Statistical/supplemental section
• Glossary
• Charts and graphs
• Understandability and usability

Overall

• Overall as a policy document
• Overall as a financial plan
• Overall as a operations guide
• Overall as a communications device

City Manager Keith Campbell had this to say about the GFOA recognition, “Receipt of this award is because of the Governing Body and City staff’s dedication to being leaders in best practices, transparency, and inclusiveness in sharing how our local government operates. This recognition from the GFOA shows our budget document is not only one of the very best in Oregon, but one of the very best in the entire country.”

The City is now accepting applications for plots at the Clarence Adams Community Garden located on Evergreen Avenue. Each plot is $25.00 and includes a spigot for irrigation.

First come, first serve!

Applications can be found on the Community Garden page. Download and complete the application, then email it to ikintz@ci.stayton.or.us.

If you have any additional questions, please contact Public Works at (503) 769-2919.

As clean-up of debris from the ice storm continues, we wanted to take a moment to recognize and thank our City of Stayton Public Works crews and Police Department for their dedication to the Stayton community during the storm and days following.

With no electricity, public works employees were on-site keeping our water and sewer systems up and running. Additionally, Public Works employees were also busy keeping the streets as clean as possible. Public Works employees worked a combined 162 hours during the storm to ensure no failures happened for our critical services.

The Police Department took on the role of identifying dangerous debris in rights-of-way, and when needed, securing dangerous areas as a result of the storm.

Please help us give a huge shout-out and thanks to the following Public Works employees:

• Michael Bradley
• Danielle Emmert
• Tom Etzel
• Joe Gesek
• Jason Miley
• Merle McCloud
• Bob Parsons
• Kendall Smith
• Troy Sanders

And, also help us recognize the Police Officers whose duties as public safety officers took on a new meaning during this storm:

• Cpt. Gwen Johns
• Sgt. Danielle Wetzel
• Sgt. Michael Meeks
• Officer Dean Butler
• Officer Tim Hankins
• Officer Matt Leonard
• Officer Travis Mumey
• Officer Daniel Reynolds
• Officer Christian Sandoval

Thank you for going above and beyond for the community, and for being awesome!

The City of Stayton's designated "Yard Debris Drop-Site" for storm debris will reopen today at 1:30 p.m. and close at dusk. Please leave your tree limbs inside the designated area in the park. This drop site is available only to Stayton residents.

After today, hours for the drop-site will be 9:00 a.m. to dusk.

The drop-site is located at Mill Creek Park (2800 Kindle Way SE). Please remember to be courteous and respectful as you travel through this residential area and maintain safe speeds.

Beginning this evening, the City of Stayton will open the Stayton Community Center for those who need to charge their electronic devices. The Community Center will have electrical outlets, chargers, stocking caps, and granola bars.

• Today - February 16th - the Center will be open from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

The hours for Wednesday and Thursday will be announced early tomorrow morning. Additionally, tomorrow we hope to have more supplies including blankets.

Remember to bring your mask, as it is required to enter the building.

According to Pacific Power, there are still approximately 3,500 people without power in the Stayton area. It is estimated that it will be Friday before power is fully restored to our community.

Please share this information with friends and neighbors who may need this service.

Today through Friday, from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., the Stayton Community Center (400 W. Virginia Street) will be open for those who need to charge their electronic devices. The Community Center will have electrical outlets, chargers, stocking caps, and granola bars.

Remember to bring your mask, as it is required to enter the building.

Please share this information with friends and neighbors who may need this service.

Marion County has established a call center for residents in need following the ice storm and subsequent widespread power outages. Call (503) 588-5108 for information about available resources or to request a welfare check for a medically vulnerable friend or family member in unincorporated areas of the county. Current call center hours are Monday-Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Please do not call this number for updates about power outages. Please call your power company for that information.

An Aumsville mother and her four children have started a "Poké Blue Helping You" program. They are providing local police departments with packages of Pokémon cards to distribute to local children they may come in contact with on patrol.

The hope is the Pokémon cards will create an ice breaker with the children and create a rapport between them and the officers. Additionally, reminding them they are cared for and there are helpers in their community who they can reach out to for help and support.

A huge thank you to this family!

Have you ever considered volunteering time in your community? We are looking for civic-minded volunteers to fill vacancies on our Parks and Recreation Board which meets on the first Tuesday of each month at 6:00 p.m.

If you or someone you know would be interested in learning more about volunteering to serve on the Parks and Recreation Board, please visit our Board and Commissions Page to download an application.

At their Monday, December 21st meeting, the Stayton City Council received a presentation from staff titled “2020 State of the Streets and Local Motor Vehicle Fuels Taxation Report.” This presentation provided an overview of the City’s streets, the rating system used to rank the streets, and how street projects are chosen.

• View Monday’s presentation on YouTube.
• Review the PDF of the presentation here.
• Learn more about street ratings and project selection.

On Monday, the Stayton Police Department made an arrest after receiving a report from a resident of a stolen generator from the back of their work vehicle on W. Kathy Street. Luckily, the victim was able to provide details regarding the suspect and their vehicle. A short time later, a vehicle matching the description was located and Police were able to confirm it was the same vehicle the victim had identified earlier. Additionally, the stolen generator was seen in the back seat of the vehicle.

Ultimately, David Surratt Jr. was arrested and charged with crimes associated with stealing the generator. Other items in the car associated him with thefts in Aumsville and he had an outstanding warrant in Clackamas County.

This highlights the importance of promptly reporting crimes and good eyewitness details and descriptions in order to catch the suspect. Further, citizen mounted surveillance cameras have proven helpful time and again in developing suspects, tying crimes together, or developing leads.

This is also a good reminder for residents that criminals are also out holiday shopping this time of year and any unsecured vehicles prove to be areas of interest for them. It is always suggested to secure your valuables and, if you are not able to remove them from your vehicle, put them out of sight or conceal them.

This holiday season, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is partnering with Stayton Police Department to share the message about the dangers of drunk driving. From December 18, 2020 through January 1, 2021, law enforcement will participate in the high-visibility national enforcement campaign, Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over. During this period, local law enforcement will show zero tolerance for drunk driving. Increased state and national messages about the dangers of driving impaired, coupled with enforcement and increased officers on the road, aim to drastically reduce drunk driving on our nation’s roadways.

Sadly, the statistics prove that we have a lot of work to do to put an end to drunk driving. According to NHTSA, 10,511 people were killed in drunk-driving crashes in 2018 across the nation. On average, more than 10,000 people were killed each year from 2014 to 2018 — one person was killed in a drunk-driving crash every 50 minutes in 2018. This is why Stayton Police Department is working with NHTSA to remind drivers that drunk driving is not only illegal, it is a matter of life and death. As you head out to the holiday festivities, remember: Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over.

The holidays should be an enjoyable time for our community members, not a marker for the death of a loved one due to a drunk-driving crash. We need commitment from our community members that they’ll keep the roads free of drunk drivers so that everyone can have a safe holiday. This is a campaign to get the message out that drunk driving is illegal and it takes lives. Help us put an end to this senseless behavior.

During the month of December 2018, 839 people lost their lives in traffic crashes involving a drunk driver. During the Christmas and New Year’s Day holiday periods in 2018 alone, there were more drunk-driving-related fatalities (285) than during any other holiday period that year. These fatalities are preventable, and drivers must remember that driving impaired by any substance — alcohol or other drugs — is deadly, illegal, and selfish behavior.

Stayton Police Department and NHTSA are reminding citizens of the many resources available to get them home safely. “Drunk driving is not acceptable behavior,” said Sgt. Wetzel. “It is essential to plan a sober ride home before you ever leave for the party. That’s why, during the holiday season, we will make zero exceptions and arrest all drunk drivers.

Stayton Police Department recommends these safe alternatives to drinking and driving:

• Remember that it is never okay to drink and drive. Even if you’ve had only one alcoholic beverage, designate a sober driver or plan to use public transportation or a ride service to get home safely.
• If you see a drunk driver on the road, contact your local Dispatch center by dialing 911.
• Do you have a friend who is about to drink and drive? Take the keys away and make arrangements to get your friend home safely.

For more information about the 2020 Holiday Season Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign, visit www.nhtsa.gov/risky-driving/drunk-driving.

On Wednesday, November 25th from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., the Covered Bridge Café will be hosting its 15th annual Community Dinner utilizing drive-up curbside service only.

This event is open to everyone in the community, no questions asked! The dinner is a traditional Thanksgiving feast plus dessert. The cost is FREE!

Please call (503) 767-3945 for information or to volunteer. If you wish to make a donation, contact the Covered Bridge Café.

The City of Stayton is offering disposal of yard debris, including leaves and brush, on Saturday, November 14th from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and Saturday, December 5th from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

The collection site is at the City of Stayton Shops located at 1820 N. 1st Avenue, Stayton. The only cost to Stayton residents is a donation of canned food to be given to the Stayton Food Bank. Those who reside outside city limits, the cost is $1 per bag.

Seniors needing assistance raking, bagging, or having yard debris picked up and delivered to the drop-off site should contact Stayton Public Works at (503) 769-2919.

Applications are now available for the Stayton Community Improvement Grant program. The goals of the Grant program are to help neighbors work together to accomplish shared goals that support the overall health, vitality, and livability of the place they call “home” and to support non-profit organizations that provide a service to Stayton residents. The City of Stayton offers these grants to non-profit organizations and to groups of at least three neighbors that are willing to match funding through cash, in-kind donation, and volunteer hours.

Grants are available to support programs and services that directly benefit Stayton residents. Funds may also be spent on public improvements identified by a neighborhood or on private improvements. Examples of public improvements are new or replacement play equipment or landscaping in parks, street tree plantings, or construction or replacement of sidewalks. An example of private improvements would be coordinated improvement to front yard landscaping.

This is a competitive grant program. Applications are reviewed by City staff, and selected grants are awarded by the City Council. For 2020-21, a total of $30,000 is available to disburse. Individual grant amounts are expected to typically be in the range of $1,000 to $5,000 each.

Awardees will be required to complete a brief summary of the project outcomes and submit a minimum of two visual items to illustrate the project (photos, printed materials, etc.). Awardees will be required to account for the allocation of the grant monies at the completion of the project, or at the request of City staff. The learn more about the program, visit our website at www.staytonoregon.gov/page/resources_community_imp_grants or by contacting the Planning and Development Director Dan Fleishman at dfleishman@ci.stayton.or.us.

Applications must be submitted by November 27th.

Here are some behind the scenes statistics of how our Library continues to serve our community since the building closure due to COVID-19. Our staff has worked hard to find new and innovative ways to serve and connect with our patrons such as curbside services and virtual programs for all ages.

During the month of October, you will see Stayton Police Officers wearing pink and purple undershirts in support of both Domestic Violence awareness and Breast Cancer awareness. Officers will wear purple as their part in bringing awareness and education of domestic violence.

Additionally, you will see officers wearing pink in support of survivors and bringing attention to finding a cure for breast cancer.

On July 21, 2020 when a Stayton medic unit was reported stolen from Santiam Hospital, the Stayton Police Department and Linn County Sheriff’s Office have been working follow-up. The 2014 Dodge medic unit was found burned to the frame on a forest road outside of Mill City on that same date. The theft and fire resulted in an estimated $150,000 loss in the vehicle and its contents. Linn County assisted in the recovery of the unit and subsequent arson investigation.

The suspect in the case, Joshua Matlock, was taken into custody by Linn County deputies and assisting officers on an unrelated Linn County incident on October 8, 2020. Stayton officers followed up on information related to Joshua Matlock for possession of stolen property from the medic unit. With the new information, Joshua Eric Matlock was charged on October 10, 2020 with Theft 1, UUMV and Arson II related to Stayton case 20-4233, and the stolen medic unit. He is currently lodged at the Linn County jail https://www.linnsheriff.org/jail/current-inmates/view-inmate/?id=284950

The case is still an open investigation. Should anyone have further information related to this case, please contact Stayton Police at (503) 982-2340.

The Stayton Police Department has added a new service called CityProtect, which is an online and mobile platform that allows you to see crime activity in our community including your neighborhood, schools, and parks. The program shows on a map icons representing the types of crimes occurring in our community.

CityProtect is a free service and requires no usernames or passwords. The crime information (incident information) does not show a specific address or names, only a general area (street and block) is used. The data you see on CityProtect is from our records management system (mark43), which contains completed reports by your Stayton Police Officers.

CityProtect is also used by law enforcement agencies throughout our region and nationally. This service allows you to look at crimes occurring in various cities where you work, visit, and play.

The Stayton Police Department is working to improve our abilities to provide our residents, the ability to see the work your police department is doing and strive to give you relevant and timely information.

Click here to visit our CityProtect page: https://cityprotect.com/agency/stayton

In partnership with the Marion County Clerk's Office, the City of Stayton is happy to announce the installation of a 24 hour ballot box at Stayton Public Library!

The Stayton Police Department would like to thank the residents of Stayton and greater Santiam area for their support of the law enforcement community during these past months. The numerous cards, social media posts, phone calls, and in-person contacts from you have only reassured us that what we do is worthy and noble. The Stayton Police Department is committed to improving our operational capabilities, transparency, policy, and procedures. Our actions will only strengthen the connection with the community where we work, live, and play.

The Stayton Police Department recently joined the Oregon Accreditation Alliance (OAA). OAA standards are derived from standards produced by the Commission on Accreditation of Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA). Being accredited is a method of measuring the performance and accountability of police agencies. Accreditation establishes a uniformed set of “Best Practices” for police agencies consistent, measurable, and verified by an independent body as to compliance and creates accountability to the community, elected officials, and the department staff who are performing the day-to-day work.

Our Police Department has been accepted to the OAA and is currently in a self-assessment phase. This phase requires the agency to review department policy and determine our level of compliance with OAA standards. The agency must establish proof of compliance, and through this process, we will be required to update and revise policies as necessary to obtain accreditation.

The next phase is an onsite assessment by OAA assessors who review our policies, procedures, and practices against the standards to ensure compliance was met. A report will then be compiled and forwarded to the Oregon Accreditation Alliance Board for review and nomination to award accreditation to the agency.

This is not a one-time process in order to maintain accreditation; an agency must provide annual documentation of continued compliance and undergo an onsite assessment every three years.

The Stayton Police Department is committed to this process to provide a high level of service to the community by adhering to the best practices in law enforcement. On average, it can take from 18-24 months to obtain accreditation. Of the one hundred and seventy-four (174) law enforcement agencies in Oregon currently, there are only fifty-three (53) who are accredited and fifteen (15) who are in a self-assessment stage of the process.

Again, we thank you for your ongoing support of the law enforcement community and your agency.

Any future Santiam Fire Updates can be found by visiting: 

http://staytonoregon.gov/page/resources_santiam_wildfire

We have taken all of our links and information and put them on our webpage. We hope this can be a complete resource for information.

UPDATE at 5:00 p.m.  (No change: Level 2 remains in place.) Unless there is a change of status, this will likely be the last post today. 

Our thoughts and well wishes are with the firefighters and first responders who are brave and unselfish public servants. 

Our thoughts are with our neighbors and friends up the canyon, and with all Oregonians impacted by these wildfires. 

 
Thank you to all the community members that have been following our updates. 

Communities up the canyon asked for us to share the following information. From Mile Post 13 to mile post 81 Hwy 22 is closed. This is for public safety, emergency responders, and search and rescue efforts. It is critical that people stay out of the areas around this closure.

The City of Stayton is remains at LEVEL 2 which is “Be Set” to evacuate. For our Sublimity friends and neighbors, you are still at Level 2. We will continue to monitor the situation and provide immediate updates if there are any changes. If you live outside of the City limits, notably to the North or the East) your situation may be different. 

Stating the obvious, the air quality in Stayton is hazardous. If you have to be outside take precautions or limit your time. Please be aware that poor air quality is expected to continue through the weekend, maybe longer. 

From the Marion County Sheriff’s Office:  “If you would like to donate food, water, pet food, blankets, or anything of that nature, please drop those at the United Way at 455 Bliler Ave NE. They are accepting donations between 8-5pm.

If you would like to donate money, we ask that you please visit redcross.org to donate any money to the cause.”

Please check out our prior post for helpful links and information.

*********************

UPDATE at 2:45 p.m.  (No change to our status: we remain at Level 2.)

The City of Stayton is remains at LEVEL 2 which is “Be Set” to evacuate. For our Sublimity friends and neighbors, you are still at Level 2. We will continue to monitor the situation and provide immediate updates if there are any changes. If you live outside of the City limits, notably to the North or the East) your situation may be different. 

Stating the obvious, the air quality in Stayton is hazardous. If you have to be outside take precautions or limit your time. Please be aware that poor air quality is expected to continue through the weekend, maybe longer. 

Our thoughts are with the residents of Lincoln City and with our neighbors and friends up the canyon. 

Copied from the Marion County Sheriff’s Office:  “If you would like to donate food, water, pet food, blankets, or anything of that nature, please drop those at the United Way at 455 Biller Ave NE. They are accepting donations between 8-5pm. If you would like to donate money, we ask that you please visit redcross.org to donate any money to the cause.”

Republic Service has suspended trash and recycling services to Stayton and Sublimity. Service will resume when it is determined it can be done safely.

Due to an extreme call volume Metcom 911 is asking that you do not call 911 unless you have a life threatening emergency. For power outages or updates on existing outages, please contact your provider.


Please check out our prior updates for helpful links and information.

**************

UPDATE: As of 9:00 a.m. on September 9th

There was no change in evacuation levels overnight. The City of Stayton and the City of Sublimity are under a LEVEL 2 "Be Set" Evacuation Notice. Residents should be prepared to evacuate. Please prepare to take all pets, medication and essential items.

You do not need to wait to evacuate the area, but if you have a safe place to go, please do so. If you are evacuating, please drive safely and with courtesy toward other motorists.

If you live EAST or NORTH of the Stayton/Sublimity City Limits your situation may be different.

The City has increased police patrols to make sure the community remains safe. 


Marion County Emergency Management has established a public info line for citizens to call about shelters or any evacuation questions. The number is 503-588-5108. 

The State of Oregon has a couple of resources available now:  https://wildfire.oregon.gov/ and https://www.oregon.gov/odf/fire/pages/firestats.aspx

We want everyone to sign up for Emergency Notifications that get pushed out to your phone. Please use the link below, or go to the app store on your mobile device and search “Everbridge” to install.

https://member.everbridge.net/index/892807736721950#/signup

While we continue to monitor our situation, our friends and neighbors in the canyon are going to need our help and assistance in the coming days, weeks, and months ahead.

If you or a family member who does not have transportation or who has a medical condition that needs transportation to please call METCOM at 503-982-2340. Please provide your name, phone number and address or email cityofstayton@ci.stayton.or.us with your information.

Marion County has declared a State of Emergency due to the wildfires.

On August 21, 2020, the Stayton Police Department presented Susan Harteloo of Postal Connections with a Certificate of Appreciation. During the month of July, on multiple occasions while working at Postal Connections, Susan identified Stayton residents who were being manipulated in phone and internet scams. Her efforts saved community members over $22,000 in lost income. The Stayton Police Department wanted to recognize her efforts in identifying and alerting our Police Department about the criminal activity. Susan’s actions have made the Stayton community safer. Thank you Susan!

Revitalize Downtown Stayton and the Stayton Public Works Department will be performing minor bridge maintenance on the Second Avenue Bridge beginning August 24th. They will be replacing boards and painting the bridge.

Maintenance will be performed starting August 24th, 2020. Please use caution while in this area. You may be detoured to the opposite side of the street to cross over the bridge.

If you have questions, please contact Public Works at (503) 769-2919.

Beginning Monday, August 24th, the City of Stayton will be conducting smoke testing of its sanitary sewer system. To determine when work crews will be in your area, please reference the included map. IMPORTANT! If there is any individual in your home or business who has respiratory problems and is immobile, please notify us at (503) 769-2919 prior to testing.

A smoke test survey will assist our inspection crews in locating breaks and defects in our sewer system. The smoke you see coming from the vent stacks on houses or holes in the ground is NON-TOXIC, NON-STAINING, HAS NO ODOR, WHITE TO GRAY IN COLOR AND CREATE NO FIRE HAZARD. Smoke should not be entering your home unless you have a defective plumbing or dried up drain traps. All work will be in the City right-of-way, although they may have to encroach on to private property if smoke appears. They will come to your door if this happens and let you know who they are and what they are doing. 

It is advisable for the home owner to pour a gallon of water into each floor drain prior to our testing. If smoke enters your home there is good reason to assume that dangerous sewer gases may also be entering your home or business. You should evacuate immediately and notify our work crews. If you are not home and discover smoke when you return, please call us us (503) 871-2252.

If you have any questions, please contact the Public Works office at (503) 769-2919.

Beginning Monday, August 24th through Thursday, August 27th, the City's contractor will be completing a street resurfacing project in the industrial area of Stayton (see maps for specific streets). The following dates and work hours are scheduled for construction:

• Monday, August 24th from 6:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m.
• Tuesday, August 25th from 6:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m.
• Wednesday, August 26th from 6:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m.
• Thursday, August 27th from 6:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m.

We are requesting patience as access may be delayed at times through the night while construction is performed. On street parking during the construction hours will not be allowed. 

If you have question, please contact Michael Schmidt in Public Works at (503) 769-2919 or via email at mschmidt@ci.stayton.or.us.

On Friday, July 24th, our contractor will be out in the Pioneer Meadows neighborhood making repairs to areas of the slurry seal performed earlier this month. Homes impacted by the repairs will receive a door hanger notifying them of the work. If you have questions, please contact the Public Works office at (503) 769-2919.

On July 8, 2020, Stayton Police Officers were alerted by a conscientious employee at Postal Connections regarding a situation they believed resembled a scam. The customer came in with an envelope they wanted to send out of state and said they had been given very specific directions on how it needed to be mailed and that it absolutely had to arrive the next morning. The customer was willing to pay several hundred dollars in shipping costs. Police were notified to assist.

It was discovered to be an elaborate scam where the caller caused the customer to believe a family member was in trouble and needed to send money immediately. Unfortunately, these scammers are skilled and use scare tactics. They prey on the concern people have for loved ones and add a sense of urgency to get the victim to respond quickly, often without fact checking. Thanks to the concern, quick thinking and compassion of the employees at the Postal Connections working in conjunction with the Stayton Police Department, the customer’s $7,500 was recovered and did not make it into the hands of the scammers.

If you want to educate yourself on other common scams, please see the DOJ link attached:

https://www.doj.state.or.us/consumer-protection/scam-alert-network/

A slurry seal project in the Pioneer Meadows neighborhood has been scheduled for Thursday, July 9th and Friday, July 10th. Street maintenance activities will be limited to the hours of 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. A project area map is below.

The streets that are to be slurry sealed are:

• 9th Ave. - Burnett St. to Virginia St.
• 10th Ave. - Burnett St. to the Dead End
• 12th Ave. - Burnett St. to Virginia St.
• 15th Ave. - Burnett St. to Jefferson St.
• 19th Ave. - Virginia St. to the Dead End
• Virginia St. - 10th Ave. to 19th Ave.
• Burnett St. - 9th Ave. to 19th Ave.
• Jefferson St. - 15th Ave. to Dead End
• Cooper Ct. & Brody Ct. (entire roadways)
• Highland Dr. - Jefferson to Santiam

Door hangers will be delivered no later than Monday, July 6th. The notice will include a work schedule, parking instructions, and guidance on how to access your property during the project.

If you have any questions or concerns please contact Ian Kintz-Stormo at (503) 769-2919 or by email at ikintz@ci.stayton.or.us.

At the 2020 General Election, the positions of two Councilors will appear on the ballot. The filing period for interested candidates began on June 3, 2020. The filing process must be completed by August 25, 2020 at 4:00 p.m.

To learn more about filing for a position, please visit the City’s November 3, 2020 General Election page at: http://www.staytonoregon.gov/page/gov_election_2020

We would like to congratulate Officer Dan Reynolds on his notable accomplishments while attending the Basic Police Academy at the Department of Police Safety, Standards, and Training!

Officer Reynolds was awarded the Lee M. Bown Academic Achievement Award for Basic Police Class 397, an award given to the top academic student. Additionally, he was the recipient of the Outstanding Health and Fitness Award, along with being awarded as one of the top shooters in the class.

Officer Reynolds demonstrated the core values of the Stayton Police Department while at the Academy, which are: Attitude, Leadership, Integrity, Service, and Teamwork. We are happy and honored to have Officer Reynolds back at the department serving the residents of Stayton and the Santiam Canyon community.

City of Stayton playgrounds are now open for public use. Please be advised that the use of the playground equipment and park amenities is to be done at the risk of you and any children in your care. The playground equipment and amenities will not be cleaned or sanitized by the City.

Per the Centers for Disease Control (CDC):

Carefully consider use of playgrounds, and help children follow guidelines. Playgrounds can be hard to keep safe because:

• They are often crowded and could make social distancing difficult
• It can be difficult to keep surfaces clean and disinfected
• SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, can spread when young children touch contaminated objects, and then touch their eyes, nose, or mouth.

If you choose to visit a playground:

• Maintain a distance of at least 6 feet away from people you don’t live with.
• Wash hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds
  
  • Adults and older children who can safely use hand sanitizer: Use hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol and rub hands together until dry, if soap and water are not readily available

• Wear a cloth face covering, if you can. Cloth face coverings should not be placed on:
  
  • Children under age 2
  • Anyone who has trouble breathing

For the safety of others, adults and children with these symptoms should avoid the playground or park amenities. People with these symptoms may have COVID-19:

• Fever or chills, Cough, Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, Fatigue, Muscle or body aches, Headache, New loss of taste or smell, Sore throat, Congestion or runny nose Nausea or vomiting, Diarrhea

These temporary guidelines may change as state or federal agencies update their guidelines.

The Stayton Water System provides a reliable supply of high quality drinking water. We are pleased to report on our annual testing in accordance with EPA and Oregon Drinking Water Program guidelines. Our water surpasses all state and federal water quality requirements. The City of Stayton strives to provide the best water possible.

An electronic copy of the report is available on the Public Works - Water page of our website. Scroll to the bottom to view Stayton Consumer Confidence Report 2019. Paper copies are available upon request by calling (503) 769-2919 or send a written request to Water Quality Report, Stayton Public Works, 362 N. Third Ave., Stayton, OR 97383. Copies are also available at City Hall, 362 N. Third Avenue.

El Informe de la Calidad del Agua en Stayton de 2019 ya está disponible para descargar. ¡Es Información importante!

Update posted May 14, 2020:

Yes, we're back with another update. Marion County has updated us this morning that location and hours have changed! Yes, there will be a ballot box in Stayton beginning tomorrow through May 19th. However, they've changed the location to Stayton Roth's Fresh Market (1770 Shaff Road) from 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 pm. We apologize for the multiple information updates. Unfortunately, during this time of COVID-19, things seem to be ever changing.

***********

Originally posted May 7, 2020:

During the May 19, 2020 Primary Election season the COVID-19 pandemic could change the access, hours, and availability of ballot drop boxes.

Below are options for turning in your ballot for the May 19, 2020 election:

Mail Option

• If today is before May 12, 2020 you are strongly encouraged to return your voted ballot by mail. Postage has already been included on the envelope, and stamps are not necessary to mail a voted ballot.

• Mailing a ballot after May 12th may not leave enough time for the ballot to arrive by 8:00 p.m. on the May 19, 2020 deadline.

24-hour Ballot Drop Box Option

A 24-hour drop box is always an option, but if today is after May 12, 2020 it is the best option. Drop boxes are open and available 24-hours a day from today until 8:00 p.m. on May 19, 2020 (except Marion County Public Works).

• Mt. Angel Library (290 E Charles St - Sidewalk on Charles St, south side of Library)
• Woodburn Library (280 Garfield St - N 2nd St between Garfield and Montgomery)
• Marion County Health Building (3180 Center St, Salem - South end of the first parking meridian)
• Keizer City Hall (930 Chemawa Rd NE - In the parking lot outside of Keizer City Municipal Court and Police Department)
• Silverton (208 Lewis St - In parking lot close to Jersey St and S 1st Street intersection)
• Marion County Public Works (5115 Silverton Rd NE - Parking lot to the right of the gate entrance) Hours are M-F, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; and open 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. on May 19, 2020

The Crack Seal project in the Pioneer Meadows subdivision has been rescheduled to begin on Wednesday, May 6th. Work will last three days and be completed by the end of the day Friday, May 8th. Please be sure to move parked vehicles off the road these three days.

The streets to be crack sealed are within the Pioneer Meadows Subdivision:

• 9th Avenue
• 10th Avenue
• 15th Avenue
• 19th Avenue
• E Burnett Street
• E Virginia Street

We ask that residents do not park on these streets Wednesday, May 6th through Friday, May 8th from 7:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m.

The contractor will need access to the entire street during these hours. Access will be maintained at all times although there may be delays. Please exercise caution when entering the work zone.

If you have any questions or concerns please contact Ian Kintz-Stormo at (503) 769-2919 or by email at ikintz@ci.stayton.or.us.

Looking for a space to plant your garden? The City is now accepting applications for plots at the Clarence Adams Community Garden located on Evergreen Avenue. Each plot is $25.00 and includes a spigot for irrigation. First come, first serve!

Applications can be found on the community garden page on our website: http://www.staytonoregon.gov/page/pw_Community_Garden

Download and complete the application, then email it to ikintz@ci.stayton.or.us. If you have any additional questions, please contact Public Works at (503) 769-2919.

Stayton’s Exceptional Quality (EQ) Class-A Biosolids are available for pick-up (by appointment only) weekdays year round from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at 957 Jetters Way in Stayton.

EQ Class-A Biosolids are excellent to use as a fertilizer, soil amendment (builder or conditioner), mulch, or as a potting medium. They are not made from livestock manure or yard debris; free of pathogens; heat-cured in a temperature controlled dryer; digitally monitored and laboratory tested; and designated EPA EQ Class A status “for use without restriction” (CRF40-503).

For more information about the nutrient content and biosolids process, please visit http://www.staytonoregon.gov/page/pw_Wastewater.

To schedule an appointment or if you have questions, please contact Sewer System Supervisor Troy Sanders via email at trsanders@ci.stayton.or.us or at (503) 769-2810.

Have you completed the 2020 Census? If not, visit https://2020census.gov/ and complete it online today! There's also the option to complete it via phone or mail.

The results of the 2020 Census will help determine how hundreds of billions of dollars in federal funding flow into communities every year for the next decade. That funding shapes many different aspects of every community, no matter the size, no matter the location.

Getting a complete and accurate count in 2020 requires everyone's help.

The Stayton Police Department is requesting information regarding an Assault II, which occurred at the Stayton Bi-Mart, located at 1701 Shaff Road, on March 26, 2020. Stayton Police Officers conducted an investigation and learned the suspect, a young white male adult, confronted and assaulted a disabled 60 year-old white male adult. The assault was unprovoked; the victim suffered serious physical injuries to the left side of his face and was transported to the Santiam Hospital. The victim was treated and later released.

The suspect fled the scene prior to police arrival. Witnesses described the suspect as being a white male adult, early 20’s with short blond hair, thin build being between 5’8” to 5’11” in height. The suspect was wearing dark pants, a dark shirt or jacket, possibly Carhartt style. The suspect vehicle is described as a 90’s Volvo wagon dark in color having a partial Oregon license plate of 849.

Anyone with information related to this investigation is encouraged to contact our 24-hour phone line and reference case number SYP 20-1647.

For further information, contact:

Stayton Police Department
(503) 769-3421 (24-hour line)
Case number SYP 20-1647

The City was notified today that community members may be receiving phone calls from a company called Doxo claiming you can use their company to pay your City of Stayton Utility Bill. This is not the case.

The City of Stayton is in no way affiliated with this company.

The only payment service utilized by the City of Stayton is XPress Bill Pay which you can learn about through our website. 

If you have any questions, please contact City Hall at (503) 769-3425.

The health and safety of our citizens is the number one priority of local government. We are at a critical point in terms of protecting the most at-risk portions of our community, the elderly and those with pre-existing health conditions.

Effective immediately, and until further notice, the City of Stayton will be closing the public lobbies of City Hall, Public Works, and Planning. The Police Department lobby will remain open with access to a public restroom and emergency phone.

Additionally, until further notice, the Stayton Public Library, Stayton Family Memorial Pool, and Stayton Municipal Court will be closed. All activities at the Library and Pool are canceled. If you have business with the Stayton Municipal Court, please contact the Court at the number provided below.

The Monday, March 16th City Council meeting has been postponed.

It is important to know that the critical functions of the City of Stayton will continue. The Police Department will continue serving and protecting the community. Our water and wastewater plants will continue to be fully operational. Our Public Works crews will be available to address critical infrastructure needs.

City staff in all departments will be available via phone to accept payments and answer questions. Additionally, there is a payment drop box available on the wall outside the Stayton Police Department. If you have a building permit to pick up from the City, please contact the Public Works Department to schedule an appointment.

We are taking active steps to limit direct interaction where COVID-19 could be shared or spread. These actions are for the safety and well-being of our community.

For updates, please follow our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/CityofStayton or visit our website.

All staff contact information, with an option to send an email, is available in our Staff Directory. 

• City Hall – (503) 769-3425 or email cityofstayton@ci.stayton.or.us
• Police Department Office – (503) 769-3423
  • Emergencies dial – 9-1-1
  • For non-emergencies – (503) 769-3421
• Public Works Office Office – (503) 769-2919
  • After-hours non-emergency – (503) 769-3421
• Planning & Development – (503) 769-2998
• Stayton Family Memorial Pool – (503) 767-7665
• Stayton Municipal Court – (503) 769-2668 or (503) 769-3425
• Stayton Public Library – (503) 769-3313

In an effort to share further information regarding Coronavirus (COVID-19) in Oregon, we are sharing this link to the Oregon Health Authority's website. The website includes updates, frequently asked questions, resources, videos, and other general information.

https://www.oregon.gov/oha/PH/DISEASESCONDITIONS/DISEASESAZ/Pages/emerging-respiratory-infections.aspx?fbclid=IwAR11GTUXaJdDe4nBUXcJlaE4_LNTjQYMvjIyj4QcIPexljpcrgexsGops6U

The Oregon Association of Water Utilities 42nd Annual Technical and Management Conference, is held each March at the Sunriver Resort. At its annual awards banquet, for the fourth year in a row, the City of Stayton was named as the Best Tasting Surface Water in Oregon.

The City of Stayton has excellent water which was proven this year again by an unbiased panel of three judges who blind taste tested drinking water from around Oregon, judging it on clarity, bouquet, and taste. The City of Stayton has now won the Best Tasting Surface Water in Oregon for four years in a row.

Great work and thank you to our Public Works team!

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that a ballot title for a measure referred by the City Council of the city of Stayton was filed with the City Elections Official on February 3, 2020, for an election to be held on Tuesday, May 19, 2020. The election shall be conducted by mail pursuant to ORS 254.465 and ORS 254.470.

Caption: Five Year Local Option Tax for Library, Pool, Parks Support

Question: Should City of Stayton impose $0.70 per $1,000 of assessed value for operations for five years beginning in 2021-2022? This measure may cause property taxes to increase more than three percent.

A complete copy of the ballot title, which includes caption, question, and summary as well as the text of the measure may be obtained at City Hall, 362 N. Third Avenue, Stayton, OR 97383; by contacting the Elections Official at aangelo@ci.stayton.or.us; or by calling (503) 769-3425.

An elector of the city who is dissatisfied with the caption may file a petition for review in the Marion County Circuit Court no later than 4:00 p.m. on the 7th business day after the date the city received the title. The deadline to request a review from Circuit Court will be February 21, 2020 at 4:00 p.m.

The Master Planning team would like to hear from you!

Please join us on Wednesday, February 12th at 7:00 p.m. at an open house at the Stayton Public Library to learn more about efforts under way to develop a Master Plan for the City of Stayton's public facilities. You will hear from City staff on why we are conducting this effort and meet our Architecture and Engineering consultants, Mackenzie, as they introduce the current state of the City's existing facilities. 

Mackenzie will provide early insight into the process and their findings after initial analysis of the following City of Stayton facilities:

• Stayton Family Memorial Pool
• Stayton Public Library
• Stayton Community Center
• City Hall 
• Police Station
• Public Works and Planning

If you have any questions, please reach out to us at cityofstayton@ci.stayton.or.us or (503) 769-3425.

The Stayton Police Department is joining other law enforcement agencies across the state in participating in three statewide traffic enforcement and safety campaigns.

The first of three campaigns began February 3rd and will continue through February 16th. During this time, traffic patrols will increase during daylight hours for the purpose of enforcing seat belt and child restraint violations along with speed violations and distracted driving.

The Oregon Safety Belt Overtime Campaign is a statewide selective traffic enforcement program which utilizes federal funding from the U.S. Department of Transportation. The campaign’s goal is to reduce the number of motor vehicle-related deaths and injuries by increasing public awareness of laws regarding the three most prevalent factors contributing to traffic crash injuries which are safety restraint use, speed, and impaired drivers.

2017 crash data from the Oregon Department of Transportation shows lack of safety belt or child restraint use was a factor in 64 of 285 motor vehicle occupant fatalities, or 22%.

Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for children ages one through 12 years old. In 2017, 1,906 children under the age of 12 were injured in Oregon traffic crashes, of which 9% percent were reported not using a child restraint system. It is estimated that car seats may increase crash survival by 71% for infants under the age of one and by up to 59% for toddlers, ages one to four years. Booster seats may reduce the chance of non-fatal injury among four to eight year old children by 45% compared to safety belts used alone. Moreover, safety belts used correctly can reduce the risk of major crash injury or death by up to 65%.

In 2017 an Oregon law was passed requiring:

• Children to ride in a rear-facing safety seat until they are at least two years old. Previously, the rear-facing requirement was until the age of 1. However, the law now takes into account the better protection of the child’s head, neck, and spine from potential crash injuries given a rear-facing seat spreads crash forces evenly across the seat and the child’s body while also limiting forward or sideways motion of the head.

• A child over the age of two must continue to ride in a car seat with a harness, or booster, until they reach the age of eight years old, or the height of 4 feet 9 inches and the adult belt fits them correctly.

For help selecting or installing child car seats, consult the seat manufacturer’s instructions, your vehicles owner’s manual, or visit a local child seat fitting station. For resources please follow the links from our public safety partners, Oregon Impact and the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration.

The Stayton Police Department along with the Oregon Department of Transportation encourages all drivers and passengers to make a conscious effort to use their seat belt at all times when traveling in a motor vehicle regardless of distance traveled. We also encourage the proper use of child safety and restraints.

Beginning February 3rd, 2020, the Jordan Bridge will be closed periodically for maintenance work. The contractor, Oregon Woods Inc., will be replacing several truss diagonals and repairing other structural components.

Once structural repairs are completed, the contractor will clean and repair the roof, make repairs to flashing and caulking, and paint the interior and exterior of the bridge. The project is expected to be completed by April.

If you have any questions or concerns please contact Ian Kintz-Stormo at (503) 769-2919 or by email at ikintz@ci.stayton.or.us.