April 3, 2024

The Medford City Council recently kicked off its second series of town hall events in their respective wards. Councilors discussed important topics that directly impact our community – updates from previous Town Hall events about homelessness, transportation projects affecting daily commutes, current developments, and housing initiatives.

The first event was hosted by Ward 1 Councilors Jessica Ayres and Sarah Spansail. 

Between 80-100 community members attended the event, and the panel answered nearly 50 questions from the audience during the Q&A session. 

The panel consisted of Councilor Jessica Ayres, Councilor Sarah Spansail, Mayor Randy Sparacino, City Manager Brian Sjothun, Deputy City Manager Kelly Madding, Police Chief Justin Ivens, City Attorney Eric Mitton, Public Works Director John Vial and Planning Director Matt Brinkley. 

Some of the questions asked were, "What is the City's role in housing?" and "How can the South Stage Road Interchange help with easing traffic issues at the South Medford Interchange?"

Housing is a top priority for the City Council, and we are working to promote the development of a diverse range of safe and affordable housing choices. This includes housing production strategies such as the Housing Opportunity Fund (HOF), Multiple Unit Property Tax Exemption, Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) and Medford Urban Renewal Agency (MURA). 

The City has partnered with the Oregon Department of Transportation to study how we can improve traffic operations in the south Medford area. The current challenge is that no roads cross Interstate 5 and Bear Creek for an approximate three-mile stretch between the Phoenix interchange (Exit 24) and South Medford interchange (Exit 27). This is creating significant congestion and safety issues at the south Medford interchange. The study will analyze the benefits of a South Stage Road overcrossing as well as other alternatives.

Clickhere(PDF, 4MB) for an overview of how the City is continuing to address homelessness in Medford, major transportation projects, Medford's housing landscape and notable residential development projects. 

The following is one of the testimonials received from a community member following the town hall event:

"I attended the Ward 1 Town Hall event this week, and I'm thankful for the opportunity to learn more about what's impacting Medford." 

The next town hall will be hosted by Ward 2 Councilors Tim D'Alessandro and Zac Smith on Wednesday, April 10 from 6:00 - 7:30 PM at the Oakdale Middle School auditorium (815 S. Oakdale Ave.). Click here for the town hall event schedule. 

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April 10, 2024

The Medford City Council continued its second series of town hall events to talk about important topics that directly impact our community – updates from previous Town Hall events about homelessness, transportation projects affecting daily commutes, current developments, and housing initiatives.

The second event was hosted by Ward 2 Councilors Tim D'Alessandro and Zac Smith. 

Nearly 50 community members attended the event, and the panel answered around 25 questions from the audience during the Q&A session. 

The panel consisted of Councilor Tim D'Alessandro, Councilor Zac Smith, Mayor Randy Sparacino, City Manager Brian Sjothun, Deputy City Manager Kelly Madding, Police Chief Justin Ivens, City Attorney Eric Mitton, Public Works Director John Vial and Planning Director Matt Brinkley. 

Some of the questions asked were, "What has Rogue X done for Medford?" and "What are the larger or major commercial building projects that have been approved in the city?"

"In the few months of Rogue X being open, it's had nearly 30, 000 open swim visits," said City Manager, Brian Sjothun. "Basically, in one month, we accommodated more visits than what Jackson Pool did for an entire summer. It's great to have a facility open year around that people can access."

"We have tons of hotels that are coming in because we have facilities like Rogue X, which bring in all of these tournaments," said Planning Director, Matt Brinkley. "We also continue to have a lot of commercial happening throughout the city, for example, Chuck E. Cheese."  

Click here(PDF, 4MB) for an overview of how the City is continuing to address homelessness in Medford, major transportation projects, Medford's housing landscape and notable residential development projects. 

The next town hall will be hosted by Ward 4 Councilors Nick Card and Eric Stark on Wednesday, April 24 from 6:00 - 7:30 PM at the Hedrick Middle School Cafeteria (1501 E. Jackson St.). Click here for the town hall event schedule. 

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May 1, 2024

The City recently concluded its second series of town hall events to talk about important topics that directly impact our community – updates from previous Town Hall events about homelessness, transportation projects affecting daily commutes, current developments, and housing initiatives.

The final event was hosted by Ward 3 Councilor Kevin Stine. 

Nearly 40 members attended the event, and the panel answered around 20 questions from the audience during the Q&A session.

The panel consisted of Councilor Kevin Stine, Mayor Randy Sparacino, City Manager Brian Sjothun, Deputy City Manager Kelly Madding, Police Chief Justin Ivens, City Attorney Eric Mitton, Public Works Director John Vial and Planning Director Matt Brinkley.

Some of the questions asked were, "What is the City doing in regard to the issues with Measure 110?" and "With Medford's growing population, what's being done to accommodate the need for more housing?"

City Council approved a resolution urging the Oregon Legislature to repeal or modify Measure 110, aiming to restore health, safety, and livability by addressing its impact on treatment-seeking incentives and as a police enforcement barrier.  

The City administers several programs intended to accelerate housing production, including the Housing Opportunity Fund (HOF), Multiple Unit Property Tax Exemption, Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) and Medford Urban Renewal Agency (MURA). The City has and will continue to study and plan for ways to address the housing needs of our growing community. 

Click here for an overview of how the City is continuing to address homelessness in Medford, major transportation projects, Medford's housing landscape and notable residential development projects.

The following are some of the testimonials received from community members after the town hall event:

"I'm new to Medford, so this event was a great opportunity to meet some of the City officials and learn more about what's going on in the area." 

"I'll admit that I was a little skeptical at first about the Highland Drive/Barnett Road dual right turn lanes, but after hearing more about it in-person, I have a better understanding of how this project will address safety concerns. Thank you for organizing this event!" 

The City plans to host more town hall meetings in the future and will provide information on our website when those details become available.

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April 17, 2024

The Medford City Council continued its second series of town hall events to talk about important topics that directly impact our community – updates from previous Town Hall events about homelessness, transportation projects affecting daily commutes, current developments, and housing initiatives.

The third event was hosted by Ward 4 Councilors Eric Stark and Nick Card. 

Nearly 80 community members attended the event, and the panel answered around 40 questions from the audience during the Q&A session. 

The panel consisted of Councilor Eric Stark, Councilor Nick Card, Mayor Randy Sparacino, City Manager Brian Sjothun, Deputy City Manager Kelly Madding, Police Chief Justin Ivens, City Attorney Eric Mitton, Public Works Director John Vial and Planning Director Matt Brinkley. 

Some of the questions asked were, "Are there monies being allowed to take the dead trees and wood out of the creeks (i.e. Larson Creek)?" and "When will Highland Drive from E. Main Street to Barnett Road be developed with curbs, sidewalks and gutters?"

"The City of Medford is in line to receive a grant from FEMA, and we've been working on this for about two and a half years," said City Manager Brian Sjothun. "We're getting about $4.5 million, and with that you'll see a total restoration of the Bear Creek Greenway, all of the tributaries inside the City of Medford and also Prescott Park." 

"We don't have a date yet, but I will say that for this biennial budget we're investing $7 million to add sidewalks, and we're going to keep doing that until we address this problem," said Public Works Director John Vial. "The need is huge; it's high priority and we're going to keep fixing them one at a time." 

Click here for an overview of how the City is continuing to address homelessness in Medford, major transportation projects, Medford's housing landscape and notable residential development projects.

The following is one of the testimonials received from a community member after the town hall event:

"I've been attending each of the Town Halls so far, and it's been nice hearing the different perspectives from our Councilors on the things happening in our community. Thank you for taking the time to do this!" 

The next town hall will be hosted by Ward 3 Councilors Kevin Stine and Chad Miller on Wednesday, May 1 from 6:00 - 7:30 PM at Court 1 inside Rogue X (901 Rossanley Dr.). Click here for the town hall event schedule. 

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May 31, 2023

This meeting was hosted by Ward 1 Councilors Jessica Ayers and Sarah Spansail.

Nearly 150 community members attended this event, and the panel answered 75-100 questions from the audience during the Q&A session.

The panel consisted of Councilor Jessica Ayers, Councilor Sarah Spansail, Mayor Randy Sparacino, City Manager Brian Sjothun, Police Chief Justin Ivens, Fire Chief Eric Thompson and City Attorney Eric Mitton.

During the meeting, Councilor Spansail highlighted the council's commitment to supporting housing development projects such as Prescott Gardens, Orchard Meadows, Summit Gardens and Providence Medford. Last fall, the council approved a resolution that leveraged $107.5 million to support these projects, which will produce over 300 housing units that will serve a diverse population. 

One of the questions asked was, "What is the City doing to prosecute the homeless who vandalize and destroy property?" 

The issue of homelessness is very complicated, especially when it involves public property. One of the current challenges is that when individuals are charged or arrested, they are typically released immediately from the jail. This creates a frustrating cycle for local government, citizens, victims, impacted businesses and the entire criminal justice system. 

Click here for an overview of how the City is addressing homelessness, the current challenges the organization is facing, the work that’s being done by the Livability Team and how the City is investing in services.

The following testimonial was received from a community member following the town hall event: 

"Thank you for arranging these town halls to address a very important issue. I agree with the speakers that this is a complex issue and needs to be addressed at the State, County, and City level, along with partnering with non-profit service providers so as to meet food, shelter, health services, and programming for addiction recovery and mental health services."

June 6, 2023

This event was hosted by Ward 2 Councilors Tim D'Alessandro and Zac Smith.

Nearly 150 community members attended the event, and the panel answered around 80 questions from the audience during the Q&A session.

Some of the questions asked were, "What legal barriers are we facing when addressing homelessness?" and "Will people be allowed to camp along the Bear Creek Greenway in the dry summer months when the fire danger is so high?"

One of the legal barriers the City faces is with Measure 110, which has reduced the incentive for individuals to seek treatment and has become an enforcement barrier for police. 

Another challenge is that local organizations and individuals are passing out supplies, such as tents and camping stoves, as well as food distribution in local parks. There are case-law restrictions that prevent the City from effectively regulating those actions to mitigate their impacts. 

Under the City's Prohibited Camping Ordinance, individuals are prohibited from lying/sleeping and camping along the Bear Creek Greenway during fire season. Click here for more information about the ordinance. 

Click here for an overview of how the City is addressing homelessness, the current challenges the organization is facing, the work that’s being done by the Livability Team and how the City is investing in services.

The following testimonials were received from community members following the town hall event: 

"My husband and I attended the town hall meeting last night. We were very impressed by how the meeting went and we learned a lot. Thank you for taking the time to address all of our concerns."

"Last night's talk at South Medford was excellent. First, Medford thought enough of us to bring their whole leadership team...Medford Mayor, Police and Fire Chiefs, City Attorney, City Manager and Councilors. They took questions from the audience for 90 minutes; in fact, they stayed over to take the additional questions that came up. By the time it was over, we knew what was up, the challenges our community faces with homelessness and why. We are a great encouragement to our leaders when we show up. I'd recommend making the last one if you haven't attended one yet." 

June 20, 2023

This meeting was hosted by Ward 3 Councilors Kevin Stine and Chad Miller.

Nearly 130 community members attended the event, and the panel answered around 80 questions from the audience during the Q&A session.

Some of the questions asked were, "Why was the McAndrews site selected for the new Urban Campground?" and "Has the City communicated with the Medford School District and Santo Community Center about the new Urban Campground location?"

When City staff went out and looked for the new Urban Campground site, there were certain parameters that had to be followed, including that it had to be near a bus line and service providers needed to be close by. The City identified a few potential sites, but most of them were sold. The owner of the McAndrews site was willing to sell the property to the City, and the site was a good match for the Urban Campground. 

The City has communicated with the school district and Santo about the new Urban Campground location and didn't receive any concerns from the district or facility. 

Click here for an overview of how the City is addressing homelessness, the current challenges the organization is facing, the work that’s being done by the Livability Team and how the City is investing in services.

The following testimonials were received from community members following the town hall event:

"These meetings were very well organized. I really appreciated the format and learned a lot from you all on the panel! It makes me want to get more involved and encourage other people to do the same."

"I want to thank you for conducting the city town hall meetings addressing the homeless issue. They were well done and obviously appreciated by your constituents."

"Thank you for taking the time to conduct these meetings. They are an excellent venue to explain to the public at large the problems and challenges the city faces in dealing with this issue. They were educational and informative."

May 24, 2023

This meeting was hosted by Ward 4 Councilors Eric Stark and Nick Card.

Over 200 community members attended the event, and the panel answered over 100 questions from the audience during the Q&A session. 

The panel consisted of Councilor Nick Card, Councilor Eric Stark, Mayor Randy Sparacino, City Manager Brian Sjothun, Deputy City Manager Kelly Madding, Police Chief Justin Ivens, Fire Chief Eric Thompson and City Attorney Eric Mitton. 

Some of the questions asked were, "How to do you handle people who don't want help?" and "How will the City handle all the garbage along the Bear Creek Greenway?"

The panel highlighted that there are limited enforcement options for individuals who refuse services. Limitations are compounded by a lack of resources, specifically, mental health and addiction recovery treatment resources. 

When it comes to garbage along the Greenway, clean-ups are regularly done by the Medford Parks, Recreation and Facilities Department as well as the Medford Police Livability Team. 

The panel also highlighted how the City is investing in services for individuals experiencing homelessness, which includes committing $4.1 million of discretionary funding to support emergency shelters, transitional housing initiatives, and community outreach services. 

Additionally, the City has allocated $15.4 million of one-time American Rescue Plan Act funds and Community Development Block Grant funds to support the Navigation Center, Urban Campground and Project Turnkey.

Click here for an overview of how the City is addressing homelessness, the work that’s being done by the Livability Team and how the City is investing in services.

The following testimonials were received from community members following the town hall event: 

"Thank you so much for hosting this town hall on homelessness. I just wanted to commend you on all the work you are doing and in particular the latest change of defining the encampment. This is a very beneficial step for our community."

"I did find the meeting very informative, and it helped me understand some of the legal issues that have changed over time thus creating changes. I know we all share frustrations with this issue, and I do appreciate all efforts the City is making and look forward to any additional improvements that will be coming."