Full-time planner would benefit city
Anyone examining the files at Magness Library would no doubt find a list of books which are long overdue. With that in mind, the idea for McMinnville hiring a full-time city planner is also one that’s long overdue.
A city the size of McMinnville, which should grow and add appropriate infrastructure along the way, needs a full-time person in that position. It doesn’t take much research to see how using a part-time planner – from another city – has done McMinnville little benefit.
Public Chapter 1101 has been nothing short of a nightmare for McMinnville and Warren County. In fact, we’re the only county in the state which has not yet successfully filed our plan or entered into arbitration.
When it comes to local government, Warren County sure wouldn’t win any 100-yard dashes. If it’s not long, drawn out and complicated, then it must not be Warren County. We’re sure not quick.
Want to build a new fire substation? Better set aside about 15 years. Need a new jail? That will take at least six or seven.
That’s why the idea of creating a city planner is more than welcome news. It shows McMinnville officials are ready for some forward thinking. It shows they’re ready to take gradual steps instead of waiting until the last minute when the situation has reached crisis proportions.
Look what’s happened with McMinnville and its annexation planning. Until the last year or so, there was minimal annexation. The city went more than a decade with little substantial growth instead of adding a reasonable amount of property every two years.
The result is a lawsuit-filled disaster which has McMinnville needing to play catch up and annexed residents wanting to fight that action every step of the way. This is not how business should be handled.
With proper growth, and the gradual increase of its tax base, McMinnville becomes capable of providing more services – and better services – to its residents. With a greater tax base and more money in city coffers, it could be argued the whole pool scenario could have been avoided. The city might have been able to pay for the pool from its debt services fund instead of being forced to borrow the money through bonds.
Public Chapter 1101, which appears like it may finally be on its way to becoming settled, is another example. At one point McMinnville’s planner was also representing the county and Morrison. That appears a definite conflict of interest.
McMinnville needs to have its own city planner who is looking out for the best interests of McMinnville and McMinnville only. This person can map out areas of growth, determine when new facilities such as schools and fire stations are necessary, and guide the city as it makes steps toward becoming a better place to live.
A city planner is a worthwhile addition who will serve McMinnville well.