Cars fly by on Franklin Boulevard, whooshing through Glenwood, some occasionally honking in support of the dozen demonstrators in front of Camp Putt Adventure Golf Park on April 11. The demonstrators are Glenwood residents, some property owners, some renters, holding signs that say “Parks not hotels” and “Rivers over profit.”
Just a few hundred steps away is the site of a potential 20-story hotel complex that would occupy Willamette riverfront property, across from Island Park. The residents say they’re upset the current proposals could impact their neighborhood and the Willamette River and the city of Springfield hadn’t informed them about the projects, either.
Springfield Swears-in New City Councilor
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Springfield Mayor Sean Van Gordon delivered a virtual state of the city address Wednesday. He was joined by other community members in describing the challenges of the year 2020.
Still from the Springfield Mayor Sean Van Gordon s State of the City address delivered online on Feb. 17, 2021.
Credit Rachael McDonald
Those include the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, police protests and the Holiday Farm Fire.
Van Gordon acknowledged it’s been a tough year but he had a message of hope. And he talked about his goals for the future. Including reforms to the justice system.
“I would like to pursue starting a preventative justice program,” Van Gordon said. “We should do whatever is reasonable to promote the accountability of action and prevent people from cycling through our justice system.”
Springfield City Council has another vacancy to fill after appointing Sean VanGordon as mayor at a Jan. 19 meeting.
Eight Ward 1 residents, ranging in experience and age, applied to be considered for the interim two-year seat. The applications were due Feb. 1 and released Thursday, Feb. 4, so
Eugene Weekly dove in to find out who wants to be the next Ward 1 councilor.
Before VanGordon, former Mayor Christine Lundberg and former mayor and county commissioner Sid Leiken held the seat. After the interim appointment, the city of Springfield will again have a complete governing body to deal with the issues the city faces, such as policing, economic recovery and development, and housing. The Ward 1 district is the northwest Gateway area of Springfield.
A Screenshot from a June 25 City Council Meeting
After several months, the city of Springfield has a mayor. At a Jan. 19 City Council meeting, councilors voted 4-2 to appoint Sean VanGordon as mayor. Before the appointment, he served for nine years as a councilor, representing Ward 1. During the meeting, the council accepted a letter of resignation for the upcoming term from Christine Lundberg. But the letter provoked anger from the public.
During “Business from the Audience,” the city’s public comment period, Springfield residents spoke out over Lundberg’s resignation letter. In the letter, she says she is proud of Springfield’s legacy because it’s a city that recognizes the needs of the whole community. But she also targets “a small group” who spend their time to influence City Council decisions. “At one time we called these gadflies; their opinions matter, but they do not speak for the entire community,” she writes.
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