The Aurora City Council voted unanimously at its Tuesday, Jan. 14, meeting to appoint Jim Stewart to the Planning Commission. Stewart’s appointment was unanimously recommended by the Planning Commission at its Jan. 7 meeting.
“I am concerned that development in Aurora is not growing to the extent it could, so would like to be involved in what I perceive to be the initial stage of any such activity,” Stewart said. “I have been attending Planning Commission and City Council meetings since we moved to Aurora in 2018 and I feel that I have a good understanding of the broad aspects facing the city at this time.”
Stewart fills the vacancy that was created when former Planning Commissioner John Berard was appointed to the council at its November meeting. His term expires in January 2021.
There is still one vacancy remaining on the Planning Commission, for a term that expires January 2021, and applicants are being sought.
Requirements are that a candidate must be a registered voter who has resided within city limits for at least six months. Responsibilities of the position include a willingness to serve on any committee that the commissioner is appointed to by the chair, having a vote on all questions before the commission, carrying out the body’s rules as they are outlined in the Aurora Municipal Code and a commitment to attending at least one meeting per month, which usually lasts about two and a half hours.
Any interested applicants must submit a letter of interest along with a resume to City Recorder W. Scott Jorgensen at recorder@ci.aurora.or.us. The position is open until filled.
In other news, the council voted unanimously to appoint Richard Bellinger and Joseph Schaefer to three-year terms on the city’s budget committee and voted unanimously to enter into an Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) with Marion County for a Community Prosperity Initiative.
That initiative is through the county’s Economic Development office, and will provide three installments of $15,000 of funding to the city between now and July 2021. The council will discuss how to spend those funds at its Tuesday, February 11 meeting.
Under the IGA, the funds must be spent on projects intended to enhance economic development opportunities for the city, its residents and local businesses.