[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6321257,"mediaKeyId","2351083-816aa65e96021f870e95d3254532fd40","parentId",2351083,"title","St. Helens council approves contracts, appoints planning commissioner and adopts several procedural changes","audioSeconds",65,"startMs",2173000,"endMs",2238000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2351083-816aa65e96021f870e95d3254532fd40&start=2173&end=2238","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2351083-816aa65e96021f870e95d3254532fd40/thumbnail_2173000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6321257/St-Helens/Columbia-County/Oregon/St-Helens-council-approves-contracts-appoints-planning-commissioner-and-adopts-several-procedural-changes","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6321257-5433e68d7adf4d95a66a3d981d9cd178/orig.mp4?Expires=1771209861&Signature=Qk9T8k2gECstMUgPqZJqDYrzGWhJp~SnFan4W4UI7m4PY1IXO1dl-Syf~jAHZrcOmyXL~RkDLMB5ffLcHcCQXsP3PB~yqe1tPM6lu4E5VC8qVdi6HEm6OM-zF2Fcdv8TDAjcr-oYn7tTEwOSuVOWqWaclWtW6k6~CUtzLuy7LSfw32CymyO4h~93tavf19jg8PMRvIx31ZcxWPO3niipqBcOVm4VcL0InuaXqtXtevJ1EKd0loUg6fQTKSAIdpbbPn1faIvkNmM88S1C9U91eIJ6oupZ-gD7WTQ-8fFbPDtfEnGpctE0DRMu3lKgPyA94QNP2-QgRuji7bFgSQ8ksA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City Council of St. Helens, OR","date","2025-02-20T02:58:38Z","article","At its Feb. 19 meeting the St. Helens Common Council approved a series of contract amendments and administrative items, appointed a planning commissioner, accepted the consent agenda and adopted several procedural changes intended to streamline meetings.

Among the contract and capital items the council authorized a fourth amendment to the contract with More Excavation Incorporated for the South First Street and St. Helens Street intersection improvements project. The contract amendment wording was read into the record; the meeting transcript did not specify a final dollar amount for the amendment in clear terms.

The council also approved an extension of the agreement with Meyer Reed Incorporated for Riverwalk Project Phase 1 (Columbia View Amphitheater) and authorized Amendment No. 1 to the purchase‑and‑sale agreement with Arcadia Paper Mills LLC to move that property transaction forward. Councilors recorded affirmative votes on these items.

On appointments and consent items the council appointed Tina Kingsbury to the planning commission and accepted consent agenda items that included library board minutes, parks and trails commission minutes, city council minutes for prior dates, a request for proposals for water‑reservoir site selection and design, and the accounts‑payable bill list.

The council took several procedural actions in the work‑session portion of the meeting: members voted to move visitor comments in the regular session to the end of meetings (a change to agenda order), directed staff to provide city department/division reports in a condensed template once a month, moved community‑agency reports to annual frequency rather than semi‑annual, and added a standing agenda item described as “clearing confusion and setting the facts straight” to address misinformation raised during public comment.

Councilors said the procedural changes were intended to improve meeting flow, recognize “hometown heroes” earlier in sessions, and provide staff time to prepare factual clarifications for public questions. Staff will update meeting materials and the website to reflect the new schedules and templates. The council recorded affirmative votes on each of the procedural motions.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","021925 City Council Regular Session","oneSentenceSummary","The council authorized contract amendments for street and Riverwalk projects, appointed Tina Kingsbury to the planning commission, accepted consent agenda items including an RFP for water‑reservoir site selection, and approved meeting‑procedure changes during a Feb. 19 session.","taxTitle","St. Helens, Columbia County, Oregon","taxId",52788,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6321262,"St. Helens council gives final approval to ordinance 3,307 tied to HB 3395 housekeeping changes",41,1541000,1582000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2351083-816aa65e96021f870e95d3254532fd40&start=1541&end=1582","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2351083-816aa65e96021f870e95d3254532fd40/thumbnail_1541000.jpg","/articles/6321262/St-Helens/Columbia-County/Oregon/St-Helens-council-gives-final-approval-to-ordinance-3307-tied-to-HB-3395-housekeeping-changes","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6321262-10307517c644f24eeb3004aea48d0ecb/orig.mp4?Expires=1771209861&Signature=bE2aGxpXw~kIRwTCv4uk3uVGxVwNYRLrAsukpXb7TyE97VYa8Eosl-afnqOitQBA1LWCiFDaQbK4UW1R2opjHp5HjtZePPt-o-F8jmMNoMCuMV04uDwdAxmFvKmPIe-qOajyYbVpe276r5t9DIenKOebRwEA8~ICAKVRWF1k5XhiOVcJj8GOMoIr2eyGisijQY2HggRfyIfrLIJRJdccXIQqnP6gvvZ7k84YioCal0nM1gYsDz9anIdWvQEz1HWfDuhFwS6~o3jBsYenxQk-0SZ96VR9KZAzonf45HhYfQmMsLZ-ajyWccZuh92aJM5NBOiZeDF~o99vcBT~sjbEmw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The St. Helens Common Council on Feb. 19 gave final reading and approved Ordinance No. 3,307, which the council described as code amendments to implement housekeeping changes related to Oregon House Bill 3395 (2023).

City staff read the ordinance title during the meeting and a councilor moved to approve the ordinance \"as read.\" The motion received a second and the council recorded affirmative votes on the final reading.

The ordinance text, as stated by the city during the meeting, amends multiple sections of the St. Helens Municipal Code (chapter numbers cited during the reading). At the meeting the council described the changes as housekeeping and technical amendments necessary to align municipal code language with state law enacted in HB 3395 (2023). No speaker at the meeting expanded on substantive policy changes beyond the city’s description that the edits are housekeeping in nature.

The council completed the final reading and approved the ordinance by recorded vote during the regular session.

Because the council characterized the ordinance as technical housekeeping to align the municipal code with state statutory changes, staff indicated no separate implementation budget or program changes were required at the time of approval. The city clerk will publish the ordinance and updated code sections in accordance with the city’s standard ordinance‑publication procedures.","The council gave final reading and approved Ordinance No. 3,307, amending sections of the St. Helens municipal code to conform with provisions of Oregon House Bill 3395 (2023), the council said at its Feb. 19 meeting.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6321267,"St. Helens council adopts executive‑session media policy; denies local applicant, admits Oregonian reporter",358,1598000,1956000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2351083-816aa65e96021f870e95d3254532fd40&start=1598&end=1956","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2351083-816aa65e96021f870e95d3254532fd40/thumbnail_1598000.jpg","/articles/6321267/St-Helens/Columbia-County/Oregon/St-Helens-council-adopts-executivesession-media-policy-denies-local-applicant-admits-Oregonian-reporter","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6321267-e2469a52688b4ba5244b619aa9eddb75/orig.mp4?Expires=1771209862&Signature=SQvJdSUbNq0kbp0iEY4p4dyY2h-VCYQB5ooDlc6sk-wqoiU4ds2BKYYQsN87pkHJ5dBKahg4kFwOiiQJdYKkUcVQ7qO6xS4n5guthgmmqbAlcb7T5XAka0muwlrzDDCgwpgTwuwMk3c3xCGKI-mmbcC~gy1Wq7fr-SJXATf-3GNrU1-s3ug2JP773Uf9gQG9sWYyU4chEM999RqdJiohIPPy9DHpQ77wAvyIBwQ8pgdXw9QjFB~H11pwxhFqlEG-y3SX-3LF6kCS0EY7WdVtPH~4pAozPykCi3KBab-QZMzfLR9n5w3Z0XB6fqWC-lgSO8F8hGkpPN7H28daPvJ60A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The St. Helens Common Council on Feb. 19 adopted a resolution formalizing who may attend council executive sessions and acted on several pending applications for media credentials, denying one local applicant and approving a credentialed reporter from The Oregonian.

The council approved Resolution No. 2,037, described at the meeting as an updated “executive session news media attendance policy” that replaces the earlier policy (resolution number not specified at the meeting). Council members said they were following the city attorney’s guidance when they reviewed individual applications to qualify representatives of the news media to attend closed sessions.

At the meeting the council voted to deny the application submitted by Tammy Magrath (identified in the packet as seeking qualification as a representative of the news media to attend executive sessions). Council members said the city attorney’s memo found the application did not demonstrate the institutional structure and factual‑reporting standard the resolution requires. Councilors said a denial did not bar the applicant from reapplying if they addressed the attorney’s concerns.

Separately, the council approved an application for Maxine Bernstein of The Oregonian after members concluded Bernstein and her employer met the qualifications set out in the policy. Members discussed the difference between organizations that primarily produce news reporting and outlets that mix opinion with reporting; several councilors cited that distinction as a factor in evaluating applications.

Council members who spoke during the item said the attorney’s memo identified specific gaps in the denied application’s materials and that staff advised the council on consistent application of the new rule. The council recorded the votes as affirmative and moved on to subsequent agenda items.

The adopted policy and the council’s decisions change who may be present for executive‑session briefings and discussions that are not open to the public; councilors noted the policy balances public‑records transparency with the legal limits on closed‑session attendance.

Council members indicated that applicants may reapply after addressing the attorney’s findings, and staff will publish the updated policy and guidance on the city website so prospective applicants can see the qualifying criteria.","The St. Helens Common Council on Feb. 19 adopted a new executive‑session media attendance policy, denied a local applicant’s request to attend executive sessions as a news representative and approved an application from a reporter with The Oregonian.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

St. Helens council approves contracts, appoints planning commissioner and adopts several procedural changes

St. Helens council gives final approval to ordinance 3,307 tied to HB 3395 housekeeping changes

St. Helens council adopts executive‑session media policy; denies local applicant, admits Oregonian reporter