To the editor:
In the final Yachats City Council meeting of his tenure, Mayor John Moore pointed out how the city, under his administration, had increased “cash and equivalents” by over $2.5 million. Mayor Moore referenced the recently completed audit report as the source of his information.
We agree with the mayor’s statement. Cash and equivalents did indeed increase significantly during his term. More importantly, why did the amounts increase?
The city had planned on spending approximately $2 million on capital projects over the same two-year period in which cash increased. The city only spent approximately $236,000.
It is clear that we have lost the momentum on project initiation and completion.
Yes, our cash balance is significantly higher. However, what will future councils and mayors have to do to complete infrastructure projects necessary to keep homeowners connected and businesses supplied with water? Without water, when we need it, our tourist economy will shrink and the costs of delivering services will fall on us, the ones who live here, rather than the tourists, who visit us.
Reading the same audit report cited by the mayor and comparing it to the report issued by the same auditor in 2018, the reader can see that during the last two years the city has added capital assets totaling $235,606. Some $227,412 were added for general government activities (Commons, City Hall, etc.) and $8,194 were added for water and sewer activities.
Digging a little deeper, and browsing through the city’s website, a curious citizen will discover that among the commissions, committees, staff, Oregon Cascades West Council of Governments, and the City Council, there is virtually nothing published that tracks the progress against the project lists. Where are the tracking reports, by project, that communicated spending? The action items for projects falling behind? Status reports by staff identifying where they are and what they might need to move a project along? Priorities for projects measured against the city’s Capital Improvement Plan?
We, as a city, seem to have paused water and sewer projects since the completion of the Highway 101 project and the south water tank. These two projects date back to 2015-2017. The city purposely paused all projects for fiscal 2017 and 2018, in order to fund the city’s portion of the Highway 101 project.
During the ensuing two years, the city has not restarted work on the critical infrastructure items and that is what led to the cash increase.
It is time to regain the initiative. Remember, we need to “Inspect what we Expect.” If our city leadership will not do the inspection, the duty falls to us, the governed.
— Greg Scott, councilor-elect, Yachats
— Tom Lauritzen, Yachats
