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Bennett takes city manager job in Damascus |
By Gary Allen,
Newberg Graphic managing editor
E-mail Gary at
gallen@eaglenewspapers.com
|
Jim Bennett will leave
his post as Newberg city manager in October for a similar position
in the newly-incorporated town of Damascus, it was announced this
week by government officials in both cities.
Bennett, 55, said he was among a pool of 22 candidates for the job
that was eventually whittled down to the five people the city
interviewed. The Damascus City Council passed a resolution Aug. 14
approving Bennett’s hiring after they heard a report from council
president Jim Wright. Wright conducted a site visit to Newberg,
where he interviewed former Mayor Bob Stewart as well as Newberg
City Council members Bob Larson and Jeff Palmer.
The
California native took over the reins of Newberg city manager from
Duane Cole in May 2002. Before that he was city administrator in
Central Point, a planner in Ada County (Boise, Idaho), and an
assistant manager/planning director in a town in the San Joaquin
Valley of California.
In Damascus, Bennett will replace John Bingham, the city’s first
permanent city manager. Bingham, citing understaffing and a conflict
with one of the city councilors, resigned the position in March 2006
after two months on the job, The Oregonian reported this week.
Damascus was incorporated as a city in 2005 and utilized temporary
city managers until Bingham was hired.
Once in place, Bennett will enjoy a raise from his base salary in
Newberg of $114,396 to $123,000 in Damascus. Bennett also received a
nearly $42,000 benefit package in Newberg; the amount of the benefit
package he will receive in Damascus wasn’t disclosed.
Bennett said the chance to work in a newly-formed city, with a new
staff, was a “once in a lifetime opportunity” he couldn’t pass up.
He will have his work cut out for him leading a town featuring an
urban growth boundary of 10,000 acres and a population estimated to
grow to more than 60,000 people by 2025. Its nearly nonexistent
infrastructure must be updated to withstand the burden, the
comprehensive plan and zoning maps must be updated, all the while
working within the guidelines of Metro, the regional planning entity
the town recently joined.
Bennett and his wife of 37 years, Shannon, plan to move to Damascus
by October, but not before they finish renovating their home for
sale.
He cited construction of Providence Newberg Medical Center and
plans for the Springbrook Development as the greatest
accomplishments in Newberg since he took over as city manager.
“That’s a real big deal,” he said of the Springbrook Development.
“I think that’s going to change the face of Newberg, I really do ...
It will be a capstone for the city of Newberg when it gets
developed.”
He also cited Newberg’s emboldened relationship with the city of
Dundee, specifically the combination of the two town’s police
forces, as another plus during his tenure. “It’s worked out so well
for both (cities),” he said.
Disappointments? That more progress wasn’t made on construction of
the Newberg-Dundee bypass. He said the July revelation by Macquarie
Infrastructure Group that it was pulling out “sets us back to where
we were when I got here five years ago.” |
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From
Aug. 18, 2007, Newberg Graphic
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