During Tuesday’s poorly attended BOC meeting in Powers, interim commissioner Fred Messerle told the audience he is waiting for a consulting proposal to essentially repeat the work claimed by structure advisory committee. Jim Johnson, a former administrator for both Lane County and Eugene is now Deputy Director for Operations School of Government – Urban & Public Affairs at Portland State University, will submit a proposal to “review of county functions”.

1) Long term strategic planning
2) Budget and accounting functions
3) Treasurers office assumed duties
4) IT
5) Comparison of other counties

Johnson will submit a scope of work to include eighty hours over the next six months to make recommendations. Messerle and interim commissioner Cam Parry allocated $75,000 last year for consulting fees and while it is unclear if the “eighty hours” mentioned during the meeting will be paid for out of these funds or from some sort of AOC (Association of Oregon Counties) grant.

Having a professional report to compare to the unsupported opinion piece produced by the flim-flam sales and marketing members of the structure advisory committee would be worth seeing but does this mean Messerle who heretofore ignored a dissenting report now questions the credibility of the committee recommendations? Admittedly, the only long term strategic plan proposed by the committee was to hire an administrator but haven’t we just been through all this?