From the mayor’s desk: Meadow Martell

I am finally back, and it is good to be home! This was the longest trip I have ever taken, with time spent in two countries- Portugal and Italy. Despite the fact that it was an amazing learning experience shared with two friends, I will probably not do one that long and complex again, except maybe to visit my daughter in Australia. Although packed with incredible adventures, there was limited time for me to experience the things I personally like to see and do.
The city of Cave Junction is doing just fine. We have great staff that competently manage the day-to-day business and dedicated council members who monthly handle the longer-term decisions that need to be made. The Library renovation and addition is moving into construction phase. Josephine County has approved the updated drawings, the environmental review process is completed, and Business Oregon has issued the Release of Funds for construction activities. Construction should be starting this week. We are expecting completion before the end of this year. It is really exciting to see this important project in our community move out of the planning phase and into the building stage.
I am looking forward to attending the League of Oregon Cities Spring Conference in Klamath Falls this April 22-April 27. The agenda looks really interesting and relevant to Cave Junction. Some of the topics include City Charters, Mayor’s Workshop, Planning for and Recovering from an Emergency, Wildfire Resilience and Community Risk Reduction, U.S. Supreme Court Update-City of Grants Pass v. Johnson, Fostering a Resilient Water Future, and the Role of Cities in Implementing Oregon’s Updated Addiction Response.
I have had a lot of time to think about my life in the near and upcoming future. After my third term and six years which end Dec. 30, 2024, it is time to pass on the torch. It has been an amazing experience and I have learned a lot about our community and small city governance. I hope that someone who is a registered resident of the city of Cave Junction and cares about seeing our city continue to thrive and move forward will stand up and throw their hat in the ring for the November election. The commitment is for only two years, and I will be available to help mentor and advise the next mayor so there is a smooth transition. If you have any questions, please call me at 541-287-0098.