CRESWELL – Councilors Mark Kremer, Joan Morris, Clark Kent, and Mayor Nick Smith were sworn into office on Jan. 13.
Smith, councilor-turned-mayor, manages Roberts Supply Co. in Springfield.
“I saw a need for a conservative voice on the council and decided to get involved. I wanted to do something, not just say something. I wanted to see change, so I decided to be the change,” Smith said in his City of Creswell biography. “This is my hometown and my kid’s hometown, and my family takes great pride in it. Creswell has a lot to offer.”
Kremer is an employee of the manufacturing sector and a former U.S. Army and Oregon National Guard servicemember. Morris is a retired registered nurse with a background in ensuring that facility standards are upheld in nursing homes, assisted living, and memory care.
Incumbent Kent has what one might call a “storied” past, with over three decades of experience working in public libraries. He’s employed at the Eugene Public Library.
Alonzo Costilla, incumbent to the council, has over 30 years of experience in the printing industry. He was unanimously elected to continue his role as council president. “As councilor, my first elected position, I embrace the task as a long-term position and an avenue for collaborative service to my hometown as we grow together,” Costilla said in his biography.
In other news …
Ryan Larue, a Creswell resident, addressed the council over public safety concerns. According to Larue, Meadow Lane, A Street, and 10th Street have seen an uptick in vehicles failing to stop at stop signs and driving at fast speeds. Larue has an educational background in traffic design and safety, as well as traffic control, and suggested implementing speed bumps in school zones. He also asked the Lane County Sheriff’s office to start ticketing speeders.
Resolution 2025-01, A Resolution Appropriating Expenditures Within the Sewer Capital Improvement Reserve Fund: The council unanimously approved delegating Sewer Capital Improvement Reserve Fund dollars to necessary sewer upgrades on Second Street, between Oregon Avenue and F Street. They must be completed before the commencement of South Second Street renovations.
The council unanimously approved the annexation of Tax Lot 2700 and 2701, the assessor’s map 19-03-14-33, and parks, recreation, and open space zoning. This motion will create a more efficient permit review process and will later assist in anchoring Creswell’s water tanks, allowing them to better withstand seismic events.
The council is seeking to fill a vacancy left by Smith’s move by February.