La Grande asks residents to shape roundtable and town hall topics

La Grande is asking residents to help decide what belongs on the agenda before the city’s next roundtable and town hall, a clear sign that officials want the public to steer the conversation rather than simply attend it. The city’s June 22 post, titled Roundtable Topics Needed!, pointed residents to a Community Town Hall set for Wednesday, July 22 at Eastern Oregon University.

The request comes just ahead of a Community Roundtable on Housing Production scheduled for Wednesday, June 24 at 5:30 p.m. City calendar details say that discussion will focus on current housing shortages, local demand, ideas for city and private partnerships, and a question-and-answer session. That makes housing the immediate policy issue hanging over the summer outreach effort, especially for residents who want to weigh in before the July town hall agenda is finalized.

City Manager John O’Brien has been using town halls as a regular way to update residents and gather feedback, and a January 14 town hall at Eastern Oregon University’s Badgley Hall, Huber Auditorium drew about 76 people in person and online. At that meeting, O’Brien outlined La Grande’s P.A.C.E.E. framework, which stands for Primary, Alternate, Contingency, Emergency, Extra-emergent. He also said the community would be consulted as the city moved into the more severe stages of that planning structure.

Those earlier meetings were not limited to housing. City leaders also used town halls to talk about city finances, paving, budget planning and community awards, showing how the format has become one of La Grande’s main public-facing tools. The city website says its community page is meant to help residents stay engaged and informed, and the June 22 topic request fits that pattern of open-ended outreach.

Housing remains the issue with the clearest stakes. La Grande planning documents say strategies for affordability include changes to residential development standards, tax incentives, lower development fees and public-private partnerships. In 2024, the city also contracted with Points Consulting for a Goal 14 urban growth boundary expansion analysis, underscoring that land use and housing supply are being treated as long-range planning questions, not one-time complaints.

The pressure is visible in the city’s numbers. U.S. Census Bureau data lists La Grande’s population at 13,026, with 5,826 total housing units and a median household income of $58,427. Eastern Oregon University says its main campus is in La Grande and serves as a center for education and culture, which helps explain why city officials keep returning to the campus for civic gatherings.

For Union County residents, the June 22 call for roundtable topics is more than a scheduling note. It is a chance to push housing, city services and growth concerns onto the public agenda before the next town hall takes shape.