La Grande Town Hall Honors Local Volunteers, Staff and Reviews City Finances

La Grande used its latest community town hall to recognize local volunteers and city staff while setting a clearer path for managing tight finances and infrastructure needs. About 76 residents attended in person and remotely for the meeting in Huber Auditorium at Badgley Hall on the Eastern Oregon University campus.

City Manager John O’Brien opened the meeting by reiterating the purpose of the town halls: to update residents on department activity, long-term plans, and local events while inviting public feedback. The evening began with certificates of recognition for staff and community groups. Parks and Recreation Director Stu Spence was honored for 11 years of service, including work on the Riverside Park Playground. New HR generalist Tammy Shaver received praise for her early contributions. Community awards went to Linda Williams for sustained charity work despite personal hardship, Michael and Melissa Shepard for maintaining the La Grande park storyboards, and organizations including Soroptimist International of La Grande, the La Grande Lions Club, and Elkhorn Media Group.

The meeting shifted to fiscal strategy as O’Brien outlined the city’s P.A.C.E.E. Strategic plan, which he described as a user-friendly, multi-tier framework. The plan stands for "Primary, Alternate, Contingency, Emergency, Extra-emergent" and is designed so the city can move through defined service levels as resources change. The aim is to keep essential functions running, preserve services residents care about, and involve the community when emergency-stage options such as levies or special districts are considered.

Infrastructure realities framed much of the discussion. Public Works Director Kyle Carpenter described 2025 as a "banner year" for road upkeep, yet noted that work completed still addressed only about 5% of streets in need of overhaul. Federal ARPA funds accelerated repairs last year, but roughly $1 million remains and would cover only about 1% more of needed work. When ARPA funds run out, paving will return to the regular maintenance budget, and some streets could face waiting times of up to 20 years for major repairs under current funding scenarios.

City staff presented technology and policy changes to stretch resources. La Grande has adopted an AI-based sensor system to scan roads for cracks and decay, reducing the need for manual inspections, and Public Works is beginning to set aside funds to replace oil-mat roads rather than repeatedly patching them. The current paving and upkeep schedule is posted on the city Public Works paving project page for residents tracking local streets.

O’Brien also discussed an early-stage Community Service Readiness Index, an online dashboard to show city performance and resources, and previewed the planned launch of the "Connect La Grande" app and expanded city social media pages. Brief departmental updates noted continued development of the public splash pad, an investigation into vandalism at Pioneer and Benton parks, Fire Chief Mearl Lacey’s briefing on calls and training, and La Grande Mainstreet’s upcoming Shamrock Shuffle on March 1 and new executive director Allison Harvey. The Union County Chamber reminded residents that events can be submitted to its calendar.

For La Grande residents, the evening clarified tradeoffs the city faces and what tools leaders may use to hold services steady. The next community town hall is scheduled for April 22, 2026, giving residents another opportunity to weigh in as the P.A.C.E.E. plan and service dashboard move forward.