FORUM REVIEW: JULY
July Forum: ‘State of the City’ Address Speakers: Randy Sparacino, Mayor of Medford; Ryan Martin, Deputy City Manager/Chief Financial Officer at the City of Medford. Sponsored by: City of Medford • Season Sponsor: Cow Creek Band of the Umpqua Tribe of Indians A t the last Forum of the season, the City of Medford shared its State of the City “They go out and do this work every day, and have been very successful so far,” Sparacino said. To date, the Livability Team has helped people get into temporary and permanent housing, obtain their proper ID, connect to treatment services and much more.
address for 2022. Each year, the City Council reviews a variety of issues and decides where to focus their efforts. These are always topics which are of great importance to the community. Recently,
There was then a video presentation about the Livability Team. With numerous short interviews, it expressed how heart, compassion and creating connections is at the center of their work. Officers have seen people start out living in tents and other abhorrent conditions, but end up getting clean, going to school and getting full time work. After the video, the mayor stated there has been a 56% decrease in camps throughout the city since March due to the work of the Livability Team. Over 1,000 people have been directed to shelters just this year. However, this takes a lot of time and effort, and things will not change overnight. But the work of the Livability Team has already made an incredible impact in the community. Then, the presentation turned to various projects in the community. First, a partnership between the City of Medford, ODOT and Jackson County is working on a multimillion dollar improvement project between Hillcrest Drive and Delta Waters Road. It will take the current two-lane road and turn it into a five-lane corridor with a center turn lane, bike lanes, sidewalks, street lighting and landscaping. These upgrades will improve safety and reduce congestion in the area. Next, there was a brief discussion about the new Rogue Credit Union Community Complex, known as Rogue X. This 160,000 sq. ft. event and aquatic facility is a highly anticipated addition to the community. It will offer a new place for local recreation as well as bring in more sports tournaments, which will increase economic impact in the area. There are also several upcoming and promising developments. These include the Genesis project — a 62- unit workforce housing development; Centennial Village, with residential housing and commercial buildings; and Hillcrest Orchards, which is in the early planning stages. It will provide over 700 single and multi-family units. The last Forum of the season ended with a positive look toward the future. While the city and community have endured struggles related to the pandemic, economic recovery, and other hurdles, there are many positive projects and developments on the horizon. n
the City Council and City of Medford have
Randy Sparacino, Mayor of Medford
been working on challenges related to housing, public infrastructure, public safety and health.
The City Council also drafts biennial goals, in addition to identifying solutions to help reach those goals. Currently, there are 91 action items, with 58 having been completed and 33 still in progress. This has been a huge step forward for Medford and the community. Additionally, the city is following its “Medford 2040 Vision Plan”, which focuses on fostering economic growth and resiliency, enhancing hometown, connecting the community, and fostering safety and wellness, among other goals. Currently, one of the City of Medford’s largest issues is addressing homelessness. One facet to their approach has been offering housing development support. The city has leveraged over $107 million for three housing projects, with over 300 units to be developed. Next, a new Navigation Center is expected to open next month. It will have 24/7 access to services, housing and treatment help for the homeless in our community. Next, Mayor Sparacino spoke about the Medford Police Department’s Livability Team and the work they have done. “In 2018, the police department recognized we had a severe issue with livability, so we started to formulate a plan to address it. The Livability Team became active in late 2019 and early 2020, primarily focusing on homelessness,” said Sparacino. The Livability Team is composed of officers who are passionate about helping the homeless.
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The Business Review | July 2022
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