Mayor refuses to put Noordhoff on water board committee

“I went to court when I was tossed of committees, and Judge Stone ruled that I was to be reinstated to all committees,” Noordhoff said. “I want to be on that committee. I asked to be on the 2022 budget committee, and Timm Slater was appointed to it.”

Several weeks ago, Mayor Jessica Engelke appointed the city’s Finance Director Jeff Bridgens to serve on budget committee in 2023.

In 2021, the council voted to remove Noordhoff from all city committees and commissions during the “other business” portion of the agenda. Noordhoff filed a lawsuit saying the decision was not properly announced in advance and was made in a meeting she was absent from.

Judge Stone ruled in her favor, saying other business was not an appropriate place to make a decision such as that one.

“I’m asking two things,” Noordhoff said. “One, we keep councilors on the budget committee. I’m not sure who thought it was right to appoint a staff member, but I don’t agree with it. I’m asking that I might be appointed this position, this year.”

After she made her request, Engelke asked City Attorney Mark Wolf to address Noordhoff’s claim that she should be reinstated to the water board committee.

“As you are probably aware at this point, the water board recently adjusted their policy,” Wolf said. “They have designated two seats to the budget committee, one to be appointed by the mayor of North Bend and one to be appointed by the mayor of Coos Bay. Those are the parameters the water board is looking for. There’s no designation that it be a city councilor and there’s not prohibition of that.”

Wolf said after reviewing the ruling by Judge Stone, it was his legal opinion that did not apply to the water board budget committee. He said the ruling said Noordhoff should be reinstated to all “city committees and commissions,” but the water board committee is neither.

After hearing from Wolf, Engelke said she was not going to change her appointment.

“In a previous meeting, I had made the recommendation of the finance director, and I’m going to stick to that this year.”

Engelke said now that she was aware Noordhoff was interested, she would keep that in mind when making an appointment next year.

“What about the judge’s order, mayor,” Noordhoff asked.

Wolf again replied that the water board committee is not a city committee or commission.

“Mr. Wolf, I was removed from that committee,” Noordhoff replied. “When the judge says I should be reinstated, this was a committee assignment and this is one the judge ordered I be returned to, and I have not.”

“Mayor, you have my opinion,” Wolf said, and Engelke chose to keep the finance director on the committee.