NORTH BEND — It took some time and maneuvering, but Coos Bay and North Bend appear to be on the same page about a joint committee to bolster communication and stave off misunderstandings between the neighboring cities.

Dubbed the Coos Bay/North Bend Communication Committee, the group had its first official meeting Thursday night, when the majority of each council met to hash out the structure of the meetings and what they would discuss.

“This is a momentous moment in our lives and perhaps in our two cities,” said North Bend Mayor Rick Wetherell, who sat side-by-side with Coos Bay Mayor Jeff McKeown.

Held in a conference room at the North Bend Public Library, the meeting also was attended by city administrators and city staff as well as a few onlookers. North Bend Councilor Frank Amatisto and Councilor Mark Daily of Coos Bay were absent.  

After introductions that included how much time the city officials served on their respective councils, how long they lived in the area, and what they do for a living, the meeting turned to what has been a point of contention between the two cities — how often should the Communication Committee meet?

At the joint council’s preliminary meeting on Dec. 20, the mayors spent much of the session politely sparring about whether the two entities should gather monthly or biannually and how many members should be involved.

But on Thursday, Wetherell proposed for the committee to consist of three appointed members from each council, plus city administrators; that members be rotated and any councilor wishing to attend and participate fully in any meeting be allowed to do so; and that meetings be biannually or more often, depending on need.

He also proposed that agendas for each meeting be made at the prior gathering to allow for preparation by council members. The committee will not be a decision-making body, Wetherell said.

McKeown said he liked those ideas and suggested the full councils meet jointly twice a year.

The councilors approved the two proposals unanimously. Committee members will determine when the first meeting will be held.

“That’s a big step,” McKeown said.

“Kudos to this group for doing it,” added Coos Bay Councilor John Muenchrath.

Later in the meeting, North Bend Councilor Janet Rubin added that the committee needed a ladies’ and gentlemen’s agreement that regardless of discussions members had in the committee, they would vote on topics with their council however they felt best, as they could not leave a committee meeting with a consensus.

“However it falls, it falls,” Rubin said.

With that situation resolved, the committee launched into what topics they would like to discuss in the future. These included the Coos Bay-North Bend Water Board, the Coos Cooperative Library District, public safety mutual aid, the Coos Bay North Bend Visitor and Convention Bureau, National Night Out at the Park, intergovernmental agreements for sewer services and building official duties, state or local gas tax, a transient room tax, issues with the Department of State Lands and wastewater.

“There’s lots of areas where we can discuss and work together and let each other know what we are doing,” McKeown said.

One topic McKeown said impacted both cities and should be a top priority for the Communication Committee is the Department of State Lands. The issue was first raised when the Coos Historical and Maritime Museum contacted the Department of State Lands in May about leasing property underneath a dock in Coos Bay. Land underneath bodies of water is owned by the state, but even if such land is filled, the state still maintains a claim. A recent study conducted by the department found at least 53 acres of such land in both Coos Bay and North Bend.

McKeown said he would meet on Friday with Attorney Martha Pagel, the former director of the Department of State Lands, a representative from the Department of State Lands and possibly with Rep. Arnie Roblan, D-Coos Bay, and Sen. Joanne Verger, D-Coos Bay, to work toward a resolution.

“It’s a big issue for all of us,” McKeown said.

The gas and transient room taxes also were hot topics, which have been raised by both cities in the past.

Rubin said the cities should be extremely cautious about charging constituents additional fees. She said she contacted three title companies and learned that 24 foreclosure orders have already been placed on 24 homes this year.

“We have to be careful, and we have to think about this side of it,” Rubin said. “I just think you need to know how grim it is becoming.”

McKeown echoed Rubin’s statements and agreed the committee should be careful.

“I think you are absolutely correct. ... We need to be very sensitive to what’s going on in our communities,” he said.

Other topics weren’t of as high a priority, but the committee kept an open dialogue about anything councilors found worth discussing in the upcoming meetings.

For instance, Bill Richardson said he’d like to talk about the National Night Out at the Park event, an evening of fun activities, games and food for families at Ferry Road Park in August.

“We did not get a lot of the Coos Bay Police or the fire department or anyone over there. We’d really like Coos Bay more involved in National Night Out at the Park,” the North Bend councilor said.

McKeown agreed.

“North Bend has a really strong sense of community, which I kind of miss,” McKeown said. “I’d like to do more to enhance that in Coos Bay.”

Although no date was determined for the next meeting, councilors agreed to put the issue with the Department of State Lands, a transient room tax and a gas tax on the agenda.

After the meeting, McKeown said he was pleased with the result.

“It’s kind of momentous, really. I’m not sure it ever happened before,” McKeown said. “We’re one community. We share lots of issues, we share lots of problems, and we should share successes. In reality, we haven’t done a good job of that.”

He said the committee needs to meet often if it hopes to accomplish anything, and stressed that doing otherwise would turn the effort into a mere formality.

“We have a lot to accomplish,” he said.