COOS BAY — A facilitator with the League of Oregon Cities has given Coos Bay city councilors an incentive to resolve their differences.

A dysfunctional city council could negatively impact one of its primary goals: economic development, she warned. Prospective developers look for cities that function well.

“If you get grid-locked, they are going to be moving on to another town,” Jennie Messmer told councilors.

Messmer was in town to help the Coos Bay City Council move beyond the decision to fire its city manager.

Councilors on Monday considered ways to improve city business, such as holding work sessions with the entire council, instead of standing committees with only three councilors, and avoiding conversations via e-mail.

It also revisited the 4-3 vote that left the city without a permanent city manager.

Councilor Mark Daily said he and fellow dissenters Stephanie Kramer and John Pundt had not received the same information other councilors considered in their decision to fire Chuck Freeman.

“It was obvious we were not in the loop whatsoever,” he said. “I don’t know how I would trust any of these four people.”

Kramer said it was like a slap in the face when Mayor Jeff McKeown, and councilors Jon Eck, Gene Melton and Joanie Johnson voted to fire Chuck Freeman.

“You’ve got right now a totally split council,” she said.

McKeown disagreed. He pointed to the fact that councilors voted unanimously to appoint Rodger Craddock as the acting city manager and members shifted alliances when debating a city gas tax.

“We have a responsibility to go forward in a positive fashion,” he said.

Pundt appeared more willing to move past the vote, though he was frustrated there wasn’t more of an investigation, especially in light of Freeman’s $123,000 severance package.

“I’m not of any voting bloc. I’m here to work with all of you,” he said.

“But I do want to make better decisions.”

The council fired Freeman without cause and so an investigation was unnecessary, McKeown said. He took exception to the suggestion the decision was made in haste.

“Was this a frivolous, last-minute decision? Absolutely not,” McKeown said. “I felt this was the best decision for Coos Bay if the council agreed.”

Johnson disputed the suggestion the majority had conspired to fire Freeman. She said she thought the special meeting would be a normal performance review. She also accused Freeman of lying about where he would be and then goaded the council into firing him.

“I feel it was orchestrated,” she said.

Messmer said rehashing old decisions was counterproductive.

“You have to be committed to making it work or it’s not going to work,” she said.

She encouraged the council to make good communication skills a requirement for any future city manager and that it define what individual councilors should discuss with him.

She walked the councilors through a discussion of the city’s charter and offered tips on how to communicate well and avoid embarrassing situations.

The meeting attracted a few people familiar with city politics. Former councilor John Muenchrath attended, as well as the South Coast Development Council director, Sandra Messerle, and former council candidate Steve Pickering. None of them spoke.

Messmer’s not done yet with City Hall problems on the South Coast. She’s meeting with the Lakeside City Council tonight.