Non-Bargaining Motion Passes at City Council Workshop
A motion to have a hired professional gather information and provide pain point alleviation for the Non-bargaining compensation schedule passed during today's City Council workshop. A presentation to potentially adjust the Non-bargaining Compensation and Classification was brought to the board. Full implementation has already been included in the current budget for these market and equity adjustments in order to recruit and retain quality employees. The council previously approved a 3.02% Cost of Living Adjustment to the current salary schedule. The council was then presented with a 90% of Taskforce Recommendation Option that could be applied to the current schedule. 13 positions would see a reduction of their maximum pay at the tenth step of the schedule, impacting 21 employees. 14 employees would be placed at a higher step than their current step to avoid a pay reduction. Options and risks were presented to the council. The 90% option would be cheaper and resolve legal pain points, but not recruitment and retention pain points.
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Gold Hill Man Arrested, Lodged in Lane County for Luring a Minor, Online Exploitation
A Gold Hill man was arrested by multiple law enforcement agencies for Luring a Minor and Online Sexual Exploitation. Beginning in September 2025, Kaleb John Francis Altman, 25, contacted and began interacting with a juvenile female who was actually a Eugene Police Department (EPD) detective investigating internet crimes against children. On February 25th, a Violent Crimes detective drove to Medford and met with Jackson County Sheriff’s Office detectives to collaborate on the case. A team of Eugene Police, Jackson County Sheriff's deputies, the Oregon Department of Justice Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, and Medford Police detectives arrested Altman without incident as he arrived to his workplace in Medford. He was transported by the EPD detective to Eugene and lodged at the Lane County Jail for Luring a Minor and Online Sexual Corruption of a Child in the Second Degree.
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Shelter Levy Passes 2-0 at Weekly Business Session, Heads to Ballot
The Animal Control and Animal Shelter Local Option Tax is headed to the May 19th ballot. The Josephine County Board of Commissioner's 10 a.m. Weekly Business Session began with a presentation regarding the role of Animal Control and the Shelter in the community, their need for support, and their levy proposal for the next election. Citizens present were both for and against the levy. The board voted 2-0, with Commissioner Gary Richardson not casting a vote, to move the measure for the Local Option Tax in support of the two departments to the May 19th ballot. Richardson proposed a one cent decrease on the levy with senior fees reduced, but after the vote, wanted the public to know he was in support of the levy passing. During the public comment period, topics included support of the board, an idea to pair shelter animals with inmates, questions about recently hired positions, the homeless population, county monies, the SRS Fund, and the airport. The board approved the consent calendar, then adjourned the meeting at 11:01 a.m.
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