Commentary: The hidden city councilor

By GEORGE CUSTER/Editor  —  Eye-to-eye. Facial expressions. The little movement of the eyes and the furrowing of the brow when something is said to you. Body language. Is the person across from you leaning into the conversation? Are their arms folded, an obvious defensive position.  That’s how a person wants to hold a discussion. Mano-a-mano.

I’m sure you’ve seen the many countless futuristic movies where the faceless leader rules over the masses from the gigantic big screen. But in Oakridge Oregon? Really?

COVID was the initial reason for the “behind-the-curtain” meetings of the Oakridge City Council. Regardless of the fact that provisions were made to accommodate for safe separation and masking at a spacious facility, our elected officials opted to “Zoom in” to every meeting. These actions continued long after all other Lane County cities were meeting in public. However, that pill is a bit hard to swallow now.

The photograph is getting very old

Councilor Mellissa Bjarnson has not attended a city council meeting in person since being sworn in, has she? Who knows what she actually looks like? Is the picture she presents on the screen while Zooming in supposed to pacify us? Is she even interested in showing her face to the people that elected her? Why is she still hiding behind that photo? For all those citizens who don’t know her, how are they expected to judge her abilities as a leader?

She did, however, attend the recent, and pricey, volunteer appreciation party thrown by the council itself with your tax dollars. In tow were her family and children. I guess attending the party with dozens of people was vastly more important than attending the meetings she was voted into office to attend.

Is there a child care issue? Or, are there other legitimate reasons for her to not be able to attend the requisite meeting and represent the citizens of Oakridge? Maybe she should have said during the campaign that she wouldn’t be able to attend meetings in person.

The city’s website still discourages coming to the meetings. I’m sure I’ll get a lot of defenders of the COVID excuse, (oh yes, they’re called restrictions). But, if we take a look at all the other gatherings that happen nearly every day around town, it’s hard to lean on that as a pretext to staying away.

Leadership or placeholder?

Councilor Bjarnson needs to own up to her position as a leader. She needs to come to meetings and represent her constituents. Show some leadership. Leaders lead from the front, not from behind. In the military, those who aren’t willing to lead the charge, and make excuses for not doing so, are called… well, I won’t go there. If you are supposed to be one of Oakridge’s leaders, Ms. Bjarnson, let us see your face, your expressions, your body language. Attend the City Council meetings in person.