Oakridge City Council finds common ground, renews Bryan Cutchen’s contract for another year

By DOUG BATES/Editor/The Herald — Buoyed by a two-week-long outpouring of community support, Oakridge City Administrator Bryan Cutchen received unanimous city council approval Wednesday night for renewal of his contract and a letter of support from the mayor and council president.

In an obvious compromise, Cutchen’s new contract is for one year rather than two but includes a second-year option, increased paid vacation as well as the letter acknowledging the city’s accomplishments during his first two years on the job.

“Council looks forward to a productive year, nurturing the momentum that has begun and learning together how to lead Oakridge into a brighter future,” says the letter, signed by Mayor Kathy Holston and Council President Christina Hollett.

Until Wednesday evening’s key vote, the two had been at odds. Holston had published a letter to the community warning that failure to renew Cutchen’s contract would be “catastrophic” for Oakridge. Hollett, who has not shared her misgivings about Cutchen publicly, led a council faction that appeared poised to vote against contract renewal — mainly, it appeared, because of his openness to considering cutbacks to fire department and EMS services to address the city’s looming budget crisis.

The standoff over Cutchen’s fate ignited an outpouring of vocal community support for Cutchen, especially from the Oakridge business and professional community. Twenty-two speakers, including several prominent civic leaders, spoke in passionate support of Cutchen at a public meeting March 10, and others have since produced letters of strong support.

The city’s budget crisis needs to be addressed before the council completes its formal evaluation of Cutchen, members decided after their unanimous vote on the contract renewal Wednesday night. All agreed to hold off on the evaluation until May.

“It’s going to be heated,” Councilor Bobbie Whitney said of the budget process. “I want it to be a fair evaluation. It’s not going to be easy for any of us.”

Cutchen, a former Navy pilot who retired as a rear admiral and began a new career in city administration on the East Coast,  accepted the $90,330-a-year Oakridge position in mid-2019. After his first year in the job he waived his right to an increase because of the city’s poor fiscal outlook.

Here is the full text of the letter of support signed by both Holston and Hollett:

“To the Community and Citizens of Oakridge,

“The Oakridge City Council wishes to publicly support the city administrator, Bryan Cutchen and acknowledge the work that has been accomplished in the last two years.

“Renewal of the contract for a period of one year acknowledges that the council and the city administrator, together need to work for a more satisfactory communication structure and in no way represents a lack of good faith on the part of council, but instead is to be viewed as an opportunity to strengthen our council/administrator form of government to better serve our community.

“Council acknowledges that communication is essential to good governance, both internally and externally we are committed to improving communications with each other, with our administrator and with our entire community.

“Council looks forward to a productive year, nurturing the momentum that has begun and learning together how to lead Oakridge into a brighter future.”