McMinnville Alderman Keri Morton said she wants the city to prioritize stormwater infrastructure upgrades and budget management for long-term capital projects.
Morton re-elected Tuesday. Morton said the city has already initiated several drainage improvements to address specific areas that frequently experience issues.
“We are needing to build a police station,” Morton said. “So we have those, our architect drew the drawings, and we have that sent out to bid. So that will be coming in, I’d say fairly quickly, and then we’ll have to figure out where that lives in our budget and how we’re going to go about doing that.”
Morton said community development officials are also reviewing local municipal codes to tighten zoning restrictions regarding commercial operations.
“There’s really nowhere in the city of McMinnville that a data center would even be remotely comfortable to be put in,” Morton said. “I’ve known this city, I’ve lived here my whole life, so I know all the areas of which they think they might be able to put one. But they’re so close to residential that I don’t think we will actually have a problem keeping a data center out of the city here.”
Morton said the city is currently finishing one drainage project funded through a grant, and the board intends to research additional grant opportunities to maximize tax dollars.
Morton said the board recently selected Kelvin Ridgley to serve as the next city administrator. Morton said Ridgley’s previous experience in other locations will provide a fresh perspective on the municipal budget and the distinct needs of various city departments.
Morton said she is thankful to secure a second four-year term because the slow pace of government projects means extended time is required to complete ongoing civic improvements.
“I am grateful to the citizens of McMinnville for electing me for another term,” Morton said. “I have enjoyed what I’ve been doing. I said to someone earlier today, actually four years really isn’t enough because, as we all know, government does not move very fast. So you know, the things that you’ve enjoyed being a part of that maybe aren’t complete, you want to see them through the end.”