St. Helens council declares emergency and appoints Gloria Buse interim city administrator through the 28th

At an emergency meeting on the 14th, the St. Helens City Council declared a state of emergency and voted to appoint staff member Gloria Buse as interim city administrator for a period not to exceed two weeks, with a tentative end date of the 28th.

Councilors said the short-term appointment is intended to preserve continuity while staff assembles a slate of candidates for a longer interim or permanent hire. The council directed Buse to compile three candidates for council review, drawing on lists from the League of Oregon Cities or CIS, and set a target to have those names sent to the council by the 19th.

During discussion, councilors floated several internal and external options, including Lori Bush, Muhammad (identified in the discussion as the public works director) and Kathy Payne. Some members expressed concern about naming an interim who might also be a candidate in the selection process; others emphasized urgency and continuity of operations. “Three candidates is a reasonable amount,” several councilors said during the discussion.

Gloria Buse spoke during the meeting and said she could serve on a short-term basis: “Two weeks, I would be able to do that.” Council members noted that Buse’s institutional knowledge — particularly on budgeting and cross-department coordination — weighed in her favor for a very short appointment.

Councilor Sandine moved to appoint Gloria Buse as interim city administrator with a term not to exceed two weeks (through the 28th). The motion carried on a roll-call voice vote; the transcript records affirmative votes from Councilor Sandine, Council President Childers, Councilor Robert and Councilor Gunderson.

As next steps, the council directed staff to obtain candidate lists (the League of Oregon Cities was cited as the primary source, with CIS as an alternative), provide at least three candidates to council by the 19th, and consider scheduling a special meeting around the 24th or 25th to review the candidates if necessary. The council also formally moved and voted to declare an emergency to allow the expedited interim appointment.

The emergency meeting concluded after the council confirmed all items had been addressed; the council adjourned without further action.