The City of St. Helens, incorporated in 1889, currently has a Council-Mayor form of government consisting of four Councilors, elected to four-year terms, and a Mayor, elected to a two-year term.  At each biennial general election, the Mayor and two Councilors are elected.  Appointed City officials include the City Administrator, City Recorder, Finance Director, City Attorney, Public Works Director, Community Development Director, Police Chief, Wastewater Treatment Plant Superintendent, Building Official, Library Director, and Municipal Court Judges.

The Council is assisted by the following Boards and Commissions serving in an advisory capacity:  Planning Commission, Parks Commission, Library Board, Tourism Committee, Arts and Cultural Commission, Bicycle and Pedestrian Commission, and other various boards.  All members of these boards and commissions are appointed by the City Council and serve at its pleasure.

The Budget Committee, an important financial advisory body, consists of all five members of the City Council and five appointed lay members from the community.  The Budget Committee is charged with the annual review of the City's budget, making any changes, and approving the annual City Budget.  Final adoption of the annual City Budget is completed by the City Council at a separate public hearing.

The City Council, meeting on a regular basis the first and third Wednesday evenings of each month, conducts all regular City business at these sessions.  Councilors approve small payments of claims or services against the City and authorize large expenditures.  They pass ordinances and resolutions that set policy or regulation of matters within the City.  Other meetings and public hearings, as needed, are scheduled and also require their attendance. 

Additionally, on the first and third Wednesday mornings, the Council meets for an informal work session.  This is a time for Councilors to discuss, in detail, policy issues of relevance to the City.  The Mayor also assigns to each Councilor and to him/herself, departments, boards, and commissions responsibilities.  Councilors are responsible for liaison with their assigned departments, boards and commissions with the rest of the Council. 

Compensation for these elected officials is as follows:  (Adopted by Resolution No. 1464, 12/19/07)

The Mayor and Councilor positions are all non-partisan.  The Mayor and Councilors represent all residents of the City.  They are not elected by wards or districts.  The City Charter requires that the Mayor and Councilors be registered voters within the City limits and have lived in St. Helens for one year prior to the election.

CITY COUNCIL Work Session:  1st & 3rd Wednesday at 8:30AM in the Council Chambers Regular Session:  1st & 3rd Wednesdays at 7:30PM in the Council Chambers Agendas & Minutes
Councilor	Position	Assignments	Term Expires
Randy Peterson, Mayor	Mayor	Administration Department Arts & Cultural Commission	2010 (2-year)
Douglas Morten	Council Position 1	Police Department Regional Organized Criminal Narcotics Team	2010 (4-year)
Keith Locke, President	Council Position 2	Public Works Department Parks Commission Tourism Committee	2012 (4-year)
Phillip Barlow	Council Position 3	Library Department Library Board Economic Development Bicycle & Pedestrian Commission	2010 (4-year)
Patrick Martyn	Council Position 4	Community Development Department Planning Commission	2012 (4-year)

Council members also have custodial responsibility for all City property including buildings, equipment, and land. They also direct the financing, maintenance, and operation of all City departments: Parks, Public Works, Engineering, Library, Building, Planning, Police, and Administration.  Council members also represent the City on several outside committees involving everything from hazardous or solid waste to law enforcement.

Meet your Council...

MAYOR - Randy Peterson   Email
Born and raised in St. Helens, Mayor Peterson has been a member of the St. Helens City Council since 1993.  He recently retired from his post as Captain of the Columbia River Fire & Rescue District where he had once served as the President of the local firefighter's union.  He is interested in public safety and economic development issues.  Peterson is known by his friends as an outdoor enthusiast and can be found fishing or hunting throughout the year.

COUNCILOR POSITION #1  - Douglas Morten   Email
Elected in 2007, Councilor Morten is a third generation St. Helens' family.  He is strongly tired to the historic culture of this area.  Retired from the Portland Public Schools after 31 years, Morten returned to St. Helens with a renewed passion and respect for the natural beauty and character of the town.  While in Portland, Morten served on the board of the Alameda Neighborhood Association.  He is a board member of the Corinthian Yacht Club and Rear Commador of the nation's largest sailboat racing fleet.  He is the sponsor of the City of Heritage community focus, safe passages for St. Helens and a neighborhood association initiative.

COUNCILOR POSITION #2  - Keith Locke, President   Email
Councilor Locke is a fifth generation Oregonian who grew up on the Grand Ronde Indian Reservation.  He retired from the Boise Paper Mill in 1998 due to cancer but continued his private business as owner of St. Helens Computer Center.  In 2003 he retired fully to pursue community service.  Among his greatest accomplishments in life are having a wonderful loving family and surviving an incurable cancer.  He has been on the City Council since 2002 and serves on the Tourism Committee, SMART Board, and as a Police Commissioner.  He also volunteers with the St. Helens Community Foundation, the 13 Nights on the River Concert Series, Lewis & Clark Campfires & Canoes Committee, and the St. Helens Fireworks Committee.

COUNCILOR POSITION #3 - Phillip Barlow   Email
Elected in 2007 at the age of 34, Councilor Barlow is a lifelong resident of St. Helens.  He is heavily involved in the family business, Barlow Bikes & Boards, and is the primary supporter of the Bicycle Friendly Community Action Plan adopted by the City in June of 2007.  He also serves on the Columbia-Pacific Economic Development Board, the Crown Zellerbach Trail Advisory Board, and the St. Helens Fireworks Committee. 

COUNCILOR POSITION #4  - Patrick Martyn   Email

APPOINTED COMMISSIONS/BOARDS

Planning Commission 2nd Tuesday at 7pm in Council Chambers Terms Expire 12/31 Agendas & Minutes		Parks Commission 3rd Monday at 4pm in Council Chambers Terms Expire 12/31 Agendas & Minutes
Audrey Webster	2010 (4-year)	Bill Eagle	2010 (4-year)
Sheila Semling	2010 (4-year)	Jacob Woodruff	2010 (4-year)
Vern Fischer	2011 (4-year)	Janis Walters	2011 (4-year)
Greg Cohen, Vice Chair	2012 (4-year)	Debi Corsiglia	2012 (4-year)
Dan Cary	2012 (4-year)	Dave Mileti	2012 (4-year)
Bill Amos, Chair	2013 (4-year)	John Brewington, Chair	2013 (4-year)
Al Petersen	2013 (4-year)	Sari Swick	2013 (4-year)
Library Board 2nd Monday at 7pm at Council Chambers Terms Expire 6/30 Agendas & Minutes		Budget Committee Meets when convened Terms Expire 12/31 Agendas & Minutes
Burke Wood	2010 (4-year)	Joe Schultz	2010 (3-year)
Nancy Bensen	2011 (4-year)	Darlene Boles	2011 (3-year)
Mary Woiccak	2011 (4-year)	Marit Nelson	2011 (3-year)
Steve Jackson	2012 (4-year)	Darrel Willis	2011 (3-year)
Margaret Barroso	2012 (4-year)	Bill Eagle	2012 (3-year)
Casey Jolissaint	2013 (4-year)
Emily Braman	2013 (4-year)
Tourism Committee 2nd Thursday at 3pm in Council Chambers Terms Expire 9/30 Agendas & Minutes		Arts & Cultural Commission 4th Wednesday at 6:30pm in Council Chambers Terms Expire 9/30 Agendas & Minutes
Libby Calnon	2010 (3-year)	Anne Parrott	2010 (3-year)
Eric Dahlgren	2010 (3-year)	Jarred Kearsley	2010 (3-year)
Brian Lawrence	2010 (3-year)	Will Gillis	2011 (3-year)
Keith Locke	2011 (3-year)	Pam Powell	2011 (3-year)
Sherry Quarry	2011 (3-year)	Cathy Lambert, Chair	2012 (3-year)
Roni Bartlett	2011 (3-year)	Kannikar Petersen	2012 (3-year)
Curtis Deslatte	2012 (3-year)	Vacant	2012 (3-year)
Joyce Pereira	2012 (3-year)
Vacant	2012 (3-year)
Bicycle & Pedestrian Commission Last Thursday at 6:30pm in Council Chambers Terms Expire 12/31 Agendas & Minutes
Paul Barlow	2010 (3-year)
Howard Blumenthal	2010 (3-year)
Cynthia Sweet	2010 (3-year)
John Krause, Chair	2011 (3-year)
Hillary Sell	2011 (3-year)
Bob Wines	2011 (3-year)
Skip Baker	2012 (3-year)
David Ehrenkranz, Vice	2012 (3-year)
Raymond Scholl	2012 (3-year)

Contact the City Councilor in charge of a particular department if you are interested in serving on that board/commission. You can obtain an application at City Hall.  Please call City Hall if you would like a copy of an agenda or more information about a particular meeting. 

For questions or comments about this site, please contact webmistress@ci.st-helens.or.us.