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How exciting it is to have the opportunity to work to form a Hamlet of Molalla Prairie! Our community is really lucky to have such a supportive County. Innovation is necessary to move us forward and the CPO has run out of functional steam.
I hope rural residents are starting to get the picture that so far all power and support – and the benefits of OUR TAXES – have flowed only one way – to the cities. I for one am tired of seeing ill run, wasteful places like the City of Molalla lord it over the rural areas and taking our taxes for grants that are often wasted via poor management.
It’s time for a new vision – Hamlets are jurisdictions, not governments, so they simply allow non-incorporated areas the ability to have a “seat at the table”. How could we resist that – the chance to participate more fully in making policy and finding solutions to problems we face in the rural areas?
Unlike the hidebound, restrictive, weak, and biased CPO, the truly grassroots, non- partisan structure of a Hamlet would allow any rural resident or group of residents to come in to any meeting, raise an issue, and vote ON THE SPOT AS MEMBERS (the CPO has a restrictive requirement that a person has to attend a meeting once before they are empowered to have a vote, making it hard for many busy people to participate).
Also, unlike the CPO, which is fond of making “board” decisions without consulting the entire membership, a Hamlet board would be expected to largely follow whatever the citizens vote for on issues – the citizens vote FIRST, and the board vote in most cases should reflect what the CITIZENS WANT.
A Hamlet may not impose taxes or change laws, but with a small but useful budget, and the ability to apply for grants (thus getting the chance to use rural tax dollars for rural projects) the scope of possible activities for a Hamlet will far exceed the tiny land use issues a CPO can fuss with.
Let’s celebrate the potential of all our opinions and all our visions – we need a rural organization that welcomes everyone, listens to everyone, and expands the influence of our voices.
See you on October 14 at 7pm at the Molalla library – it is time to learn what more about what a Hamlet can do for YOU and what you can do for your community.
Quite an amusing letter hit the Pioneer today as someone expressed fears about the Hamlet along side comments about the “good old days” when rural people connected at the local school to address problems and celebrate events.
Perhaps the writer of the letter missed the point of a Hamlet – that it exactly the idea of the “good old days” when rural people had the means to connect.
The writer worries about government “layers”, yet fails to recognize that without the collective voice that a Hamlet could provide he is simply one person fighting all that “government”. Rather than a new layer of government to be feared, a Hamlet simply gives residents a chance to get to the ears of policy makers.
The writer expresses anger about government red tape – perhaps he has also missed that point that a Hamlet could possibly help local people untangle the red tape? Many rural residents are struggling to establish rights under Measure 49 – a Hamlet could carry those “red tape” problems to policy makers far more quickly than an individual could.
The writer talks of community gatherings! The Hamlets of Mulino and Beavercreek just held a wonderful joint picnic for Hamlet residents to play and meet one another. That, to me, sounds exactly like what the writer is missing about the “good old days”.
Why fear a jurisdiction that allows people a vote on the spot at any meeting they attend? Why fear a Hamlet that would allow far more positive activities than just fighting land use issues – the only thing a CPO is designed for. Why fear an organization that can allow more of the rural population to have a collective voice and that can foster a better, more positive sense of community?
Why not come to a meeting on the second Wednesday of the month at the Library at 7 pm, meet your neighbors, and help define what a Hamlet could do for you?
Good letter in the Pioneer this week addressing the fear that is apparently generated in Molalla “government” by the formation of a Hamlet re: Uniformed Molalla Cop attends CPO meeting.
What a paranoid City! What a place filled with “leaders” who hate debate, who fear change, who seek to control the message, who loathe FREE SPEECH AND OPINIONS! The City of Molalla continues to amaze us all with its profound ability to act out of step with the “real world” of the 21st century! Take a look at Clackamas County government – where transparency, responsibility, and citizen involvement are hallmarks to be proud of.
The real world of GOOD 21st century government is about open debate, honesty, and transparency – then there is Molalla. Maybe “Molalla Paranoia” is catching – collaboration should never mean selling out! Maybe we need a vaccine for “Molalla Paranoia” before it spreads further?
Sooner or later the truth always hits the fan. In these tiny bergs secrets are hard to keep. How absurd it is for anyone to pretend that a Molalla Policewoman would spend a “break” fondling CPO sign in sheets and standing behind a glass door for over a 1/2 an hour. Does the City think the CPO members just fell off a turnip truck – that ANYONE would believe a “break” story? How could the Cop say that “break” story with a straight face?
It all boils down to a question of a blatant attempt at harassment and intimidation: who sent the COP to the CPO meeting? What were the intentions? Who doesn’t understand that acts like that end up making matters far worse? Why cause more problems than those we already have between the rural residents and the City of Molalla? Who was trying to throw their pathetic “official” weight around? Was it a sick power trip? And why didn’t the acting CPO leader get up and ASK why the the uniformed officer was there?
One wonders what forces are driving this paranoia? Fear of a Hamlet? Fear of open debate? Fear of losing control? Fear of ideas? Fear of change? FEAR OF WHAT?
Clackamas County, the agency which sponsors CPOs and Hamlets, is apparently as shocked as the CPO members are about this pathetic attempt to intimate or to harass rural citizens at a peaceful meeting. It is just the CPO after all – a high school like “club’ that is so ingrown it couldn’t possibly pose a threat to anything!
What on earth was the City of Molalla thinking – what kind of Police state are they running? Weren’t there traffic tickets to write or kids skateboarding somewhere they shouldn’t or the upper Molalla River to protect?
Get a grip, City of Molalla – the CPO is the least of your worries – you’d better send the police out writing the tickets to keep the City coffers full. You can’t earn a buck spying on the CPO or the Hamlet meetings. Or was there some kind of hidden agenda we have yet to uncover?
And whatever person sent the Cop to the CPO meeting should realize that such an action just makes CPO/Hamlet members dig their heels in -further – we’ll be THE MOST DEVOTED, LOYAL CPO/HAMLET MEMBERS THAT EVER WALKED THE FACE OF THE EARTH. Maybe next time the Cop can sign the CPO sheet – we love guests – maybe she can give a speech about public safety while she explains what she was doing at the Sept meeting!
Free speech forever – civil liberties forever – READ THE BILL OF RIGHTS, MOLALLA! And start using your public safety staff wisely!
Oct 14 marked the 4th Hamlet formation meeting at 7pm at the Molalla Library. As the plans for a Hamlet are firmed up, it is exciting to participate in free flowing discussions with other rural citizens who are interested in exploring a wide variety of projects.
At the meeting, attendees voted for a future board of 6, with 2 alternates. The Hamlet board, once elected, would vote to choose officers internally, from the board members. This allows the board to choose officers based on which board members have the most time, talent, and energy to put into the Hamlet. It was also decided that the board would serve for two years, with the initial terms staggered so 3 board members serve for 2 years and 3 expire after a year. That way, every year 3 board seats would come up for election.
With the “dry” procedures settled, the Hamlet attendees had a lively session listing potential Hamlet projects, including natural resource studies of the rural areas around the city limits, history projects, creating and maintaining a Hamlet website for a community billboard, and starting a safety outreach committee to interface with the Sheriff’s dept and to plan for disasters. The Hamlet could have a seat on a newly formed regional transportation committee that brings together Hamlets, Villages and ODOT to plan for rural traffic projects. There was strong interest in promoting “buy local” and agricultural tourism for the Hamlet of Molalla Prairie. A Hamlet can host election forums, host informational speakers, and can work with County staff on any concerns that local citizens wish to have addressed, since Hamlets have a direct path to County staff and County Commissioners. The Hamlet could be invaluable in helping citizens carve through the red tape that is often daunting when individuals come up against County and State rules.
Signature gathering on petitions has progressed very well – anyone interested in the Hamlet can call 503-810-1954 or email “hamlet@molalla.net” to ask for petitions, to sign a petition or to have questions answered.
The next Hamlet formation meeting is Wednesday Nov 11 at 7pm at the Molalla library. We look forward to finishing up the bylaws. We believe it is very important to work on policies to make the Hamlet of Molalla Prairie user friendly and fair to all local rural citizens. All ideas are encouraged! As a grass roots, non-partisan jurisdiction, a Hamlet respects diverse opinions!
With Clackamas County’s interest in the economic potential of our farm and forest lands, it is an exciting time to work together for a Hamlet – a jurisdiction that allows much greater opportunities than a CPO to promote our rural community and explore diverse projects. Everyone is welcome, and everyone is automatically a member with the ability to vote at all meetings. Come and help plan the best vision for rural Molalla.
Thanks to all the local citizens who have signed the Hamlet signature petitions.
The Hamlet committee is happy that we now have collected well over the 100 signatures necessary to submit the bylaws to the Commission for approval. We are enjoying the process and look forward to contacting people via email about coming meetings. Signature gathering continues until mid December when the Hamlet expects to submit bylaws and petitions to the Clackamas County Commissioners.
Due to Veteran’s Day the next Hamlet formation meeting will be on Nov 18 at 7 at the Molalla library.