Dan Larman, right, Joseph's new city manager, talks with billing clerk Michelle Brock in the office at City Hall on Wednesday, Aug. 24, 2022.

JOSEPH — Joseph’s new city manager comes with a host of qualifications for the job, having worked with outgoing pro-tem Administrator Brock Eckstein in Elgin for nine years and spent most of his adult life working in the municipal industry.

“I’ve worked my way up. I started at the bottom. I was the guy shoveling stuff up into a bucket and I’ve literally worked my way up since then,” said Dan Larman, during an interview Wednesday, Aug. 24. “I’ve handled just about every aspect there is to handle in municipal work, whether it’s city or county. I’ve always been a public servant; I don’t see that changing in the near future — or even the far future.”

All that on-the-job experience, and numerous certifications to operate municipal systems earned through continuing education “short courses,” easily replace the need for a college degree, Larman said.

“I’ve been in the municipal arena for 19 years, 10 of those in management,” he said.

Larman is a native of Wichita, Kansas, where his father was stationed while in the U.S. Air Force. When his father retired, the family moved first to Western Washington, and then, at age 7, Larman moved with his mother to Mount Vernon, in the John Day Valley.

“Eastern Oregon has always been my home,” he said. “This area and Wallowa County in particular is a very desirable place to be. It’s rural — I don’t really like the bigger cities too much — the sense of community is just awesome out here. People really take care of their neighbors; they care about what’s going on in their communities.”

The single dad of three sons sees Joseph as a great place to continue raising his kids.

“I have school-aged children and the smaller, more-rural schools give them the opportunity to achieve the things that they want to achieve, more on a personal basis,” he said.

Post-chaos Joseph

Anyone who has been paying attention is aware that city government in Joseph has been anything but sedate the past few years. When former city Administrator/Recorder Larry Braden resigned amid accusations that he experienced harassment from the mayor and city council in April 2021, that set off a chain of events that included a councilwoman being censured, arguments between employees and an unrelated issue of the then-mayor resigning because she moved.

The council contracted with Eckstein to serve as pro-tem city administrator until a permanent replacement for Braden was found and Councilor Lisa Collier was elected as mayor. Vacant council seats were filled so that only one vacancy remains at present.

Now, with Larman hired in July and most vacancies filled, the city appears on track to be fully functional.

“I did learn of and was aware that Joseph had been plagued with some turnover in the past and I’m hoping that, being in a management position, that we can turn that around and keep the staff that we have,” Larman said.

He said he doesn’t feel associated with the chaotic nature of city government in recent years.

“I feel that what was put in place before I started and I’m picking up where it was left off,” he said. “I will say that the staff and the team that was put together before I came on is exceptional. These people take great pride in their jobs; they really want to do things correctly; they are great performers.”

Challenges ahead

Larman is aware of and ready to take on the challenges the city faces. Coming up are issues dealing with the urban growth boundary and the so-called “land swap,” the ongoing wastewater and water treatment projects and the project by the Oregon Department of Transportation to upgrade city sidewalks to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

The latter project, he said, which will last two seasons, bred a bit of controversy as local merchants and the Joseph Chamber of Commerce expressed concerns to the city council that the ADA work could disrupt the tourist season. However, earlier this year, the city, the chamber and ODOT came to an agreement to start work on the outer edges of town during the busy time of year and not move downtown until tourist season was winding down. Larman said after ODOT has to cease work this fall, they’ll return to finish up in the spring.

“The public outreach is pretty important with all of the projects and I think we’re doing a pretty decent job with all of that,” Larman said. “Maintaining those relationships is a pretty integral part of maintaining a successful community.”

Another challenge is getting a full planning commission on board. The council recently approved two of the five needed members, but needs three more before a commission can be formally appointed, he said.

“Since I’ve come on as administrator, we’ve had more … interest expressed by residents in serving,” he said. “These rural towns really rely on volunteers, but it’s really tough because everybody has jobs, everybody has kids. It’s something that needs to happen but I understand why it doesn’t.”