Enterprise City Administrator Lacey McQuead, right, swears in newly elected Mayor Cody Lathrop at the beginning of the Jan. 13, 2025, city council meeting. In July, the council began considering changing to a mayor/manager system. (Bill Bradshaw/Wallowa County Chieftain, File)

ENTERPRISE — The Enterprise City Council is eyeing a change to the structure of city government that would grant the mayor or city manager more authority.

The city operates with a weak mayor system, meaning the city charter limits the mayor’s authority. Councilor David Elliott at the council’s meeting Monday, July 14, at city hall suggested with City Administrator Lacey McQuead leaving around the end of the year it would be timely to have residents vote on the person responsible for managing the city.

Elliott said if the city administrator is not doing the job, voters could remove the person at the next election.

Councilor Eric Stangel said since it is the responsibility of the council to oversee the department managers and if managers aren’t doing their jobs, the council needs to act on that.

Elliott noted the administrator is responsible for the day-to-day activities, but the council isn’t always aware of what those are and is only provided with information that staff members think the council needs to know about.

McQuead reminded the council that changing the charter would require a vote of the public.

Police Chief Kevin McQuead expressed concerns about the qualifications of individuals who may choose to run for the mayor/manager position and what the training process would look like.

Elliott said it would come down to a vote of the residents. Given that Lacey McQuead is planning to leave, now is the appropriate time to have a discussion on the issue.

Mayor Cody Lathrop asked all councilors to research the issue and it be brought up again in August. He suggested creating a five-year plan to propose the change to a mayor/manager system.

Courtesy car

In another matter, the council learned a pilots’ group expressed a willingness to donate the cash needed for vehicle insurance for a courtesy car for the municipal airport.

The cost of auto insurance has been a sticking point in continuing to provide a courtesy car for pilots to use at the airport. The Wallowa County Pilots Association has offered to make a donation to the city to cover the cost of insurance, according to a letter Lucas Stangel presented to the council.

The association also agreed to assume responsibility for all maintenance of the vehicle and implement a process for checking it out by users.

In other business, the council:

• Approved a resolution giving the council the authority to approve which flags the city displays on its poles. Lathrop said it is best to get ahead of any future requests with a resolution.

• Approved the final audit report for the 2023-24 fiscal year, including the list of deficiencies in internal control over financial reporting due to the auditor preparing the financial statements. McQuead said such findings are the same every year and it raises no questions.

• Approved a request from Darrell Brann, owner of the OK Theatre, to modify his event permit to close Main Street on July 31 to Aug. 2 to allow a stage.

• Heard a request from Lee Manuel to move the speed limit sign from the west end of town to the top of the hill. She said there is much traffic entering and leaving her business there, as well as the nearby motel. Changing the location of the 25 mph speed sign would require consent of the Oregon Department of Transportation. She also asked for a “No Jake Brakes” zone coming into town. Jake Brakes are engine brakes that use engine compression to ease wear on normal brakes, but can cause loud noise.

Lathrop asked the police and public works committees to discuss Manuel’s concerns and report back to the council in August.