The City of St. Helens is inviting the public to a reception for outgoing City Council President Doug Morten at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 21.
The reception will occur before the before the regular 7 p.m. city council meeting at the Council Chambers in St. Helens City Hall, 265 Strand Street, Plaza Entrance.
“On behalf of the City, the staff would like to thank Doug for his 16 years of dedicated public service to our community,” city officials state in a release about the reception.
In a one-on-one interview, The Chronicle gains insight from Morton about his dedicated city service.
The Chronicle: When did you first become a St. Helens City Councilor and why did you seek that position?
Doug Morton: Prior to the 2006 election a citizen wide survey was conducted regarding effectiveness of city government. The negative results were humiliating, disgraceful, and revealed an overwhelming lack of trust, transparency, communication and stewardship, which fell on the shoulders of city leaders. I was confident, that with my past experience with respectable leadership roles in the US Army (‘66-‘68), Timberline Ski & Ride School (‘68-present), Portland Public Schools – Lincoln High School as coach and teacher (‘70 – ‘2001), various professional and service organization boards; Columbia Learning Center Director, Columbia County CASA Director, Columbia County Rotary Director & Scholarship Chairman,