By Samantha Sobel and Josiah Pensado
Cottage Grove and the rural community’s homeless crisis has grabbed headlines in the Weekly, RG and more, and in turn, one of the discussions that has arisen is the leadership.
Eugene Weekly reached out to those running for office — some folks responded, others didn’t respond despite several call attempts and others made it clear they didn’t want to talk. And while EW didn’t endorse in Cottage Grove races, the Blackberry Pie Society, a progressive PAC in town, did — see below.
Cottage Grove City Council
Mayor
Candace Solesbee, the incumbent mayor, wasn’t available to speak with a reporter.
Dana Merryday spent every summer visiting Oregon since 1992, when the Oregon Country Fair in Veneta caught his eye. In 2011, he bought property in Cottage Grove.
Initially, Merryday says he avoided city politics but says he was motivated to run for the Ward Three councilor position in the 2022 election due to his involvement in the city budget committee. His term expires in December 2026. Merryday is now running for mayor. In addition to his role as councilor, Merryday is a substitute teacher and teaching assistant for the South Lane School District school district.
“My strategy is to be very fair and even handed and to listen to all people and try to work to steer the council in a direction where we can all agree,” he says.
City Council
• Ward 1 City Councilor, term expires in 2026
Kevin Adamski is a retired forest technician for the U.S. Forest Service, Umpqua National Forest, based at the Cottage Grove Ranger District. Adamski worked there from 1988 to 2015 and has lived in Ward 1 since purchasing his home in 1991.
Adamski says he feels that since the recall of Chalice Savage in July, it is his civil duty to step up and serve the community. “I am honest and well-respected,” Adamski says. He says he believes that since he has lived in Ward 1 for so long, he would be best for the neighborhood.
“I like this community and I want what is best for it,” he says.
Christine Hyink wasn’t available for an interview.
• Ward 2 City Councilor, expires 2028.
Randell Lammerman is running uncontested. Lammerman officially was appointed to the Ward 2 city councilor position on Oct. 14, after the previous council member, Jon Stinnett, resigned from his term. Randell Lammerman has lived in Cottage Grove for around 17 years and works at Lane Forest Products.
Lammerman says he believes he could “restore that sense of community and the feeling that the town is actually doing what the people want instead of… the city council doing whatever they wanted.”
The eight-year Army veteran says he wants to bring more economic opportunities to Cottage Grove by increasing the number of developmental properties and hiring a third-party auditor to oversee the city budget.
• At-Large City Councilor, two-year term, expires 2026
Jim Settelmeyer has worked as a science teacher in Cottage Grove for 36 years and 15 years as a millworker. Having been in the community for over 50 years, Settelmeyer says he plans to foster a more positive attitude within the City Council and build trust among the public.
He says that unity and communication are what the city of Cottage Grove needs. “We need to create an atmosphere where everyone feels heard,” Settelmeyer says.
Settelmeyer says Cottage Grove will face new problems in the future, but he believes that city council training done before each session will be the key to moving forward. “I am invested, and we can show more positive energy,” Settelmeyer says.
Chris Holloman wasn’t available for an interview.
• At-Large City Councilor, four-year term, expires 2028
Darrel Wilson and his wife have lived in Cottage Grove for almost 30 years, where they raised their adopted son, who is now 24.
Wilson says he was a part of the Lane Leaders Association and a corrections officer with the Lane County Sheriff’s Department. He served on the Eugene and Springfield Chamber of Commerce and was a member of the Springfield Downtown Revitalization Committee.
Wilson previously ran for the at-large city councilor position in the last election against Mike Fleck. Wilson says he believes he can bring a fresh voice to the arguments regarding water rates and road conditions.
His goal as city councilor would be to “bring some common sense back to city government” and “make common sense common again.”
Richard Andrew has lived in Cottage Grove for a little over a year, where he is a self-employed legal and educational consultant. In the past, he has served on both the Urban Forestry Committee and Lane County Parks Advisory Committee.
Andrews says his main objective as city councilor would be to “establish a positive outcome for the homeless situation after the recall.”
“Since I’m not born and raised here… I think that’s my disadvantage, but my approach as far as running is more of a leadership approach,” Andrews says. “With my leadership skills, I could help us establish a ground of meaning and understanding with one another.”
Patrick S. Cartwright has lived in Cottage Grove on and off for over 20 years and owns Northwest Automotive Customs Inc. In the past, he says he has served as an elected political party committee member and regularly attended City Council meetings.
“This community grabbed my heart years ago in 2002 when I first moved here. It was a different community at that point. Everyone got along,” Cartwright says. “I would like to see unification of the council instead of the constant arguing and bickering.”
After three open heart surgeries this year, Cartwright has started to look at politics from a more humanitarian light. “Let’s look forward to the future and see what we can all work together and come to resolutions with,” he says.
Bernie Donner is no longer running, but couldn’t remove his name from the ballot before it was officially submitted.
• Ward 4 City Councilor, term expires 2028
Greg Ervin refused to comment. “I don’t trust the reporting at Eugene Weekly,” he says. Ervin was previously quoted in two EW stories related to the city’s continued homeless crisis. His term expires in 2028.
Blackberry Pie Society’s Cottage Grove Election Endorsements
Cottage Grove City Council
Mayor
Dana Merryday
City Councilor, Ward 1
WRITE IN: Chalice Savage did not want to comment beyond saying she is not running for City Council again after being recalled earlier this year. Savage says she was unaware of the endorsement from the Blackberry Pie Society.
At-Large City Councilor, (Two-Year term):
Jim Settelmeyer
At-Large City Councilor, (Four-year term):
WRITE IN: Alex Dreher did not want to comment beyond saying she is not running for City Council again after being recalled earlier this year. Dreher says she was unaware of the endorsement from the Blackberry Pie Society.