MAYOR'S MESSAGE Sharing Knowledge, Strengthening Partnerships, and Advancing Wastewater Operations This past Monday evening, I had the pleasure of joining Councilors Kilmer and Niebergall, City Manager Nichole Rutherford, and members of our Public Works team for the dinner and vendor show held as part of the first Coos Bay Wastewater Operations & Management Conference at Ko-Kwel Casino Resort. This conference was spearheaded by our Water Quality Superintendent, Risha Latta, with the support of the City’s Public Works team. Risha recognized a need that many smaller and more rural communities know all too well: quality professional training is essential, but sending employees to conferences and training opportunities in larger metropolitan areas can be costly, particularly during challenging budgetary times. The idea was to bring that opportunity here—to the South Coast—where wastewater operators, maintenance workers, public works professionals, vendors, and others in the industry could come together to learn, exchange ideas, and build professional relationships without the added expense of traveling to a conference farther from home. This is especially important for wastewater operators, who are required to earn continuing education units (CEUs) to maintain their state certifications. By offering this training locally, operators from throughout the region had an opportunity to earn those CEUs much closer to home. Keeping the conference affordable for local communities was also a priority. With the support of vendor sponsorships, the City was able to offset facility and conference expenses and keep registration costs low for participating communities. More than 30 vendors from across the country also attended, giving local operators and municipalities an opportunity to connect directly with companies providing equipment, technology, and services relevant to their day-to-day operations. The conference program itself included two days of training on wastewater treatment processes, equipment maintenance, safety, regulatory compliance, and emerging technologies. What was especially impressive was the reach of this first conference. Attendees came from communities throughout our region and beyond, including cities along nearly the entire Oregon Coast as well as Roseburg and Medford. Seeing that kind of participation at an inaugural event speaks to the need for accessible, high-quality training opportunities here in southern Oregon. Events like this are also a good reminder of the expertise we have within our own organization. Our employees do important work every day that most of us rarely have reason to think about, and they are continually looking for ways to improve how we serve our community. In this case, that meant looking beyond Coos Bay and asking how we could help strengthen wastewater operations throughout the region. I want to congratulate Risha and the entire Public Works team for taking an idea and turning it into a successful first-year conference. I also want to thank the instructors, vendors, sponsors, and participating communities who helped make the event possible. The conference brochure summed up its purpose very well: sharing knowledge, strengthening partnerships, and advancing wastewater operations. I am proud that Coos Bay could play a role in bringing those opportunities a little closer to home. -Joe Benetti, Mayor of Coos BayPhotos from Coos Bay - City Government's post