The city of Hermiston said goodbye to its mayor and two councilors Monday night as Dave Drotzmann, Rod Hardin and Nancy Peterson took part in their last meeting as elected officials.
Drotzmann is ending a 12-year run as mayor, while Peterson is stepping down after serving one four-year term as councilor and Hardin is doing the same after a whopping 32 years on the council.
During a meet-and-greet work session on Monday, the council welcomed two three councilors – Allen Hayward, Jeff Kelso and Josh Roberts – as well as incoming Mayor Doug Primmer who, after 12 years on the council, will succeed Drotzmann. Councilor Maria Durón was also sworn in for a second term.
In his final meeting as mayor, Drotzmann paid tribute to Hardin and his decades of service to the city of Hermiston.
“I met Councilor Hardin before my service on the council in his capacity at the Hermiston Christian Center as the principal, lead director, bus driver, teacher, educator and community civic servant,” Drotzmann said. “Anytime I’ve ever had a conversation with Rod they were always very pleasant. He was always very kind, always very thoughtful. I don’t know that I’ve ever heard a bad word out of Rod’s mouth.”
Drotzmann said Hardin “always had the best interest of the community at heart.”
Councilor Jackie Myers called Hardin “my friend for 35 years” and said he is “one of the most dedicated public servants that you will ever have the opportunity to work with.”
Durón, who will begin her second four-year term in January, brought attention to Hardin’s 32 years of service on the council.
“Wow,” she said. “That is an incredible milestone. My hats off to you for your dedication and service. Your wealth of historical knowledge is really going to be missed.”
Councilor Roy Barron noted a personal significance to Hardin’s many years on the council.
“He’s been on the council for 32 years and I’ve been alive for 32 years,” Barron said. “I say that as a testament to how honorable and admirable it is that you’ve served this community for that long. And that’s just as councilor. We know you’ve served your community in other capacities all these years.”
Hardin said he had a guiding principal during his years on the council.
“I didn’t come in here with an agenda,” he said. “My thing was what’s best for the city of Hermiston.”
Then he added, “Thanks for all the kind words. I’m probably not as nice as you think I am.”
Drotzmann also paid tribute to Peterson and the perspective they brought to the council as someone who identifies as non-binary as well as having a disability.
“I saw when they were doing their town hall forums that they were intelligent and that they would bring a perspective that was unique to the council,” Drotzmann said. “They represent a specific characteristic of our community demographic that is maybe underrepresented. They’ve always stood strong in advocacy for that demographic. They’ve had some health challenges throughout and always worked extremely hard to overcome those to make sure that they were present and able to participate in the conversation. I really appreciate their perspective, their input, and their unique intellectual value that they’ve created in conversations we’ve had.”
For his dozen years of service as mayor, Drotzmann was given some gifts including a plaque as well as praise from members of the council.
“You’ve championed initiatives that have improved the quality of life for our residents from enhancing our parks and recreation facilities to fostering economic development,” said Primmer. Drotzmann, said Primmer, “earned the respect and admiration of our entire community. You have always put the needs of others ahead of your own and your selfless service has made a lasting impact on Hermiston.”
Myers praised Drotzmann’s “stoic and pragmatic guidance” during a a turbulent time in Hermiston. Back in 2012, controversy over then-Police Chief Dan Coulombe and the council’s perceived lack of a response prompted an effort to recall then-Mayor Bob Severson and Councilors Hardin, Myers, Joe Harn and Frank Harkenrider. All five survived the recall, but animosity within the community remained.
“Dr. Dave stepped in at a time when we very desperately needed him,” Myers said. “It was at a low point and Dave stepped up and ran for mayor. It was at great expense to him because of the business that he runs (Lifetime Vision Care) and the time that he had to delegate to doing what he did. You brought a very calming effect on everything that was going on, not to mention class with your suits and for that I thank you.”
Durón said it was Drotzmann who encouraged her to run for city council in 2020.
“Thank you for seeing the potential in me,” she said. “Your 12 years of service has left a huge mark on our community. Your leadership, vision and efforts have guided the city through challenges and opportunities.”
Barron thanked Drotzmann for mentoring him as Barron was just 25 when he got onto the council. He said Drotzmann met with him and gave him a walk-through of the city and the role of a councilor. “I felt honored. I felt grateful that I had that experience prior to actually being on the council. So, thank you.”
Drotzmann thanked the council for their words and his family for their support.
“We couldn’t do this without familial support,” he said. Drotzmann said he decided to run for mayor after Severson decided not to run for another term. Even though there were some reservations among his family, they got behind his effort.
“They knew there was a challenge in our community at the time and I had the skill and the ability to help and so they were encouraging,” Drotzmann said.
Drotzmann then had some words for the incoming councilors. He thanked them for their “willingness to step up” and compared being on the council to getting married and having your first child.
“Your life is no longer about you,” he said. “It’s about your child. And so, as you step into this new role and new responsibility it’s not about you personally. It’s about the whole.”
He then offered them some advice going forward.
“Make sure you’re always listening more and speaking less,” he said. “I encourage you to always be informed. Read your packets ahead of time. Show up with great questions. Never try to embarrass anybody in public. I always try to do the criticism in private and the accolades in public. Just keep that in mind when things aren’t going your way. We need to have those sturdy, hard conversations and I want to encourage you to participate in that and provide your voice, but at the end of the day we walk out of here with one decision and we’ve got to stand behind that decision as a group.”
City Manager Byron Smith said a bench will be installed at Funland Park in Drotzmann’s honor. Another bench will be placed at city hall in honor of Hardin.
