Company Profile
The City of Ashland
Company Overview
The City of Ashland, Oregon (population 20,340) is located at the southern tip of the Rogue Valley, along Interstate 5, approximately 15 miles north of the Oregon-California border. Nestled in the foothills of the Siskiyou Mountains, Ashland is one of the most scenic and picturesque communities in the Pacific Northwest. A magnet for outdoor enthusiasts, nature lovers and environmentalists, Ashland has a nationally recognized and Tony Award-winning repertory theater company, the Oregon Shakespeare Festival (OSF) that produces a variety of plays for some 400,000 visitors each year. The city enjoys
a thriving arts, music and culinary scene, and major recreational amenities. The Mt. Ashland Ski Area provides skiing and snowboarding, while nearby mountains, rivers and lakes provide hiking, bicycling, fishing, rafting and backpacking
opportunities. The Northern California Redwoods, Rogue River Recreational Areas, Oregon Caves, Crater Lake National Park and the Oregon Sand Dunes are all within easy driving distance of Ashland. The community presents an almost “storybook” setting with an impressive parks and recreation system and an outstanding public school district that has been consistently rated among the top 100 districts in the nation. The City is home to Lithia Park, which was recently named one of the “Ten Great Public Places” in America.
Home to Southern Oregon University, with over 5,500 students, Ashland offers an eclectic lifestyle in an environment that promotes communications and collaborative relationships at all levels and encourages citizen participation. Outstanding medical facilities and regional shopping are enhanced by the proximity of nearby Medford, just ten miles away. Ashland has a strong and growing retirement population which is seeking a small town social environment with big city cultural opportunities. Highly rated restaurants, numerous summer and winter festivals, a forgiving climate and the unhurried pace of life all contribute to the City’s special qualities.
Company History
The Ashland Police Department is accredited through the Oregon Accreditation Alliance and has recently completed recertification. The Police Chief will direct 28 sworn law enforcement personnel (many of them long-tenured employees who are dedicated to serving the City of Ashland), 9 civilian employees and 24 volunteers with a biennial budget of $12.4 million. The Police Chief will plan, direct, oversee and be accountable for the overall operations of the Police Department, including Administrative Services, Field Operations, Criminal Investigations, a large volunteer group, and other departmental and citywide functions.
The Ashland Police Department prides itself on innovation and is the home of the nationally recognized You Have Options Program, which was recently featured on the ABC-TV news program 20/20, after having been previously featured in USA Today and other national media. You Have Options is a program whereby law enforcement agencies improve police response to sexual assaults and the new Police Chief will be expected to build upon the success of the program. The Police Department has also developed innovative approaches to dealing with problems related to homelessness and mentally ill individuals who do not fall within the parameters of organized treatment. The department also provides a school resource officer to the Ashland School District and a city-wide traffic safety program.
The success of the department is borne out in Ashland’s most recent citizen satisfaction survey, in which 98% of respondents reported feeling safe in their neighborhood and 90% reported an overall feeling of safety.
Benefits
The city offers an attractive benefits package that includes:
• Retirement through the State of Oregon PERS retirement system - 100% employer contribution.
• A comprehensive medical, dental and vision package for employee and eligible dependents with a low deductible.
• Life insurance, AD&D, a Flexible Spending Account, employer contribution to an HRA VEBA, optional deferred compensation programs with employer match, wellness benefits and generous paid vacation, holiday and sick leave.