02/20/2026
In case you missed it, Jenny Chynoweth attended via Zoom and wrote up notes:
Update from 2/19 Shady Cove Council meeting:
Citizens spoke up in public comments to ask that the Council reverse the censure of Paige Winfrey from participating in the hiring process of the new City Administrator, citing the lack of evidence against her as well as legal precedent that a Council member cannot be barred from doing their job by a vote of other Council members. They did not read any commentary received via emails.
Rogue Valley Council of Governments presented their work to help the City recruit a new City Administrator. They will be doing the legwork of recruiting, vetting, and assessing the qualifications of candidates and presenting the top candidates to the City for consideration. Council approved the hiring procedures, job description, and job announcement so RVCOG can begin advertising immediately. However, they plan to exclude Paige Winfrey from participating in the consideration process as the punishment voted on in the 1 PM Executive Session.
Legal business - Franchise agreement vs. right of way agreement - City agreed upon amendments to documentation and will report more details at next Council meeting for approval.
The censure of Paige Winfrey is to exclude her from Executive Sessions related to City Administrators past and future - the Council has the right to hold closed sessions to discuss the details of the censure - the accusation was that in a letter from a lawyer regarding the former City Administrator they said Paige disclosed confidential information but the Council has no proof that this was not hearsay. However, they based their censure almost entirely on this letter, while Paige affirms she never said those things. The Council accuses her of irreparable damage to the City. The Council censures her to get more training, temporary and limited expulsion from any Executive Sessions regarding prior or future City Administrator. The Council can keep any information from her about these topics effective immediately. The Council says that she was given due process and people were allowed to speak, but the public was not allowed to speak at the 1 PM session. The Mayor read the resolution very quickly and only allowed the Council to ask questions, not the public. Then the Council accepted the resolution, with Paige abstaining.
City needs to begin negotiations with union teamsters to update terms for the renewal of employee contracts coming up (expires June 30). Preliminary agreements require City appointed representatives and Council voted that Pro Tem City Administrator and Mayor will take on that role and the Council will look at those terms at a later meeting.
Public comment on non-agenda items:
Sandra Barber spoke on personality problems swept under the rug, with the biggest issue for the City that today's censure of Paige Winfrey is an example of ongoing vicious conduct, as well as the former Mayor and Councilor Nuckles quitting and publicly insulting City staff despite no employee evaluations having been done. The public continues to demand transparency about why the City Administrator was dismissed without cause.
Hank Hohenstein said that the Mayor has been unwilling to communicate with citizens and hold rightful elections despite the Charter language, deliberately delayed the Council appointees and ignored qualified candidates to reappoint Council Nuckles who quit twice before, and that her personal bias has taken precedence over City business and cost the City a lot of money in attorney fees and salaries paid to City Administrators wrapped up in legal battles.
Terry Rasmussen said that the Mayor is letting the City down and noted that Paige Winfrey was elected by the people twice. He asked the Mayor to resign.
Joyce Chapman via Zoom says she hopes Paige sues the City for their censure actions.
Natalie Swendener announced the intent to initiate a petition to recall the Mayor. Next week forms will be submitted for the recall. She noted that City elections official will be responsible for receiving the petition and filing the paperwork and compliance is not optional and is outside the scope of the City's attorney. She said the recall was about the Mayor position and not against the City itself so City funds should not be spent on the Mayor's behalf to oppose the recall.
Councilor Vanier apologized for the executive session earlier at 1 pm for being more personal than professional. He said Paige has given up three years of her life to support the town and she has done her best. He says people who live in glass houses shouldn't throw rocks. (*he abstained in the 6 PM vote - my apologies for reporting this incorrectly earlier)
Paige shared that it has been four years actually serving the City, thanked everyone for their support, and said "we will get through this."
Kathy Nuckles said she wished Paige the best and she was sorry the censure happened and that they didn't want to but were acting because of the attorney involved. Other Council members asked her to stop talking about it immediately and she was quieted. (*note it was Councilor Nuckles who was the most aggressive and accusatory of Paige in the 1 pm session)
