Characterizing Madras as a “grass roots” community — akin to Bend 30 years ago, and Redmond 15 years ago — Will Ibershof said that three things attracted him to his job as City Administrator, which began in October 2023: the climate, the friendly people, and the challenge. Having lived in western Washington since 1982, he was also eager to “try a different area where it’s not so mossy and rainy.”
Defining his role as overseeing policy development, staffing and finances for the city, while also serving as a conduit between the mayor, city council and city personnel, Ibershof noticed upon starting his job that Madras “did not have a culture of working together.”
So he called an all-city staff meeting that elicited a comment from one employee that “I’ve never been to one of these before.” Among other exercises, participants drafted a mission statement that addressed the community’s growth, and the resultant challenges to overcome. “People were very resilient, engaged, and supportive,” Ibershof said. “They believe in the community and want it to succeed.”
He also convened an executive session with representatives from St. Charles, the library, the school district, the sheriff’s office, the fire department, and others to discuss “how we can help each other out. We’re all on the same team, wearing the same jersey, and working to create that collaborative environment,” Ibershof said.
Three Primary Challenges Facing Madras
Ibershof believes that Madras faces three primary challenges: getting “folks to know we exist;” improving the image of Madras — “getting out and telling our story;” and “Showing what we have available in terms of land and business opportunities.”
Encouraging Investment in the Community
To help “get the word out,” said Ibershof, “we’re partnering with EDCO to create a website that provides an inventory of available land — which will make it easier for folks who are interested in making an investment here, and allow us to determine whether existing investors want to develop, sell, or sit on their properties. We have hundreds of acres of available land, with incentives such as the area’s good schools, and multiple recreational options.”
“We’re also promoting — and at the same time, enhancing — the safety of our community, and recently hired an officer charged with reducing the overall crime rate — which is already low compared to the national average. The Madras Police Department is now fully staffed, with five new officers hired last year, and we’ve already seen positive results from this influx.”
According to Ibershof, “The city has invested $8 million in the last few years to help people start up and expand their business. We want to make sure we are engaging and supporting the people in our community, one third of whom are Latino. Exemplifying the success of these ongoing efforts are The Spot (which rapidly became a community gathering place), and Initiative Brewing (which chose Madras for its third location).”
He added that “EDCO’s representative Brenna Fulks has really spurred a lot of interest and growth in this regard. As one example, Symons Beef Company needed a tax abatement as part of its plan to build a 40,000-square-foot meat processing facility just north of Madras that is projected to create about 70 jobs within three years. Brenna shepherded this through each of the requisite groups.”
Creating More Affordable Housing
“There’s not nearly enough affordable housing in Madras, Ibershof said, “but the challenge is making it work. For example, one man — in trying to sell three smaller units — priced them at $270k and attracted 11 people, none of whom were able to obtain financing. We really need to rely on the state to help work with developers and bring prices down to a more affordable, workforce-housing level.”
“Toward that end, we’re also retooling our Urban Renewal Plan — part of the city’s community economic development effort that is administered by the Madras Redevelopment Commission — with the goal of identifying a targeted set of investments that will create a competitive advantage for Madras.”
Ibershof added that “At the same time, we’re working on incentives for new homeowners such as a reduction in annual property taxes that are paid back over a seven-year period. We’re not there yet, but this is definitely a focus of our city council. Our shared goal is making Madras a place where people can live where they work.”
Floating Solar Project
“We’re very excited about progress on a floating solar project to be placed on the wastewater treatment pond near J Street and McTaggart Road, which will reduce what the city spends to power the facility pumps — a total of $200k annually,” he said. The total cost of the project is estimated at $2.3 million, with $1 million covered by grant funding from the Oregon Department of Energy. “The city is also paying a significant portion, as we’re willing to make a leap of faith in bringing this very innovative project to fruition.”
To put it in perspective, the electricity usage for the wastewater treatment facility is enough to power 162 homes. As Madras Mayor Mike Lepin has said of the project, “This is something I feel will save our city money that can be directed to other needs, such as public safety, while at the same time being environmentally conscious.”
‘There’s More to Madras’
“Both externally and internally, the city has done a great job of partnering to promote Jefferson County’s activities and attractions, and helping to initiate ideas that tell our story,” Ibershof said. “One of these ideas, the ‘There’s More to Madras’ campaign, is catching on, and we’ve seen a lot of interest as a result.”
Ibershof himself believes wholeheartedly in the slogan, saying that “I think this is a place where I could live the rest of my life.”
