On March 17, 2025 the Roseburg City Council met exclusively for an Executive Session to “consult with counsel concerning the legal rights and duties of a public body with regard to current litigation or litigation likely to be filed.”
There were two matters discussed in some manner that evening. It does not look like either of these has been made public, which can be the case with Ex Sessions. No decision was made about either because that would require a public meeting and a public vote. However not all is lost because the demand letters for both are public record even if they contain information about the substance of why the Executive Session was held.
One involved a local company claiming a variety of things against the City Manager Nikki Messenger and threatening to sue the city for them. The other involved the same City Manager threatening to sue the city and some former and current city councilors. The Notice of Tort Claims served by the City Manager’s attorney on the city make a variety of claims, which you can read for yourself.
We have also uploaded a copy of the other matter. Although they seem unrelated, they might give some clues to the problems with the city’s current City Manager.
Claims being made in the current Notice of Tort Claim are similar to those made by the same public servant in 2020 when, according to a local News Review article “Roseburg city manager puts city on notice that she intends to sue.” https://www.nrtoday.com/news/court/roseburg-city-manager-puts-city-on-notice-that-she-intends-to-sue/article_ebcb458b-6c0b-5820-a226-e2bf542ecbb0.html
Notices Discussed at the March 17, 2025, special Excutive Sesson called for this purpose:
- Notice of Tort Claim (March 11, 2025) from attorney for Roseburg City Manager:
- Demand to the City Council (March 11, 2025) from Bernie Woodard on behalf of Elk Island Trading Group, LLC re possible litigation due to actions of Roseburg City Manager.
Citizens News 