In the days following the derailment of the oil train, our little town of 430 was a chaotic hub with three times the population. After the immediate issues of helping residents with their evacuations we turned to the aftermath of clean up, communications and starting to address what this meant for our town long-term. This included helping our local businesses get back on their feet and beginning the 2 year negotiation process with the railroad.
This is when we decided to do something unique: the three main organizations (the city, the fire department and the school) joined together to enter into discussions as a united group on behalf of the town as a whole.
Using a legal Inter Governmental Agreement (IGA), we formed Team Mosier.
It wasn’t always easy since each organization had different roles and different levels of responsibilities within the town. But by keeping the purpose clear, we persisted through the barriers and navigated the complex relationships both within town and within the negotiations.
Emily Reed 