On September 17, the Coos Bay City Council began proceedings to revoke the business license of the Devereux Center.

Situated at 1200 Newmark Ave., the Devereux Center “offers support systems and advocacy for the homeless, those suffering from mental illness, and veterans,” providing essential services such as meals, shelter, and healthcare, according to its website.

Mayor Joe Benetti, who initiated the discussion, emphasized the need for 24-hour security at the facility and noted its ongoing impact on city services. “I’m suggesting… we revoke their business license,” he stated. “It takes 30 days to go into place. If it can come back before that 30 days is up, and they show us what’s been done, and they have security in place… that would be a step in the right direction and we can do a reconsideration.”

Council President Lucinda DiNovo seconded the motion, expressing the council’s responsibility to represent all citizens. “We’re at a place where we have to represent all of the citizens,” she said. “If in 30 days they can come back and show us some of the work that’s been done, perhaps we can consider changing it.” The motion passed unanimously.

City Manager Nichole Rutherford noted that the city has maintained an ongoing relationship with the Devereux Center. Discussions in May 2023 explored the possibility of finding “more appropriate locations” for the center, but funding was unavailable. “That was a piece of the puzzle to maybe the challenge for the location that they’re at, which is high traffic and limited in their capacity, the size of that building, to meet the needs of what they intend to do regularly,” she said.

In August, a conversation between city officials and center staff, including Executive Director Tara Johnson, focused on the center’s challenges and community concerns. “That meeting didn’t go quite as planned,” Rutherford remarked. “We didn’t come up with some of the solutions we were looking for, but we did communicate that we had concerns that needed (to be) addressed with some urgency, and shared that there was a pathway by which this council could identify the Devereux Center as potentially being a community nuisance.”

Rutherford elaborated, “That’s specific in our code. It speaks to public health and safety, garbage. There’s a lot of elements there.” Following this meeting, the city issued a letter summarizing the suggestions and relevant code sections, requiring a 30-day response.

The Devereux Center did submit a letter outlining its accomplishments, according to Rutherford. However, Benetti characterized a previous meeting with Johnson and Councilor Stephanie Kilmer as “contentious.” He expressed disappointment, stating, “I was very disappointed that we left feeling we weren’t being heard on how things needed to be addressed.”

Benetti criticized the center’s services as overwhelming for its current site, deeming it “not proper.” He explained, “The original services they offer were to help individuals get licenses, get established, getting jobs and so forth. But they also feed about 80 people a day, and the way it is, they say it’s a day center. Well, they close at 2 (p.m.). And those 80 people are left to do nothing else. There’s no wraparound services for the Devereux Center. Other entities I’ve talked to, they insist if you don’t have wraparound services you can’t be successful.”

While acknowledging the center’s positive contributions, Benetti noted an imbalance, stating that the center serves all of Coos County and parts of Curry County but singularly impacts Coos Bay and its Empire district. “We need to find a way to have these services dispensed out into the other parts of this community to help us take these on, and it’s not happening,” he remarked.

Additionally, Benetti stated that Coalbank Village, which has 19 pallet homes according to the Devereux Center’s website, “cannot stay in that location any longer.” He reported, “It’s going to have to move. FEMA’s come in and said it’s going to have to relocate… the director has stated… the city’s going to be responsible for finding another location for them to go. That is not the case. The city is not going to find a location for Coalbank Village to relocate. It’s just not going to happen.”

Benetti concluded that the Devereux Center “needs to be a good neighbor.” He expressed his frustration, saying, “I’m very disappointed we can’t get to a working relationship. We need to do something about it.” He further asserted, “I don’t think it’s being managed properly. I think it’s being managed poorly.”

DiNovo described the situation as “unfortunate” and “an uncomfortable situation for us.” She emphasized the need for a better working relationship, stating, “We’ve asked to have a good working relationship and that simply has not happened. While these services are important to the community, there is a problem with the management of that organization.”

In response to the City Council’s decision, the Devereux Center issued a press release on September 19. It stated, “The Devereux Center acknowledges the recent decision by the Coos Bay City Council on Sept. 17, 2024, to revoke its business license and understands the concerns that led to this outcome. The center is committed to taking immediate and decisive action to address the city’s requirements in order to continue serving the community.”

The release added, “The Devereux Center will keep the public and city officials informed with regular updates as progress continues, and we remain hopeful about the future as we work to rebuild and strengthen our relationship with the community.”