Pendleton City Council candidate Sean Butler takes part in a public interview for the Ward 2 seat on July 8, 2025, at Pendleton City Hall. Butler is one of two candidates vying for the position. The council is scheduled to interview the other candidate, Michael Avery, on July 15 and will vote to fill the vacancy. (Yasser Marte/East Oregonian)

PENDLETON — The Pendleton City Council holds a special meeting Tuesday, July 15, to interview Michael Avery, the second of two candidates vying to fill the vacant Ward 2 seat.

The council interviewed the first candidate, Sean Butler, on July 8 following a private meeting between Butler and City Manager Robb Corbett. Mayor McKennon McDonald said the city received a letter of interest and resume from Butler prior to the interview.

The special meeting begins at 6:30 p.m., after the Pendleton Development Commission meeting, in the Council Chambers at city hall, 500 SW Dorian Ave.

After the interview, the council moves its regular meeting at 7 p.m. and could make an appointment to fill the vacancy.

In other new business, receives a report from the city’s tree commission and continues discussions with staff from the Wastewater Treatment and Resource Recovery Facility and considers two major infrastructure-related actions: a renewable energy grant application and a revision to a water system design contract.

City staff is recommending the council authorize an application for up to $1 million in grant funding from the Oregon Department of Energy’s Community Renewable Energy Program. The grant would fully fund the design and installation of a solar photovoltaic and battery energy storage system at one of the city’s aquifer storage and recovery wells.

The solar-plus-storage system would provide backup power during outages and help offset energy costs during normal operations, improving energy resilience and reducing reliance on the grid.

The city is partnering with Ameresco, an energy services firm, to prepare the grant application, which is due Aug. 22.

The council also could meet in executive session to discuss real property, litigation and labor negotiations.

You can see the Pendleton City Council’s full agenda here.