Jake Ours, former Santa Rosa councilman, dies at 74

Former Santa Rosa City Councilman Jake Ours, a soft-spoken advocate of economic development, has died.

Ours died Tuesday afternoon of cancer at the UC San Francisco hospital, said Nicole Ours, his wife of 44 years. He was 74.

Ours was a councilman from 2010 to 2014. He was diagnosed with cancer after announcing last year he would not seek re-election.

He survived a 2001 bout with kidney cancer.

“We had a lovely 14 more years before a stray cell set up housekeeping in his left lung,” his wife said.

Ours, a Marin County native, focused on eliminating red tape for business and clashed sometimes with fellow council members he felt were not acting in the city’s best interests.

Before relocating to Santa Rosa, he worked for the federal government for many years, participating in the historic transfer of the Presidio to the U.S. National Park Service. As redevelopment manager of San Rafael, he was instrumental in the renewal of downtown.

Upon retiring, he and his wife relocated to The Sea Ranch and later moved to Santa Rosa. Ours volunteered as a member of the city’s redevelopment and housing agency boards before being elected to City Council.

His friend and political ally, former Mayor Scott Bartley, credited him with securing the city’s membership in Sonoma Clean Power, for efforts to annex parts of the Roseland neighborhood and for hiring current City Manager Sean McGlynn.

Bartley called Ours a “statesman” amid too many politicians, and said he Ours had no other agenda other than improving the city. “He was always looking out for the city as a whole,” said Bartley, who was on the council at the same time as Ours. “He was an all-around great human being.”

Mayor John Sawyer agreed Ours’ dedication was clear, calling him a “breath of fresh air.”

“He understood the vital role that a healthy business climate plays in enhancing the quality of life of our residents,” Sawyer said. “He never lost sight of that.”

Bartley said Ours had already decided not to seek re-election when he learned he had cancer a second time.

He was recovering from surgery last week when he suffered complications and took an unexpected turn, Bartley said.

“He was an amazing man,” his wife said. “The list of things he did in his life was astounding.”

Ours leaves behind four children and six grandchildren. Memorial services are pending.

You can reach Staff Writer Paul ?Payne at 568-5312 or paul.payne?@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter ?@ppayne.