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About Vernonia's voice. (Vernonia, OR) 2007-current | View Entire Issue (July 1, 2007)
08 vernonia’s voice june the city 2007 Bicycle Skills Park–funding for phases I&II Staff Article Recently there has been some misinformation circulating regarding the Bicycle Skill Park at the Oregon American Mill site. Following is information regarding the start date and fund- ing for Phase I as well as funding required for Phase II. Phase I: • The Bicycle Skills Park is not a new city proj- ect – it was started over one year ago. • Funding was secured before the start of this fiscal year and the budget constraints the city faces. • Grants received for Phase I construction do not require any matching funds from the City of Vernonia. • Grants received total $15,000. One is a grant from Cycle Oregon for $10,000 to be used for trail building, project management, construction of an informational kiosk, and installation of bike parking stands. The other is a $5,000 grant from Bikes Belong Coalition to be used for trail building, site prep and con- struction, and materials and tools. • During Phase I construction no new funds are being requested from the City of Vernonia. • Ric Balfour and Associates, a paid profes- sional planning consulting firm, and a group of volunteers have already begun building the initial trails with the expectation that Phase I construction will be completed by Fall 2007. • The project continues to fundraise on its own, receiving financial donations from citi- zens, in-kind donations of labor and equip- ment, and $1,000 earned during the recent Cycle Oregon visit in June 2007. Phase II: • Phase II construction includes permanent restroom facilities, a 44’ x 30’ picnic pavilion, and a 100’ x 400’ paved parking area. • The city has made a formal request for an Oregon Parks and Recreation Department Local Govern- ment Grant in the amount of $245,600 for Phase II. This grant requires a 40% match from the city, or $180,798. • The city shows that match in the application as $123,550 of in-kind donations and volunteer ser- vice and as $82,845 of city funds which includes the $15,000 grant funding that is already secure. •While there are several funding options, at this time the city funds are expected to come from SDC (Sys- tem Development Charge) funds. According to city ordinance 827, SDC funds must be spent on capac- ity-increasing capital improvements. These improve- ments must increase the level of performance or service provided by existing facilities or they are to be used to provide new facilities. ºSDC funds can only be spent on capital improve- ments associated with the systems for which the fees are assessed. ºSDC funds cannot be used for costs associated with operations or maintenance. ºSystems for which the city collects SDC fees are: water supply, wastewater collection and treatment, drainage and flood control, transportation, and parks and recreation. ºIn the adopted 2007-08 city budget, the parks’ SDC fund is projected to have a balance of $50,035 at the end of the fiscal year; those funds can only be used for park improvements. • Phase II of the project is expected to take place over the next two years, allowing time for additional resources to be identified and secured. •A portion of the infrastructure funding will be shared with the other partners in the con- ditional use permit for the Mill Site; these include the new Senior Center, the privately owned Event Center, and the Skate Park. The Parks Committee, the City Council and the Planning Commission have all recom- mended and approved this project through the public hearing process; hearings were attend- ed by local citizens and business owners. At the Planning Commission Hearing on May 17, when the conditional use permit was granted for construction to begin, fourteen citizens spoke in favor of development at the Mill Site; two citizens spoke in opposition. At presen- tations at the high school and middle school this spring, about sixty school students signed up to be involved in the project. According to City Administrator M. R. “Dick” Kline, the city is in a difficult financial situation, but the city’s financial difficulty has almost no effect on the Bicycle Skills Park construction. The Bicycle Skills Park is being construct- ed based on the recently completed master plan which can be subject to change as new information emerges, new funding sources are found, or as prices change. According to city sources, it is normal for master plans to change and be altered during the life of a plan. The ground-breaking for the skills park took place on June 30. Trails and tracks have been started, and the committee will continue to fundraise and look for additional community members and businesses to provide addi- tional in-kind services, materials and supplies, reducing the amount of dollars that the city would be required to provide. Vernonia Ambulance Association Announces Awards Staff Article The Vernonia Ambulance Association held its annual EMS awards banquet at McMenamin’s in Forest Grove on June 30th, 2007. The awards recognize outstanding volunteer activity from the past year. The association is pleased to announce the following recipients for 2007: EMT of the Year and Volunteer of the Year Both awards were given to Shelley Cota Heroic Save This award is chosen by the committee. This award is a call that has a signifi- cant impact on the volunteers. This year’s recipients were involved in a call on Hwy 47 involving a 12-year-old boy who was riding a motorcycle and was hit by a car: Christie Brown Christine Morgester Kristina McCord Tara Bamburg Incentive awards Incentive points accumulate throughout the year for EMTs based on number of shifts, second-out coverages (back-up shifts), and attendance at meetings and drills. The top five receiving the incentive awards were: Shelley Cota Christine Morgester Dan Owens Michelle Kay Holly Vaughn We also said good-bye to a longtime volunteer Christine Morgester who has been a volunteer and a great asset to our team since 1994. Christine has moved to Gladstone and will be greatly missed. The Cancer Community Renewal Project Thanks the following Vernonia community members and organizations for their gener- ous support during our recent BIKE RIDE 2007: Heather Lewis, LMT, LMP, CLT Evangeline Doyle, Photographer Dawn Chere-Moss, Ham Radio Coordinator The Bike Shop: Barlow Bikes & Boards Deb Steffen, Yoga Instructor Penny Costley, Jazzercise Theresa McMahon, Fitness Trainer Dana Hyde, rider and team fundraiser Vernonia Health Board Cedar Ridge Retreat Center Lions Club Vernonia School District The Cancer Community Renewal Project looks forward to working with the Vernonia community to bring ongoing healing and wellness programs to local cancer survivors and their families.