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.