vernonia’s
voice
city news
may
2009
07
Geography Matters: How GIS Will Make Things Better
By Ben Fousek
What is the purpose of the Vernonia GIS?
That is a good question, and one that I have been asked
more than a few times recently. Well, here’s the answer.
The Vernonia GIS is a data collection and analyzing system
with two primary goals: first, to help the City of Vernonia
to provide its citizens with more effective government, and
secondly to help provide a more cost-efficient government.
Over the next year, the Vernonia GIS is going to be com-
puterizing all permits and development applications the city
uses to manage development here in Vernonia. Therefore, it
seems the best example of how the Vernonia GIS can help to
provide more effective government at less cost.
If anyone were to walk into City Hall and ask someone
there to explain exactly how a certain kind of permit, say a
permit for a new dwelling, makes its way from the
initial application for the permit all the way through
to final approval and occupation, at worst no one
could tell you, and at best you would get an answer,
but it wouldn’t be the same answer that the per-
sons before and after you received. Not because we
don’t have knowledgeable city staff, but because
the process has never been completely delineated.
In fact, it’s safe to say that no two permit applica-
tions have ever made their way through the process
from start to finish in the exact same way. This is
not only unfair and inefficient, but it is costly. Just imagine
how much more a car would cost if the assembly-line pro-
cess was switched up for each vehicle produced. It wouldn’t
be efficient, nor would it be cost-effective.
So what makes a vehicle assembly line, or any manu-
facturing process, efficient and cost-effective? First, you
have to have a plan; a well thought-out system that has been
thoroughly scrutinized, and refined. Secondly, you need
tools specially designed to help handle repetitive tasks, and
perform the more complex operations of the plan that would
be hard for a person to do the same way every time. You also
need tools that manage the plan as a whole. These tools are
especially important, because the overall management of the
plan is the hardest part. Finally, you need people who know
their place in the system and can use the tools provided to
produce a consistent, quality product. Now let’s apply that
same system to the permit process. The city government is
the assembly-line, the Vernonia GIS is the tools and city staff
are the people working together with a well thought-out plan
to produce effective and efficient government.
This project is quite an undertaking, and it isn’t going
to happen overnight. The first big step is going to be com-
ing up with a plan. In computer program development, it’s
called a work flow. This work flow is absolutely necessary
for the Vernonia GIS staff to create the databases, computer
programs and web-based applications that are the tools in
our assembly-line of effective and efficient government. The
first of many meetings have taken place, and were primarily
brainstorming sessions
with some of the parties
involved.
One of the is-
sues that has caused
some of the inefficiency
within the permit and
development applica-
tion processes in Ver-
nonia has been a lack
of good communication
between all of the departments and individuals involved in
these processes. Luckily, our above-average interim city ad-
ministrator, Jim Johnson, and our new city planner, Carole
Connell, are working to bridge these gaps. This project is
part of that effort. As we work out who’s responsible for
what, and when in the process they are responsible for it, a
lot of the communication problems will be resolved.
Another big issue is city staff spending large amounts of
time performing repetitive and complex tasks better suited to
a computer program, which can perform the same tasks in-
stantaneously and without the possibility of error associated
with some of the more complex aspects of handling permit
and development applications. For example, if someone ap-
plies for a permit that involves a piece of land within a flood
“...it’s safe to say that no
two permit applications
have ever made their
way through the process
from start to finish in the
exact same way.”
zone, the permit must also go through the Flood Plain Devel-
opment process. This happens to currently involve separate
paperwork and someone has to look at a map and decide
whether or not that particular property is affected or not.
With a computerized system utilizing the geospatial capa-
bilities of the Vernonia GIS, the permit or application would
automatically be tagged for review as a Flood Plain Devel-
opment the second the address or tax lot ID was entered into
the system. No one has to even think about it. I’m sure
anyone with an imagination could come up with a few more
examples of how this kind of system could be more effective
and cost-efficient.
Ultimately, coming up with the work flow process has
two beneficial effects. First, the city will have that well
thought-out plan for effectively handling permits and de-
velopment applications from start to finish. Secondly, the
Vernonia GIS will be able to use that plan to develop tools
to help the city to provide you and all Vernonians with cost-
efficient government.
In closing this month’s article, I just want to say that
no one is to blame for the inefficiencies of some of the city
services, except maybe time itself. The world is rapidly
changing. Things like building permits and development
application processes are far more complex than they were
even a few short years ago. The computer is as common as
the telephone. Our lives revolve around the continuous flow
of well-organized information and machines that can make
complex decisions for us in an instant. So here we are, get-
ting ready to apply these very modern ideas to the produc-
tion of effective and cost-efficient government. What a great
time to be in Vernonia! Next month, I will be discussing
how a by-product of a database-driven permit and develop-
ment application system will help city leaders make the best
policy decisions when planning for the future. I sure hope
you’ll check it out.
Contributor’s Note: The Vernonia GIS website will be
down for a few weeks starting in a week or so due to hard-
ware and software upgrades to the Vernonia GIS.
What’s the Plan Stan?
A Monthly Update on City Planning
By Seth Lenaerts
The Vernonia Planning Commission has been hard at work the last few months and has
an ambitious docket for the rest of 2009. Many people don’t realize the role and power that
Planning Commissions have in the state and Vernonia. First off, it is important to understand
that a commission is not a committee. Vernonia has many committees such as the Airport,
Unmet Needs, Economic Development and Parks Committee. The committees primarily
play an advisory role to City Council. The City’s committees make recommendations to City
Council, but it is up to Council to decide if it will act. Committees are a great informational
resource to the Council and allow them to stay in touch with City issues. (If interested in
volunteering for a committee, please contact Vernonia City Hall or check the city website:
www.vernonia-or.gov).
The Planning Commission, unlike City committees, has the right to make certain de-
cisions on its own and is generally more autonomous. The Vernonia Planning Commis-
sion has the authority to draft planning policy and ordinances with final approval made
by Council. The Planning Commission also has the power to make decisions that have
been delegated to them by City Council. A few examples of decisions that the Planning
Commission makes are
Flood Plain Devel-
opment Permits, Condi-
tional Use Permits,
subdivision approvals
and determination
of lot lines. However,
the list doesn’t stop
there. To avoid wast-
ing time and money,
you should check in
with City Hall or the
Planning Department
before planning any
changes to your proper-
ty. They can inform
you of any applicable
permitting or regula-
tions. Yes, it can be inconvenient to go through a permitting process, but it’s better to make
a small change early on in the planning/building process than to have spent time and money
on plans or equipment that are illegal in the City.
I once had a conversation with an owner of a chain of coffee shops and I told him that I
work in city planning. He said back to me, “Oh, I see, the people who always tell me what I
can’t do to my property.”
It may sometimes seem like that, but rest assured that most building standards and regu-
lations are a good thing. Consistent standards can help communities keep a certain feel or
theme, such as Cannon Beach’s beautiful downtown, or they can protect residential areas and
the environment, i.e., who wants their single family home next to a loud factory, a 10-story
building or a provocative establishment? Although it creates an extra step, going through the
proper channels from the start will certainly save people time and money. Not to mention not
doing something illegal.
The Planning Commission itself is made up of seven local volunteers. To be a member
of the Planning Commission, one must apply and subsequently be appointed by City Coun-
cil. The final person associated with the Planning Commission is a city staff member. Carol
Connell is the City’s consultant Planner and one of her responsibilities is to work with and
assist the Planning Commission. Carol is responsible to help guide the Commission includ-
ing answering questions, writing ordinances, researching past cases and clarifying language.
Think of Carol as the administrative arm of the Planning Commission.
Since Carol began working with the City in November 2008, the council has been and
Who wants their single
family home next to a
loud factory, a 10-story
building or a provoca-
tive establishment?
continues to work on an ambitious review of
current ordinances. Primarily, the Planning
Commission has been working on City Or-
dinance 711, which regulates development.
This ordinance is commonly known as the
City’s zoning ordinance. Some of the more
significant parts of the ordinance the Com-
mission is reviewing are Flood Plain Devel-
opment Permits and home occupations. Of
course, some parts of the ordinance are not
as exciting as others. Added credit goes to
these people (and spectators like me who sat
through it) for discussing fence standards for
three hours.
Be sure to stay posted for more updates
on the Planning Commission. Till next
time, you don’t have to be coy Roy, just lis-
ten to me.
You can reach Seth Lenaerts at seth@
vernonia-or.gov
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