8
city news
october
2009
Vernonia City News...
At the September 8 City Center (VCLC) Committee. Pearl is rize a Task Order with City Engineer 11 of City of Vernonia Ordinance No.
currently employed as Director of the Dale Merrill for completion of a Water 812 to select a demolition contractor.
Council Meeting:
New Public Works Director Intro-
duced-- Mayor Sally Harrison intro-
duced new Public Works Director Bob
Ruhl. Ruhl has been hired as a part-
time Director, and comes to Vernonia
by way of Garden City, Idaho. He has
thirty years of Public Works experi-
ence.
Council Hears First Reading of UGB
Expansion for Schools-- After a pub-
lic hearing, City Council heard the first
reading of Ordinance 862 for approval
of an application to expand the city Ur-
ban Growth Boundary (UGB) to include
twenty-two acres north of Spencer Park
that would be used specifically for con-
struction of a new school campus. The
ordinance also includes adoption of a
Columbia County Coordinated Popula-
tion Projection for the City of Vernonia.
Former Interim City Administrator Jim
Johnson, currently under contract with
the city to assist with special projects,
gave a brief history of the UGB expan-
sion process, followed by a staff report
by City Planner Carole Connell. Con-
nell explained that this was just one
step in a long process. Connell noted
that the Vernonia Planning Commis-
sion and the Columbia County Plan-
ning Commission have both recom-
mended approval. A final approval will
be needed from the County Board of
Commissioners as well as from the Or-
egon Department of Land Conservation
and Development. Connell explained
that in addition, the property will need
to be annexed into the city, and then re-
zoned, and the School District will have
to apply for a Conditional Use Permit
before construction can begin. Connell
also explained that if a school bond is
not passed, the property will need to
be re-zoned again and taken back out
of the UGB because current plans will
allow for a very narrow use. Council
heard the first reading of the ordinance
without placing any restrictions on pas-
sage. The second reading and approval
was scheduled for the City Council
Meeting on September 21.
Mayor Appoints Two to City Com-
mittees-- Mayor Harrison appointed
DeAnna Pearl as an ex-officio member
of the Vernonia Community Learning
Vernonia Prevention Coalition and has
an office in the VCLC building. Mayor
Harrison also appointed Tony Gilbert-
son to the Public Works Committee.
Rate Study. The cost is not to exceed
$23,150 and was to to be initiated im-
mediately and completed no later than
November 12, 2009.
Council Approves Transfer of
Funds-- Council approved Resolu-
tion 16-09 which transferred funds
within the approved 2009-2010 Bud-
get. According to City Administra-
tor Bob Young’s staff report, with the
final year end audit report, there is a
recognized need to transfer funds to
increase revenue in four funds. The
following funds received increases in
revenue: Police Revenue-- $4,610.85;
Airport Revenue-- $3,000.00; VCLC
Revenue-- $9123.29; Streets Revenue--
$38,692.65.
Council Adopts Resolution in Sup-
port of New Schools-- Council adopt-
ed a Resolution in support of the Verno-
nia School District 47J School Bond to
finance the cost of capital construction
and improvements of new schools for
the community.
Council Amends Resolution for
Workers Compensation-- Council ap-
proved an amendment to Resolution 15-
09, changing language and the amount
of the hourly rate that volunteers would
be compensated under the city Work-
ers’ Compensation Coverage program.
Vernonia Officer Recognized-- Ver-
nonia Police Chief Frank Grace an-
nounced that Vernonia Police Officer
Shawn Carnihan, who recently com-
pleted basic training at the Oregon Po-
lice Academy, was recognized at the
Academy with the Leo B. App, Jr. Out-
standing Shooter Award.
Vernonia
Prevention
Coalition
Plans Activities-- Vernonia Preven-
tion Coalition (VPC) Director DeAnna
Pearl, who has been on the job for two
months, reported on progress by the
VPC. Pearl announced that the VPC
has received the second year of their
grant for $125,000, and that she has
tracked $122,000 of matching funds to
date. Pearl reported on Coalition mem-
bership, goals, and objectives. She also
announced several upcoming trainings
and activities that are being sponsored
by the VPC. Pearl also announced
several future plans. “We want a safe
community in which our kids can grow
to their full potential,” said Pearl.
Water Rate Study To Begin-- Coun-
cil approved a request from new Pub-
lic Works Director Bob Ruhl to autho-
Council Adopts County Hazard Miti-
gation Plan Update-- Council adopted
the 2009 Columbia County Multi-
Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan
Update. The document provides infor-
mation for all seven cities in the coun-
ty, including Vernonia, and describes
the planning process, presents hazard
profiles, a vulnerability analysis, and
mitigation strategies. According to the
staff report provided by Jim Johnson,
it is expected that newly-formed City
Emergency Preparedness Committee
will use the information provided in the
plan as part of its drafting of an Emer-
gency Plan for the city.
At The September 21 City
Council Meeting:
City Opts Out of Competative Bid
Process for Buy-Out Demolitions--
Acting as the Local Contract Review
Board for the City of Vernonia, the City
Council oversaw a hearing to adopt
findings in support of exempting the
Columbia County Buy-out Resolution
and Program Demolition Contract from
competitive low bid requirements. In
findings presented during her staff re-
port, City Planner Carole Connell re-
minded the Board that the City of Ver-
nonia has been awarded a Community
Development Block Grant to implement
a federal buy-out program for proper-
ties substantially damaged in the flood
event of December 2007. The buy-out
process will result in transfer of title
of the properties to the city, and will
be deed restricted prohibiting future
development. The city will enter into
contracts to demolish homes on those
properties. The city proposes to use the
Competitive Proposal process set forth
in ORS279C.400 and in sections 10 and
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These public improvement contracts
will be solicited and awarded by deter-
mining the proposal most advantageous
to the city based on evaluation factors
set forth in the request for proposals.
An exemption must be granted by City
Council in order to choose a Competi-
tive Proposal process as opposed to a
Competitive Bid process. According
to Connell, a Competitive Proposal
process would be unlikely to result in
favoritism in awarding a contract, will
result in more demolition materials be-
ing recycled, and would reduce costs
associated with demolition.
As the Local Contract Review
Board, Council adopted the presented
findings in support of granting an ex-
emption. Council later adopted Reso-
lution 20-09 authorizing the exemption.
Mayor Extends Special Thanks to
City Staff-- Mayor Sally Harrison in-
vited three city staff members, Pub-
lic Works Foreman Jeff Burch, Police
Sergeant Mike Kay, and City Recorder
Joanne Glass and commended them for
their dedicated service to the city and
community of Vernonia that has been
“...above and beyond the call of duty.”
Each employee was presented a “...
small token of the cities appreciation,”
and also presented Burch’s wife Heidi
with flowers.
Council Approves Expenditure for
Fish Stocking-- Based on a recom-
mendation from the Parks Committee,
Council approved the expenditure of
$400 from the Parks Contingency Fund
to be used to purchase fish to stock Ver-
nonia Lake this Fall. The City funds
will be added to a $600 donation from
Larry and Gail Snethen and the Verno-
nia Lions Club.
Council Approves Changes to City
UGB-- Council heard the second read-
ing of and approved Ordinance 862,
amending the Vernonia Urban Growth
Boundary (UGB) to re-locate the Ver-
nonia Public School Complex and
adopting the Columbia County Coor-
dinated Population Projection for Ver-
nonia.
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