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About Vernonia's voice. (Vernonia, OR) 2007-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 5, 2010)
city news january 5 Vernonia City News... At the December 7, 2009, City Council Meeting: City Gives Permission for Logger Me- morial-- The Vernonia City Council gave permission to Hands on Art to place a statue of a logger in front of the Vernonia Pioneer Museum. According to the let- ter requesting placement of this Logger Memorial, the statue will have a concrete base/platform and a cover. Hands on Art has currently raised enough money to have the statue made and is continuing to raise money for the cover. Council addresses Multiple Flood Relief Requests-- Council dealt with numerous issues concerning flood recovery. Council approved an amendment to an intergov- ernmental agreement between Columbia County and the City of Vernonia for Haz- ard Mitigation Grant Program Administra- tion. Council also tentatively approved a draft Grant Administration Contract CDGB D08030 between the City of Ver- nonia and Community Action Team for grant administration services in relation to a flood recovery acquisition program. The approval was based on acceptance of the contract by the city legal council. Council also approved a policy recommendation from the Unmet Needs Committee that established guidelines for approval of flood recovery projects and home lifts that require construction of steps and decks. Council granted a six-month ex- tension on the lease for the flood recovery office at 850 Maple Street. Council authorized City Admin- istrator Bob Young to sign Home Owner Acquisition Letters on behalf of the city. Mayor Thanks Volunteers-- Mayor Sally Harrison thanked Shirlee Daughtry for her work to clean and paint the downtown gar- bage cans along Bridge Street, and Helen Hudson for assisting with sending out the city Christmas Card. City Spends Funds to Investigate Con- cerns About Police-- During topics from the floor, Clark McGaugh handed out cop- ies of an email he said he received from from The Oregon Department of Public Safety and Standards Training ( DPSST), who oversee police certifications, con- cerning an investigation into Vernonia Po- lice Captain Mike Kay. McGaugh claimed there was confusion in information he re- ceived from City Administrator Bob Young and from DPPST staff. City Attorney Jeff Bennett asked council for permission to respond to the comments, noting that the issue under discussion was presented in a closed Executive Session on November 2, and was not open to discussion in open session unless Council granted approval. Council declined to discuss the matter in detail. Councilors Randy Parrow and Cin- dy Ball questioned the appropriateness of discussing a matter that started in a closed executive session and Councilor Kevin Hudson expressed that he was satisfied that the matter was closed. Council then directed staff to prepare a written report on the discrepancy in information. Later in the session, Councilor Hudson returned to the issue, noting that it has been discussed numerous times, and asked how much in city funds, taxpayer dollars and staff time have been spent on this Police issue. Hudon asked staff to prepare and present that information. City Administrator Young responded that in October and November the city paid $5,500 in attorney’s fees on this issue, which did not include staff time. A review of the city expenditure reports shows an item paid on 10/30/09 to Jordan/Schrad- er Law Firm, the city legal council with a memo for “Police Dept” in the amount of $468.00 and an item on 12/1/09, also to Jordon/Schrader with the same memo for $4,932.62. (See related story on page 8.) and return with recommendations. At the December 21, 2009, City Council Meeting: Council Hears Results of Preliminary Flood Modeling-- City Council heard a presentation by Jeff Blank and Joelle Ben- nett of HDR Engineering describing the results of initial flood modeling their firm performed for the City of Vernonia. The presentation discussed five alternatives the firm was asked to analyze for flood reduc- tion through flood plain modification and included a written report of HDR’s find- ings. Alternatives that HDR analyzed included the effect of removal of all, or part, of the wastewater treatment lagoons, changes to the berm around Vernonia Lake and adding a spillway along the Linear Trail. Blank and Bennett noted that ini- tial results show a possible reduction of between eight and eighteen inches of wa- ter surface elevation. During the presen- tation Blank and Bennett also discussed other possible methods they could model to reduce flood levels, including, upstream storage and increased channel capacity. HDR is awaiting more accurate topo- graphic data provided by a LIDAR study the city performed which will be used to Council Hears Options for Financing update their flood models and possibly Wastewater Treatment-- Council was identify additional alternatives. presented with a report by Jonas Biery of Seattle-Northwest Securities Corp. about Community Garden Plan Moves For- financing options for funding completion ward-- Members of Vernonia Cohort of the city wastewater treatment facility. Three, part of The Ford Institute Leader- Biery presented recommendations for fi- ship Program (FILP), made a proposal to nancing $5 million in new infrastructure council for a site for a Community Gar- as well as refinancing current outstand- den. The proposed site is at the corner of ing wastewater debt. City consultant Jim Birch Street and Mist Road, and is proper- Johnson noted that the report was pre- ty acquired by the city after the 1996 flood. sented to help narrow options, as details The group proposed leasing the site from of the plan are still being finalized and that the city for two years, and is planning to a financing plan will not be chosen until construct raised garden beds for residents the plan is finalized and a contract bid for to use to raise food. The plan also includes an area to raise food for the Vernonia construction is awarded. Cares Food Bank and beds that would be Water Rate Study Suspended-- Public ADA-accessible. Council instructed staff Works Director Bob Ruhl reported that to create an agreement that they could ap- City Administrator Bob Young has sus- prove. The Community Garden is Cohort pended work on a Water Rate Study. Ruhl Three’s class project which is part of the stated that he sees a need for policy direc- FILP program, and is funded in part by tion from council in regards to the handling The Ford Family Foundation. of unpaid accounts that have been deemed “charge-offs.” Ruhl stated that there were Mayor Accepts Resignation From Li- $25,100.00 in charge-offs last year, and brary Board-- Mayor Sally Harrison that the city has over $30,000.00 in ac- accepted a letter of resignation from Liz counts in arrears over 90 days. Ruhl noted White from the Library Board. that without an adequate way to account for this amount, it is difficult to complete Council Approves Flood Acquisitions the study. Ruhl asked council to consider and Amounts-- Council approved a re- a policy that establishes collection proce- quest from the Columbia County Unmet dures and council authorized City Admin- Needs Committee to accept eight buy-out istrator Bob Young to investigate the issue requests using CDBG grant funds. The VOLUNTEERS WANTED 2010 property buy-outs are in relation to homes damaged in the 2007 Flood and total $176,666.88. City Retains Finance Clerk-- City Ad- ministrator Bob Young informed council that city has been using a part-time Pay- roll/Payables clerk, who is also working as an assistant to the City Recorder. Young told council he intends to retain this clerk as a contract vendor for a three-month tri- al beginning at the start of the new year. Young stated that using a contract vendor instead of a Finance Director who was a city employee is saving the city approxi- mately $6,200 per month. City Administrator Announces All De- linquent Water Accounts Are Current-- City Administrator Bob Young informed council that service to all twenty-six water accounts that had been shut-off for lack of payment in October had been restored and all accounts are in good standing with the city. Last month, Young, at the request of Public Works Director, Bob Ruhl, es- tablished a policy regarding water shut- off. Young’s temporary policy states that if a citizen’s water has been shut off, or is about to be shut off, they must immedi- ately pay the current bill due, plus 1/3 of the outstanding bill. The next two months, this payment must be replicated. City Administrator Lists Current Proj- ects-- City Administrator Bob Young pre- sented council with a list of thirty-three projects in which the city is currently engaged and that he is actively involved in overseeing. “When I came on board, I found out there were a whole lot more things going on than I had been told,” joked Young when he presented the list to council. Among the projects on the list were: Wastewater Treatment Engineering Plan; Wastewater Treatment construction; GIS mapping; Emergency Operations Plan rewrite; School and Spencer Park relocation; Rose Avenue Project--which would relocate the Senior Center, Food Bank and Medical Clinic out of the flood zone; Flood Mitigation-- which includes acquisitions and demolitions; Storm Wa- ter system improvements; Bicycle Skills Park engineering and construction; Water and Sewer rate studies; Airport improve- ments and expansion; Main Street Pro- gram to revitalize downtown corridor; Ur- ban Growth Boundary expansions; use of VCLC building; replacement of the Green Bridge; Linear Trail expansion to Scap- poose and its river crossing. “I don’t guar- antee that this is all,” said Young. “This is why I keep busy.” BLUE BRINGS HOUSE CAFÉ YOU THE TASTES OF THE MEDITERRANEAN Applications being accepted in early January for Basic Firefighter Academy. JOIN US EVERY SECOND SATURDAY OF THE MONTH TO EXPERIENCE THE CUISINES OF DIFFERENT COUNTRIES OF THE MEDITERRANEAN APPLY NOW! with Smurnian Kebabs in Tomato Sauce, Lemon & Orzo Rice, Salad of Greens & Beans and Roasted Veggie Soup Call Dean Smith for more information (503)429-8252 5 January 9th Featuring taste of Greece Tue-Sat 10am-8pm Sun 10am-4pm 919 Bridge St. Vernonia, OR (503) 429-4350