city news
july13
2010
Vernonia City News...
At the June 21, 2010, Vernonia
City Council Meeting:
Council Authorizes Mayor to Sign
Contract with City Administrator •
Interim Pro-Tem-- Council authorized
Mayor Sally Harrison to sign a
contract with ColPac Professional
Services for Bill Haack to serve as City
Administrator, Interim Pro-Tem with the
City of Vernonia. The contract requires
the city to pay ColPac $500/month to
cover living expenses for Haack.
Council Appoints Haack as Budget
Officer-- Council voted to appoint City
Administrator, Interim Pro-Tem Bill
Haack as Budget Officer for the Fiscal
Year 2010-2011. The previous Budget
Officer was former City Administrator
Bob Young, who is no longer working
for the City of Vernonia.
Council Adopts 2010-2011 Fiscal Year
Budget-- After hearing no comments
from the audience during a public
hearing, council voted to adopt the
2010-2011 Fiscal Year Budget. The
total budget appropriates $3,756,725 in
anticipated requirements and resources
and levies the tax rate of $5.8163/$1,000
of assessed value. Property tax levies
were anticipated to raise $584,000.
Before deliberations on the
budget, City Administrator, Interim Pro-
Tem Bill Haack read a revised Budget
Message. In the Budget Message,
Haack noted that the city, in an effort to
enhance oversight, has established an
Ad Hoc Blue Ribbon Budget Committee
which will meet monthly with the
City Finance Officer and the City
Administrator to prepare a monthly
report for City Council.
Haack offered the following
additional points of interest:
• The budget eliminates the Chief of
Police position as of September 1,
2010, and reduces funding of the
City Administrator to a half-time
position paid from Water and Sewer
revenue streams.
• The General Police Department
budget was reduced by $75,000.
• The Library budget was reduced by
$4,000.
• The Parks Department is budgeted
to see a reduction from one (1) FTE
to one or more part-time FTE in
2011 of this budget cycle.
• Enterprise Funds (Water and Sewer
accounts) are being used to fund one
half-time City Administrator with
an anticipated start date of January
1, 2011.
The Streets budget is reduced and
will allow only six street cleanings,
no tree trimming, no holiday
decorations, and no Christmas
lighting. Use of Streets funds is
not allowed as a component of any
project. In addition, the Streets
funds will pay the final payment on
the 2000 street project (allowing an
additional $62,000 to be budgeted in
the 2011-2012 budget cycle).
Police Department Establishes New
Protocols-- Effective June 17, 2010,
the Vernonia Police Department has
established new protocols with regards
to community service requests, subpoena
delivery and routing of traffic citations.
In a report prepared by Chief
Frank Grace and presented by City
Administrator,
Interim
Pro-Tem,
Bill Haack, the new policy states
that members of the Vernonia Police
Department will not recommend,
suggest, advocate for or give advice to
defendants on requesting community
service in lieu of fines or other outcomes
resulting from a criminal incident. The
new protocols also state that the Vernonia
Justice Court will email subpoenas to all
police personnel, giving notice of the
date, time, case information and who is
expected to appear. The new protocol
gives instructions for confirming receipt
of the subpoena within the department.
The new protocols also state that all code
violations/infractions will be routed
to the Vernonia Justice Court and that
all misdemeanor cases will be routed
to Columbia County District Court.
The Vernonia Justice Court may route
Vernonia citations to another court when
it is in the best interest of the judicial
system, the defendant or professional
standards.
VERNONIA
BEAR CREEK
Available for
pick up
in Vernonia
10K/5K RUN/WALK
Bonofiting Vornonia Caros Food Bank
Sat. August 14th at Anderson Park
• Organic Compost
• Planting Mix
• Bark Dust
• Rock
Available by
appointment
phone 103-429-1104
cell 103-471-1442
areas,” read Harrison from a prepared
statement. “The committee’s goal is to
promote the alumni’s support for the
rebuilding of the Vernonia school system
while providing a nostalgic walk down
Memory Lane,” continued Harrison.
Harrison stated the committee expects as
many as 2,500 visitors for the events and
was told by Committee member Janelle
Thomas Cedergreen that there may be as
many as 3,000 visitors.
Tierney Reinstated to Public Works
Committee-- City Council reinstated
Jim Tierney to the Public Works Council Establishes Public Records
Committee.
Policy-- Council adopted Resolution
2910, A Public Records Request Fee
Agenda Item Moved to Executive Schedule which establishes the City
Session-- Council agreed to move an Recorder as the official custodian of
item from the open session agenda to public records for the City of Vernonia.
an Executive Session. The item was The resolution states that the city shall
concerning the extension for four years charge a public records fee and if the fee
of the current collective bargaining is greater than $25, the City will inform
agreement with AFSCME Local 1442-2. the requester of the amount. All requests
for public records must be submitted in
Class Reunion Expected to Draw writing using the forms prescribed by
2,500 Visitors-- As a member of the the City Recorder and must be signed by
committee that is organizing what is the requester and include current contact
being called the “Worlds Largest Class information. No fees were changed in
Reunion,” Mayor Sally Harrison asked this Resolution.
for the cooperation of the City with
help for police patrols, parking and sign Actions Following Executive Session--
permits, and city picnic tables. Harrison After returning from Executive Session,
stated that the event is scheduled for Council approved moving forward with
Sunday, August 15, 2010, and will be negotiations for acquisition of property
held on the current school grounds, with reflected in documents presented by legal
the middle school serving as registration council. In a separate matter, Council
headquarters. “We will be making use also directed legal council to generate
of all the school grounds with activities a negotiation strategy with regards to
in the gym, tours of the grade school and numbers and duration.
bus tours to the new school site, Pioneer
Museum, Scout Cabin and Downtown
Robert J Watts
Construction, Inc
NEW
5
Registration begins at 7AM
Races begin at 8AM
http://www.signmeup.com/66420
CCB#16
68
11
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VIP Property Management, Inc. 503-784-9560
V&V Leaihers
Blue House Café
Vernonia Denial
Vernonia True Value
Senaior Beisy Johnson
Vernonia Coffee Roasiers
Vernonia Firsi Bapiisi Church
