city news
At the May 16, 2011 Vernonia City
Council Meeting:
Council Appoints Johnson and
Mitchell City Administrator Pro
Tem—Council voted to appoint
consultant Jim Johnson and Mayor
Josette Mitchell as City Administrators
Pro Tem and to sign a contract with both
for their services. The estimated cost
of the contract is $8700 for Johnson;
Mitchell is not being compensated. The
contract is in place pending the hiring
of a permanent City Administrator. The
City is currently in the hiring process,
but does not anticipate anyone being
able to start until August 1, 2011.
Council Hears Report on National
Flood Insurance Program—Dan
Brown and Jim Tierney from Community
Action Team presented a report to City
may24
Vernonia City News...
Council concerning compliance with the
Vernonia Flood Ordinance. According
to the report, Vernonia has a history of
avoiding enforcement actions, which
includes dangerous buildings, building
code enforcement and floodplain
enforcement. A workshop for City
Council is currently scheduled for June
6 th to discuss the issue.
According to the report, FEMA
enforcement staff made a Community
Assistance Visit (CAV) to Vernonia just
before the December 2007 Flood. The
file has never been closed on this visit
and responsibility for enforcement has
not been assigned to any specific person.
FEMA is telling the City this needs to be
addressed. The report states that there
are about ten homes with enforcement
issues that need to be resolved. At risk is
the community’s continued participation
in the National Flood Insurance Program.
Vernonia Pride Makes Presentation—
Members of Vernonia Pride made a
presentation of Banners they are donating
to the City to hang along Bridge Street.
Vernonia Pride also intends to install
Doggie Pick-up boxes along Bridge
Street, and made a donation of $500 to
help update the large welcome billboard
at the corner of Rose Avenue and Bridge
Street.
2011
5
review conducted by CityCounty
Insurance Services. The report includes
an examination of the agencies risk to
exposure and provides feedback and
recommendations in areas that need
improvement. The report contains a
Risk Management Plan, that reviews
recommendations from 2007 and updates
any progress on those recommendations,
as well as provides a current plan of
twenty-six recommendations.
Council Approves Market Manager
Agreement—Council approved and
signed an agreement with Kathy Larsen
to act as the independent manager for
the Open Air Market.
Personnel Evaluations In Progress—
Interim City Administrator Bill Haack,
in one of his final acts in that position,
reported to Council that staff reviews he
initiated are being completed; according
to Haack, this is the first time staff
Council Receives Report on Police reviews have ever been done in the City
Best
Practices
Review—Council of Vernonia.
received a report from Vernonia Police
Sergeant Mike Conner on a best practices
DPSST Committee Recommends Revocation of Kay’s Certifications
continued from front page
The information revealed in the public records
released by DPSST includes the following findings and
allegations:
• In regards to the completion of the community
service work, former Vernonia Police Chief Frank
Grace asserts that he passed on information to Kay
from Judge Wally Thompson concerning the need to
close out a deferred sentence and needed information
from Kay. Kay asserts he was uncomfortable writing
a letter that was not factual, and that he spoke with
Grace about his concerns. Grace refutes this and was
clear that he would not have accepted or approved
documentation that was not factual in content and does
not recall any concern that Kay asserted.
• After reading a report by former Beaverton
Police Officer Dan Kelly, from an investigation initiated
on behalf of the City by Grace, Grace recommended to
Interim City Administrator Bill Haack the termination
of Kay. Haack and Grace later learned that Judge
Thompson had sent a letter in August of 2010 to DPSST
outlining concerns about Kay’s untruthfulness; the
City then placed their investigation on hold, pending
the outcome of an investigation by DPSST.
• King received a letter from Columbia County
District Attorney Stephen Atchison that stated that
although neither he nor any of his attorney’s had any
previous concerns about Kay’s credibility, based on the
current DPSST investigation he would have concerns
about Kay as a witness. “You have asked me to comment
on the issue of Sgt Michael Kay’s credibility. From
that, I assume you wish to know if this office would be
apprehensive about putting Sgt. Kay on the witness
stand in any court proceeding. The short answer is:
Yes.”
• In regards to the misrepresentation of K9
certifications, the DPSST investigation found that Kay
asserted membership in the Oregon Police Canine
Association (OPCA) to the City of Vernonia and to
DPSST. According to Deschutes County Deputy
Sheriff and OPCA President, Kyle Joyce, his records
show that Kay made an application for membership
in 2007 but never paid the membership fee and his
membership expired one month later.
continued on page 19
Take Back Our Town!
VOTE
by June 10
to
Recall Kevin Hudson
What has Kevin Hudson done for you lately?
• Ignored the requests of staff, city committee members, and citizens and voted to spend $6,000 for a search for
another new City Administrator.
• Ignored the citizens voice and voted to terminate Interim City Administrator Bill Haack on May 2nd.
• Ignored the citizens request to step down and will now cost the City for a recall election.
• Ignored the business of running a City to protect a personal friend.
• Ignored State Guidelines and voted during the current city budget process to create rules to allow committee
members to meet outside the public process to discuss the budget.
Paid for by the Recall Kevin Hudson Political Action Committee
