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Vernonia City News...
At the July 18, 2011 Vernonia City
Council Meeting
extensions. According to Lindsley, the
project is nearing completion—the
required fencing, gate and containers
will be complete and on site very shortly.
There is still a need for approximately
thirty-three loads of gravel to complete
the driveway and required pullouts.
Lindsley says that because financial
restriction, as well as limited availability
of gravel, the gravel can be completed
in the next eleven months by DAD’s by
bringing in three loads each month.
Council agreed to give DAD’s
one month to complete the fence and
gate and get all needed containers on site,
as well as three months to get nine loads
of gravel delivered. DAD’s is required
to report back to Council in thirty days
with an update on their progress, and
again in three months.
Lindsley also noted that DAD’s
is working on a plan to become a non-
profit and is looking for interested
citizens to sit on the Board of Directors
for a Community Recycling Center
modeled after CART’m Recycling in
Manzanita.
Parrow Makes Proposal for Appointing
Replacement Councilors—Councilor
Randy Parrow stated during his
Committee reports that he has heard
that, in the event of a successful Recall
of Councilors Willow Burch and
Marilyn Nicks, there is concern in the
community about the process that will be
used to select replacement Councilors.
The City Charter reads that in the event
of a recall, Replacement Councilors are
chosen by the remaining Councilors.
Parrow suggested that three panels of
five citizens each, for a total of fifteen,
be chosen by lottery, and that those
citizen panels choose the replacement
Councilors. The final appointment
would have to come from the Council,
according to the City Charter. According
to Parrow’s plan, citizens would be
able to sign up for the lottery and there
would be some restrictions about who
could serve—citizens must be registered
voters in the City of Vernonia, and could
not have held elected office for the last
eighteen months or be a City of Vernonia Council Agrees on How to Distribute
employee.
K9 Funds—According to Mayor Josette
Mitchell, the City holds approximately
Bernal Questions Johnson About $3,000 in funds that were raised to
Mediation—During Topics from the support the Police K9 program, which
floor, citizen Sharon Bernal asked for no longer exists. The City needs to find
and received permission from Council a way to distribute those funds. Mitchell
to address questions to Interim City contacted all the citizen donors to the
Administrator Jim Johnson. Bernal then program as well as two County United
asked Johnson if he was helping aid Way organizations to see if they had
as the mediator for the communication a preference as to where the funds go.
breakdown between the City Council Mitchell suggested donating the funds to
and interim City Administrator Bill support the K9 program in Clatskanie,
Haack. Johnson responded that in late OR. Citizen donor Helen Hudson
April, early May, he interviewed all five suggested the funds go directly to the
Councilors, City Recorder Joann Glass Vernonia High School Football team for
and Haack about trying to improve new uniforms. Council discussed several
communication between the group. options and agreed to donate $500 to
Johnson said it was a volunteer effort Vernonia Ambulance Association, $500
and that he prepared a report and turned to the Clatskanie K9 program and the
it into Council in early May. Bernal then balance, (approximately $2,000) to the
asked Johnson if Haack step out of that Vernonia Boosters to use as their Board
process in any way. Johnson replied, no. sees fit.
Council Makes Recommendation
for
DAD’s
Recycling—Council
considered information provided by
City Planner Carole Connell concerning
the Recycling Center being developed
by DAD’s Recycling on Mist Drive.
They also considered information
provided by Roger Lindsley, who is
assisting DAD’s Recycling with their
business plan. DAD’s Conditional Use
permit expired on June 30, 2011, and
they have already been granted several
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Council Approves Ground Lease
for School Property—Interim City
Administrator Jim Johnson reported
that the City has received possession
of the Vernonia School property as part
of the land swap involving the new
school property and FEM buyout of
the current school property. Johnson
presented Council with a Ground Lease
agreement for approval that he already
had the School District sign. The lease
covers the 20.85 acre site that is the
current school site. The lease is for five
years. And includes an early termination
provision when the new Spencer park
is completed on the site, although the
School retains the rights to the football
and baseball fields for the full five
years. The lease can be renewed for
two additional terms. The District has
agreed to make the property available
for community uses consistent with
current policies, providing for District
use as first priority. The School district
is responsible for all indemnification and
insurance, as well as all maintenance.
There is no cash rent being paid by the
School District.
july26
2011
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There are no plans at this time to develop
the ROW.
Council Approves Resolution to Apply
for Street Funds—Council approved
Resolution 17-11 to apply for Special
City Allotment (SCA) funds from the
State of Oregon for improvements to
city streets. The SCA funds would be
used for a three inch asphalt overlay
on a portion of A Street, which would
connect this project to several other SCA
projects from past years.
Council Approves Adding Shay
Park Addition—Council approved
Resolution 18-11adding a parcel of land
Council Approves Extension of acquired through a FEMA buyout to
Contract With Johnson—Council the Parks land inventory. The parcel is
approved a one month extension of the directly adjacent to Shay Park on Adams
Personal Services Contract with Jim Avenue.
Johnson for City Administrator Pro Tem
until August 31, 2011. The amendment Council Approves Open Space
to the current contract also extended the Temporary
Easement—Council
Responsibility Allocation Agreement approved Resolution 19-11 which
that divides the work load between establishes a legal framework allowing
Johnson and Mayor Josette Mitchell, for neighbors to take control of
who is volunteering to work half-time as properties acquired by the City through
City Administrator Pro Tem, along side FEMA buy-outs. The temporary lease/
Johnson.
easement agreements between neighbors
and the City for use of the properties
Council Approves Right-of Way have several restrictions, and can be
at Airport—Council approved the terminated by the city with thirty days
establishment of a perpetual street right- notice.
of-way (ROW) on City property at the
Vernonia Airport. The current access Mayor Appoints Davis to VCLC
road is neither a City nor County Road. Committee—With the approval of
The City is considering applying for Council, Mayor Josette Mitchell
grant funding to develop a business park; appointed Carol Davis to the Vernonia
most funding agencies will not provide Community Learning Center (VCLC)
funds without public access. The ROW Committee.
means the City can make applications.
City of Vernonia Corrects Inaccuracies
There have been statements that report and passed it on to the City
published in our community that need Council.
correction and/or clarification.
On February 7th, 2011, all five Council
All loan reserve funds that have been members were informed of the history
required by the City of Vernonia and status related to the personnel
auditors have been completely funded issue with employee Michael Kay.
in the 2011-2012 City budget.
On March 28th, 2011, the Vernonia
The Brown & Caldwell engineering City Council was introduced to
firm presented the Vernonia Kathy Peck, a labor and employment
Wastewater
Treatment
Draft law specialist and David Nelson, a
Conceptual Design Report in March CityCounty Insurance representative.
2010. The cost estimate for the Discussion was held regarding the legal
wastewater option recommended implications and risk management
by the City Public Works committee issues related to the personnel issue
was approximately $10 million. City with employee Michael Kay. All five
Administrator Bob Young received Council members were present.
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