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About Vernonia's voice. (Vernonia, OR) 2007-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 27, 2011)
city news september27 2011 Vernonia City News... At the September 19, 2011 City Coun- cil Meeting: City Donates Land for ODOT Proj- ect—Council approved the donation of a strip of property along Bridge Street/ Highway 47 that will be used as part of a street widening project at Missouri Avenue. ODOT is planning to construct a left turn lane to provide access to the new school campus. The property being donated is part of the Pioneer Museum property. Because the City owns the property they are entitled to compensa- tion. City staff recommended donating the property because the benefits to the public outweigh the costs. In making the recommendation for the donation city staff also cited that ODOT is providing the funding for the improvements to the intersection, as well as improvements along Missouri Avenue leading to the new school campus. According to the staff report the property would likely be valued at $24,000. City Repairs Sewer Line Break On Sunday September 11, 2011 the Vernonia Public Works staff re- sponded to a sewer leak on the west bank of the Nehalem River along Riverside Drive. Public Works staff turned off the pumping station at Mist Drive and arranged to pump and haul the efflu- ent, moving over 100,000 gallons to the city sewer lagoons until repairs could be made. Residents living along the Ne- halem River were notified and asked to refrain from direct contact with the river water. The sewer line at the site is be- tween 30-45 feet underground from the top of the bank. The break was found where a manhole column settled and caused the 6” sewer line encased in con- crete to fracture. Public Works staff re- paired the line, rebuilding and compact- ing the soil at the site of the trenching and were rebuilding the streambed face with riprap. “Public Works Foreman Jeff Burch and his team did excellent work,” said Vernonia City Administrator Bill Haack. Haack also said that city repre- sentatives were in contact with DEQ and were assured that the city was in compli- ance with protocols established for han- dling a sewer line break of this nature. Vernonia Veterinary Clinic Small and Large Animals Now Open Mon, Wed & Saturday 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. Call for Appointments (503) 429-1612 Or 24 hr. Emergency Number (503) 397-6470 700 Weed Ave. Vernonia, OR Haack Updates Council on Work Plan—City Administrator Bill Haack gave Council an update and details on the specific projects he is currently working on, including: 1) New Spen- cer Park planning process and Bridge Street/ Missouri Avenue Improvements, 2) Wastewater Facility Upgrade Plan- ning, 3) a major sewer line repair along the banks of the Nehalem River, 4) the Vernonia School District Wetlands miti- gation project happening on the old mill site, 5) a Water Rate Study, 6) an inven- tory of city street conditions, 7) a grant application to expand the dock system at Vernonia Lake. 5 sible ways students could work on proj- ects on city owned property as part of hands-on learning programs. Miller was directed by Council to work with City Administrator Bill Haack to develop any proposed activity. are; that they create a work plan for who will remove the trees and who will be responsible for clean up; that they iden- tify which trees they would like to have removed. Council Approves Police Expenditure for Data Tracking—Council approved an initial expense of $940.85 for the Ver- nonia Police Department (VPD) to pur- chase a computer system firewall from AdvanTel Networks and a $100 monthly expense for the VPD to receive services from the Portland Police Data System (PPDS). According to Vernonia Interim Police Chief Mike Conner the PPDS sys- tem allows the sharing of data between Council Sends Airport Recommen- regional departments who are part of the dation Back to Committee—Council system and creates a place for the VPD sent a recommendation from the Air- to store data in case of a system failure. port Committee back, asking for more information and clarification. The Air- Council Hears Presentation from port Committee had requested that some School District-- Washington Grade trees and brush in several locations be School Principal Aaron Miller present- removed near the airport runway for ed Council with several ideas for oppor- safety reasons. In declining to act on tunities for the School District to partner the request, Council asked for several with the City as part of the new Natural things from the Committee: that they Resources curriculum the schools are identify what the specific safety hazards developing. Miller outlined several pos- Ridge Riders Explain Arena Improve- ments-- George Bellingham, represent- ing the Vernonia Ridge Riders, updated Council on several improvements the group is making at the horse arena area that the group leases from the City. Bell- ingham specifically wanted to explain the need for signage at the entrance to the area that restricts unauthorized vehi- cles. Mayor Josette Mitchell reminded Bellingham that the area is in the Flood Zone and any improvements must be ap- proved by the City Planning Commis- sion. Council Approves Name Change on Liquor License—Council approved the name change on the Liquor License at 490 Bridge Street to “Bridge Street Mini Mart LLC.” Blue Heron Hollow Receives $200,000 Grant With the help of a generous grant from the Meyer Memorial Trust, the Blue Heron Hollow (BHH) apartment complex in Veernonia is one step closer to being elevated above the flood plain. Community Action Team (CAT) recently announced that they were awarded a $200,000 grant from the Meyer Memorial Trust. The funds will be combined with awards already received from Oregon Emergency Management, Oregon Housing and Community Services, insurance proceeds and CATs own resources to pay for the cost to elevate the 6-building apartment complex above the flood plain. The 26-unit BHH apartment complex was flooded to a depth of approximately 14 inches when the Nehalem River and Rock Creek overflowed their banks in December 2007. All six buildings were substantially damaged in one of the worst storms in Vernonia’s history. Although the damage caused by the flood was repaired and the residents returned to their homes in April 2008, the buildings are now in Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMAs) 2008 revised flood plain. As a result, the buildings must be either elevated above or removed from the flood plain. “This grant fills the final funding gap for the elevation project,” said CAT Executive Director, Jim Tierney. “It insures that Blue Heron Hollow will continue to provide much needed affordable housing to the residents of Vernonia. We thank Meyer Memorial Trust for their generosity and continued investment in helping Vernonia recover from devastation caused by the flood.” CAT is reviewing bids from elevation contractors now. They are uncertain whether the proposal review and contract negotiations process will be completed before Office of Emergency Managements declares the end of the construction season for this year. If so, elevation of two of the six buildings will begin before November 1st. If not, elevation of all buildings will begin in the spring of next year. Your LOCAL property management company Joni Jackson Owner/Principal Broker Real Estate Sales • Residential • Commercial • Vacant Land Property Management • Residential • Commercial • Vacation Rentals Real Estate Service with a plan of ACTION! 503-956-0445 Joni@RelianceRES.com 859 Bridge Street • Vernonia, OR 97064 www.RelianceRES.com VERNONIA FIRE **RECRUITMENT** the “I can’t believe it’s mine” home We Need Volunteers The perfect mortgage from will make you feel right at home. www.vernoniafire.us Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be a firefighter? Have you ever wanted to volunteer in your community? The Vernonia Rural Fire Protection District is in need of additional personnel and we have positions for everyone. From firefighting to support positions, we can use your help. All training and equipment is provided free of charge. Being a volunteer firefighter is a very rewarding job. Vernonia Rural Fire Protection District provides a vast array of Emergency Services ranging from Vehicle Extrication to fire scene Rehab & Firefighting. We respond to over 400 calls per year. We hold our general membership meeting every second Monday of the month at the Fire station. You can call Dean Smith at 503-429-8252 with any questions. Feel free to email us at anytime at vrfvolunteers@gmail.com the “make room for more” home U.S. Bank Home Mortgage is committed to providing you with a mortgage loan that is right for you. We take the time and care to guide you through the mortgage process, so you can trust you’re making the right move. 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