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About Vernonia's voice. (Vernonia, OR) 2007-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 11, 2011)
city news Vernonia City News... At the October 3, 2011 City Council Meeting: Council Approves Contract With Union--Council entered into Executives Session at the end of the Council meeting per ORS 192.660 (2)(d) Labor Negotiator Cosultations; (e) Real Property Transactions; (h)Legal Council. Council returned and approved the collecting bargaining agreement with AFSCME, the union which represents city employees, and authorized City Administrator Bill Haack to sign the contract. Mayor Josette Mitchell, with consensus from Council, also instructed City Administrator Haack to continue land acquisition negotiations with West Oregon Electric Cooperative. Council Expresses Condolences to Barlow Family—Speaking on behalf of the entire Vernonia City Council, Mayor Josette Mitchell expressed condolences to the family and friends of St. Helens City Councilor Phillip Barlow who passed away on September 24, 2011 at specific geotechnical engineering the age of 39. Barlow died of a heart services of soils and related substrata to support plans for the Wastewater Facility attack while in Thailand. Update Plan. Council authorized the Council Discusses Floodplain City Administrator to sign a contract Enforcement—City Administrator Bill with KLS Surveying to establish survey Haack provided Council with a letter the points for the report and with Shannon City is prepared to send to one resident & Wilson, Inc. to add additional data to family that is not in compliance with a report they completed in August 2005. the city floodplain ordinance. Both the The work will be paid for with an EPA National Flood Insurance Program and and Tribal Assistance grant the City had FEMA require the City of Vernonia previously secured. to manage floodplain enforcement. According to the letter homes not in Council Approves Contract for GIS compliance could be subject to a fine Services—Council approved a contract of up to $500 per day. The home in with Triangle GIS, LLC for Data Access question has been declared Substantially and GIS Project Consulting. Triangle Damaged after the 2007 Flood; the home GIS will provide the City with support owner is required to either lift or remove for the continued development of their the home. Dan Brown from Columbia “Vernonia Explorer” system, which County Flood Recovery explained that includes searches, mapping, report grant funds have been secured to assist generation, data input and data editing for the family in question become compliant. city related data. The Vernonia Explorer system had the potential to assist the Council Approves Contracts for City with Flood Plain Management, Geotechnical Services—City Council Utility Management, and other Land approved two contracts to complete Management projects. Why Build a New Park? As a result of the new K-12 school, the old Spencer Park was converted from park and open space land into school property. The design and development of a new Spencer Park and Tot Lot is required by National Park Services to replace the converted park and open space land. Project Goals The School District has hired design con- sultants to work with Vernonia residents on a park master plan for the new Spencer Park and Tot Lot. Some of the project goals include: • Preserve historic features on Get Involved! We want to hear your ideas regarding the design of the new Spencer Park. This is a great opportunity to make a difference in your community! Please, fill out the attached question- naire located on the back page of this newsletter. This information will be used to craft several design options that will be presented at the first public meeting. Thank you! Building a Park within a Floodplain Because the new Spencer Park will be located within a floodplain, there are certain restrictions that go along with any construction for the new park. These restrictions are set by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and are meant to ensure the site is prepared for flood conditions. Generally, the park is allowed to have sport fields and some site amenities, but they must meet certain criteria in order to comply with FEMA. This means no new structures with walls or any fencing that could potentially restrict the flow of water during flood events. Required Park Amenities The new park is required by the National Park Service to include the same amenities that were at the old Spencer Park. These amenities include: • Full size baseball field with backstop, dugouts, and benches • Restroom facility • Children’s play area • (2) Soccer fields • (2) Parking areas • ADA accessible path system within park Q&A: Frequently Asked Questions Question: Can any of the old school buildings remain? Answer: Unfortunately no. FEMA open space land use requirements do not allow retention of pre-existing structures unless all walls are removed. However, measures are being taken to reuse some of the historic architectural features at both the new park and at the new school to satisfy the Historic Preservation requirements. Question: Will FEMA allow any new structures to be built in the park? Answer: Public shelters, pavilions, and ga- zebos are allowed, provided that the structure does not contain walls. Public restrooms will be allowed to contain walls; however, all other walled structures are not permitted. Question: Why are you separating the project into two phases? Answer: The School District is obligated to fund certain park improvements as part of the first phase development. However, it is important to think holistically about the entire park site. The master planning process will provide a blueprint for future phasing of park development. Question: What is the project timeline? Answer: Design of the park master plan will continue through the end of 2011. The Tot Lot construction will begin in Spring 2012, the deconstruction of the existing school buildings will begin in Summer 2012 and the dedication of the new Spencer Park will take place the following Summer, in 2013. october11 2011 5 Haack Gives Update on Projects— City Administrator Bill Haack provided a written update on numerous priority projects he is working on and discussed in detail the sewer repair project the Public Works Department performed; gave an update on the Vernonia School District wetlands mitigation project; discussed the idea of doing an inventory for standing timber on all city owned property; updated the ODOT Missouri Avenue project; and discussed the Rock Creek Hydrology Report which provides some options for creating better flow during high water events. Mayor Proclaims Fire Prevention Week—Mayor Josette Mitchell read a proclamation, declaring the week of October 9-15, 2011 as National Fire Prevention Week, encouraging all citizens to protect their families from fire and take steps needed to protect their homes from families safe from fire. the buildings before deconstruction. • Provide sport fields and ameni- ties at the new Spencer Park that are similar to the old Spencer Park. • Work with Vernonia residents to create a park that can be enjoyed by all age groups. The Master Planning Process The City of Vernonia views the entire park master plan as a 10 year process. Phase 1 of the master plan includes the planning of the new 11.82 acre Spencer Park and a 0.2 acre Tot Lot located next to the new school. Phase 1 planning will continue through the end of 2011.
