city news
april10
2012
Vernonia City News...
At the April 2, 2012 City Council
Meeting:
Council Discusses Sewer Rate
Increase—City Council discussed a
recommendation from the Vernonia
Public Works Committee to modify the
sewer loan rate on the City utility bill
to fully pay current debt service on
DEQ Loan 96342. Council asked staff
to prepare more information and will
discuss the issue at their May 6, 2012
meeting. (See full story on front page.)
Council Approves Water Funds to
Replace Meters—Council voted to
authorize City Administrator Bill Haack
to develop a Water Meter Replacement
Program for the City of Vernonia.
Haack told Council that through this
program the City plans to replace 7% of
the meters each year, or sixty meters,
beginning in July of 2012, with the entire
water meter system being updated every
fifteen years. In his report to Council
Haack noted that the City is aware of
a 35% loss of water delivered through
the system and that old meters that are
not accurately reading amounts of use
could be part of the problem. The cost
to replace meters is projected to be $250
for each meter. Funding would come
from the existing Water Fund.
Council Approves Purchase of
Automated Pay Station—Based on
a recommendation from the Vernonia
Parks Committee, Council authorized
the City Administrator to issue an RFP
for the purchase and installation of
an automated pay station at Vernonia
Lake. The proposed cost is $15,000 and
funds would come from Parks System
Development Charges.
Council Approves Utility Easement for
WOEC—Council approved a request
by West Oregon Electric Cooperative
for a perpetual easement through City
property at Anderson Park for power
lines.
Council Approves Adoption of Safety
Manual, Sewer Maintenance Policy—
Council approved the adoption of a City
Safety Manual and a Sewer Maintenance
Policy based on templates provided by
the City/County Insurance. The City
will receive a $1,000 credit on their
insurance premium for adopting these
policies.
Council Hears Presentation about
Morrow Pacific Project—Council
heard a presentation by representatives
from Ambre Energy concerning the
proposed Morrow Pacific Project which
would ship coal by train from the Powder
River Basin to the Port of Morrow in
eastern Oregon, then move the coal by
barge to the Port of St. Helens where it
would then be transferred to oceangoing
City of Vernonia Begins Budget Process
The City of Vernonia began de-
liberations on April 3, 2012 on the pro-
posed Fiscal Year 2012-2013 Budget at
the first Budget Committee Meeting.
costs. We have been able to do this by
finding efficiencies, reassigning some
costs to more appropriate funds and by
keeping costs as low as possible.”
Vernonia City Administrator and
Budget Officer Bill Haack presented the
Budget Message to the ten member Bud-
get Committee.
The 2012-13 Budget is proposed
at $3,599,971 compared to $4,048,284
in the current year, a reduction of elev-
en percent. The General Fund, which
includes Administrative services, Li-
brary, Planning and Police is proposed at
$1,855,585, a reduction of nine percent.
Current year property tax revenues are
planned to decrease by $11,676, a .017
percent decrease.
The Budget Committee is made
up of the five members of the Vernonia
City Council and five community mem-
bers. Susan Wagner was previously
elected to Chair the Committee and Brett
Costley was selected as Vice Chair. The
other community members serving on
the Budget Committee are George Tice,
George Guyette, and Gary Taylor.
In his Budget Message Haack
stated, “The proposed budget maintains
existing service levels in spite of rising
Haack noted in his Budget Mes-
sage that the City has seen a great deal of
progress in the current budget year. He
specifically mentioned forward progress
on the new school construction and the
wetland mitigation project. He noted
that Columbia County Flood Recovery
(CCFR) has set up for acquisition or el-
evation all FEMA approved buildings.
He also noted the completion of the new
West Oregon Electric Cooperative head-
quarters. And he mentioned the comple-
tion of a City Water Rate Study, progress
on planning for the Wastewater Facility
Update, and efforts to repurpose grant
funds for a parks Master Plan.
In the upcoming year Haack
notes as significant to the City’s in-
terests the opening of the new school
campus, the demolition of the existing
school campus and the completion of
Phase I of the Spencer Park replace-
ment park construction; the completion
of the wetlands mitigation planting and
the completion of ODOT road improve-
ments at Missouri Avenue; the comple-
tion of CCFR work in the community;
and a Sewer Rate study to be completed
by the city and the acceptance of a final
City Expects to Increase Sewer Rate
Administrator Bill Haack told Council that $31.00 was
the amount staff has calculated as needed to fully fund
repayment. Haack suggested that Council direct him
to negotiate with DEQ for an alternative repayment
schedule and that part of those negotiations include
exploring the possibility that the needed increase could
be spread over several years.
In his written report provided to Council at
that April 2 meeting, City Administrator Haack noted
that by approving the recommendation to increase
Vernonia City
Council Meetings
and Closures
Upcoming City Council
Meetings are scheduled for:
Monday, April 16, 2012
Monday, May 7, 2012
Monday, May 21, 2012
Upcoming City Closures are
scheduled for:
Monday, May 28, 2012
Dates and times subject to change
due to conflicts of schedules
5
vessels.
Council
Makes
Committee
Appointment, Accepts Resignation—
Mayor Josette Mitchell, with approval
from council appointed Nicholas
Galaday to the Public Works Committee.
The Council also accepted the resignation
of Deloris (Dede) Webb from the Parks
Committee. Mrs. Webb has served on
the Parks Committee for sixteen years.
Council Approves Request for Pioneer
Cemetery
Memorial—Council
approved a request from the family of
Raymond Keasey to allow a memorial
to be placed in the Keasey Family
plot at the Vernonia Pioneer Museum.
Raymond Keasey was the youngest child
of Carroll and Bertha Keasey and was
born in Vernonia in 1913. Mr. Keasey
passed away in Everett, WA in February
2012 at the age of 98.
plan and the start of construction on the
Wastewater Facility Update Project.
“As in previous years, I view the
financial future of the City with cautious
optimism,” stated Haack in his Budget
Message. “With this in mind, I directed
the budget preparation to minimize sur-
prises during the upcoming fiscal year—
with the central goal of keeping the
City’s finances in order.
The Budget Committee will
meet to discuss the budget on Tuesday
evenings at the Vernonia Community
Learning Center, starting at 6:00 PM. A
Public Hearing to hear Public Comment
has been scheduled for April 10 th . The
Budget Committee has also agreed to
hear limited Public Comment at the start
of each of their meetings.
continued from front page
rates, “...Council fully acknowledges both the need to
begin paying principle and interest and to make this
repayment palatable to the consumers by allowing us
to step into this fee increase over two or more years if
DEQ will allow this approach.”
Haack also noted that the Wastewater Facilities
Improvement Project is not yet complete and final costs
are not yet known. The City and their engineers are
currently studying design options for the project, with
a goal of approving a final plan and going to bid for
construction in November of 2012.
During the discussion all Council members
expressed concern that the public needs to be made
aware of the impending increase. After the discussion
Council chose to take no action on the recommendation,
but directed City staff to develop a press release,
timeline and information sheet for the public. Council
is expected to discuss this item again at the May 7,
2012 City Council meeting.
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