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About Vernonia's voice. (Vernonia, OR) 2007-current | View Entire Issue (May 8, 2012)
8 in other words may8 2012 Creature Comforts ~ Spring “Cleaning” for Pets By Michal Smith Let’s begin with an update from last month’s article. The “pet memory board” is now hanging up inside the store and ready for photos and stories of your furry, feathered or finned loved ones to be posted. There are already a few sweet tributes which will be hanging up and featured through Memorial Day so keep bringing them in. It’s been fun to read of each pet’s special talent, funny habit and place in their human’s lives. It’s a fact--spring and cleaning go hand in hand and we don’t want to forget the Pet Section” on our cleaning lists. Be sure to include items like up- date all vaccinations as our dogs and cats are outside and exposed to other pets and nasty bugs that live in the ground just waiting to attack our pet. 291 A Street Microchip or put tags on your pets so if they are lost while outdoors they can be easily returned to you when found. Clip pet bird wings now that we start open- ing windows and doors to our homes for the warm fresh air to come in, we don’t want our pet birds taking flight out of them. Inspect tie out cables, chains, leashes, collars and pens from last year to ensure they are in good condi- tion and strong enough to hold or con- tain your pet this season. Restock pet first aid supplies if needed to make sure you’re ready for those minor illnesses and injuries that occur more often in the warm seasons and in the out of doors. Restock water troughs or ponds with feeder fish and/or pond snails that will help control algae and larvae making it a cleaner drink of water for your animals. And what dog doesn’t want to start out the spring season without their own personal spring clipping and flea bath? Well, probably all of them but owner knows best. Creatures Pet Store offers full service grooming as well as the opportunity for you to use the facili- ties and do it yourself for a full bonding experience with your dog. Either way will expose the condition of the skin af- ter the long cool winter and allow you to feel any lumps or bumps you weren’t aware of before. Owners have often been surprised to know that once we got their dog in the bath tub or shaved the hair, we’ve uncovered flea beds, ticks, sore and hot spots that the animal had been biting at; injuries, and in one case a fresh BB gun shot wound was exposed on the dog’s shoulder. You’d be sur- prised at what the fur can cover up. Well these are just a few of the major items to consider adding to your spring list of chores. Creatures Pet Store stocks many of your supply needs and is always hap- py to special order items that will save you a trip out of town. Grooming and U-Wash can be scheduled all during the week (Mon-Fri 10-6; Sat 10-5) simply call 503-429-PETS (7387) to book your appointment. We’ll also be able to dis- cuss and address any specific needs your pet may have at that time. AND if you’re looking to add a family pet to your home this spring, check the store for kittens, puppies, birds and fish-it’s the season! In 2011, the City selected Tetra Tech to take the hyporheic discharge infiltration alternative model framework through the DEQ process with a goal of meeting two remaining DEQ requirements: (1) complete a DEQ standard predesign report; and (2) secure concurrence on the design from FEMA and ACOE for flood plain compliance. We anticipate securing final plans in December 2012. The CDBG Grant No 06021 is being used to fund the Tetra Tech project that will yield final design and a construction bid package. We have sufficient funds in the CDBG budget to fully fund the engineering and bid documents. Thus this will not be a burden to the utility rate payers. What will be involved in the final design phase of the project? The City awaits the DEQ acceptance of the hyporheic discharge infiltration alternative. When DEQ accepts we share the document with the State Infrastructure Finance Authority, both for their concurrence as the CDBG funder but also in their potential role of providing financing, if needed, for the construction of the project. The City Engineer will then work with Tetra Tech to cost out the design, assist in the development of bid documents, design a bid process for selection of a general contractor, and set a date to publish the bid. This is all completed using the grant funds currently secured, and does not require debt creation or raising rates to repay the state for these funds. What can we predict about the final costs and the impact on sewer loan repayment fee? In a nutshell, to be in compliance with DEQ and EPA standards the City will need to spend additional money to complete the accepted DEQ design. The City is pursuing the approval of a hyporheic discharge infiltration alternative as we stated above. A primary reason for this model is that it costs less to build than other options and costs less to operate. How much less is not known, but likely less than 50% of the next lower cost option identified in the Brown and Caldwell alternative analysis. Of the original $8,600,000 DEQ loan, the City spent $4,300,000. The undisbursed funds of $4,300,000 remain available to the City to cover additional project costs. To fully repay the current outstanding balance over the next 20 years, monthly sewer fees will increase by approximately $19.00 per month. For each additional $1 million the City draws down on the remaining balance monthly sewer fees will increase by an additional $7.00 +/- per month. Using $7.00 as the factor per $1,000,000 of additional indebtedness the following describes the path we will be on: • To repay the current outstanding balance of $4.3 million, the required sewer fee is about $31.00/month for twenty years. • If we spend $1.0 million more the fee is adjusted to $37.00/month for twenty years; • If we spend $2.0 million more the fee is adjusted to $44.00/month for twenty years; and • If we fully need to spend out the balance of the $4.3 million available the fee is adjusted to $57.00/month for twenty years. By December of this year the City will have a firm cost estimate for the balance of the work needed to construct the final wastewater facility design; and at that time this picture of the true cost of this improvement will be known. What is next? The City Council will adopt a budget in June 2012 for FY 2012-2013 that will identify the sewer loan repayment strategy that staff will be directed to establish with DEQ. Also in June 2012, the City Council will adopt by resolution a modification in the current sewer loan repayment fee schedule. This is the path that we are on to achieve compliance with State and Federal regulators, and to increase the capacity of our wastewater facility for the long-term future of our community. Sewer Loan Repayment Fee to Increase continued from page 5 START RIGHT. START HERE. SM call Kim Time to get your MOWERS tuned up Lovable service at a reasonable price • Bathing • Haircuts • Nail Clipping • Nail Polishing • Specialty Shampoos We’ll take your dead mower Drop off your push or rider here Also wanted: used auto batteries Family owned & operated for over 40 years 834 Bridge St., Vernonia (503) 429-6364
