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About Vernonia's voice. (Vernonia, OR) 2007-current | View Entire Issue (July 10, 2012)
city/area news Vernonia City News... At the July 2, 2012 City Council Meeting: Council Approves Agreement for Audit-- Council authorized the signing of an Council Approves Resolution agreement with Grove, Mueller & Swank, Establishing Airport Committee-- P.C. to provide the annual audit of the city Council approved Resolution 26-12, finances. establishing an Airport Committee and prescribing its powers and duties. Council Approves Collective Bargaining Agreement with Police-- Council approved Council Amends Master Fee Schedule-- the collective bargaining agreement Council made minor housekeeping between the City of Vernonia and the adjustments to the Master Fee Schedule and Vernonia Police Association as negotiated approved those changes with the passage of and presented by the City Attorney in Executive Session. The new contract runs Resolution 27-12. from July 1, 2012 to June 30, 2015. The Columbia County Household Hazardous Waste Program Schedule Through March 2013 Due to continued decreases in revenue generated by garbage disposal fees at the Columbia County Transfer Station, the Columbia County Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) Program will be forced to reduce HHW services to the following dates: For more information regarding the Columbia County HHW Program, con- tact the Columbia County Land Development Services Director, Todd Dugdale at 503.397.7207 or todd.dugdale@co.columbia.or.us County Assessor to Reduce Business Hours Public business hours for the Columbia County Assessor’s Office are reduced, effective Monday, July 2, 2012. The decision to reduce hours was made by the County Assessor and is due to continued budget shortfalls that have resulted in 26-furlough days in addition to staff reductions at the Assessor’s department. The reduced hours will allow remaining staff the uninterrupted time to complete duties necessary to stay in compliance with state mandates. Manufactured Structure Changes will be processed within one week of receiving completed application and fee. Self-Service Computer Workstations: Two workstations will be available for self-service use by the public. These computers are located at the front counter of the Assessor’s Office on Monday thru Thursday, 8:30 am to 5:00 pm. Online Services Available at www. co.columbia.or.us Columbia County Assessor’s Office Public Business Hours: The Assessor’s Office website includes current property records, as All Public Services Except Manufactured well as forms, applications and general Structure Changes: information for most programs maintained July 2, 2012 thru October 11, 2012 and by the Assessor’s Office. November 19 through June 27, 2013 Thank you for your patience during Monday through Thursday, 1:00 pm to 5:00 this period of staffing shortages pm, or by appointment October 15, 2012 through November 15, 2012 (Tax Season) Monday through Thursday, 8:30 am to 5:00 pm Manufactured Structure Ownership/ Situs Changes and Trip Permits: These services will no longer be available for immediate processing. Requests for Vernonia’s Voice is published twice each month on the 2nd and 4th Tuesday. Look for our next issue on July 24. july10 2012 5 New City Hall Hours in Effect The City of Vernonia City Council approved on June 4, 2012, at the request of the Administration Office, change in the hours of operation beginning July 1, 2012. The new hours of operations for all administrative functions will be: Monday 11:00 AM – 6:00 PM, Tuesday – Friday 11:00 AM – 5:00 PM for the following functions: utility bill paying, building permits, planning and land use review, public records requests as well as the management functions of the financial department, city council, committee support and general city administration. The hours of operation will be reviewed every six months thereafter to make adjustments to maximize effectiveness and efficiencies of operations. The Building Officials will be available by appointment on Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 11:00 AM to completion of inspections. The Electrical Inspector will be available by appointment on Wednesday and Friday from 9:00 AM to completion of inspections. The City Planner will be available by appointment the First and Third Thursday of every month. City Hall will be open for Justice Court and the Police Department Monday – Friday 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM. In case of emergency dial 911 and for Non-emergency calls dial 1-800-696-7795 Did you know? • Street numbers must be clearly visible on your house facing the • Information pamphlets are avail- able at City Hall for all building street questions • Grass can only be 12 inches high before it becomes a nuisance viola- • A fence or sign permit must be completed and approved by the tion city planner before construction • Trash covered properties become a nuisance abatement and can re- • A calendar is posted on the city web page at www.vernonia-or.gov sult in fines if not corrected listing all city and committee meet- • Christmas lights can not be dis- ing and times played all year long • The city web page is a great re- • All vehicles parked on the street source for ordinances, forms and or parked on private property must documents have current tags. • Vernonia is working together as • Vehicles parked on the street a community and moving forward with new ideas must be moved after 72 hours Botulism Cases a Good Reminder to Safely Process Foods The recent case of 3 people sickened with botulism from eating home-canned beets in Central Oregon is a good reminder that home-canned foods can pose a serious health risk. The only way to be sure that your home-canned foods are safe to eat is to follow USDA tested recipes for preparing and processing. The OSU Extension Service in Columbia County offers information, classes, and resources to help residents safely preserve foods from the garden this summer. Here is a list of services they provide: Need body work? At Meyer’s Auto Body we’ll take your order and give you great service. Meyer’s Auto Body 493 Bridge Street, Vernonia 503-429-0248 • Free Printed Publications and Safe Canning Recipes • Online Publications and Recipes: http://extension.oregonstate.edu/fch/ food-preservation • Free Pressure Canner Gauge Testing • Food Preservation and Food Safety Hotline 1-800-354-7319, 9am to 2pm, Monday thru Thursday from July through October OSU Extension Service, Columbia County, 505 N. Columbia River Hwy, St. Helens, OR 97051 503-397-3462 Vernonia City Council Meetings and Closures City Council Meetings are scheduled for: Monday, July 16, 2012 Monday, August 6, 2012 Monday, August 20, 2012 Tuesday, September 4, 2012 City Closures are scheduled for: Monday, September 3, 2012 Dates and times subject to change due to conflicts of schedules
