city news
Vernonia City News...
At the March 18, 2013 City Council Meeting:
CC Rider to Reduce Service-In a report provided
to City Council, the Columbia County Rider Transit
Service announced they will be reducing service to the
Vernonia area beginning April 1, 2013. (see story on
front page) Transit Director Janet Wright was on the
agenda to appear before Council to explain the service
reductions, but cancelled her appearance at the last
minute. Citizen Judy Riley provided a letter and also
spoke from the floor against the reduction in service.
Council Authorizes Agreement for Biosolids-
Council authorized the Mayor to sign an amended
Intergovernmental Agreement with Clean Water
Services for the hauling and land application of
biosolids that are required to be removed from
the wastewater lagoons as part of the Wastewater
Treatment Plant Project. The contract assumes a range
of biosolids removal of 6,000 to 12,000 wet tons with
a cost between $200,000 and $340,000. The cost for
the dredging, onsite processing and lagoon clean up has
not yet been contracted.
Council Authorizes Consulting Work-Council
authorized the City Administrator to sign a contract for
$5,000 with Shannon and Wilson Geotechnical and
Environmental Consultants to provide testing support
and geotechnical advice for the Flume Replacement
Project.
9-1-1 Operating Renewal-The Columbia 9-1-1
Communications District will have an Operating
Renewal levy on the May 21, 2013 election ballot.
New District Administrator Jeanine Dilley introduced
herself to Council and explained that the five year levy
is to maintain services. There will be no increase-
the renewal rate of 29 cents will remain the same as
the current operating levy. 9-1-1 Board of Directors
member Kathy Denkla asked Council to support the
levy either individually or as a Council.
City Administrator Report
By Bill Haack
WASTEWATER TREATMENT
PLANT PROJECT
WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT
COST ESTIMATE
The wastewater treatment plant cost esti-
mate is still rough, but is in the range of $5.25
to $6.0 million. It is composed of three main
cost components: (1) Flume Improvements -
$300,000 to $350,000, (2) Biosolids Remov-
al, $600,000 to $800,000, and (3) WWTP
Construction and overall Project/Construc-
tion Management, $4,500,000. In addition
there are other costs that are associated with
the work: Otak, Shannon and Wilson, Tetra
Teach and City of Vernonia will have direct
costs for project management, testing, com-
pliance, and project administration.
WWTP FINANCING PLAN
The financing plan for the WWTP improve-
ments is evolving. The open DEQ Loan
R93642 will be closed following the comple-
tion of the Flume Improvement Project. The
total expense of that loan will be approxi-
mately $4.7 million. The City will pursue a
second DEQ CWSRF loan for the balance
of the construction project. The new Point
Source loan application will be approximately
$6.0 million. The terms of repayment will be
twenty years from the date of construction
completion for both loans – we are expecting
that that date will be December 2015 assum-
ing construction is completed by December
2014. The current loan carries a coupon rate
of 2.93%; the estimated interest rate on the
new debt will be 1.96%. The reduced inter-
est rate is the primary reason to close out
the current loan and pursue a new loan. The
City will also look at pursuing a line of credit
to facilitate the construction process through
a conventional financial institution. In addi-
tion, the City may refinance existing debt to
provide some positive relief to our rate pay-
ers. The City invited a representative from
Wedbush Securities to the Public Works
Committee 3-26-13 who will describe the
preferred financing option for the City.
WWTP ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT
The City of Vernonia along with develop-
ment team members from Otak, Tetra Tech,
Pacific Habitat and Shannon and Wilson,
met on 3-13-13 with NOAA National Marine
Fisheries Services to lay out areas of agree-
ment and concern as it relates to completing
an environmental assessment. The meeting
will also be attended by staff from Oregon
Department of Environmental Quality. DEQ
staff serves as the financing agent, the regu-
lator and the compliance arm of WEPA, from
which they get their funding. We are asking,
as a result of the hyporheic discharge infiltra-
tion process will there be an impact to fish
habitat? What we are assessing and trying
to reach agreement on is the model that is
used by NOAA NMFS and Shannon & Wil-
son//Tetra Tech.
BIOSOLIDS PLAN
Otak developed a Biosolids Sampling Plan
which is approved by DEQ. Otak will meet
with City staff this week to establish our plan
for implementing the sampling plan. Otak is
also working on a comprehensive Biosolids
Plan. Otak identified a firm (Alexin Analytical
Laboratories) to complete the testing. The
cost estimate for 21 samples is $5,750.
HEADWORKS PARSHALL FLUME & RE-
LATED IMPROVEMENTS
The Otak plans for Flume Improvement are
approved by DEQ. There is a proposal for
Shannon and Wilson to provide geotechni-
cal engineering support to this project on the
3-18-13 agenda. The City will work with Otak
NOTICE OF BUDGET
COMMITTEE MEETING
On April 2, 2013 a public meeting
of the Budget Committee of the
City of Vernonia, Columbia County,
State of Oregon, will be held to
discuss the budget for the fiscal
year July 1, 2013 to June 2014,
at the Vernonia Learning Center,
939 Bridge Street, Vernonia, OR
97064.
Any person may appear at this
meeting and discuss the proposed
programs
with
the
Budget
Committee. The meeting for public
comment will be held on: April 2,
2013 at 6:00 PM at the Vernonia
Learning Center, 939 Bridge
Street, Vernonia, OR 97064.
A copy of the budget document
may be inspected or obtained on or
after March 20, 2013 at City Hall,
1001 Bridge Street between 9:00
AM and 5:00 PM Monday-Friday.
march21
2013
5
Topics From the Floor-Citizen Sally Harrison asked
Council to provide better care for the Vernonia Memorial
Cemetery. Harrison suggested a private fundraising
campaign to make renovations to the City owned
caretaker house. Council asked the City Administrator
to look into any requirements on the property and chose
to plan for a work session for March 25 th to discuss
future care for the cemetery.
Citizen Casey Mitchell asked Council to
consider blocking the north end of California Avenue,
a gravel road which runs through the old O-A Mill
site, to keep it from being further damaged by drivers
traveling at high rates of speed. Council asked the City
Administrator to look into this.
Council Thanks WOEC-On behalf of their citizens
Council thanked the WOEC Board of Directors for
allowing a crew to remove a group of trees on Weed
Avenue that presented a hazard.
to develop an Invitation to Bid process to fast
track the selection of a general contractor for
this project.
OTHER PUBLIC WORKS
ACTIVITY
MASTER CAPITAL PLAN
Both the Parks Committee and the Public
Works Committee have provided comments
to Dan Heffernan and Tom Wood and Brad
Curtis to allow the Master Capital Plan to
be completed and brought forward to City
Council. The draft document will be brought
forward to Council in April 2013. Both Parks
Committee and Public Works committee
have reviewed and with a few changes for-
warded the document to City Council.
SDC FEE SCHEDULE
The Public Works Committee was informed
that the City Administrator is developing a
scope of work to bring forward to the PWC
in April or May to secure the services of
Dan Heffernan Company et al to complete
the SDC fee schedule update. This update
grows out of the Master Capital Plan project.
WATER RATE UPDATE
As promised last year, Oregon Association
of Water Utilities is reviewing our revenue
City Information and
Updates Available by Email
Citizens who wish to receive meeting
information and updates can request to
be placed on an email list at City Hall.
Please contact Joann Glass at joann@
vernonia-or.gov and asked to be placed
on the “Citizen Notification List.”
and expenses for the first two quarters of the
fiscal year to provide guidance to the City
Council on how to manage adjustments to
the water utility rate in the future. I hope to
have that information to City Council soon.
To modify the impact of any increase, City in-
tends to temper the increase by refinancing
one USDA water bond this year.
SEWER RATE STUDIES
FCS Group is working on a preliminary
sewer rate study document to share with the
Public Works Committee. They may be in-
vited to the 3-26-13 PWC for a discussion.
I have provided the basic assumptions for
them to use in developing their model and
options. The Committee can comment on
how we step into the new rate that allows
for a payment of the new principle and inter-
est and the establishment of higher loan re-
serves in calendar year 2015 as an increase
in the sewer rates over the next twenty-one
continued on page 6
Vernonia City
Council Meetings
City Council Meetings are
scheduled for 7 PM:
Monday, April 1
Monday, April 15
Dates and times subject to change
due to conflicts of schedules