6
city news
march21
2013
On the Shelves:
What’s Happening at
the Vernonia Library
Stamps, stamps, stamps!
The latest program being
initiated at the Vernonia
Public Library is the
Vernonia Stamp Club. This
program will reach out to the
‘young’ and ‘not as young’
alike. The club will meet at
the library the first Thursday
of the month starting in April
from 4:30-5:30 PM. The first
meeting is April 4 th .
Whether you are a
long time collector or just
interested in discovering
the fun of stamp collecting,
come join Grant Williams at
the first meeting. All ages
are welcome. Learn how to
identify and care for postage
stamps and start building
a lifelong hobby that will
increase your knowledge of
world countries, leaders, and
important events
and places. Bring
in a collection for
evaluation or just
show up to see
what it’s all about.
Thousands
of free stamps
are waiting to be
discovered
and
find a new home.
Police Blotter-March 1-13, 2013
ARRESTS AND CRIMINAL CITATIONS
• March 01, 2013 - Arrest for Driving under
the Influence of Intoxicants, Harassment, and
Criminal Mischief on Rose Ave. near Maple St.
• March 07, 2013 – Arrest on a Felony Warrant
out of Columbia County.
• March 08, 2013 – Arrest on a Misdemeanor
Warrant on Bridge St. near Riverside Dr.
• March 08, 2013 – Assisted Columbia County
Sheriff’s Office on a reported shooting on
Nehalem Hwy (N).
• March 09, 2013 – Arrest on a Felony Warrant
on Noakes Rd.
Ave.
• March 08, 2013 – Issued a citation for Driving
While Suspended.
• March 12, 2013 – Issued a citation for a City
Ordinance Violation.
• March 12, 2013 – Issued traffic citations
for Driving While Suspended and Driving
Uninsured.
• March 12, 2013 – Issued a traffic citation for
Violation of the Basic Speed Rule (73 mph in
a posted 55mph speed zone).
• March 13, 2013 – Issued a citation for a City
Ordinance Violation.
TRAFFIC/OTHER CITATIONS
• March 06, 2013 – Issued traffic citations
Driving While Suspending and Failing to carry
proof of Insurance on Bridge St. near Madison
For the complete Police Blotter go to
http://vpd.vernonia-or.gov/
Are you a senior citizen?
Do you need assistance?
Karen Miller with Community Action Team
is available for consultation for senior
services in the Vernonia area.
Help is also available for energy assistance.
503-366-6581
City Administrator Report continued from page 5
months. Again the City intends to temper
the increase by refinancing two USDA sewer
bonds this year.
BROWNFIELD ASSESSMENT GRANT
The City has been meeting with PBS Engi-
neering and Environmental consultants Heidi
Yantz and Jerry Orlando. They have com-
pleted a review of documents and are pre-
pared to have an introductory meeting with
the Public Works Committee serving also as
the EPA Brownfield Assessment Advisory
Committee. This initial meeting will be at the
PWC meeting of 3-26-13. Members of PBS
Engineering + Environmental will be in town
to conduct windshield surveys to prepare a
presentation for the Public Works Committee
and City Council.
STREETS DEPARTMENT
CALIFORNIA AVENUE BUSINESS PARK
The City continues to work with a develop-
ment team to see improvement for a busi-
ness park atop the planer shed base.
ROSE AVENUE PROJECT
The development team for the Rose Avenue
Project (e.g. Scott Edwards, architects and
Community Action Team) are developing a
site plan that will lay out the plans to upgrade
a section of Weed Avenue and complete im-
provements on a section of Cougar Street. A
draft site plan will be shared with City Council
by April 1, 2013.
SPECIAL PUBLIC WORKS FUND AND
IMMEDIATE OPPORTUNITY FUND
The City will work with both teams to assess
eligibility for grants and potentially loans for
these street improvements.
ODOT TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM
PLANNING GUIDELINES
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING
Proposed Legislative Amendment to the
Vernonia Land Development Code
Adding a new provision for Accessory
Dwelling Units (ADU’s)
SITE LOCATION: Affects properties
citywide that are zoned residential.
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the
City of Vernonia proposes to add a new
housing opportunity known as ADU’s to
land in the city that is zoned residential
for single family dwellings.
Also
known as “granny flats” an ADU is an
additional, self-contained housing unit
that is secondary to the main residence.
Additional information about the text
amendment, City File #PA 13-01, can be
obtained by contacting Joann Glass at
City Hall 503-429-5291 ext. 106.
The Public Hearings will be held on
March 21, 2013 by the Planning
Commission at 6:00 PM and on April 1,
2013 by the City Council at 7:00 PM in
the Council Chambers of City Hall, 1001
Bridge Street, Vernonia, OR 97064. The
Public Hearings are governed by the
Vernonia Land Use and Development
Code Section 9.01.10-50. A staff report
will be available to the public at City Hall
one week before the hearings, and may
be copied for a nominal fee.
Public testimony is welcome, and written
statements will also be received before or
at the hearing.
All meeting locations are accessible to
persons with disabilities. A request for
an interpreter for the hearing impaired
or for other accommodations for persons
with disabilities should be made at least
48 hours prior to the public hearing to the
City Recorder at 503-429-5291, ext. 106;
TTY 1-800-735-2900 or at City Hall, 1001
Bridge St., Vernonia OR 97064.
Notice to mortgage, lien holder, vendor or
seller: If you receive this notice it shall
promptly be forwarded to the purchaser.
The City of Vernonia is an Equal
Opportunity Provider and Employer
The City is working with ODOT to determine
if we can secure funding to assist the City to
coordinate with Columbia County in planning
for the eventual completion of the C-Z Trail in
the city linking it to Vernonia Lake. Columbia
County envisions that the City will work in
collaboration with Columbia County to find a
route within the city limits. We will know soon
whether this project can fit the state’s criteria.
PARKS DEPARTMENT
OPRD SPENCER PARK DEVELOPMENT
The City is now working under No LGP0252-
1 Spencer Park Development. City staff
met with OPRD to discuss the contracting
process for using the funds for at least two
clearly defined purposes: (1) purchase of re-
stroom facility to be erected at a site between
the proposed new baseball fields (California
Avenue and Bridge Street) and (2) a picnic
shelter. The City is working with Vernonia
School District to include design specification
for this component of the project in that bid
package. The City has preliminary agree-
ment that using salvaged materials from the
Washington Grade School may be used in
developing a plan for a picnic shelter to be lo-
cated west of the covered play area. My goal
is to develop an ad hoc team to work on a
concept for the picnic shelter, to assess what
forms of professional support we can secure
locally and then select a design professional
to put forward a plan.
OPRD MASTER PARK PLAN
The City is now working under No LGP0252-
2 Master Capital Plan. The project manager
with MacKay and Sposito Landscape Archi-
tects is working with the City GIS to establish
a map of the central park district. When this
is completed he will set up an informational
meeting with the community through the
Parks Committee.
GENERAL CITY ADMINTRATION
HOMELAND SECURITY EMERGENCY
MANAGEMENT COMMISSION
City staff participated in the HSEMC meet-
ing which focused on discussing to renew
the Intergovernmental Agreement between
Columbia County and members to fund an
Vernonia’s Voice is
published twice each
month on the
1st and 3rd Thursday.
Look for our next
issue on April 4.
Emergency Management coordinator. We
can anticipate seeing the IGA by June 2013.
ROSE AVENUE PROJECT
The City met with OPRD staff in connection
with the land transfer that created a land
exchange between the City and the State
in 2010. The site planner, Scott Edwards
architects, informed the City that access to
more of the OPRD controlled land due south
of the Umatilla Street platted vacated Right
of Way would be of value if the City can
expand the land transferred to include that
property. OPRD staff indicated that through
any combination of a fee simple expansion of
the transfer agreement and/or through ease-
ments, permits, or MOUs additional land may
be secured. I plan to work with Sid Scott AIA
to develop a precise profile of the land need-
ed before I reengage OPRD staff.
The Vernonia Health Center Board is in the
process of raising required capital through
fund raising efforts. They will have a meet
and greet work session in April 2013 with a
small number of private foundations. Sena-
tor Betsy Johnson will co-convene this meet-
ing with Marie Krahn, VHB chairperson. City
staff will participate in this event.
The City anticipates initiating an entitlement
process for the clinic component of the proj-
ect in April 2013. Likely the City Engineer
and the City Planner will be the initial points
of contact to assist the site planning team to
develop a package for Planning Commission
review.
WAGE COMPENSATION ANALYSIS
The City Administrator met with City Council
in work sessions to discuss and plan for the
development of a wage compensation plan
for all city staff. The initial step is to update
all job descriptions. Under review is to modi-
fy and or rearrange job duties among key city
classifications. When this is completed the
City will compile a short list of comparable
cities to establish as our peers for the pur-
pose of the classification process. The City
Council views this as a multi-year project but
it will form the basis of making sure that we
are competitive whenever we look to hiring
workers for future job opportunities.