community
WOEC Holds Annual Meeting
The Vernonia Scout Cabin was
filled to capacity once again for the
2014 West Oregon Electric Cooperative
Annual Meeting on Saturday, August
16 th .
Board President Robert Van
Natta opened the meeting by introducing
the rest of the Board members as well as
employees and other special guests in the
audience, including State Representative
Brad Witt.
Jim Buxton was elected as Board
Director for District 3 representing
Keasey Road and parts of Vernonia,
defeating Sally Harrison. Larry Averitt
ran unopposed and was elected as the
Director for District 7 representing
Manning, Hagg Lake, and Yamhill
County.
During his report, Board
President Van Natta noted that it has
been a year of change for WOEC, with
the resignation of General Manager
Marc Farmer and assistant Sarah
Rossi and the retirement of Operations
Director Steve Scott, along with the
hiring of Bob Perry, Angela Hadley
and Don Rose to fill those spots. Van
Natta also noted that three Directors on
the Board have left since last year and
thanked David Hess, Dixie London and
Marty Van Dyken for their service. Van
Natta explained that Averitt, Buxton and
Rosemary Lohrke had been appointed as
replacements. Van Natta also passed on
some bad news, informing the members
that Bonneville Power Administration
had discovered a broken meter and sent
WOEC a bill for $200,000 for power
used that had not been billed during the
last two years. Van Natta did share some
good news, telling the membership that
due to the rate increase last year, the co-
op’s cash flow problem is under control
and that members should not see any
rate increases in 2014.
Finance Officer David Western
told the members that in 2013 the co-
op ended the year with a positive of
$124,934. Western also noted that so
far through six months of 2014 the co-
op is ahead by $425,316 and is staying
very close to the projected budget for the
year. Western said the co-op received a
clean audit for 2013. Western also told
members that the co-op has instituted
Smart Hub, a on-line bill pay option for
members and that the co-op is currently
switching to electronic time sheets for
employees.
Seniors Look for Answers
primarily designed to assist persons with
low and moderate incomes.
The Vernonia Senior Center is
required to move from their current lo-
cation following the 2007 Flood and
will receive a buyout from FEMA of
approximately $150,000. Demolition
of the old building is expected to cost
the Seniors roughly $50,000, leaving
the Senior Board with just $100,000 to-
ward the project budget. Demolition of
the old building must be completed by
March 31, 2015. The maximum amount
the City can apply for from CDBG is $2
million.
At the Senior Center Board
meeting on August 8, 2014, the Board
estimated the price for the new construc-
tion to be $2.1 million. Simultaneously,
the Seniors and Food Bank must raise
funds to cover street and utility devel-
opment that are off-site as a separate
project. The development team esti-
mates that this project and some of the
non-CDBG eligible costs will require
$500,000 to $700,000 more in chari-
table support. The current plans for the
new building include a full kitchen and
dining/social area, multi-purpose space
as well as space for the Vernonia Cares
Food Bank. Vernonia Cares Director
august21
2014
Operations Director Don Rose
introduced himself to the membership
and told them that outages are down
significantly because of the tree
trimming his crews have done as
well as pole replacement and also by
undergrounding lines when possible.
Rose noted that several trucks in the
fleet were replaced this year due to
age and high mileage. Rose said he is
trying to find ways to improve things as
inexpensively as possible.
New General Manager Bob
Perry also introduced himself to the
members. Perry told the members that
WOEC has many challenges including
lots of trees, fish mitigation, and green
power requirements. Perry said he sees
great potential for the co-op and that the
co-op has a great and diverse group of
directors which is a benefit and thanked
them for their service. Perry said the
co-op will continue to perform Cost of
Service studies to help design rates to
cover fixed costs.
Following the meeting the
members enjoyed a BBQ lunch provided
by Terrel’s BBQ.
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503-367-0098
scott@vernoniasvoice.com
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continued from front page
Sandy Welch, who also serves on the Se-
nior Center Board as Secretary, says Ver-
nonia Cares has been setting aside funds
on a monthly basis for several years and
that her organization will contribute
those funds to the new construction.
Jim Tierney of Community Ac-
tion Team (CAT) is serving as the Senior
Center/Food Bank Project Development
Manager. According to Tierney the ear-
liest that construction on the new senior
facility could begin would be May of
2015. The Seniors are considering sev-
eral options for ways to serve their com-
munity members in the interim, includ-
ing using space in a local church facility
to serve meals. They are also consider-
ing options to house their Thrift Store,
the main source of income for the orga-
nization.
If the Seniors accept CDBG
funds they will be limited in who they
can serve for the first five years once
the building is operational. The CDBG
funds come with age limit and income
restrictions which would in turn require
the Thrift Store to be housed off-site for
the first five to six years.
Project Manager Tierney says
the project team will work closely with
the architect hired by the City during the
CDBG project to make sure the current
project size and scope are warranted.
“The final architecture work must be
done using an architect hired by the City
after the CDBG award. At that time we
will have the expert assistance needed to
more carefully look at design efficien-
cies,” says Tierney. “Using the design
process to look for potential savings is
critical to success. It is a commitment
we owe to our funders and a hedge
against surprises during the public bid-
ding process.” Tierney went on to say
that squeezing the project scope as much
as possible also reduces fundraising de-
mands as well as long term operating
costs. Tierney said the project would be
making applications to several philan-
thropic organizations in the near future
to fill gaps in the project budget.
At the August 8 Senior Center
Board meeting, the Board held a lengthy
discussion about their current financial
situation. According to financial records
the Senior Center is losing money at a
rate of over $1,000 per month. While the
Thrift Store has recently increased prof-
its, it remains unable to offset the cost of
operating the meals program and the rest
of the Center. Later at that same meeting
the Board voted to cut meal service from
3
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five days to three days per week in order
to reduce costs. Senior Center Budget
Committee member Tobie Finzel says
the Seniors are also actively researching
other successful senior centers around
the region and country looking for oth-
er operational models they might try to
mirror.
Tierney says he believes the
Senior Center Board can find solutions
to their cash flow problem and develop
a successful operational model. “They
know they have a problem and are se-
rious about taking steps to address the
issue,” said Tierney. “Adjusting their
business plan and practices is a job that
only the Seniors can do because they are
the ones that must carry it out.”
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