city news
City Department Updates: February 2-13, 2015
Administration / Utility Billing
• Late fees will be applied on 2/17/15. Shut
off letter will be sent out on 2/17/2015. Shut
offs will be on 2/26/2015
• Staff is getting ready to send out the Six
month Business License renewal.
• As of 2/13/2015 the outstanding balances
were as follows: 90 days $1,098.37, 60 days
$3,532.38, 30 days $14,280.26
Police Department - VPD
• Statistics; The total number of calls for
service and officer initiated activity in January
2015 was 299.
• January 30th, 2015 – February 4th, 2015
–The total number of Calls for Service and
Officer initiated activity was 54.
• February 5, 2015 – February 11, 2015 –
The total number of Calls for Service and
Officer initiated activity was 62.
• Departmental Training- All VPD Officers will
be attending “Emergency Vehicle Operation”
training over the next two weeks. The
training is in Portland and VPD vehicles will
be traveling for training.
• Reserve Officer Update: VPD will reopen for
Reserve Police Officers in July upon budget
approval. The last two potential candidates
were unable to successfully complete the
process.
• Surplus Patrol Vehicles: As of February 12,
2015 VPD has not received an acceptable
bid on the two surplus patrol vehicles. We will
be relisting the vehicles next week.
Finance
• A job posting was placed on Monday for
Assistant to City Administrator/City Recorder.
After over 10 years of service to the City,
Joann Glass has retired. She has been a
great asset to the City and will be missed.
We wish her all the best. The job posting can
be found on the City’s website, the League
of Oregon Cities website and in the local
newspaper.
• There is also a job posting for part-time
custodian on the City’s website and the local
newspaper.
• The WWTP project is slowly progressing.
Final revisions to the RFP for construction
bids have been made and sent to USDA for
final approval.
• Finance Director met with the City
Administrator to discuss possible staffing
options for Parks. The City is looking at
staffing requirements for the upcoming
season.
• Finance Director has started working on the
first draft of the budget for next fiscal year.
We are hoping to be able to work in some
new staffing options as well as set aside
money for repairs to the City’s buildings.
• Finance Director met with the Risk
Management Coordinator from CIS (the
City’s insurance carrier) for the annual best
practices survey. The higher our score for
compliance the more we save on our liability
premiums.
• The Finance Director has been working
with the City Recorder in order to take over
some of her duties. Once a replacement has
been hired, we will assess which staff will
be responsible for administrative tasks that
were previously done by the recorder.
• The Library now has 4 of the 6 computers
that were being upgraded ready for use.
The process to upgrade is taking a little
longer than originally estimated. Again, the
City would like to thank everyone for their
patience during this time.
Public Works
• Public Works staff began trimming trees
downtown this week. The downtown trees
were planted in 1999 as part of the street
scape, water main project that also included
replacement of all of the downtown sidewalks.
• Staff have finished removal of the Cemetery
tractor engine. After disassembly the internal
damage appears to be less than what was
expected. We are hoping to have it repaired
and back in service in the next 2 to 3 weeks
depending on parts availability.
• Public Works met with some of the Parks
Committee members to discuss the new
Spencer Park restroom designs and internal
fixtures.
• Staff spent a day working with Hamer
Electric tracking down and repairing some
minor electrical problems that have been
occurring at sewer pump stations #2 and #3.
• Public Works foreman attended water
wastewater training short school in Salem
this week.
• With all of the heavy rain water plant
operations consumed all of one staff
member’s time on Monday. The total rainfall
was almost 4 inches.
• Some minor road work was done on the
roads around the lagoons.
Planning / Building
• Building and Electrical permits are starting
to pick up as the weather changes which
means that people are thinking about repairs
and upgrades before summer begins.
• Planning Commission received an update
on the pending zoning changes at their
February meeting.
• Planning Commissioners have concerns
about the water runoff from the two newly
built homes on 4th Avenue and questioned if
that is being monitored by the City.
Library
• Circulation Statistics: 1,798 items were
checked out January 2015. By comparison,
1,978 items were checked out December
2014 and 2,346 items were checked out
January 2014.
• New Members: 8 new library patrons in
December 2014. Welcome!
• The library now offers a Baby and Toddler
Time every Wednesday at 10:30 am in
addition to our Preschool Storytime on
Mondays at 10:30 am. We had a fun crew of
8 this Wednesday. After stories and songs,
we blew, popped, and stomped a lot of
bubbles!
• Library Director met with a volunteer
interested in forming a Writer’s Group. The
group will meet once a month and be open to
all levels of experience. If you are interested
in being part of this group, contact the library
429-1818 or e-mail shannonr@vernonia-or.
gov. Please leave your contact information
and dates and times that work best for
meeting.
• Library Director made preparations for the
installation of new public computers. Thank
you to City Hall staff for getting the library
back in full operation.
• The Library just received confirmation that
our two applications for Conversation Projects
have been approved. The following programs
are sponsored by Oregon Humanities and
the Friends of the Vernonia Library and will
be held at the library. Tuesday, April 14, 6:30
pm The Power of Play: Promoting Health
and Creativity with Jonathan Blasher and
Tara Doherty of Playworks. Tuesday, May
19, 6:30 pm Guns in America: Exploring
the Second Amendment with Reed College
professor Pancho Savery.
City Clerk / Administration
• Thank You for all of your well wishes
and congratulations on my retirement,
February 13, 2015. The next chapter in
my life now begins. I am very proud of my
accomplishments and have enjoyed my
many jobs at the City with no regrets.
City Administrator / Administration
• The City Administrator and Public
Works crew responded to a water runoff/
overflowing situation along Texas Avenue.
Swales were cleaned, and the culverts
were bored for better water circulation.
• The City Administrator met (individually)
with representatives of the Parks Committee
to discuss potential strategies to improve
the conditions of our City Parks and
implementing a plan to maintain our parks
in good conditions. The City Administrator
will have a conversation with Council about
City Closures are scheduled for:
Monday, May 25, 2015
Memorial Day
Dates and times subject to change
due to conflicts of schedules
2015
5
recommendations for improved operations.
• The City Administrator walked the entire
downtown corridor and visited every
downtown business and distributed a flyer
to invite business owners/managers to an
Open House about Downtown. The Open
House (brown bag lunch) is to hear about
concerns, issues and vision for Downtown/
“Main Street’ Vernonia on Tuesday, February
24th (12:00 pm - 1:30 pm) at the Cabin in
Vernonia
• The City Administrator and newly elected
Councilor Mike Seager toured the city to visit
City’s facilities, neighborhoods and parks.
• Letters were sent to the businesses adjacent
to the Vernonia Community Learning Center
(VCLC). These letter were to inform those
businesses that as of January 23, 2014 the
City of Vernonia had leased the VCLC to
the Vernonia Senior Center. The building
and the entire property (inclusive of the
outside courtyard and the parking lot in the
back) are, therefore under the jurisdiction of
the Vernonia Senior Center who will have
exclusive use of all the facilities. Questions
should be addressed directly to the Vernonia
Senior Center, and permission could only be
granted (if granted) from the Vernonia Senior
Center.
• Well, it is hard to imagine, but here we are...
Joann Glass, you have left a remarkable
legacy behind and one which will remain
with us for years to come. You are leaving
the City of Vernonia a better place than when
you found it, and that, in itself, will remain a
lasting tribute to your professionalism. We
will miss you, our colleague, a consummate
and dedicated professional, a friend, a wise
counselor, and a shoulder to lean on. May the
years that lie ahead be filled with laughter,
happiness and even more dreams achieved.
Police Blotter
February 1-13, 2015
REPORTS TAKEN
February 5, 2015 Arrest for Burglary II
and Criminal Mischief III in the 900 Block
of Madison Ave.
February 7, 2015 Arrest on Warrant in the
400 Block of Bridge St.
CITATIONS / OTHER VIOLATIONS
February 5, 2015 Citation for Driving
While Suspended and Failure to Carry
Proof of Registration near Bridge St and
Rose Ave.
Vernonia Police Department
responds to calls that do not
always end in Arrest, Report, or
Citation.
Vernonia
Veterinary Clinic
Vernonia City Council
Meetings and Closures
City Council Meetings
are scheduled for 7 PM:
Monday, March 2, 2015
Monday, March 16, 2015
february19
Small and Large Animals
• Kitchen & Bathroom Remodels • Finish Carpentry
• Ceramic Tile Work • Custom Home Construction
• Additions • Commercial Tenant Improvements
Jim Morrison, Jr.
General Contractor
CCB# 112057
Ph: (503) 429-0154
MorrisonRemodeling@hughes.net
Vernonia, OR 97064
• Licensed • Bonded • Insured
Now Open
Mon, Wed & Saturday
9 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Call for Appointments
(503) 429-1612
Or 24 hr. Emergency Number (503) 397-6470
700 Weed Ave. Vernonia, OR
