6
city news
may7
2015
City Department Updates April 13 - May 1, 2015
Police Department-VPD
• April 9th, 2015 – April 15th, 2015 – The
total number of Calls for Service and Officer
initiated activity was 50.
• April 16th, 2015 – April 29th, 2015 –The
total number of Calls for Service and Officer
initiated activity was 87.
• All VPD staff attended “Crisis Intervention
training.” This training was free and a majority
of Columbia County Law Enforcement
What’s Happening at the
Vernonia Library
with Stub Stewart Interpretative
Park Hosts
Friday, May 8, 10:30 - 11:15 am
6:00 - 7:30 pm
Opportunity for writers with all levels
of experience to get together, write,
and get feedback.
Library Clean-Up Day
Book Group
Saturday, May 16, 10:00 am - 2:00 pm
Interested in volunteering for a
project (weeding, tree and bush trim-
ming, raking, etc)? Please contact
Shannon Romtvedt (503) 429-1818 or
shannonr@vernonia-or.gov. Refresh-
ments provided for volunteers.
May 25 (Book Group will meet even
though the Library is closed for Me-
morial Day)
Last Monday of every month,
5:30 pm
Selection for May: Curious Incident
of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark
Haddon
Guns in America: Exploring the
Second Amendment
Storytimes
Wednesday, May 20, 6:30 pm
Discussion led by Reed College pro-
fessor, Pancho Savery. What special
circumstances made the freedom
to own guns important enough to
merit its own amendment? Oregon
Humanities Conversation Project
program hosted by the Friends of
the Vernonia Public Library and the
Vernonia Library Board.
Baby and Toddler Time
Movie Night at the Library
Special Hours and Closures
Thursday, May 14, 6:00 pm,
Rated PG-13. Relax with a movie and
popcorn at the library. Call or visit
the library for movie titles.
Tuesday, May 19
Open 12:00 – 8:00 pm for Election
Day (The Library is an Official Ballot
Dropsite)
Monday, May 25
Closed for Memorial Day (Open for
Book Group only at 5:30 pm)
Stamp Club
May 7
1 st Thursday of every month,
4:30 - 5:30 pm
Open to all ages! Come join us for
some stamp learning, collecting,
trading, and all around fun!
Writer’s Group
April 21
3 rd Thursday of every month,
Fridays, 10:30 – 11:15 am
Stories and activities for children up
to 5 years old.
Public Works
• Public works spent some time on training
including review of water and sewer maps,
learning more on the wastewater collection
system and extra Water Plant training.
• Staff set up the portable pump at the sewer
lagoons. This pump is run every year to lower
the water level in the lagoons to make room
for storage during the summer. The current
wastewater permit only allows wastewater
discharge from November 15 to May 16.
When the new wastewater system is built we
will be able to discharge all year round and
this process will not have to be done.
• The lake pump is back online.
• The Lake and Anderson Park restrooms
continue to be targeted for graffiti.
Library Hours & Contact
Monday, Wednesday, Friday:
10:00 am - 5:00 pm
Tuesday, Thursday: 1:00 - 7:00 pm
Saturday: 10:00 am - 4:00 pm
Closed Sundays
Phone: (503) 429-1818
E-mail: library@vernonia-or.gov
Library
• Library Director continued to finalize
programs, publicity, and outreach plans for
Summer Reading this week. A full program
Vernonia
Dental
e rm
Drive
Thru
Espresso
& More
Preschool Storytime
• The first budget meeting was held. The
Budget Committee received the proposed
budget and heard the Budget Message from
the City Administrator. Brett Costley was
elected to chair the committee with Susan
Wagner as Vice Chair. For a copy of the
proposed budget contact Angie at financial@
vernonia-or.gov or stop by City Hall.
• The advertisement for bids for the WWTP
project has finally been published and
contractors are already responding to the ad.
We are scheduled to open bids by the end
of May.
• Finance Director prepared a short summary
of the current sewer debt owed by the City for
the Public Works Committee meeting. The
committee and staff are working together to
come up with the best option for restructuring
the way we charge for sewer usage.
• Finance Director had begun reviewing city
contracts that are coming up for renewal
(security, merchant services, etc.).
• Finance Director met with Council, City
Administrator and Police Chief to go over
staffing options for the Police Department.
An additional officer will be proposed in the
upcoming budget cycle.
• Internal posting for Public Works Department
closed on Wednesday, April 15th with one
applicant. Congratulations to Kari Johnson
on her new position. She has been working
as a temp since last May.
an
Ongoing Programs
Mondays, 10:30 - 11:00 am
Songs, rhymes, books, toys, and
bubbles! For ages 0 - 3. Older sib-
lings welcome.
Finance
Route 26 Diner
$1.00 off
Sunday Brunch
503- 324-0985
47700 NW Sunset Hwy, Banks
.
Dr
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list will be ready by mid-May.
• Attendance for Preschool Storytime and
Baby and Toddler Time is starting to go up
with our new schedule. Baby and Toddler
Time is every Monday, 10:30 AM and
Preschool Storytime is every Friday, 10:30
AM.
• Betty Huser, Columbia County Clerk, came
to the library on Thursday to swear in library
staff. Staff has to be sworn in every election
to be an official ballot dropsite. The library will
be open 12 – 8 PM on Election Day, Tuesday,
May 19.
• The library hosted the Oregon Humanities
Program “The Power of Play: Promoting
Health and Creativity” Tuesday, April 21.
We had a small crowd but it was a great
discussion with some fun activities. Our
next Oregon Humanities Program will be
on Wednesday, May 20, 6:30 pm “Guns in
America: Exploring the 2nd Amendment.”
• The library will be having a special outdoor
clean-up day on Saturday, May 16, 10 AM –
2 PM. Refreshments provided. Volunteers
will be weeding, trimming, raking, power
washing, and more. If you are interested
in helping out, please contact Shannon
Romtvedt at the library (503) 429-1818 or
e-mail shannonr@vernonia- or.gov.
• The library hosted “Penny’s Puppets”
in honor of National Library Week on
Wednesday, April 15, 6 PM. 38 attended the
show (21 kids). Sponsored by Friends of the
Vernonia Library.
Parks
• The Parks Superintendent James McMahon
is focused on major parks clean up and
maintenance. Anderson Park needed plenty
of TLC after the winter.
• Mowing grass is a daily operation.
• Maintenance on parks equipment has also
been a main focus.
• Given the ongoing series of problems at
our public facilities restrooms (stealing toilet
paper, breaking paper and towel dispensers,
etc. we are increasing the wattage over the
men’s bathroom at Anderson Park to assist
the security system to provide better/sharper
pictures and images for better recognition.
City Recorder/Administration
• Check the City website at www.vernonia-or.
gov for updates:
• City Hall began new hours starting Monday,
May 4th, 2015 and will be closed for lunch
from 12:30-1:30pm.
• Materials for New Spencer Park perimeter
fence have been ordered. New Spencer
Park will have a grand opening celebration
Saturday, August 8th, 2015, during the
Vernonia Friendship Jamboree celebration.
• City Recorder affirmed a new Planning
Commissioner (Brian Cole) with the Oath of
continued on page 16
D
Special Preschool Storytime
agencies attended. The training provided
some additional tools/ways to successfully
deal with people in crisis or mentally ill.
• VPD has focused on identifying nuisance
violations. Several residence took advantage
of the “Vernonia Clean Up” weekend and
corrected some of the violations. VPD is still
working with several residences to correct
other problems.
DM
Administration/Utility Billing
• As of May 1, 2015 the outstanding balances
on active accounts are as follows: 90 days
$39.55, 60 days $292.64, 30 days $1,859.75
• Late fees will be applied and shut off
notices will go out May 18, 2015. Shut offs
will be on May 30,2015
• Utilities clerk added 7 new water/sewer
accounts to our billing system.
• 3 Mechanical permits were issued.
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622 Bridge Street Vernonia, OR 97064
phone (503) 429-0880 -- fax (503) 429-0881
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