city news
At the May 16, 2016 City Council
Meeting:
Council Discusses Sewer Feasibility
Study – Council received a break down
of estimated costs for each of the three
components of a sewer project they
discussed at their last meeting. The
City needs to install sewer access for
industrial development along California
Avenue and are considering undertaking
an additional project at the same time
to reroute sewer coming from homes
on Spencer Hill, which has been a long
standing problem area for the City
system. The break down of estimated
costs included: $43,958 for the California
Spur Reach, which would be paid for by
the developer of the industrial property;
$99,033 for the City Manhole and Reach
to connect to the California Avenue
development, to be paid by the City;
$48,697 for the Spencer Hill Reach, to
be paid by the City.
City Administrator Josette
Mitchell told Council the California
Avenue portion needs to be constructed
by March of 2017, so it needs to
be underway this summer. Council
discussed the benefits of completing all
three portions of the projects at the same
time and asked staff to bring details to
their June 6 meeting about how the City
would pay for the projects.
Vernonia City News...
but continue to fundraise to complete
additional upgrades to the pool area.
Hobart told the Council the Lions have
been awarded a grant from US Bank
for $2,500. They are working with the
Vernonia Free Wheelers Club on a plan
to repair some of the steps and install a
hand rail at the pool and are also hoping
to install some new benches.
Travel Trailer – Council approved a
request by David Garlington to allow
Mr. Nash to inhabit a travel trailer on
his property at 1164 Douglas Street.
The Council previously approved a
permit for Nash to inhabit a trailer for
six months. Garlington told the Council
Nash is purchasing the trailer and will be
moving away and just needs more time.
Council Approves Fee Adjustment
for Adult Softball – Council approved
an adjustment in the fee schedule to
allow a new adult softball league to
use Spencer Field at the season rate
charged to youth sports teams. There is
currently no rate for adult seasonal use.
City Administrator Josette Mitchell told
Council she will bring them a permanent
change in the fee schedule for approval
at a later meeting.
City Administrator’s Report – City
Administrator Josette Mitchell updated
Council on the Wastewater Treatment
Plant upgrade and told Council the
Linear Trail is still expected to reopen
on June 1, 2016.
Mitchell told Council the
City has notified applicants that
Mary McArthur of Columbia Pacific
Economic Development District has
been awarded the contract for grant
administration for the development
of the Senior Center/Vernonia Cares
building at the Rose Avenue Project.
Mitchell also told Council that the City
has notified applicants that Gary Darling
of DL Design Group has been awarded
the contract for engineering for the
California Avenue Project.
Mitchell told the Council
160 feet of additional culvert was
purchased for the Airport. Councilor
Mike Seeger later told the Council the
culvert installation has already been
completed and thanked Rick Gwin,
Doug Davenport, and Tony Schrader for
their help.
Mitchell told the Council the
trailer at the Airport has been listed for
sale on Craigs List with a minimum bid
of $2,000 and bidding will close on June
10, 2016.
Council
Discusses
Cemetery
Improvements – Council discussed a
recommendation from the Cemetery
Committee to install boulders at the
corners of the road inside the cemetery to
prevent people from driving too close to
headstones. City Administrator Josette
Mitchell told the Council she is working
on a different plan to use bollards
instead and would provide details to the
Committee.
Council Approves Courtyard Flags
– Council approved a request from
the owners of the Blue House Café
to install decorative flags over the
courtyard between the Blue House and
the Bargains on Bridge Street buildings.
The flags would be seasonal. The flags
would be 25’ above the courtyard, five
feet apart, and be 1’x 1’ colored squares.
Councilor Thanks Staff for Taking
Pay Reduction – Councilor Bruce
McNair publicly thanked members of
the City staff who voluntarily took a
reduction in hours for the upcoming
fiscal year in order to allow the City to
increase the Contingency line item in the
General Fund budget. “That just shows
the quality of the staff we have today,”
Council Extends Request to Inhabit
said McNair.
Lions Dewey Pool Project Update
– Council heard an update from Rick
Hobart on the Vernonia Lions Club
Dewey Pool project. Hobart told the
Council the Lions have completed the
installation of the new pool liner after
reaching their goal of raising $20,000,
Vernonia City Council
Meetings and Closures
City Council Meetings
are scheduled for 7:00 pm:
Monday, June 6th, 2016
Monday, June 20th, 2016
City Closures are scheduled for:
Monday, May 30, 2016
Memorial Day
Dates and times subject to change
due to conflicts of schedules
Vernonia’s Voice
is published twice each
month on the 1st and 3rd
Thursday. Our next issue
will be out June 2.
Police Blotter
May 1 - 15, 2016
REPORTS TAKEN
• May 2, 2016 Report of possibly Stolen
Medication on Jefferson Ave.
• May 8, 2016 Arrest for Violating a
Restraining Order on East Bridge St.
CITATIONS/OTHER
• May 2, 2016 Citation for Driving While
Suspended/Uninsured and Expired
Registration
Vernonia Police Department
responds to calls that do not
always end in Arrest, Report,
or Citation. 05/01/2016 through
05/15/2016 VPD had 76 calls for
service
The Vernonia
Transfer Station
is open on the
2nd and 4th Saturday
May 28
June 11 & 25
July 9 & 23
Dates are subject to change
due to weather
Police Department Report – Police
may19
2016
5
Chief Mike Connor told the Council that
officer Cody Pesio has graduated from
Police Academy and is ready to begin
filtering with the Chief over the next 5-6
weeks.
Conner also told the Council
there is an opening on the Department
and requested permission to begin
the search process for a new officer.
Councilor Bruce McNair said he would
like to have more discussion about
hiring a new officer, but was over ruled
by the rest of the Council who approved
Conner’s request.
Council
Hears
EMS
Week
Proclamation – Mayor Randy Parrow
read a proclamation declaring May 15-
21 as “Emergency Medical Services
Week,” recognizing the value and
accomplishments of EMS providers.
Jeff Mathia, a paramedic and Operations
Supervisor representing Metro West
Ambulance (MWA) thanked the City of
Vernonia for allowing MWA to serve the
Vernonia community.
Mayor Appoints Two to Library
Board – With recommendations from
the Library Board and with agreement
from the Council, Mayor Randy Parrow
appointed Betty Ann Smith and Myrrhina
Kibben to the Library Board.
Topics From the Floor – Leland Van
Dolah told the Council he was unhappy
that the rates had been doubled from $75
to $150 at Airport Park to rent the Group
Camp area.
Don Normand told the Council
that the conditions of the new softball/
baseball field at Spencer Park are not
very good and needs work.
NOTICE OF POSITIONS OPEN
CITY OF VERNONIA
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the General Election will be held on the 8th day of
November 2016, at which time the legal voters of the City of Vernonia will be entitled to
vote for candidates to certain city offices.
OFFICES OPEN FOR ELECTION:
VERNONIA MAYOR TWO YEAR TERM
VERNONIA COUNCIL MEMBER FOUR YEAR TERM
VERNONIA COUNCIL MEMBER FOUR YEAR TERM
Election packets are available at the office of the City Recorder, 1001 Bridge St, Vernonia,
OR 97064. Nominating petitions can be filed no sooner than June 1, 2016, and filed
no later than Friday, August 26, 2016, by 4:00 pm with the City Recorder. For more
information call Stephanie Borst, City Recorder at 503-429-5291 ext. 104.
The City of Vernonia is an Equal Opportunity Provider and Employer.
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