city news
august18
2016
Vernonia City News...
At the August 15, 2016 City Council Meeting:
Nickerson Ridge Update – City Administrator Josette
Mitchell updated Council and the audience on the de-
velopment at Nickerson Ridge Estates. Mitchell said
the owners of the vacant properties sent a letter to the
City requesting they accept the streets in the develop-
ment. The City engineer did an inspection on August
8 to see if the streets meet city code and is formulating
a report outlining issues that he observed that will need
to be corrected before the City takes responsibility for
the streets.
Council Approves Cemetery Urn Garden Plan –
Council approved a recommendation from the Cem-
etery Committee to begin the process of platting an
urn garden at the Memorial Cemetery. The plan is to
replat 88 full size plots into 252 urn plots, with two
48 niche columbarium, and pathways. The Committee
noted in their recommendation that, due to changes
in how families are handling the disposition of human
remains, the plan will convert $88,000 worth of low
demand plots into over $320,000 of potential value for
the City. Cost to replat the plots is $3,900 and will
come from the sale of the Cemetery caretaker’s house
which is no longer in use.
5
Council Approves Letters to Law Enforcement
Agencies – Council approved draft versions of letters
to the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office, the Wash-
ington County Sheriff’s Office and the Oregon State
Police in North Plains, requesting enhanced traffic en-
forcement on Highway 47 following numerous recent
vehicle accidents. Council authorized Mayor Randy
Parrow to sign the letters on their behalf.
Police Department Report – Chief Mike Conner told
Council that Jamboree weekend went smoothly with
minimal issues and thanked the Oregon State Police,
Columbia County Sheriff’s Office and the Columbia
Council Authorizes Renewal of Planning Contract
City Police Department for their assistance throughout
– Council authorized the renewal of a contract with
Council Approves Bollard Installation at Cemetery the weekend. Conner noted that there were only two
Columbia River Estuary Study Taskforce (CREST)
– Council approved a recommendation by the Cem- arrests during the weekend and that his Department did
who has been providing planning services to the City.
etery Committee to install eleven posts with decorative handle over 30 calls for service during the celebration.
The current one year contract expired on July 31, 2016.
Conner told the Council his Department as-
sleeves at strategic points at corners in the road to pre-
CREST had notified the City that, due to budget needs,
vent vehicles from driving on grave sites. Council ap- sisted with the Intel Picnics at Cedar Ridge during the
they had reduced their staff, resulting in the layoff of
proved up to $1,000 to purchase the bollard materials weekend of August 12-14.
Ryan Crater who had been handling several projects
Conner told Council that he is currently ac-
for the project.
for the City of Vernonia. According to CREST, Crater
cepting applications for Reserve Officers.
would be replaced by Garrett Phillips. After authoriz- Council Approves Travel Trailer Permit – Council
ing the one year renewal of the contract and confirm- approved a request by Eleanor Thompson to allow a City Administrator Report – City Administrator
ing it contains a 30 day termination clause, Council family member to stay in a travel trailer on property Josette Mitchell updated Council on the Wastewater
directed staff to investigate other options for providing she owns on Washington Avenue until October 1, 2016. Treatment Upgrade Project and said the project remains
planning services.
under budget and will have funds left over in the grant
Readers Lend Their Voices...
been quite disconcerted at how high our
electric rates are. After all, isn’t the Co-
op supposed to be the most efficient form
of electric utility? Aren’t we supposed to
have the lowest rates of all other forms,
including PUDs and Municipals?
Well, the answer is yes, we
should! So why don’t we. Well, that’s
the wrong question too. I don’t care
about the WHY, I only care about what
we need to do to get back in line with
all the other Oregon Co-ops. The aver-
age Oregon Co-op can provide their
members electricity at well less than half
what WOEC charges. And, the next least
inefficient Oregon Co-op charges their
members only a little over half (54%)
what WOEC charges us. Really! If we
were just the second worst Co-op in the
state, the average WOEC residential
member would save $60 every month!
So back to my ennui. What can I
do to help change this, that my opponent
hasn’t already tried? Answer; I don’t
know. I’ve had a devil of a time getting
him, or any other member of our WOEC
Board of Directors to sit down and dis-
cuss this subject.
So I really don’t know what I
The Vernonia
Transfer Station
is open on the
2nd and 4th Saturday
August 27
September 10 & 24
October 8 & 22
Dates are subject to change
due to weather
continued from page 4
can do any better than what has already
been tried. All I know, is that what’s
been going on doesn’t seem to be effec-
tive. At the very least I can be the thorn
in the side of the other Board members.
My first effort will be to get
everyone to admit we have a problem.
Then narrow it down; just where is the
money going that other Co-ops seem to
be able to deal with more effectively.
Then study just how those successful
Co-ops operate, steal their game plans,
and then bring it home to WOEC land. If
it were only that simple.
I do truly rue that we will have
to lose Bob Paleck as a board member if
I am to gain a position on the Board. But
I hope Bob will continue to attend Board
meetings; they are open to the public. I
will surely benefit from his counsel. But
for change to take place, change has to
be made. I’m willing to play a little less
pinochle and put some time in to help
Vernonia City Council
Meetings
and Closures
City Council Meetings
are scheduled for 7:00 pm:
Tuesday, September 6, 2016
Monday, September 19, 2016
continued on page 6
our Board of Directors come up with a
better plan.
Nicholas R. Galaday/CANDI-
DATE FOR WOEC BOARD OF DI-
RECTORS, DISTRICT 5
I offer up my extensive mana-
gerial and engineering skills toward our
common goal of efficiently providing re-
liable power for our members, now and
into the future. I am a fourth generation
electrician, and have developed, owned
and operated a number of businesses in-
cluding electrical and mechanical con-
struction firms.
My degrees and background in
the sciences led me through many ca-
reers starting with meteorology while
in the Air Force, as a commercial pilot,
math and science teacher in the Arctic,
and finally serving as the energy man-
agement and conservation engineer at
Microsoft World Headquarters in Red-
mond, WA, where I managed a $16 mil-
lion/year electric budget.
My wife and I chose to retire
to Vernonia ten years ago. I moved to
the Portland area in 1979 after having
lived in Cleveland, Arizona and Alaska.
I spend a lot of my time in the support
of fellow veterans and supporting the
Oregon Electric Vehicle Association
(as well as playing a lot of pinochle!).
I look forward to visiting with you. You
can contact me at: Nicholas.Galaday@
gmail.com
Nicholas Galaday
Vernonia
NOTICE - CITY OF VERNONIA OPEN POSITIONS
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.
City Closures
are scheduled for:
Monday, September 5, 2016
Labor Day
Dates and times subject to change
due to conflicts of schedules
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Police Blotter August 1-15, 2016
REPORTS TAKEN
Anderson Park.
• August 1, 2016 Assist Other Agency
• August 2, 2016 Report of possible Theft
CITATIONS/OTHER
on Bridge St.
• August 1, 2016 Citation for Driving While
• August 9, 2016 Arrest for a Warrant near
Suspended/Uninsured near Keasey Rd.
North St. and Grant Ave.
and Stoney Point Rd.
• August 16, 2016 Animal complaint near
Vernonia Police Department responds to calls that do not always end in Arrest,
Report, or Citation. 08/01/2016 through 08/15/2016 VPD had 136 calls for service.
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