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About Vernonia's voice. (Vernonia, OR) 2007-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 18, 2018)
2018 election october18 2018 Meet the Candidates : Vernonia Mayor, City Council, and Columbia County Sheriff useful. Hobart said he looks for some- one who has done the job before or has experience. When asked about empty build- ings in town and what they would do to recruit new business, Hobart said small businesses come and go in this com- munity and the town is still in recovery mode following the floods of 1996 and 2007 and the economic crash. He said he is encouraged with the current busi- nesses and said a lot of good things are happening. He’s optimistic about Verno- nia’s future. Hult said she’s involved in county tourism and economic develop- ment because it’s important for Vernonia to be strong in those areas. She said that takes strong, collaborative relationships. She said it’s important to understand what new businesses want and need and then be welcoming, help educate them, and provide resources when they ex- press interest in locating here. Allen said he has seen Vernonia in worse shape and is optimistic about the future. He said there are plans for reno- vations at several empty properties. He said Vernonia does not have big industry but relies on small cottage industries and businesses, along with being a bedroom community for Portland and Hillsboro. He said bike trails have helped the com- munity and brought in tourism. He said attracting people to community events like the Salmon Festival can help busi- nesses grow and thrive. “We want Port- landers to come out, spend their money, and then go back to Portland.” Seager said he did not believe it was the direct responsibility of the Council to work on filling empty build- ings, but he agreed that the City should have a positive image at City Hall and work with people as they go through the Planning Commission or getting licens- es to get new businesses started. Webb said he also did not think it is the role of the City to promote busi- ness growth, but they should be accom- modating, provide rules and regulations, and make it as easy as possible if some- one is interested. Columbia County Sheriff Current Columbia County Patrol Lieutenant Brian Pixley of Scappoose has 21 years of public safety experience, with 15 years working in Columbia County where he has worked as a jail deputy and a marine deputy for the Sheriff’s Office, and as a City of Scappoose Patrol Officer. He says as a current member of the department he has a unique insight, understands what changes are needed, and what needs to be done to implement those changes. He said it’s important for the Sheriff’s Office to regain the commu- nity’s trust. Dave Brown is a former Criminal Investigator with the U.S. Treasury Department, former Super- visory Deputy with the U.S. Mar- shals office with experience han- dling housed prisoners and manag- ing detention funds, and is a former Columbia County Deputy. He has 34 years of law enforcement experi- ence and a Bachelors Degree in Busi- ness Administration from Oregon State University. Brown says he was asked to run for Sheriff by a number of people in the county who felt it was time for a change, and time to repair relation- ships with the community and “get past the chaos that has ensued during the last few years.” James Gibson of Clatskanie is a lifelong resident of Columbia County who is a former Columbia County jail Commander who also ran for Columbia County Commissioner in 2012. He cur- rently operates his own private inves- tigation firm. He has been a volunteer with the American Red Cross and was most recently deployed to help with re- covery efforts from Hurricane Florence. Gibson says it’s important for the Sher- iff’s Office to rebuild relationships. When asked what specific changes they would try to implement to current policies and practices at the Sheriff’s Office, Pixley said the office needs more accountability. He said he would ensure that deputies spend a cer- tain number of hours patrolling rural areas, with a liaison officer assigned to each community. He said he would im- plement a citizen review board for ethics and policy violations by staff. He said it was important for the Sheriff’s Office to have a clear mission and goals and important to ensure that deputies were working towards those goals. He said it was important to raise hiring standards. Pixley said a resident deputy program, where deputies live in rural communi- ties they serve, would be too costly and wouldn’t work. He said a service agree- ment with the City of Vernonia to pro- vide coverage when no police officers are on duty has worked well, and he would like to consider expanding that. He said supervisors need to be out in the field and not in the office. He said trans- parency needs to be improved, as does accountability for deputies. “I want to open our doors and show the people the great things we’re doing.” Gibson said he would institute a citizen’s committee to assist in the hiring process for personnel. He said he would like to see deputies assigned to specific areas and communities, especially in the rural areas of the County, so they get to know the people in the community, and the community gets to know their deputy. He said all patrol cars should be labeled so citizens know a deputy is in FOR TOWING EMERGENCIES IN AND AROUND THE VERNONIA AREA Police and County personnel are required to use a rotation of available providers, UNLESS YOU SPECIFICALLY ASK for a service by name. REQUEST TOWING SERVICE FROM 9 continued from page 8 their community. “If people see a sher- iff there is less chance for crime,” said Gibson. He said he would like to see a limited timeline for paid administrative leave and get any ethics violations in- vestigations that are handled by outside agencies completed as quickly as pos- sible. He said personnel in management positions that are under investigation should not be allowed to take a demotion to a union position, but should be termi- nated. He said it was important to work with service agencies in the County for issues like addiction, mental health, and homelessness. Gibson said he would spend time with each and every deputy in the field. He said supervisors need to be in the field and reviewing reports, because reporting has been inadequate. He said the Sheriff needs to be a leader and the department needs a strong sec- ond-in-command. “If elected, I will be a working Sheriff, not one sitting in an office.” Brown said the Sheriff’s Of- fice has some good policies and proce- dures, the problem is they aren’t being followed. He said he would make sure the jail is not holding anyone longer than they should be. He agreed that citizens should be involved in the hiring process and that patrol cars should be marked. He also said deputy reports need to be monitored, completed as quickly as pos- sible, and available for the people in- volved in the complaint. Brown said he would like to see resident deputies who live in the rural communities and thinks he could find money in the budget to make it work. He said the reserve officer program needs to be rebuilt and could help provide coverage in rural areas and communities. He said he would look for a second-in-command from outside the agency that has no previous ties to Co- lumbia County, which would lend trans- parency. Brown said change starts with the Sheriff himself and said Columbia County’s Sheriff needs to more visible and active in the Oregon Sheriff’s As- sociation. He said relationships need to be repaired, specifically with the County Commissioners and with the Columbia County Humane Society. “Mostly it’s mending fences and not bumping heads. We need to work with the Commission- ers. My approach would be to treat them as partners and the same thing with our police chiefs and all our citizen’s groups.” When asked how they thought the Sheriff’s Office agreement with the City of Clatskanie to provide law en- forcement services was working and if it might work in other areas of the County, Gibson said half the citizens in Clats- kanie don’t like it and don’t feel they get adequate coverage. Gibson said he thinks it costs the community more. Brown said he didn’t think the Clatskanie model is working well and that it might work in other communities like Vernonia, but would probably pro- vide less coverage than the community currently receives from their own police department. Pixley said the City of Clats- kanie just asked for another half-time position, so that shows the program is working. He said the Sheriff’s Office is talking with the Clatskanie and Rainier School Districts to find funding for a School Resource Officer to work in the schools. The candidates were asked how they proposed to provide adequate and stable funding for the jail and for patrol deputies. Brown said the jail expendi- tures and revenue reports need to be analyzed and verified. He said right now jail operations depend on general fund money from the County budget, fund- ing from the U.S. Marshal for housing prisoners, and levy money approved by tax payers – he said it might be possi- ble to keep the jail operating with gen- eral funds and just one of those external sources. Brown said in order to fund more patrol officers the Sheriff’s Office will need either additional funding in the County budget or funding from grants or other outside sources. He said Columbia County wages are not competitive for deputies. Gibson said duel certified patrol deputies are being pulled from the road to fill shifts at the jail. “With that jail continued on page 17
