city news
march21
2019
5
Vernonia City News...
At the March 18, 2019 City Council
Meeting:
Council Approves Open Space Lease
Agreement – Council approved a final
version of a lease agreement that will
allow adjacent property owners to use
FEMA buyout properties from the 2007
flood that are currently held as open
space by the City. The leases will be for
five years, with a longer option after 10
years, and will cost $1 annually. Tenants
will be required to insure the property
they are leasing. Leased properties can
only be used in a manner consistent with
FEMA restriction on flood damaged
property. Anyone interested in leasing
an adjacent property can contact City
Hall for details on the program.
Council Extends Deadline for Insur-
ance for Grandstands – Council ap-
proved extending the deadline to May 28
for the Save the Greenman Field Grand-
stands group to secure insurance before
they begin renovation work.
Council Authorizes Replanting on
Mill Site – Council authorized City
Administrator Josette Mitchell to begin
replanting areas that the City logged on
the old mill site. Mitchell told the Coun-
cil the City was prepared to replant 6.25
acres this year, at an estimated cost of
$590 per acre, and needed to grade and
prepare another 5.67 acres before plant-
ing next year.
Council Approves Goal Setting Re-
treat – Council voted to hire consultant
John Morgan, at a cost of $3,500, for
a 12 hour facilitated goal-setting retreat.
Councilor J.R. Allen voted against the
proposal.
Council Hears Presentation on 2020
Census – Council heard a presentation
from a representative of the U.S. Census
Bureau, who told the Council prepara-
tions are being made to begin the Cen-
sus in March of 2020. Council was in-
formed that state funding for programs
like reduced school lunch programs and
representation in Congress is based on
an accurate count during the Census.
The Census Bureau will be using the in-
ternet for the first time to record people
and is looking for ways to reduce under-
counted populations like seniors, the
homeless, and immigrants. Jobs with the
2020 Census will be available - go to
2020census.gov/jobs.
City Administrator Report – City
Administrator Josette Mitchell told the
Council construction for the Senior Cen-
ter/Food Bank building has gone out for
bid – bids are due April 18.
Mitchell told the Council a lo-
cal contractor, Swart Construction, has
won the bid to install fencing at the Ar-
chie Dass Dog Park, and said installation
should be complete by the end of the
month. Mitchell said the bid was low
enough to allow the purchase of several
benches and a covered gazebo for the
park with available funds.
Mitchell said Phase 2 of the
Spencer Park tree planting is ready to
go. Mitchell said a local business, Farm-
woman’s Nursery, will provide the trees
which can be purchased from the City by
citizens as memorial trees. Four differ-
ent species are available and the City has
a map which shows the placement of the
trees in the park.
Mitchell told the Council a
household hazardous waste collection
will be held on April 13 and said sev-
eral groups in the community will be
Police Blotter
March 1-18, 2019
REPORTS TAKEN/ARRESTS
03/01/2019 Arrest on a Warrant and Failure
to Carry Proof of Insurance near Rose
Avenue
03/14/2019 Report of Found Property near
Madison Avenue
03/14/2019 Arrest for Driving While
Suspended Felony Level near Knott Street
CITATION/OTHER
03/01/2019 Citation for Violation of the
Basic Rule 70/55 mph near Nehalem HWY
South
03/05/2019 Citation for Unlawfully Applying
Graffiti and Possessing Graffiti Implements
near Vernonia Lake
03/09/2019 Citation for Driving While
Suspended and Driving Uninsured near
Nehalem HWY South
03/09/2019 Citation for Violation of the
Basic Rule 79/55 mph near Nehalem HWY
South
03/10/2019 Citation for Driving Uninsured
and Failure to Display Plates near Cougar
Street
03/10/2019 Citation for Driving While
Suspended near Nehalem HWY South
03/10/2019 Citation for Violation of the
Basic Rule 71/55 mph near Nehalem HWY
South
03/15/2019 Citation for Violation of the
Basic Rule 71/55 mph near Nehalem HWY
South
Vernonia Police Department responds
to calls that do not always end in Arrest,
Report, or Citation. 3/01/2019 through
3/18/2019 VPD had 273 calls for service
organizing other clean up projects that
day; clean up locations will include the
Vernonia Library, the Dewey Pool area,
Spencer Park, and possibly the Tipton
Hall cemetery on Pebble Creek Road.
Police Chief Report – Police Chief Mike
Conner provided a monthly call report to
the Council. He told the Council he has
learned that the Vernonia School District
is currently planning to continue with
their Student Resource Officer (SRO)
program – the City and School District
share the cost and services of the SRO.
Conner said SRO Abbey Hanson has
been involved in anti-bullying programs,
truancy, some classroom activities, child
abuse investigations, investigating or as-
sisting with campus disturbances, and
attending some school sporting events.
Mayor’s Report – Mayor Rick Hobart
announced that Randal Harvey was his
Citizen of the Month for March. Harvey
has been an active member of the Lions
Club, Vernonia Cares, and Hands on Art.
She and her husband Jack are getting
ready to move away from Vernonia.
INVITATION TO BID
ROSE AVENUE SENIOR CENTER/FOOD BANK PROJECT
Notice is hereby given that the City
of Vernonia intends to contract
for the construction of the ROSE
AVENUE SENIOR CENTER/FOOD
BANK building, located at 547 Weed
Avenue, Vernonia, Oregon. Project
will be constructed under a single
prime contract.
The Rose Avenue Senior Center/
Food Bank project located in
Vernonia, Oregon consists of a
new 7,127 square foot, Type 5-B
construction, non-sprinklered senior
center and food bank building. The
Work includes the furnishing of labor,
materials, and equipment for the
construction of all work as described
in the Drawings and Project Manual
including, but not limited to general
construction, HVAC, plumbing,
electrical, fire protection systems,
installation of all owner furnished/
contractor installed items, and
final connection of all food service
equipment. The full extent of the
Work is described in the Drawings
and Project Manual.
Sealed bids will be received up
to the hour of 2:00 PM, local time
on April 18 th , 2019 by Josette M.
Mitchell, City Administrator, City
Hall, 1001 Bridge Street, Vernonia,
Oregon 97064. Any bids received
after the above specified time will
not be considered. The carrier,
including the United States Postal
Service, is considered an agent of
the bidder. NO faxed or electronic
bid submittals will be accepted,
under any circumstances. Bids will
be publicly opened and read at 2:15
pm in the Vernonia City Council
Chambers, City Hall. All bids must
be accompanied by a certified
check, a cashier’s check or bid
bond in an amount equal to at
least 5% of the total bid.
A Voluntary Pre-Bid Meeting & Site
Tour will be held on April 1 st , 2019
at 10:00 AM at the VERNONIA
CITY HALL, located at 1001 Bridge
St. Vernonia, Oregon.
Vernonia City
Council Meetings
City Council Meetings
are scheduled for 7:00 pm:
Monday, April 1, 2019
Monday, April 15, 2019
Dates and times subject to change
Questions regarding the project
during the bid period shall be
submitted to Josette M. Mitchell,
City Administrator by email only,
jmitchell@vernonia-or.gov.
Project Substantial Completion shall
be 292 calendar days after the
notice to proceed (NTP) is issued,
Project Final Completion shall be no
more than 30 calendar days after
Substantial Completion.
Plans and Specifications may
be reviewed at and must be
obtained from Precision Images,
900 SE Sandy Blvd., Portland,
OR 97214, 503-274-2030 at www.
precisionimages.com
Prior to submission of its bid,
bidder must be registered with the
Oregon Construction Contractor’s
Board as required by ORS 701.055,
and thereby comply with the
requirements of ORS 701.035 to
701.55.
Bidders shall be qualified in
accordance with the applicable parts
of ORS 279C in order to submit a
bid for public works in Oregon.
Oregon Prevailing Wage Laws -
Contractor shall pay each worker
employed in the performance of the
work not less than the higher of the
wage rate for the type of work being
performed as set forth in either the
Oregon Prevailing Wage set forth
in the “Prevailing Wage Rates for
Public Works Contracts in Oregon”
or the applicable federal Davis-
Bacon Wage Decision.
Work under this contract will be
funded in part with Federal Grant
Funds from the Oregon Community
Development Block Grant (CDBG)
program.
The City of Vernonia is an Equal
Employment Opportunity Employer.
By: Josette M. Mitchell, City
Administrator, City of Vernonia,
Oregon
The Vernonia Transfer
Station is scheduled
to be open on the
nd
2 and 4 th Saturdays
January - October
8:00 am - 2:00 pm
March 23
April 13 & 27
Dates and times are subject
to change due to weather