Vernonia freedom., February 21, 1980, Image 1

V ernonia 1
IOC
Vol. 2 No. 15
The Newspaper Serving
F reedom
the Upper Nehalem Valley
Thursday, February 21,1980
City Council discusses TV
Fire Dept and moves Police
Weather
Date
12
13
14
15
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18
High
51
33
36
45
47
51.
52
Low
23
27
27
30
31
31
35
Free.
0
.19
t
.06
. .6
.25
.42
M iller files for school B.
In a last minute filing, Susan Miller of
Mist has filed for the Vernonia School
Board position 6 to make, that position
contested between herself and incumbent
Gene Weller. Homer Fuller has also filed
for reelection to his position no. 5 oh the
Board but at deadline time Tuesday no.
challengers had filed for that position.
The School Board election will be March
25, along with voting on the School
Budget.
In other County races, Melvin R.
Johnson of Scappoose, has filed for
County Commissioner position 3 as a
republican. The only other candidate for
position 3 is Dan Sprague of Clatskanie,
running as a democrat. Jay Ahlbom is the
current Commissioner in position 3 and
has not refiled yet. He is a democrat.
Two democrats have filed for County
Commissioner postion 1; Douglas D.
Comstock of St. Helens and Frank
' Thompson of Clatskanie. Commissioner
Hunt, an independent will not be on the
ballot for the position in the primary
election in May.
One other filing has taken place and
th a t is Philip F. Dewey, County
Surveyor, has refiled for his position as a
democrat.
There are five county position on the
primary ballot; County Commissioners
positions one and three, County Treasurer,
County Surveyor and Justice of the Peace
District 3. The filing deadline for all
county positions is March 11.
Bids open on Airport Park timber
As was noted several weeks ago certain
timber at Airport Park is to be cut and
sold and the City has opened for Bids on
this project. (Announcement of the
bidding is in the legal notices in this
paper.) According to City Recorder
Dunaway no bids or queries have been
received yet.
The timber to be cut is mostly White
Fir and some Douglas Fir.
Fire Dept. won't clean chimneys
The Vernonia Fire Department has a
new policy concerning chimney fires.
There has been an increasing number of
calls for chimney fires in recent months.
Due to financial problems it is no longer
feasible for the department to take the
time to clean chimneys.
In future, when the department is called
out on a chimney fire, they will only put
the fire out. The homeowner or occupant
will be responsible for cleaning the
chimney.
The Vernonia City Council met Monday
the
18th w ith M ayor A tkins,
councilmembers B atty , Adams and
Johnson present. Councilman Nelson was
absent.
In business from the floor Lanny
McDonald, fire chief, requested repair
work on the radio of the new fire truck
which amounted to $50. This amount was
later approved out of thé fire budget.
Wayne Welch, a resident of Mist Dr.,
was present to make a complaint about
the condition of a property near his on
Mist Dr. He stated that he had contacted
the owners and the residents more than
once oyer some lenght of time. The
Council later decided to have Health
Officer Terry Godfrey and Councilman
Adams look into the situation.
Under com m ittee reports Adams
reported that only Missouri Ave. and
Riverside Dr. have been torn-up and
graveled and that these streets are being
watched for damage in the winter weather
but that upkeep will be difficult until the
weather turns better.
Councilman Batty reported for the Fire
dept. Reportedly some complaints have
been received concerning the use by Mr.
Ziegler, the staff fireman, of the utility
vehicle, or quick response vehilce as it is
known. Mr. Ziegler had been instructed
last year when the vehicle was put on Une
to keep the vehicle with him at all times
and take it home with him a t night in
order to make quick response to fire calls
and if possible to avoid sounding of the
alarm for calls that would only require the
one man and the small unit. Baity related
some statistics on the vehicles use and
what it has saved the City in costs which
are presented in another article on this
page. Batty also reported that the City
had missed a class 6 fire ratiftg by a few
points at the last inspection and that
without the intended use of the utility
vehicle the City might drop back to a
class 8 fire rating which he said could cost
homeowners considerable in insurance
premiums,
There was also considerable discussion of
the problems with missüse of Memorial
Cemetery and the tearing up of the turf
by vehicles “hot-rodding”. Above is a
photo showing some of the damage done.
The Council concluded that a gate and
fence was authorized to be put up some
years ago but that it had never been done
and took action that it should be done as
soon as possible. There was also
discussion of the possiblity of having
someone available to watch the cemetery
over the weekend.
Under communications a letter was
received from the local Cable TV service
stating that a localy based service man
would not be possible and that they felt
they could give adequate service—under
normal situations be here within two
hours. A petition had been received by the
Council after the snowstorm in early Jan.
requesting improvement of service and
the Council had queried the TV service
Photo above taken Feb. 19 shows destruction to unused portion of Cemetery. This was
one of several marks left by “ hot-rodding” vehicles, some in the section were graves are
present. Reports are that beer parties have been held on several recent weekends in the
cemetery.
election dates this year before July are
as to such possiblity. ;
.
March 25th, when the school budget and
Councilman Johnson later read another
board positions will be voted on, a date in
letter also from the Cable TV service
May which is the Oregon Primary election
which indicated that the service would no
date and the ohe in June. Mayor Atkins
longer serve the Riverside Meadows
asked the crowed present if they would be
Mobile Park. Many who had signed the
in favor of a public hearing on the budget
petition were from the mobile park and
on a Saturday during the day to which
the TV service said in its letter that such
many made a favorable response. A Feb.
“threats” were not an acceptable way of
26 date was set for a hearing On the
doing business. Johnson commented that
Federal Revenue Sharing portion of the
he thought this might be a possible
breach of the franchise agreement and the
Budget.
In other business Councilman Johnson
Council decided to have City attorney
asked when the logs were to be moved out
Frost look into the matter.
of Anderson Park. Adams said that
Also a letter was received from The
several of the logs had more nails
Oregon Labor Bureau stating that all
insulators, etc. than had been expected
contractors working for any City in
and would not be a marketable, therefore
Oregon must pay the minimum wage as
there will be a delay in there removal.
established for the area and type of job.
Tom Ragsdale was: appointed as
As the meeting opened for discussion of
caretaker a t A irport Park. Also a
business a discussion was held on moving
resolution was presented and passed
the Police Dept. from its present quarters
transfering
funds from
various
on Madison Ave. to the house on the
telephone co. property next to the old * departments to the general operations
fund to cover operational and legal
Davies Garage on Bridge St. Reportedly
expenses. One of these transférés included
the telephone co. has offered this house
$400 from the City Recorders salary.
and plot of land to the City, possibly at no
Mayor Atkins and the Councilmembers
cost other than taxes. There was some
expressed appreciation of the job Mr.
discussion of th is and Councilman
Dunaway has done since being in office,
Johnson voiced objection to the plan
stating that this is the first time since
indicating that he didn’t feel the change
being on the council that they have been
of buildings would be of any benefit.
able to know what the City’s financial
Councilman Adams said that there was a
position is.
need to reduce heating costs that the last
In other business B atty ¡moved to have
fuel oil purchased for the present station
a writen policy developed for the use of
had cost $46 a day. Also Adams felt the
the Fire Dept. quick response vehicle and
City should not pass up an opportunity to
also a job classification for the salaried
gain free land.
fireman.
Johnson Called for a voice vote which
B atty also moved to have a layoff plan
ended with Johnson voting nay and
adopted by the City in case funds became
Adams and Batty voting aye. Thus the
too short. All of these motions were
Police Dept. will apparently proceed with
passed.
the move.
Prior to a executive meeting with the
Next discussion turned to working on
Police Chief on personel matters the
the City Budget for 1980-81. It was
Council questioned Jerry Railton of the
decided to have a special committee
Vernonia
Insurance
Exchange,
meeting on Feb. 25th to go over the
concerning an insurance program he had
Budget. City Recorder Dunaway reported
presented to the City as requested. After
that the initial budget was now prepared
which the Council voted to accept Mr.
and also .that he didn’t see anyway it
Railtons insurance offer as the current
would be ready to go on the ballot before
policies terminate.
the June election date. The remaining
U tility truck saves money
Geology Board to hold final hearing on spacing
There have been several complaints
made lately concerning the use of the fire
departments utility truck.
The truck was obtained last April for
the purpose of saving apparatus time and
manpower on calls which could be
handled by one or two people.
In the time the truck has been in
operation it has responded to 46 calls for a
total of 168% miles. This is compared to
400 miles that would have been driven in a
normal response.
In 30 of these calls where Utility 458
rolled alone, it cost the city $94.00. If the
ajarm had been sounded for a normal
response it would have cost the city
$958.00.
John L. Schwabe, chairman, Governing
Board, State of Oregon Department of
Geology and Mineral Industries, has
called a m eeting of the Board for
Thursday, Feb. 21, which is to follow a
public hearing that will begin at 9 am tiiat
day. The hearing will be in Room 108 of
the State Office Building in Portland to
discuss administrative rules for the mined
land reclamation program (ORS 517.750-
900) and oil and gas well spacing (ORS
520.005-350).
The meeting following the hearing will
be to discuss the adoption of such rules.
At the hearing on Oil and Gas wells the
Board
will
consider
final
recommendations to adopt field rules for
the Mist Field as developed in a previous
hearing.
Also on the agenda are: final adoption
of amendments to the existing oil and gas
rules, the Attorney General opinion that
the Department has authority to set
statew ide spacing for oil and gas
exploration will be explained. New rules
include allocation of production,
limitation of production and maximum
efficient rate of procedures. No changes
are proposed in language developed in the
Dec. 3 meeting of the Governing Board.
The fiscal impact of the proposed rules
may result in additional cost to operators
in preparing drill sites or in requiring
directional drilling in certain instances.^
Allocation or limitation of production
allowed under the proposed rules should
result in fair distribution of the resource
and thereby should enhance economic
conditions. The rule changes should have
no significant fiscal impact on state
government according to the Dept. of
Geology and Mineral Industries.