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A7
Hood River News, Wednesday, June 10, 2015
Will your yard sale earnings end up the city’s?
Signs on poles or
trees are illegal,
subject to fines
What if your hard-earned
garage sale proceeds went to
paying off a city fine for those
signs you stuck on power
poles? It’s something to con-
sider, according to Code En-
forcement Officer Marty Mor-
gan of the City of Hood River.
Signs posted on utility poles
and trees are the source of in-
creased complaints, Morgan
said. Hood River Police De-
partment has received a num-
ber of recent complaints con-
cerning yard and garage sale
signs.
“Not only are they an eye-
sore and create unwanted lit-
ter by being left out long after
the sale has ended, but you
could be fined for displaying
these signs on utility poles
and trees,” Morgan said.
The City of Hood River and
the Code Enforcement branch
of the City of Hood River Po-
lice Department are request-
ing that signs not be posted
throughout the city advertis-
ing yard, garage, estate, or
other sales.
Morgan cited Municipal
Code 18.02.120 Prohibited
Sign, paragraph 2 and 3:
“2. Portable Signs: Portable
or bench signs, excluding
sandwich boards on private
property, are prohibited.”
“3. Pole and Tree Signs:
Signs placed on, painted on, or
affixed to any utility pole or
tree, are prohibited.”
This applies to yard, garage
and other sale signs placed
within the city limits.
Municipal Cade 18.02.160
Penalties, states:
“Failure to comply with the
provisions of this chapter
shall constitute a violation
and will be subject to the
penalty and abatement pro-
ceedings in the Severability-
Penalties section (Chapter
17.10) of this title.
“In addition to any costs, as-
sessments, or restitution the
court may impose, the fine
shall not be less than $250 per
violation plus $2.50 per day in
which the person is found in
violation, and shall not exceed
$1,000 per violation plus $10
per day in which the person is
found in violation.”
Officer Morgan would also
like to remind everyone that
extended parking of mobile
homes, recreational vehicles,
trailers, and storage contain-
ers on public right of way is a
violation of Municipal Code
13.48.040.
Violation of this code can
result in a citation being is-
sued worth a $25 fine up to a
maximum fine upon convic-
tion of not more than $500.
Each day that the violation is
permitted to exist shall consti-
tute a separate offense.
Morg an said residents
should refer to the City of
Hood River Municipal Codes,
Chapter 13.48 — Parking and
Storage of Mobile Homes,
Recreational Vehicles, Trail-
ers, and Storage Containers
for further information.
Photo by Kirby Neumann-Rea
SIGNS such as this one on 13th at May are illegal
and could lead to a fine. Signs should be placed on
a free-standing (and weighted) box or object, and
not on trees or poles of any kind.
City adopts budget, considers new garbage options
By PATRICK MULVIHILL
News staff writer
Hood River City Council fi-
nalized the City’s annual
budget price tag at a meeting
Monday — but proposed mu-
nicipal garbage and recy-
cling changes dominated the
night’s discussions.
The City budget for the
2015-2016 fiscal year, begin-
ning July 1, 2015 will be
$31,305,900 in total.
The general fund will be
$7,853,307 — of that total, po-
lice, fire and Emergency
Medical Services account for
roughly 56 percent at
$4,372,230. The costs remain
S TATE
Continued from Page A1
bach Construction, the two
main concrete contractors
on the project.
“We feel really privileged
to have been able to be part of
this and the trust the com-
munity and the city put in
us,” said city engineer Ston-
er Bell of Bell Design. “This
was reflected in the input of
the advisory committees and
the public process,” of de-
signing and constructing the
project.
“We feel honored to have
been involved. It’s kind of a
responsibility to see it
through and get it right. We
had a great contractor who
was able to work with us
through the budget con-
straints and changes.
“We’re already starting to
see businesses open up to
State Street, and to see pedes-
trians start to use the street,
and that is what it’s all
about,” Bell said. “We’re ex-
panding the merchant area
and whole shop-live-play
area,” he said, quoting the
Chamber of Commerce
motto used in downtown
banners.
“Plus we are maintaining
it as a thoroughfare, so we
have the sharing with the
P RESCHOOL
Continued from Page A1
the teens (who work at Little
Learners), but I’m looking
forward to a new direction in
life,” said Robledo.
■
Blossoms
Bilingual
Preschool is a dream project
for Galvez, who will move
into Pine Grove Elemen-
tary’s old cafeteria June 15.
“I’m going to miss Mid
Valley — the staff has been
so supportive, and Mr. (Den-
nis) McCauley (principal)
has been nothing but won-
derful, but I feel for me it’s
time to move on, and I’ve al-
ways wanted to open my own
site.”
While she will work some
with Early Intervention, the
similar to those of last year,
but with several funding
sources shuffled around.
The hot topic issue of the
evening, however, was solid
waste. The council heard
proposals from the Waste
Working Group, a team of
representatives from solid
waste services in Hood River,
which would shake up the
city’s current waste manage-
ment system.
The Waste Working Group
proposed expanding the
scope of Hood River’s waste
program from a subscription
service to a city-wide pro-
g ram, with a franchise
length extension (10 or 20
years) and a rate hike of $6
or $7 – from $16.27 per month
to
either
$22.27
or
$23.27/month.
Both options — 10-year
and 20-year franchise length
— would switch the open 14-
gallon bins Hood River resi-
dents and businesses cur-
rently use with bigger, cov-
ered roll carts, supplied by
Hood River Garbage.
The proposed roll carts are
intended to address com-
plaints from the community
about waste collection is-
sues, including debris blow-
ing from open containers.
The Waste Working Group
argued the changes would
bikes, and you still need
ways to get through town. I
think we accomplished
both,” he said. “One of the
big goals was dampening of
the traffic because that was a
big reason a lot of people did-
n’t like (using State Street.)”
Dampening was accom-
plished with signage, park-
ing revisions, and “bulb-
outs” at Sixth, Fourth, and
Second streets.
Blackburn noted the pres-
ence of ODOT bicycle adviso-
ry group members, who are
helping plan the series of
“bike and hike hubs” in the
Gorge from Wood Village to
The Dalles.
“Everyone is in the design
phase, except us — ours is
built,” Blackburn said. “This
is our bike hub, we are so
glad we have it, as biking is a
big part of our community,
and from here to Mosier is a
nice ride.” Blackburn intro-
duced “Citizen Arthur Bab-
itz,” mayor from 2008-14, who
has continued as a bicycle
advisory group member.
A few details remain at the
restroom-bike hub facility,
including adding an infor-
mation kiosk and the place-
ment of public art. The
three-foot pedestal for the
“Art of Community” sculp-
ture has been poured on the
west side of the building,
and the first work is sched-
uled for installation by late
summer.
Babitz also guides the
compilation of thousands of
historic Hood River photos at
the History Museum of Hood
River, which Blackbur n
pointed to for historic per-
spective on the latest urban
renewal project in Hood
River.
“I was looking at photos
from
the
time
Mr.
(Nathaniel) Coe first laid out
Hood River in the mid-19th
century,” Blackburn said, in-
cluding images of State and
Third streets. Blackbur n
said planning in those days
was based on the use of hors-
es for transportation and
commerce.
Blackbur n said, “T he
scale was different, and over
time it’s not possible to make
complete holistic planning.
Over time, you make a better
gravel street for the horses
and then at some point it was
asphalt, and you fast forward
to the 21st century and we
still have that façade of that
building right there and you
don’t have the kind of infra-
structure you kind of expect.
Back then they didn’t have
running water or sewer and
I’m pretty sure they didn’t
have broadband,” Blackburn
joked.
“Urban Renewal pushes
the reset button because
state cer ti-
f
i
e
d
preschool
will not be af-
filiated with
C ommunity
Education or
the
Hood
Miranda
River County
Chavez
School Dis-
trict, as Mid
Valley Bilingual Preschool
is.
This means she will be
open Monday through Fri-
day, except on holidays. Dis-
trict days off for inservices
and grading will not apply.
Galvez’s staff will be join-
ing her at the new location:
Jennifer Cassella, Miranda
Chavez, and Katie Smith.
Cassella and Chavez are
bilingual in Spanish, and
Smith in sign language.
Galvez is bilingual and bilit-
erate in Spanish.
“My plan is
to do more
Spanish,”
said Galvez.
Her curricu-
lum focuses
on the indi-
vidual child,
Jennifer
“helping
Cassella
them to grow
in their own
abilities in their own way,”
she said. “Our community is
very diverse. We’re helping
the child to grow in their
own way in support of that.”
She’s looking forward to
bringing preschool and child
care to Pine Grove.
“I know this area really
needs a program to care for
children,” Galvez said. “I
have nothing but wonderful
things to say — parent sup-
port has been amazing. I feel
so humble every time I talk
to somebody. They’re very,
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also increase franchise rev-
enues for the City, which cur-
rently gets $40,000 per year
in commercial and residen-
tial waste franchise fees.
To illustrate how big the
new bins would be, the coun-
cil asked to see one in front
of them. Mark Lago, City
Public Works Director, rolled
an empty 95-gallon recycling
bin into the City Council
chambers.
Mayor Paul Blackbur n
said he was reluctant to raise
citywide rates for waste ser-
vices and disagreed with the
expansion to bigger “wheelie
bins” which could clog up
space on driveways and
curbs.
Councilors discussed the
options, but didn’t agree on
whether or not to take a final
vote.
“I don’t sense a consensus
on what we’re looking for,”
said City Manager Steve
Wheeler. He suggested the
council meet again to decide
which specific changes they
would like to see in a new, re-
vised proposal from the
waste group.
“I think it’s a really good
program,” said Erwin Swet-
nam of Hood River Garbage,
a member of the Waste
Working Group. He said he
would like to work with the
City on a new draft and have
“another run at it.”
In other action Monday,
city council approved an
Oregon Liquor Control Com-
mission per mit for Lake
Taco, a Mexican restaurant
that opened on the Heights of
Hood River in November.
The permit will allow Lake
Taco to sell alcoholic bever-
ages in their small restau-
rant, which seats 32.
The restaurant, located at
1215 June St., in the former
XTreme Burger building,
features cuisine in the style
of Guadalajara and other re-
gions of Mexico.
Photo by Kirby Neumann-Rea
CITY OFFICIALS, past and present, gather at the new plaque commemorating the State Street Urban
Renewal project. From left are City Councilor Mark Zanmiller, Urban Renewal District board (and Port
of Hood River commissioner) Hoby Streich, former mayor Arthur Babitz, Mayor Paul Blackburn, City
Manager Steve Wheeler, and City Councilor Kate McBride. The plaque and bench are just below the
new elevated sidewalk connecting Second Street stairs to the city parking lot at First and State.
everything’s grown, every-
thing still comes down
through town,” he said. “I
was told the intersection at
6th and State, they had to dig
up several times. This is the
hub of our city and it was
aging, and now it’s proper
and fixed and Urban Renew-
al is a great thing.”
Blackburn pointed to a re-
cent media honor given to
Hood River.
“Around same time Mr.
Coe was laying out Hood
River, Sunset magazine was
founded in 1880s and a
month ago they named us
the Best Adventure Town in
the West. Having the proper
infrastructure for the Best
Adventure Town is very im-
portant.”
.
very support-
ive.”
Blossoms
Bilingual
Preschool
will open for
the school
year on Aug.
31, from 7:15 Katie Smith
a.m. to 4:30
p.m., with the possibility of
going until 5 depending on
parent input. An open house
is scheduled for Aug. 11, from
3-5 p.m.
Galvez and her staff will
also hold summer programs
for children ages 3-7: June 15-
26, “All About Science;” June
29-July 10, “Cultures and
Their Languages;” and Aug.
10-21, “Nature of the Gorge.”
Parents can choose a one or
two week commitment, three
to five days per week, from
7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Regis-
tration is now open at hrblos-
somspreschool@yahoo.com
or by calling Galvez at 541-
399-4840.
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