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126TH YEAR ❘ ISSUE NO. 35
Solutions
to repair
erosion
proposed
❘ APRIL 30, 2016 ❘ $1.00
SERVING WESTERN LANE COUNTY SINCE 1890
FLORENCE, OREGON
ELECTION 2016
ON THE HUNT
Lane
County
preps for
primary
High school career and job fair draws hundreds
Dredging slurry
may help fix port’s
riverbank problem
Voters should receive
ballots by Tuesday
B Y J ACK D AVIS
Siuslaw News
B Y C HANTELLE M EYER
Siuslaw News
During the Port of Siuslaw board
meeting April 20, maritime engi-
neer Jack Aiken presented possible
solutions to the ongoing erosion
problems along an 800-foot section
of riverbank at the east end of the
port’s campground property.
The erosion problem was
exacerbated during the series of
last December high tides and
storms. The port has closed this
portion of the campground along
the Siuslaw River to the public
due to safety concerns created by
ongoing riverbank erosion.
Aiken proposed using a
Geotube, a large cylindrical tube
made of strong woven black plastic
material that is filled with dredged
sand slurry taken from the Siuslaw
River and then covered with riprap
(large irregular shaped rocks).
“Once I have the Geotube and
riprap in, I’m expecting biologi-
cal events to occur,” Aiken said.
“I’m expecting vegetation
growth. I’m expecting serious
sedimentation accumulation.”
According to Aiken, the proj-
ect could be funded through two
separate Federal Emergency
Management Agency (FEMA)
grants: a FEMA restoration fund
grant and a FEMA 406 hazard
mitigation fund grant.
By using the sand dredged
from the river, a project the port
plans to do later this year regard-
less, the FEMA money would
pay for a significant portion of
the dredging expense.
The port recently joined the
South Coast Ports Coalition and
now has access to a dredge the
coalition owns.
“It will cost about $30 per
yard to move material you
already have on dry land,” Aiken
said. “The dredging, utilizing the
coalition’s equipment, which
your port was smart enough to
get involved in, will cost
between $3 and $4 per yard.”
He added, “FEMA may cover
the cost of setting up and remov-
ing the dredge and pipe, which is
approximately half of the entire
dredging cost.”
Aiken estimated the cost to set
up and remove the dredge to be
about $30,000.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if you
reached $400,000 for the whole
project,” he said.
The amount the port would have
to pay is not known at this time.
“The FEMA restoration fund
grant will cover 75 percent of the
cost of the project,” Aiken said.
“But in terms of some bank ero-
sion, the FEMA 406 hazard mitiga-
tion fund will pay 100 percent, and
we are working on that now.”
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PHOTOS BY JACK DAVIS/SIUSLAW NEWS
H
undreds of students
from Siuslaw and
Mapleton schools
attended the first
Siuslaw High School Career and Job
Fair held Thursday inside the
school’s gymnasium. In total, more
than 500 students were invited to
visit with 36 local businesses and
organizations, which presented job
opportunities and career informa-
tion to interested students.
Lane County will send out
ballots for the May 17 Primary
Election between now and
Tuesday, May 3. Households
should have already received the
Voters’ Pamphlet.
The ballot will contain the pres-
idential primary vote, where those
registered as Democrat or
Republican will vote for their can-
didate; a vote for Oregon gover-
nor, with candidates including cur-
rent Gov. Kate Brown; and sever-
al state and national positions.
In Lane County, voters will also
choose between four candidates
for Justice of the Peace, a position
based at the Lane County Justice
Court in Florence.
Two school bonds will be
included, one for Siuslaw School
District and one for Mapleton
School District, for voters within
each of those districts, respective-
ly. The ballot also contains a levy
for 4-H and Oregon State
University Extension Service pro-
grams in Lane County.
Voters who do not receive a
ballot for the Primary Election by
Tuesday can check on the status
of their registration and ballot at
oregonvotes.gov/MyVote.
They may also contact Lane
County Elections at 541-682-
4234 to determine if they need
to update their voter registration
to receive a ballot.
Voters may drop off their ballots
at one of many official drop box
locations listed in the insert includ-
ed with their ballot. In Florence,
the drop box is at the Florence
Justice Center, 900 Greenwood St.
Drop boxes are open now until
8 p.m. on Election Day.
Voters may also mail their bal-
lots to Lane County Elections at
275 W. 10th Ave., Eugene, OR,
97401. All ballots must be
received by 8 p.m. on May 17, and
postmarks do not count.
For more information, go to
www.oregonvotes.gov.
AMBULANCE, FIRE DISTRICTS ADVANCE WITH IGA PLAN
Boards continue developing potential
agreement for shared admin services
B Y C HANTELLE M EYER
Siuslaw News
The boards of directors for Western
Lane Ambulance District and Siuslaw
Valley Fire and Rescue have voted to
proceed to the next step in developing an
Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) for
shared administration services.
Fire Chief Jim Langborg and
Western Lane Interim Executive
Religion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A5
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Director Brian Burright were present
at Siuslaw Valley’s April 20 meeting
and the ambulance district’s April 28
meeting.
“We held a combined workshop
with both boards to look into the feasi-
bility of combining administrative
services,” Langborg said.
“The two districts are still going to
be separate agencies. The IGA will
address the administrative oversight of
THIS WEEK ’ S
both agencies,” said Burright.
Board members were able to voice
concerns, bring up ideas and discuss
the ramifications of the IGA. Then,
each board met to decide if members
thought it was a good idea to proceed.
“We need to know whether or not
you want to continue exploring this
option,” Langborg said. “It doesn’t
mean we’re entering into anything at
this point.”
At Siuslaw Valley, the board mem-
bers were cautious at first, especially
as they were not sure what Western
Lane board members were thinking.
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WEATHER
Full Forecast, A3
“I think there are some concerns
and questions from both boards on
what this means. I guess I would say
that both agencies would be fine if we
decide not to do an IGA for adminis-
trative services. But this is a risk-free
opportunity to look at how we can
work together,” Burright said.
Director Lori Gates said, “You can’t
know if you don’t try.”
The board agreed to move forward
— but only if Western Lane chose to
proceed.
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