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SATURDAY EDITION
ULTIMATE
PET GUIDE
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LAND EAGLES
SPORTS — B
126TH YEAR ❘ ISSUE NO. 100
❘ DECEMBER 17, 2016 ❘ $1.00
SPECIAL PUBLICATION INSIDE
SERVING WESTERN LANE COUNTY SINCE 1890
FLORENCE, OREGON
City officials hold annual retreat
B Y J ACK D AVIS
Siuslaw News
City management, employ-
ees and councilors met for the
Florence City Council retreat at
Driftwood Shores’ meeting
center on Wednesday.
The half-day retreat included
reports on the accomplish-
ments of the city in 2016 by
city consultant Larry Patterson,
as well as a roundtable discus-
sion on goals and priorities for
2017, and a training course on
council meetings and ethics
presented by City Attorney
Ross Williamson.
Mayor Joe Henry said, “This
format gave each staff member
and councilor an opportunity to
report on their achievements
for 2016 as well as to voice
their wishes and expectations
for 2017 and beyond.”
He added, “A summary of
the results achieved in 2016
reflected 155 action items in
the work plan, with 101 of
those marked ‘completed.’”
Henry said the majority of
the remaining items should be
completed in 2017.
Citing past Lane County
“A summary of the
results achieved in
2016 reflected 155
action items in the
work plan, with 101
of those marked
‘completed.’”
— Florence Mayor Joe Henry
lawsuits as examples, Wil-
liamson told commissioners,
“It is OK for you to share your
view, one on one, but then you
lose control of where it goes
from there. Cut it off at your
mouth and we won’t have to
deal with problems down the
line.”
Williamson referenced the
legal problems Lane County
and two commissioners faced
in two lawsuits, Dumdi v.
Handy (2011) and Handy v.
Lane County (2015) regarding
violations of public meeting
laws.
According to Williamson, in
Dumdi v. Handy, two Lane
County commissioners were
See
RETREAT 6A
R ELIEF
Volunteers
sought to fill
City committee
vacancies
JACK DVIS/SIUSLAW NEWS
Florence City Attorney Ross Williamson (standing, left)
instructs city employees and councilors on the impor-
tance of ethics and public meeting protocols during the
annual City Council Year End Retreat held Wednesday at
Driftwood Shores.
EFFORT
B Y J ACK D AVIS
Siuslaw News
Applications need to be
turned in by Dec. 30
City of Florence is requesting
applicants to fill 24 vacancies on 10
boards and committees by Dec. 30.
City Economic Development
Coordinator Kelli Weese said, “These
boards and committees are the City’s
boots on the ground source for public
information.”
Weese said these positions offer cit-
izens an excellent opportunity to vol-
unteer their services on significant
matters.
“In addition to monthly meetings,
on average, applicants will have about
a five-hour per week commitment,”
Weese said. “Some committees, like
the Planning Commission, have a
much higher time commitment.”
She added, “Committee member
contributions are invaluable to the
mayor and the city council, as well as
the City.”
Mayor Joe Henry and council
members will review the applications
in January and make position decision
before the end of the month.
According to a city press release,
the following boards and committees
are currently filling vacancies for
varying term lengths, with positions
set to begin on Feb. 1, 2017.
• Airport Advisory Committee: 2
open positions
• Audit Committee: 1 position
• Budget Committee: 2 positions
See
VACANCIES 6A
MARK BRENNAN/SIUSLAW NEWS
Siuslaw Outreach Services provides clothing, tents, blankets and other supplies to the homeless in Florence year round. They are asking community
members to donate at KXCR or City Lights Cinema on National Homeless Awareness Day, coming up this Wednesday, Dec.21.
R ALLYING
FOR HOMELESS , AWARENESS
Local relief organizations join effort to help area homeless during the holidays
B Y M ARK B RENNAN
Siuslaw News
The sight of a homeless person
standing in the pouring rain on the
corner of Ninth Street and Highway
101 is not unusual in Florence.
According to figures from the
Lane
County
Poverty
and
Homelessness Board, the number of
individuals who are without shelter
on any given night in Florence fluc-
tuates based on a number of factors.
Regardless, the latest figures from
the state are the most telling: Lane
County has the highest percentage of
homeless families and students in
the state.
The overall economy is central to
the issue, but seasonal weather
changes, substance abuse and mental
illness are also major contributors to
the situation.
The National Coalition for the
Homeless has declared this
Wednesday. Dec. 21, to be National
Homeless Awareness Day, to draw
attention to this chronic and chal-
lenging problem.
Local support agencies like
See
HOMELESS 6A
Senior Center shares major changes in mission
As the Florence Senior
Center approaches its sixth
anniversary, its board of direc-
tors wants the community to
Lunch is just one of the
activities that draw hundreds
of are residents to the
Florence Senior Center each
week.
INSIDE
MARK BRENNAN/SIUSLAW NEWS
Ambulance . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Classifieds . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
General News . . . . . . . . . . .
Opinion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
A2
B7
A3
A4
On the Record . . . . . . . . . . A2
Ned Hickson . . . . . . . . . . A12
Religion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A10
Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B1
THIS WEEK ’ S
B Y M ARK B RENNAN
Siuslaw News
know there have been some
major changes in the center’s
mission.
The original construction of
the building was financed pri-
marily with federal money,
which came with some restric-
TODAY
SUNDAY
MONDAY
TUESDAY
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48 34
49 45
51 38
WEATHER
Full Forecast, A3
tions. These constraints prohib-
ited use of the facility by per-
sons under age 60 for five
years.
That time frame has passed
and the Senior Center can now
schedule programs and activi-
ties for all age groups.
According to board chairman
Ron Borge, this change will
benefit both the center and the
community.
“During the week, we have
classes and activities sched-
uled, and we want to encourage
more groups to come in and use
the building,” said Borge.
“Especially evenings and
S IUSLAW N EWS
2 S ECTIONS ❘ 22 P AGES
C OPYRIGHT 2016
See
SENIOR 7A
CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK
Looking back on 2016, forward to 2017 and the importance of ethics examined