SIUSLAW NEWS ❚ SATURDAY, MARCH 11, 2017
ReVision
from 1A
eliminated or postponed to save
several hundred thousand dol-
lars.
Henry said, “That’s kind of
like the difference between
jumping off of a 20-story build-
ing and a 17-story building.”
The lack of funding commit-
ment stems from a time-crunch
created by ODOT’s require-
ment to have Highway 101
paved by the end of September
2018 and the engineering,
design and prep-work the city
must do before they can submit
an accurate cost estimate to
ODOT.
In addition to ODOT,
Reynolds said Lane County has
committed to more funds, but
at this point she has nothing in
writing.
Henry said, “The question
for the council is, do you want
to be on the hook for that $3.5
million? That is the decision
we should be making before
FURA passes judgment on this
and spends $731,000.”
After a prolonged animated
debate, Henry asked for a
council consensus roll call to
see if the city council was will-
ing to move forward on the
possible $3.5 million unfunded
debt obligation. The council
agreed three to two in favor to
continue, with Henry and City
Councilor George Lyddon vot-
ing against.
After the vote, Councilor
Susy Lacer asked Interim
Finance Director Andy Parks if
the city could manage the debt
service.
Parks said yes, but there
might be some sacrifices to
make.
The impassioned debate con-
tinued two days later when city
councilors, staff and FURA
board members met at the
Florence Events Center to vote
on whether to move forward
with a supplemental budget and
to amend the MSA contract for
design and engineering servic-
es.
City councilors carried the
same pro and con arguments
into the Wednesday meeting.
Henry
and
councilors
Greene and Ron Preisler serve
on the FURA committee, along
with Ron Caputo, Dave Braley,
Patricia Riley, Mike Webb,
Judy Marsall and John Scott.
According to Parks, four
agencies — ODOT, Lane
County,
Lane
Area
Commission on Transportation
and the city’s storm water fund
— in addition to FURA will be
contributing funds to the proj-
ect.
Major funding disputes
include a $550,000 difference
between what ODOT has
offered and what MSA had
estimated as the ODOT obliga-
tion toward the project.
Parks said DEQ may also
have up to $600,000 available
for storm water funds that
ReVision Florence might quali-
fy for.
FURA directors voted to
approve the supplemental
Siuslaw
2285 Highway 101 • Florence, OR 97439
(541) 997-8866
budget to increase the appropri-
ations of the capital outlay by
$600,000.
Henry said, “We are sitting
here today with a gun to our
heads that says, either we do
this and commit ourselves
long-term, or we pull the plug.
We should not be at this point.
I wish there was a third alterna-
tive, to delay a decision until
we get some kind of commit-
ment from ODOT.”
Reynolds answered, “In
order to stay on the timeline, 60
percent design needs to be
completed to ODOT on July 5,
or they will no longer be doing
this process with us. I don’t
believe you are going to have
firm updated funding numbers
from ODOT or the county
before they even start on that
work. You probably won’t have
additional funding numbers
before the middle of May.”
FURA Director Webb said,
“I moved to Florence in 1988.
(ODOT) had just widened
Highway 101 north of
Highway 126. A lot of things
changed after that. The invest-
ment was made and it dramati-
7 A
cally changed the town.
Sometimes you have an oppor-
tunity to do something,
Especially when funds are as
cheap as they are.”
FURA Director Riley added,
“If we do this right, the long-
term benefits will be huge. This
is the kind of thing that (urban
renewal) investment dollars
should be spent on.”
Henry said, “I’m not against
this project, actually, I’m in
favor of this project. We started
this project at $5.5 million and
we weren’t going to have any
debt. Somehow, the budget
crept from $5.5 million to $6.4
million. Then it jumped to $7.4
million.”
The motion to move forward
with the right-of-way project
was passed by a vote of eight to
one in favor, with Henry being
the lone “no” vote.
“The will of the group has
spoken. They are moving
ahead,” Henry said.
For more information on
ReVision Florence, visit ci.flo-
rence.or.us/urbanrenewal/revi-
sion-florence.
from 1A
Recent legal decisions have
found that individuals who are
involved in a volunteer capaci-
ty on land owned by an other
can be held liable for injury or
damages that occur on the
land. This situation could dra-
matically impact field trips by
limiting parental participation
in off site activities.
MARK BRENNAN/SIUSLAW NEWS
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Front row: Ricky Huff,
Celie Mans, Kaeli Ramos
and Destinie Tatum
receive Certificates of
Achievement for their
contributions to the
Siuslaw School district at
this week’s school board
meeting.
Blake asked the board to
support a resolution to the
Oregon Legislature that
would
indemnify
the
landowner from legal respon-
sibility for these issues.
The school board unani-
mously passed a motion to
endorse the resolution.
The next major item of
business was consideration of
a policy for the use of video
cameras on school buses.
Siuslaw School District
does not currently have an
official policy regarding the
use of video cameras on dis-
trict transportation vehicles.
This lack of a permanent
record of activities on school
vehicles presents disciplinary
and liability issues for the dis-
trict.
Blake again presented the
the proposed policy, written
by the Oregon School Board.
After a short discussion, the
suggested policy was passed
unanimously and adopted for
immediate implementation by
the district.
The remainder of the meet-
ing was comprised of other
reports and comments from
the public.
The first of the public
speakers updated the board
regarding
donations
to
enhance emergency prepara-
tion. The second speaker
asked the board questions
about the district’s plan to
address the how the change in
the nation’s immigration poli-
cy would impact students in
the district.
Members of the board
asked staff to gather informa-
tion on both subjects for con-
sideration at a later meeting.
Siuslaw
Superintendent
Andy Grzeskowiak followed
public comments with a pres-
entation of the Mid-Year
Grade Analysis.
He also reviewed the cur-
rent graduation requirements,
noting some small changes
that would enhance gradua-
tion rates.
One
point
that
Grzeskowiak highlighted to
the board were the 179 stu-
dents that had made the
Honor Roll so far this year.
Siuslaw
News
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