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About The Siuslaw news. (Florence, Lane County, Or.) 1960-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 29, 2018)
8A | SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2018 | SIUSLAW NEWS Rep. McKeown to host town halls Monday Town halls in North Bend, Florence and Yachats give an opportunity for residents to discuss local issues. Oregon Rep. Caddy McKe- own will be hosting the most recent in a series of town halls and public forums on Monday, Oct. 1, in Yachats, Florence and North Bend. These events are open to the public, with an opportunity for community members to ask questions and INTERIM from page 1A The second challenge is find- ing a person who can navigate the existing intergovernmental agreement for administration between the two entities, as well as help in the process of deter- mining its viability. During the meerting, the SVFR Board of Directors re- viewed financial reports from Office Manager Dina McClure. In August, a financial report presented by McClure surprised directors by suggesting that there was a cash flow situation on the horizon that might require im- mediate action to forestall. Mc- Clure has been working, with the assistance of a consultant, to identify and move towards resolving past accounting issues that were outdated or ineffective. Last month, she reported that due to delays in reimbursement for personnel deployments, as well as necessary and positive changes made to the organiza- tions’ accounting practices, there was the possibility that SVFR would be unable to meet finan- cial obligations later this year. SVFR is now attempting to ad- dress the possible future shortfall by authorizing staff to use an ac- count that holds capital reserve funds, for short-term costs asso- ciated with financial obligations, like payroll and health insurance payments, that cannot be de- layed. McClure said the resolution to accomplish this was meant as a safeguard and would only be tapped if the arrival of expected and approved reimbursements arrived later than hoped. “The resolution itself is pretty self-explanatory. Again, in order to postpone the need for a line of credit, it is the recommendation to use the capital reserve funds at SVFR, to use that money for expenditures to get through the next month’s payroll and month- ly expenses. Hopefully, with those reimbursements coming in, we will be able to get through November as well,” McClure said. After a brief discussion, during which SVFR board mem- bers affirmed their collective reluctance to do so, the offered resolution passed unanimously. In addition, Langborg and McClure requested that SVFR enter into an agreement with a local financial institution to acquire a line of credit for the district that would provide up to $300,000 for immediate use if needed. Before taking action, directors pressed Langborg on the expect- ed arrival of reimbursements, which the chief director said he has pursued diligently. “We are being as aggressive as we can. I am on a first-name ba- sis with them and, on top of that, they understand our situation and why we are on a first-name basis. But the people I interact with are mid-management, so some of these things have to be approved at levels above them and that’s going to take some time,” Langborg said. The agenda item that followed was more involved, with two bids, one from Oregon Pacific Bank and a second from Banner Bank, presented to directors. Representatives from Banner Bank were on hand to answer questions from directors and Mike Webb, a WLAD board member and an executive at Or- egon Pacific Bank, did the same for his employers. Oregon Pacific Bank President and Chief Executive Officer Ron Green, an SVFR board member, was not present at the meeting. The decision to authorize the acquisition of a line of credit is a topic that has previously drawn strong criticism from directors. SVFR Director John Carnahan has been associated with the fire department for a long period of time. In that time, and especially since he joined on the board, he has been clear in his opposition to borrowing money. pose issues for discussion. Town Halls are scheduled as follows for Oct. 1: • Yachats: 10 to 11 a.m., Yachats Commons, 441 High- way 101 • Florence: 1 to 2 p.m., Siuslaw Public Library, 1460 Ninth St. • Coos Bay & North Bend: 5 to 6 p.m., North Bend Public Library, 1800 Sherman Ave. in North Bend. Earlier in the meeting, he supported the resolution to use money from the Capital Reserve Fund only after staff assuranc- es that the money would be re- placed as soon as expected reim- bursements arrived. Carnahan was also initially re- luctant to open this line of credit, but seemed convinced by points made in Director Ned Hickson’s analysis of the district’s financial situation. “In the past, we’ve talked about establishing a line of credit sim- ply because of what we experi- enced this year, with a financial gap so to speak,” Hickson said. “The other part of this question is, are we just putting off the in- evitable, is this something we need right now? I was under the impression that we felt like we should have this anyway, in the event we need it, for who knows what. Hopefully we don’t ever use it at all, but it is something we should just have for that peace of mind. “For $250 a year, it seems worth it to me.” The resolution to move for- ward with obtaining a three-year line of credit for $300,000, at a cost of $250 per year, which also stipulated that any use of the line of credit first be approved by the SVFR board. Banner Bank was selected as the organization to provide the financial support to SVFR. Besides Green, SVFR Director Woody Woodbury was not in FORWARD from page 1A Both Murray and Lewis made brief presentations touching on the paths that brought them to OCHS. Moving forward, Murray is focusing his attentions on facil- ity upgrades and staff training while Lewis is working to im- prove the organization’s social media presence and on updat- ing internal procedures. The short presentations gave way to a more informal question and answer period between the members and Murray and Lewis. attendance, but the three voting members formed a quorum. The last item of new business tackled by the two boards was the recommendation made by a joint sub-committee, made up of members from both boards, on an interim replacement for Langborg. WLAD Board President Rick Yecny and Hickson spoke brief- ly about the process undertaken with the Special Districts As- sociation of Oregon (SDAO) to find an interim replacement for Langborg. This week, the committee vet- ted and interviewed two candi- dates suggested by SDAO and had settled on one candidate, Steve Abel, as the best fit for the Robbers said she was pleased with meeting, particularly in light of previous OCHS meet- ings where police presence was requested by OCHS board members. “The board appreciates its members’ input and sugges- tions, as well as the calm de- meanor last night,” she said. “All suggestions and questions are being reviewed to help the board and employees continue to improve and build on the positive image we continue to present to the public.” Robbers also wanted to re- mind the public that the popu- district. “I’m happy to say that they were both excellent candidates, they were really good, but they were quite different,” Yecny said. “They both had good back- grounds and good experience. We distributed their resume to Dina, Operations Manager Matt House and Division Chief Jim Dickerson, and all five of us were unanimous in recommending Steve Able as the candidate we should consider for the position.” Hickson affirmed this take on the process which had recom- mended Able. “As Rick said, they were both really good candidates. They both had strong backgrounds … but in the end it really came Florence Food Share provides food to those who are hungry in our community. If you have four hours a week available, we are in need of vol- unteers to staff our Front Desk and also act as Guides as clients walk through the pantry. Please call our volunteer coordinator, Sarah Lovejoy, @ 541-997-9110 (Monday – Friday, before noon) to learn more about volunteering. info@lorence- foodshare.org 2190 Spruce Street. lar OCHS Christmas store will reopen soon for the holiday season. “We are inviting the public to the opening of our annual Christmas Store on Nov. 1,” she said. The store will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 80 Harbor St. in the building formerly known as Vintage Blue An- tiques. Anyone wishing to vol- unteer should contact OCHS at 541-997-4277. “We can’t put on the Christ- mas store without the help of volunteers and patrons,” Rob- bers said. down to two things,” Hickson said. “One was the availability of (the other candidate), trying to split his time between Oak Ridge and here, and the other was Steve had a very detailed plan for find- ing a permanent chief. He had a specific plan which included community involvement and it was very thorough.” The recommendations from the subcommittee were accept- ed and both SVFR and WLAD voted unanimously to pursue Able as the district’s interim di- rector, with a window of six to nine months to find a permanent chief for the districts. This story was approved by the Siuslaw News editorial board. Volunteer Get involved Florence Habitat for Humanity ReStore is a place to put your talents to work. From customer service to furniture repair, we offer volunteer opportunities geared toward individual interests and skills.By giving your time, you help Florence Habitat ReStore do more to support building projects that benefi t families in our community. 2016 Hwy 101 or email volunteer@fl orencehabitat.org Store hours 9am – 5pm Monday- Saturday 541-997-5834 www.facebook.com/restorefl orence We’ve got you Donate Do your part and volunteer today COVERED to help support We are looking for new volunteers to join Friends of Florence Van Fans ! Please join us at a meeting! these local non-proft Meet 1st Wednesday of every month Luncheon Meeting ($8.50) Shorewood Senior Living 1451 Spruce St 541-991-3209 or sgelmstedt@gmail.com organizations in our community! business • homeowners • auto • life • health • medicare plans A SK US ABOUT M ULTIPLE P OLICY D ISCOUNTS ! Join the Peace Harbor Hospital Volunteers. <RXZLOOÀQGDQDUHDRILQWHUHVW in a caring organization. COVERAGE FOR YOUR MOST PRECIOUS ASSET. YOU. Contact Angela, Jodi or Paul to discuss your policy needs. Peace Harbor Volunteers 400 9th Street, Florence, OR 97439 541-997-8412 ext. 2218 Serving Florence since 1990 875 Hwy 101 • Florence, OR • (541) 997-3466 www.AbelInsuranceAgency.com Volunteer 8th Annual Get involved Meals on Wheels are available to people over the age of 60 who cannot get out much due to illness or advanced age and who are not eating properly, regardless of income. Cafe 60 is available for those who prefer to make new friends in a dining room setting. 1570 Kingwood • PO Box 2313, Florence 541-997-5673 laneseniormeals.org Operating Monday, Wednesday and Friday Donate JOIN US IN HISTORIC OLD TOWN Fri-Sun: Great Glass Float Trail Enter to win a memorable and collectible fl oat. A treasure hunt you’ll not soon forget! Hunt: Friday-Sunday Giveaway: Sunday 3:30 pm Saturday: Wine Trail – 2-5pm Taste from over 10 Oregon wineries! Sunday: Chowder Trail – 12-4pm You decide who the best chowder winner is! October 5,6, & 7, 2018 presented by Plan your getaway today @ FlorenceChamber.com Do your part and volunteer today to help support these local Saving men one PSA test at a time. 541-997-6626 maribob@oregonfast.net Someone to talk to... who understands! non-proft organizations in our community! To include your organization in this directory, please call us @ 541-997-3441