8A | WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2018 | SIUSLAW NEWS
Submmit
photos now
for Chamber
2018 photo
contest
The Florence Area Chamber
of Commerce is looking for the
best amateur or professional
photos of the fun, frolic, famous
attractions, iconic buildings and
beautiful scenery of Oregon’s
Coastal Playground.
The winner will collect a $250
cash prize and have their sub-
mitted photo featured in the
Chamber’s resource guide and
other printed marketing pieces,
on its website and in social me-
dia.
A panel of Chamber members
will decide the winner.
Photos must be taken within
25 miles of Florence to be eligi-
ble. The contest is open to Flor-
ence area residents and visitors
from all over the world.
Amateurs and professionals
alike are encouraged to enter.
Portrait-oriented photos stand
the best chance of being used
in print media, though land-
scape-oriented photos are just as
encouraged.
Ideal photos will be in .jpg for-
mat, color, vertical in orientation
(but horizontal will be accept-
ed). Preferred size is 1920x1080
pixels, and 8MP, if possible.
Deadline for entry is Nov.
15, with the winner being an-
nounced the week of Nov. 19.
For more contest information,
entry forms, and image release
waivers visit Florence Chamber.
com/Contest, call 541-997-3128,
or email Contest@Florence
Chamber.com.
CITY from page 1A
brought Agenda Item No. 7,
“Committee & Commission
Code & Policies,” before the
council to help streamline lan-
guage in the Florence City Code
about committees and commis-
sions and to clarify their roles.
“Our committees put in
countless hours in volunteer
efforts in their specific interests
and things that work towards
the city’s goals,” Weese said. “We
wanted to make sure there was a
formalized process for them to
have a voice in the city’s overall
work plan and goal setting —
and to make sure the council is
aware of what they are working
towards.”
For the past year, according to
Weese, staff has been working
with the council in work ses-
sions on reviewing committee
structures and duties, as well as
creating a policy manual for the
committees. Updates included
adding the option to have up to
11 people in each committee,
changing the term to four years
to match the city’s new biennial
budget, clarifying appointments
and removals and simplifying
membership requirements.
“Overall, we looked at each
committee’s scope and purpose
and thought about how they
can be larger, when possible, to
incorporate more of the overar-
ching goals of each particular
objective,” Weese said. “This
really helps to make sure the
committees have a wide variety
of projects.”
She said that committees have
option to break up into smaller
committees to complete tasks,
and more members might help
accomplish those tasks.
“We find that’s been an ef-
ficient method to get the work
done,” Weese said.
Later in the meeting, Coun-
cilor Joshua Greene agreed.
“One of the changes we’re
making with the subcommittees
is that the committees can de-
cide if they want to expand the
quantity of people,” he said. “For
example, the Public Art Com-
mittee is one that is really go-
ing to take advantage. We have
seven people and we have eight
subcommittees right now, and
want to create three more. That
situation is the perfect example
where we want all 11 people. So
if you’re interested in public art,
this is going to be a big oppor-
tunity to get involved.”
Other changes included con-
solidating committees.
The first is a new Transporta-
tion Committee that will com-
bine and expand the roles of the
Airport Advisory Committee
and Transit Advisory Commit-
tee.
“The hope with that is to pro-
vide those two outlets, which
are kind of narrow in scope,
with a much broader way to
look at our transportation
infrastructure,” Weese said.
“Hopefully they will be able to
work on some policy objectives
that meet all those needs, and
think about how they work to-
gether.”
The second new committee
combines and expands the roles
of the Housing Committee,
Economic Development Com-
mittee and Parks Committee,
all of which are currently inac-
tive, into a new Community and
Economic Development Com-
mittee.
In addition, the Environ-
mental Management Advisory
Committee has been expanded
to include the Tree Board and to
address noxious weed removal
and the City of Florence Audit
Committee will now be an Ad-
Hoc Committee.
“We’ve really done a lot of
work — clearing of the roles
and the job descriptions for the
council, committee members
and staff — trying to narrow
down what everybody’s respon-
sibilities are,” Weese said.
Now that the policy work
is over, people are welcome to
apply to: The Planning Com-
mission, Budget Committee,
Community & Economic De-
velopment Committee, Envi-
ronmental Management Advi-
sory Committee, Public Arts
Committee,
Transportation
Committee and the Audit Ad-
Hoc Committee.
“We have a boon of city com-
mittee positions open,” Weese
said. “Anybody who is interest-
ed in volunteering for the city
... we want you all. This is our
official start to the recruitment
period, where we’ll be recruit-
ing for up to 39 open positions.”
People can pick up appli-
cations at ci.florence.or.us or
Florence Public Works, 2675
Kingwood St. The starting date
will be in February 2019.
“I just would encourage any-
body that is interested in serv-
ing their city to get an applica-
tion for one of the committees
that available, and get it in,”
Woodbury said at the close of
the meeting.
She thanked each councilor
individually and acknowledged
that the councilors hold unpaid
volunteer positions.
“I looked at the itineraries and
schedules that you all have for
this last year and going forward,
and I can’t believe the countless
hours you all have to put in to
make this city run smoothly,”
Wantz said. “I know how much
work goes into this, and I fully
appreciate it. I just want to say
thank you.”
Each speaker gets three min-
utes during the public comment
period. Wantz used the remain-
der of her time to lead the at-
tendees in a “moment of quiet
reflection.”
“I would like us to go inward
and visualize those people who
have sat up there before, visual-
ize the people who have sat over
here (at the staff table) and been
paid to run this city, people who
have been here before, who have
gotten us to this place, and to
those who are coming still. It’s a
great responsibility,” she said. “I
look forward to watching who-
ever is up there help run this
city as best as you can.”
Afterwards, Wantz said she
wanted to start the meeting with
a thank you and quiet reflection
to help set the tone for the meet-
ing.
“There seems to be so much
division in the world, country,
state and city, and the city is
supposed to be nonpartisan. No
matter who gets elected, I want
to thank them for being part of
our city,” she said. “We’re going
to be fine.”
She said that recent conten-
tion around the council and
election encouraged her to issue
her request for a return to “com-
mon decency.”
Besides the council and city
staff who Wantz thanked, Flor-
ence relies on committees to
shape policy, conduct research
and lead in the areas of trans-
portation, public art, economic
development, community de-
velopment, planning and more.
City Recorder Kelli Weese
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Clothing
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Furniture
Gift Certifi cates
St. Vincent DePaul’s
2315 Hwy 101 541-997-8460
Open Daily
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Stop by for a coff ee or hot chocolate and cookies.
Select an ornament from the tree representing
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