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About Cottage Grove sentinel. (Cottage Grove, Or.) 1909-current | View Entire Issue (May 10, 2017)
COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL MAY 10, 2017 3A No apparent public meetings law violation for SLSD A complaint must be filed for a final determination by the state Superintendent Krista Parent By Caitlyn May A complaint has been fi led with the South Lane School District concerning superintendent Krista Parent and a possible private action. While the action is not prohibited by district policy, questions have been raised as to whether or not Parent vio- lated public meetings law in discussing the issue with individual school board members. The issue fi rst arose when a Eugene publication noted Parent may have violated public meetings law by meeting with school board members one-on-one, citing 2015 and 2011 Oregon Court of Appeals and Coos County Circuit Court decisions. In the case of the South Lane School District Board, however, according to those involved, there was no discussion that could lead to a fi nal decision; a key component in public meetings law violations. Further, according to Oregon cmay@cgsentinel.com School Boards Association Executive Director Jim Greene, Parent did not discuss anything that would be used to determine a future vote on the matter. “Let’s say for example, she called the board and said, ‘I think you ought to do an investigation’ and they said, ‘yeah let’s do an investigation’ and a quorum of board members agreed individual- ly, that would be a violation,” Greene explained using a hypothetical scenario. He noted he was not party to the phone calls made by Parent to the members of the school board but to his understanding of the events as relayed to him by mem- bers of the school board, no quorum was present and no fi nal decision was made. According to Parent, she intended to allow board members to ask her ques- tions about a personal matter that had been discussed on social media and eventually led to a complaint being fi led with the school district late last week. It was South Lane School Board President Sherry Duerst-Higgins who contacted Greene to inquire as to what options existed for Parent to share information with the board in a manner that did not break the state’s public meetings law. “As long as the board does not deliberate towards a decision, it’s not a violation,” Greene said, noting his 20 years as a member of the state bar and his various work with elected bodies and public meetings law. He also noted that the South Lane School Board would only be permitted to use information garnered from the investigation into the matter related to the complaint, and not infor- mation they received from Parent during their one-on-one meetings should the issue come before the board. Parent did note that she met with two board members jointly, rather than one- on-one due to scheduling. However, because the school board is comprised of seven members, two does not qualify as a quorum. The Oregon Government Ethics Com- mission directed the inquiry as to wheth- er or not Parent violated meetings law to the Oregon Attorney General’s Offi ce. However, that offi ce noted that unless a complaint is fi led, it has no jurisdic- tion to determine if an offi cial violated the public meetings law. According to a manual the offi ce created on the subject, “The Attorney General’s only role under the Public Meetings Law is to provide legal advice to state agencies, boards and commissions that are subject to the law and to the Oregon Government Eth- ics Commission in its role under ORS 244.260. Most district attorneys do not have a role in interpreting the Public Meetings Law. The exception is where a district attorney also serves as legal advisor to a county governing body. If a citizen wishes to compel compliance with the meetings law, or believes that a governing body has violated the law, the citizen may fi le a private civil lawsuit against the governing body. A citizen who believes that a governing body has violated the provisions permitting an executive session may fi le a complaint DAN’S PLANTS Large Selection of Baskets and Patio Pots for Mother's Day. Open Saturdays and Sundays from 10 AM - 6 PM Joe’s Diner will be serving Cheeseburgers, Chips and a Drink for $5.00 on Mother’s Day Weekend. DAN’S PLANTS 82243 Davisson Rd. Creswell 541-953-3661 IT’S ALMOST HERE............ YOU’RE INVITED TO SOME JUNKIN’ FUN! Rusty & Primitive Treasures Spring Flea Market Primitive, Vintage, Repurposed, Salvage, Farmhouse & Garden GOOD OLD RUSTY GOODNESS!!! 106 S 10th St Cottage Grove, OR 97424 May 19th 5pm-8pm & May 20th 9am-4pm (Friday night early buying 5pm-8pm $5.00) WHAT TO BRING: COTTAGE GROVE HOUSEHOLD HAZARDOUS WASTE Round-Up +$55,621$9( COTTAGE GROVE SPONSORED BY LANE COUNTY, THE CITY OF COTTAGE GROVE, SOUTH LANE COUNTY FIRE & RESCUE COTTAGE GROVE STATION AND LANE ELECTRIC May 14th thru May 21st Cottage Grove Sentinel www.cgsentinel.com “The Maple People” Rhododendrons $13/plant or $130/dozen 5&7 gallon sizes - many available Evergreen Azaleas $7/plant or $70/dozen Japanese Maples 5 gallon size, $35/tree @ cgsentinel @cgsentinel #cgsentinel KELLEYGREEN NURSERY Open 9-4 daily 6924 Hwy 38 West, Drain 4 miles east of Elkton Tunnel Cottage-Grove-Sentinel CITY OF COTTAGE GROVE TREE LIMB PICK-UP WEEK OF MAY 15, 2017 Th e City of Cottage Grove Public Works Department will be conducting the annual Tree Limb Pickup May 15, 2017. Property owners will be responsible for removing any branches or limbs placed in the street aft er May 15, 2017. DON’T BRING: If you have questions regarding the Tree Limb Pickup Program, please call the Public Works Department at (541) 767-4100 or stop in at the Public Works offi ce located in City Hall at 400 East Main Street for a brochure. What about hazardous waste from businesses? SOUTH LANE COUNTY FIRE & RESCUE 30th Annual Spring Rhododendron Sale Bring paint, household cleaners, lawn and garden chemicals, car care products, arts and crafts products, and just about any other household hazardous waste. The limit is 35 gallons of waste in total from each household. &KHFNODEHOVIRUZRUGVOLNHÁDPPDEOHFRUURVLYHSRLVRQ caution, and danger. For your safety it is always best to carry these items in a separate compartment (like the trunk of your car) with secured lids to eliminate spills in transport. (PSW\FRQWDLQHUVGUXPVUDGLRDFWLYHZDVWHDVEHVWRV H[SORVLYHVRUHOHFWURQLFV)RULQIRUPDWLRQDERXWGLVSRVDO RIUDGLRDFWLYHZDVWHDVEHVWRVDQGH[SORVLYHVFDOO/DQH &RXQW\:DVWH0DQDJHPHQW'LYLVLRQDW. Up WRVHYHQ&RYHUHG(OHFWURQLF'HYLFHV&('V&DQEH UHF\FOHGIRUIUHHDWDQ\RQHWLPHDWWKHVH/DQH&RXQW\ 7UDQVIHU6WDWLRQV*OHQZRRG&RWWDJH*URYH)ORUHQFH Oakridge, Veneta, and Vida during normal operating hours. Also, Lane County accepts sharps, oil, antifreeze and EDWWHULHVRIDOOW\SHV\HDUURXQGDWDOOUHIXVHGLVSRVDO VLWHV&DOOIRUPRUHLQIRUPDWLRQ SATURDAY 0$< with the Oregon Government Ethics Commission.” Parent said she did not believe she violated open meetings law, citing the requirements of the law that state a quo- rum must be present and the board must deliberate towards a fi nal decision. Duerst-Higgins released the following statement in regards to the ongoing in- vestigation, noting that once it was com- plete, fi nancial details related to its cost and the cost of a third-party independent investigator would be made public in line with personnel and privacy laws. “A formal written complaint was fi led recently regarding our superintendent. The South Lane School District Board of Directors wants you to know that we are taking this issue seriously and are working in the best interest of students, families and staff. Our goal is to be as transparent as laws and policies allow, and do what is best for the district and community. We are following board policies in seeing the complaint through. The superintendent is cooperating with all aspects of the complaint process. We are in the process of hiring an outside impartial party that will oversee the written complaint. Please be aware that due to confi dentiality laws the board is limited in what we can publicly share. It is the board’s intent, at the investiga- tion’s conclusion, to disclose as much as is legally allowed. Throughout this process our top priority will continue to be the students and staff of the South Lane School District.” Businesses which generate small amounts of hazardous ZDVWHPD\SUHUHJLVWHUWREULQJWKDWZDVWHWRWKLVHYHQW Businesses must pay for disposal of the waste, but most FDQVDYHPRQH\E\XVLQJWKLVSURJUDPUDWKHUWKDQKLULQJ a contractor on their own. For more information about this program, call Lane County Waste Management 'LYLVLRQDW Year Round Collection Sites—Paint, Electronics, and Fluorescent Lamps Paint, Electronics, and Compact Fluorescent Bulbs DQGWXEHVXSWRIHHWDUHDFFHSWHG\HDUURXQGDW YDULRXVORFDWLRQVLQ/DQH&RXQW\WKURXJKRQJRLQJ collection programs. Check out the websites below to ÀQGDORFDWLRQQHDU\RXRUFDOOIRUPRUH information. PaintCare www.paintcare.org 2UHJRQ(&\FOHV www.deq.state.or.us/lg/ecycle (&<&/( CFL Collection Sites List of Participating Lighting and Hardware Stores www.lanecounty.org/lamps Residents can not place branches in the street where curbside parking does not exist. Th is is strictly a tree limb pickup, nothing other than loose tree limbs or branches will be picked up. Transmissions Plus & AUTOMOTIVE SPECIALTIES PRACTICING THE ART OF TRANSMISSION REPAIR SERVICE SINCE 1991 Manual & Automatic Transmission Repair Tune ups 30-60-90K Services Brakes, belts, hoses and cooling system services Muffl ers & Custom Exhaust All makes and models. MAINTAINING YOUR VEHICLE AFFORDABLY WE LIVE IN THE SAME TOWN WE WORK IN “NO MONKEY BUSINESS!” www.automotivespecialties.biz DUSTIN TULLAR & RUSS OWENS 541-942-8022 • COTTAGE GROVE