2A Polk County Itemizer-Observer • January 21, 2015
Polk County News
Toy guns become safety issue Independence fee
debate continuing
Police dealing
with increase
in replicas of
some firearms
By Emily Mentzer
The Itemizer-Observer
INDEPENDENCE — More
citizens attended the Jan. 13
Independence City Council
meeting with water com-
plaints, ranging from rates to
base fees to stormwater fees.
Water and sewer rates had
been on the tentative agenda
for this meeting, but City
Manager David Clyne said he
had to move the topic to the
7:30 a.m. Tuesday meeting.
Clyne said key people
were on vacation or had
medical emergencies and
weren’t available to compile
the answers requested on
time for the Jan. 13 meeting.
The issue first came up
during a December council
meeting, when Victoria
Kruljac said she didn’t think
it was fair to pay nearly $85
a month in base charges for
sewer and water on an
empty house.
At the Jan. 13 meeting, she
said moving the water topic
to the morning meeting at
the last minute — she said
she wasn’t notified of the
change until Jan. 7 — was a
ploy to lower attendance.
“It’s inconsiderate and it
feels like game playing for
you to make this a 7:30 a.m.
meeting that most people
can’t or won’t attend,” she
said.
Gary Brown said he leases
property at the Independ-
ence Airport and hasn’t
been charged any stormwa-
ter fees until now. He re-
ceived a bill for $200 from
the Oregon Department of
Aviation for his two build-
ings located at the airpark.
“The city of Independ-
ence is charging them, and
now they are charging us
By Emily Mentzer
The Itemizer-Observer
POLK COUNTY — More
and more law officers are en-
countering people armed
with replica guns.
Toy guns don’t always look
like the Daisy Red Ryder BB
guns of old these days.
It used to be standard for
toy guns to have an orange
tip, making them easily iden-
tifiable as fake. But people
are removing that tip, or buy-
ing replicas never made with
the identifier, said Dallas Po-
lice Department Lt. Jerry
Mott.
“The replicas we’re seeing
are not manufactured with
the (orange) tip,” Mott said.
“We’re not seeing it.”
While the toys fire a BB or
pellet and not a bullet, offi-
cers won’t know that until
someone shoots him or her
with it. Many of the replicas
have the same weight and
feel of a real gun, too.
“It’s horrible because we
can’t tell the difference, usu-
ally,” Mott said.
Dallas Police encounter
people of all ages carrying
these fake guns, from chil-
dren playing games to adults
who are prohibited from car-
rying real firearms, Mott
said.
“We’re finding them on
people doing criminal acts,
or we’re finding them on
children who are playing,”
he said.
Some adults carry them
for intimidation, he added.
“It’s very common to see
EMILY MENTZER/ Itemizer-Observer
Lt. Jerry Mott holds two weapons — one real, one fake. The one in his right hand is real.
The replica gun in his left hand was confiscated as evidence in a crime.
these with drug dealers,”
Mott said.
In Monmouth, officers
had an incident involving a
fake gun a few months ago,
Sgt. Isaiah Haines said.
“How we handle these in-
cidents varies based on the
situation,” Haines said. “The
issue with ‘fake’ guns is the
fact that we generally do not
know they are fake until the
situation has de-escalated.
With that said, the individual
deploying the ‘fake’ gun
could expect to be met by
the same level of force to
what the officer perceives
they are facing.”
In other words, fake or
real, if someone pulls out a
weapon and points it at an
officer or another person, an
officer will prepare to shoot.
West Valley Housing Authority will hold their
Work Session Meeting on Wednesday January
28, 2015 beginning at 11:30 a.m. at 204 SW Wal-
nut in Dallas, Oregon. The Regular Meeting will
be held on Wednesday, January 28, 2015 at 1:00
p.m. at 204 SW Walnut in Dallas, Oregon. An Ex-
ecutive Session pursuant to ORS 192.660 will be
held immediately following the Regular Meeting.
Agenda for the meeting is posted on the Housing
Authority website at www.wvpha.org. The location
for the meeting is handicapped accessible. Please
advise the West Valley Housing Authority if you
need any special accommodations to attend the
meeting. For information, please call 503-623-
8387, TDD 1-800-735-2900.
“If an adult reaches for it
(a replica firearm), they’re
usually challenged at gun-
point,” Mott said. “We usual-
ly get compliance. They
know they’re not going to
win a gunfight with a police
officer (using a fake gun).”
Independence Police Lt.
Rick Igou said it is difficult to
distinguish real versus fake
even when looking at these
guns in normal lighting and
under non-threatening cir-
cumstances.
“Once you compound the
problem in darkness or with
a person who is being unco-
operative, it becomes more
challenging,” he said.
Independence Police
Chief Bob Mason recalled an
occasion he had many years
ago with a fake gun.
“I came close to shooting
a young man who was re-
ported as being armed,” he
said. “He chose to draw that
replica weapon out of his
waist when confronted by
police. It was impactful
enough on me that it stays
with me today.”
Unless the replica is used
to commit a crime, it cannot
be confiscated, Mott said. In
fact, it is not illegal to carry a
real firearm openly in Ore-
gon. Cities may have ordi-
nances regarding carrying of
weapons in parks and other
government buildings, such
as the courthouse.
“We have a city ordinance
against discharging them in
the city, but to just carry
them, there’s no violation of
the law there,” Mott said.
CITY COUNCIL
for surface water disperse-
ment,” Brown said.
Brown said the property
he leases floods frequently,
so doesn’t feel stor m
drainage services are being
provided.
“What gives me heartburn
is if this is a service, and the
service is not being provided,
that doesn’t seem fair.”
Community Development
Director Mike Danko said
stormwater fees are used to
maintain open ditches, cul-
verts, catch basins and un-
derground pipes. The fees
also pay for street sweeping.
“We consider the imper-
vious areas at the airport to
be similar to Central Plaza
or any of the large apart-
ment complexes,” he said.
“During heavy storm events,
water runs away from these
sites via city-maintained
conveyance systems.”
He said every homeown-
er pays a stormwater fee
each month as part of his or
her utility bill.
“The fee has been in place
for a decade or so,” Danko
said. “We are only now catch-
ing up to areas that were not
paying their share, like the
hangers at the airport.”
Clyne said he will have the
city’s rate consultant from
Economic and Financial
Analysis present at the Jan.
27 meeting to help address
any further questions on the
rates and fee structure.
Community outreach event slated
By Jolene Guzman
The Itemizer-Observer
DALLAS — The fourth
Polk Community Connect,
an outreach event assisting
those who are homeless or at
risk of becoming homeless,
will take place in Dallas on
Jan. 28.
The free annual event is
being held at a new location
this year, Valley Life Center,
1795 SE Miller Ave. It will run
from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Coordinated through a
Need Assistance?
What: Polk Community Connect.
When: Wednesday, Jan. 28, 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Where: Valley Life Center, 1795 SE Miller Ave., Dallas.
Of note: Those interested in serving as a provider should
contact Michelle Bornfleth at 503-623-9664, ext. 2457. Volun-
teers are always welcome and can call 971-599-3845 or send
an email to polkconnectvolunteers@gmail.com.
For more information: Herm Boes, 503-569-9364;
www.co.polk.or.us/fco/si/polk-community-connect-0.
partnership between Polk
County Family & Communi-
ty Outreach and the Salem
Leadership Foundation, Polk
Community Connect will
offer dental care, basic
CONCEAL CARRY
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1 pm & 6 pm class
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Bob Timmerman
Ben Meyer, AAMS ®
Financial Advisor
Financial Advisor
503-623-5584
503-606-3048
159 SW Court Street Dal-
las, OR 97338
193 E. Main Street Mon-
mouth, OR 97361
Kelly K. Denney
Financial Advisor
503-623-2146
244 E. Ellendale, Suite 2
Dallas, OR 97338
360-921-2071
Solution on Page 6A
TALKS
health screenings, pet care,
bike repair, haircuts, clothing
and, to those who arrive
early, backpacks and camp-
ing items.
Resource agencies, in-
cluding those providing chil-
dren and youth services, job
assistance, housing, veter-
ans’ services, education in-
formation, mental health,
and information about other
potential benefits, also will
be on hand to offer assis-
tance.
Co-coordinator Michelle
Bornfleth said approximate-
ly 300 people were served
through last year’s event.
This year, organizers have
been focusing more on get-
ting the word out about the
resources and services avail-
able at the event.
“We are hoping for more
(people to attend) because
we have been doing more
outreach this year,” Born-
fleth said.
Free hot meals provided
by James2 Community
Kitchen and free transporta-
tion to and from Valley Life
Center is available.
Free bus passes through
Cherriots and CARTS are
available before and at the
event. For those communi-
ties not served by Cherriots,
free shuttles will offer rides
every hour starting with
pickup times at 7:30 a.m.
and the last departure from
the event at 4 p.m. Pickup lo-
cations are: Independence
— Roth’s, 1401 Monmouth
St.; Falls City — Falls City
Community Center, 320 N.
Main St.; and West Salem —
United Methodist Church,
1219 Third St. NW.
Deadline:
Friday, Feb. 6
Publishes:
Wednesday, Feb. 18
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Itemizer-Observer • FAX 503-623-2395 • www.polkio.com