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About Polk County itemizer observer. (Dallas, Or) 1992-current | View Entire Issue (March 18, 2015)
Polk County Itemizer-Observer • March 18, 2015 3A Polk County News DEADLINES NEWS DEADLINES For inclusion in the Wednesday edition of the Itemizer-Observer: Social news (weddings, engagements, anniver- saries, births, milestones) — 5 p.m. on Thursday. Community events — Noon on Friday for both the Community Notebook and Community Calendar. Letters to the editor — 10 a.m. on Monday. Obituaries — 4 p.m. on Monday. ADVERTISING DEADLINES Retail display ads — 3 p.m. Friday. Classified display ads — 11 a.m. on Monday. Classified line ads — Noon on Monday. Classified ads are updated daily on www.polkio.com. Public notices — Noon on Friday. CORRECTIONS The Polk County Itemizer- Observer is committed to publishing accurate news, feature and sports reports. If you see anything that re- quires a correction or clarifi- cation, call the newsroom at 503-623-2373 or send an e- mail to kholland@polkio.com. WEBSITE The Polk County Itemizer- Observer website, www.polkio.com, is updat- ed each week by Wednes- day afternoon. There, you will find nearly every story that appears in the print version of the newspaper, as well as some items, in- cluding additional photos, that do not appear in print due to space limitations. The Itemizer-Observer is also on Facebook and Twit- ter. Watch for breaking news, links to stories, sports scores updates and more. WEATHER RECORDED HIGH LOW March 10......... 63 March 11......... 59 March 12......... 70 March 13......... 64 March 14......... 58 March 15......... 62 March 16......... 64 37 51 53 44 53 42 36 RAIN .00 .08 .00 .02 1.30 .92 .00 Rainfall during March — 2.34 in. Rain through March 16 — 9.88 in. Falls City, water co-op agree NEWS IN BRIEF 10-year contract allows rate increases in first three years Taste craft beer, benefit watershed By Jolene Guzman The Itemizer-Observer FALLS CITY — The city of Falls City and Luckiamute Domestic Water Coopera- tive have approved a con- tract that will keep water flowing for the co-op. After more than two years of negotiations, a law- suit, and an appeal of the decision in that lawsuit, the two sides have f o u n d common ground and sealed it with sig- Jaffer natures on Friday. “I’m really happy with the agreement,” said Danny Jaf- fer, LDWC president. “I can’t tell you how happy I am. This has gone on longer than any of us wanted it, but in the end, we have a solid agreement.” Approved by LDWC on March 9 and by Falls City on Thursday, the new 10-year contract charges a rate of $2.25 per 1,000 gallons for up to 400,000 gallons. That rate will increase by 10 cents in each of the next three years. It replaces LDWC’s previous rate of $111.70 and $157.06 per Government month for the first 5,000 gallons on the cooperative’s two meters, with additional water billed at $2.84 per 1,000 gallons “We have ironed out a pretty excellent agreement,” Falls City Mayor Terry Un- gricht said. He said the city would like to keep LDWC as a cus- tomer and believes the new contract will provide for that to happen. In seeking approval for the contract, Ungricht was careful to learn from mis- takes of the past. He requested the council approve a one-word change to the final agreement Thursday evening before voting on the contract itself. Contract issues arose when city staff discovered what turned out to be an unauthorized change made after council and LDWC board approval in the origi- nal 20-year agreement, which took effect in 2003. The change limited the city’s ability to increase the rates it could charge LDWC, and city decided to have a judge look at whether the contract was valid. A September 2014 deci- sion sided with the city, say- ing the contract was invalid. In turn, LDWC filed an ap- peal of that deci- sion. Howev- er, the city never cut off water to the co- operative and raised Ungricht L D W C rates in January in hopes of encouraging further negoti- ations. It worked. Jaffer said, with an agree- ment in hand, LDWC will drop its appeal. “This agreement should hold up and be a benefit to both parties,” Jaffer said. In other business, the council: • Hired the firm Local Government Law Group of Eugene to serve as its new city attorney. The group will start in April. • Will meet at 7 p.m. on Thursday at the Falls City Community Center, 320 N. Main St., to discuss its search for a permanent city manager. FAIRGROUNDS CALENDAR POLK COUNTY FAIRGROUNDS & EVENT CENTER 520 S. Pacific Highway (99W) Rickreall 503-623-3048 www.co.polk.or.us/fair — MARCH 19 — Fair Board meeting 19-22 — Good Sam RV Rally 28 — Doll Show and Sale APRIL 4 — Swine Sale 4 — Wagon Wheelers 5 — Flea Market 9-11 — Oregon Old Time Fiddlers Convention 10-12 — Oregon Meat Goat Producers Show and Sale 11 — Wagon Wheelers 16 — Fair Board meeting 17-19 — Gem and Mineral Show 23-25 — Quilt Show MAY 2 — Swine, sheep, goat weigh-in 2 — Wagon Wheelers 3 — Flea Market 4-5 — France School of Dance 4 — 4-H Rifle and Pistol Practice 5 — Polk County Soil and Water Conservation District budget hearing 7-10 — Good Sam RV Rally 8-9 — Master Gardner Plant Sale 9 — Wagon Wheelers 11-12 — France School of Dance 11 — 4-H Archery Club 13 — CASA Training 14 — Dog Obedience 14 — Saddle-ites meeting 16 — Perrydale Parent Club 17 — 4-H Achievers meet- ing 18-21 — Volunteers on Wheels (VOW) RV Rally 19 — 4-H Rifle and Pistol Practice 20 — Polk County Soil and Water Conservation District budget hearing 21 — Dog Obedience 21 — Fair Board meeting — Schedule Subject to Change MONMOUTH — A craft brewer tasting event Wednesday (today) at 4 p.m. at Yeasty Beasty Pizza, 167 W. Main St., Mon- mouth, will benefit the Luckiamute Watershed Council. Gail Oberst will pour Elk Horn brewery’s Georgia Peach Wheat beer. The beer is not for sale, but donations will be ac- cepted to help the Luckiamute Watershed Council, a group that enlists volunteer landowners in projects that improve salmon and human habitat near local waters. The event is the first of several beer-for-watershed events planned this year, thanks to donations of beer and facilities. In addition to the Yeasty Beasty event Wednesday, Rogue Farms is also hosting a fundraising event for the council June 17, featuring live music and an auction. To make a donation to the June 17 auction: Email to Gail Oberst, gailoberst@yahoo.com. For more information: www.luckiamutelwc.org. Monmouth PD honors top officers MONMOUTH — Officer Ben Simpson won Monmouth Police Department’s Officer of the Year at the police depart- ment’s annual awards night on March 6. He was acknowledged for his “positive outlook, motivation to provide the best service possible, willingness to assist oth- ers and professional manner,” according to Sgt. Kim Dorn. Three other officers were honored at the event. Reserve Officer of the Year was given to David Ritchey for his commit- ment to the reserve program. Ritchey also received the Chief’s Award for his volunteerism. Officer Justin Reynolds was presented with the Survival Skills Award. A Lifesaving Award was given to Officer Kevin Renfro for performing CPR on a citizen who was revived by his efforts. PD station slated to open this spring MONMOUTH — The new Monmouth Police Station is on target to open at the end of April or early May, said Chief Darrell Tallan. No additional money has been requested from the city council, but nothing else has had to be cut from the plans, he said. The new station will allow for all police vehicles to park at the station, but some things — including the command trail- er — will continue to be stored at Volunteer Hall on South Warren Street. If money is available in the future, an auxiliary storage fa- cility and covered parking may be added to the station, but no plans exist for those additions any time soon, Tallan said. PCLA board members elected POLK COUNTY — Polk County Livestock Association (PCLA) has elected new board members for 2015. PCLA announced last week its newly elected board mem- bers, who were elected at the annual meeting in January: Roy Whitman, vice president, Pat Letsch, secretary, and directors Scott Bennett and Andy Hendersen. FILL the Monmouth-Independence ELLA CURRAN COMMUNITY FOOD BANK NO ! 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