Polk County
Voices
Polk County Itemizer-Observer • January 10, 2018 4a
EDITORIALS
A tale of two fire
districts’ contract
We’ve been watching as negotiations between the Falls
City Fire Department and Southwest Polk Rural Fire Dis-
trict have carried on and declared at an impasse. Monday,
Falls City residents attended a Southwest Polk board of di-
rectors meeting and spoke their concerns about not hav-
ing Southwest equipment in Falls City.
They have valid concerns — longer response times, for
one. It takes longer to get to Falls City from Rickreall or
Dallas than from Main Street.
Some on the Southwest board of directors have said
they will not give up on re-establishing a contract between
the two agencies.
Falls City personnel and volunteers fear the contract
presented late last year was an attempt by Southwest Fire
to take control over administrative duties. It’s true that the
contract would essentially make Falls City Fire Depart-
ment officially part of Southwest. Falls City’s Fire Station
would become a Southwest station as well as the city’s sta-
tion, rather than a joint station. Other sticking points in-
cluded issues with training and accreditation of volun-
teers, money, and “cultural differences.”
Residents demand a compromise.
A compromise is what’s needed here, but the way Falls
City residents speak at meetings and on Facebook, we’re
not sure they are looking for a compromise, something
that requires give and take from both sides to make work.
They are concerned about the safety of their homes and
families, and pointing fingers at Southwest’s fire chief and
board of directors without looking to the people in charge
of Falls City’s department.
It takes two to tango. Southwest cannot be expected to
be the only agency to give into demands or requests. Falls
City will need to decide what’s important to it and if it is
important enough to continue to dig in its heels.
Calling for a third-party mediator is a good start. South-
west Fire Chief Fred Hertel said that mediator should have
knowledge about fire and EMS departments and proce-
dures.
We think a marriage counselor would work fine.
PUBLIC AGENDA
Public agenda is a listing of upcoming meetings for gov-
ernmental and nongovernmental agencies in Polk County.
To submit a meeting, send it at least two weeks before the
actual meeting date to the Itemizer-Observer via email
(ionews@polkio.com).
—
wEDnESDay, Jan. 10
• Polk County Board of Commissioners — 9 a.m., Polk
County Courthouse, first floor conference room, 850 Main St.,
Dallas. 503-623-8173.
• independence Heritage Museum Commission — 4 p.m.,
Independence Heritage Museum, 112 S. Third St., Independ-
ence. 503-838-1212.
• Monmouth Library advisory Board — 7 a.m., Monmouth
Public Library, 168 Ecols St. S., Monmouth. 503-838-0725.
• Monmouth Parks and Recreation Board — 7 p.m., Volun-
teer Hall, 144 Warren St. S., Monmouth. 503-838-0725.
THuRSDay, Jan. 11
• Polk County Fire District no. 1 Board — 6 p.m., Central
Station 90, 1800 Monmouth St., Independence. 503-838-1510.
• Falls City City Council — 6 p.m., Falls City Community Cen-
ter, 320 N. Main St., Falls City. 503-787-3631.
FRiDay, Jan. 12
• Monmouth Tree advisory Board — 7 p.m., Monmouth
Senior Center, 180 Warren St. S., Monmouth. 503-838-0725.
TuESDay, Jan. 16
• Polk County Board of Commissioners work session — 9
a.m., Polk County Courthouse, first floor conference room, 850
Main St., Dallas. 503-623-8173.
• independence Historic Preservation Commission — 4
p.m., Independence Civic Center, 555 S. Main St., Independence.
503-838-1212.
• Monmouth City Council — 7 p.m., Volunteer Hall, 144 War-
ren St. S., Monmouth. 503-838-0725.
• Dallas City Council — 7 p.m., Dallas City Hall, 187 SE Court
St., Dallas. 503-831-3502.
wEDnESDay, Jan. 17
• Polk County Board of Commissioners — 9 a.m., Polk
County Courthouse, first floor conference room, 850 Main St.,
Dallas. 503-623-8173.
• Monmouth Planning Commission — 7 p.m., Volunteer
Hall, 144 Warren St. S., Monmouth. 503-838-0725.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Dallas deserves
answers to firing
I am amazed at the
amount of money Mr. Fog-
gin will receive monthly for
the next nine months. At
$15,425.20 per month, that
comes to a total of
$138,826.80.
I do understand Mr. Fog-
gin gets the monthly pay
until he finds another job or
the maximum of nine
months.
With this kind of pay
guaranteed for nine
months, why should he look
for a job?
I feel the taxpayers of
Dallas are entitled to the
reason Mr. Foggin has been
terminated and why he is
getting such a generous sev-
erance package.
How much does a city
manager get paid, especially
the size of Dallas?
How much did Mr. Fog-
gin get paid per month
when he was working for
the city?
It now appears the city is
paying Mr. Ellis to be inter-
im city manager, and how
much is he being paid per
month?
Where is the city of Dallas
coming up with the money
for this extra expense?
It is time for the residents
of Dallas to let the city
council know they should
be accountable, especially
for all expenditures.
Red Flaska
Dallas
Editor’s note: Ron Foggin
was paid $12,035 per
month, plus benefits, as Dal-
las’ city manager, as reported
in a Dec. 7, 2016, story in the
Itemizer-Observer about his
2016 evaluation.
The difference between his
former monthly salary and
his monthly severance is the
cash value of his benefits.
Foggin was terminated at
his 2017 evaluation for no
cause, as reported in a Dec.
6, 2017, Itemizer article. On
Dec. 13, 2017, the Itemizer
reported that Greg Ellis ac-
cepted the job as interim city
manager for Dallas at a
monthly pay rate of $12,000.
Dallas loses more
than bank location
News of the April 3 clo-
sure of the Dallas branch of
Bank of America is more
meaningful to this commu-
nity than many realize.
While Bank of America is
a national banking giant,
the Dallas branch is the last
branch on a tree that start-
ed from two locally-owned
and appreciated banks: Dal-
las City Bank and Dallas Na-
tional Bank.
The latter was started by
the Woods family that, in
successive generations, has
been in one person or an-
other in the insurance busi-
ness here.
Dallas City Bank was
started by the Cravens who,
in later generations, were
also in the insurance busi-
ness.
During the Depression in
the 1930s, Dallas National
Bank became part of Dallas
City Bank. It subsequently
changed its name to Polk
County State Bank. At that
time it was owned by the
Williams family that bought
the Craven interest in the
institution.
The Williams family went
on to Portland and started
the Oregon Bank while
maintaining ownership of
Polk County State. Later he
made the Dallas bank part
of the Oregon Bank. Ulti-
mately that firm with
branches statewide was sold
to Security Pacific Bank
from California. Later Secu-
rity Pacific was absorbed by
Bank of America — it, in
fact, was later purchased by
Nations Bank of Charlotte,
North Carolina, which
changed its name to Bank
of America.
The closure of this bank
branch ends a long line of
successful service to the
community under local, re-
gional and national owner-
ship. It’s a piece of history
that should not be forgot-
ten.
Dave Weston
Dallas
Volunteers help
‘cheer’s’ success
The old adage “It takes a
village” definitely proves
true for the success of
Christmas Cheer.
Through the incredible
outpouring of goods, time,
monies and love from the
Dallas community, Christ-
mas Cheer 2017 was able to
provide amazing food boxes
to over 310 local families.
Many businesses, organi-
zations, churches, area
schools and wonderful
community members do-
nated more food and finan-
cial support than ever be-
fore.
Christmas Cheer culmi-
nated on Christmas Eve
morning with a pack-out
that included over 400 com-
munity volunteers helping
to sort, shop, package and
deliver food boxes to our
families.
It is truly a day of Christ-
mas Cheer as people come
alongside old friends and
new ones to give of their time
and energy to improve the
holidays for those in need in
the Dallas community.
Due to the tremendous
support of many kind-
hearted people and the suc-
cess of the annual Dallas
Glow Run, Christmas Cheer
has been able to work hand
in hand with other local or-
ganizations that help curb
hunger in our community
throughout the year.
This year Christmas
Cheer is actively supporting
a local grass roots organiza-
tion, The Kindness Club, in
their effort to feed school-
aged children from our
school system.
Christmas Cheer also
helps to meet the needs of
homeless families as well as
other community members
going through difficult
times.
Thank you to everyone
who supports us through
their gracious donations of
time, energy, money and
food.
We certainly could not do
it without our community’s
support.
Sue Lamb
Dallas Christmas Cheer
Board of Directors
Dallas Fire brings
holiday to Dallas
Dallas Fire & EMS has the
honor of helping Santa and
the Dallas Area Chamber of
Commerce decorate the
town each year for Christ-
mas.
We couldn’t do it without
the assistance of Dallas Fire
& EMS and chamber volun-
teers, and specialized lift
trucks and volunteers from
Pacific Power and JRE Elec-
tric.
The decorations have
been carefully stored until
next winter and, don’t
worry, they will be checked,
repaired, and all lights that
are out will be replaced be-
fore they go back up.
We want to extend a spe-
cial thanks to Dallas mo-
torists for your patience and
caution as we install and
take down the decora-
tions — the safety of our
crews and you is our No. 1
priority.
If you want to help defray
the cost of the decorations
and their maintenance,
please make a donation to
the Dallas Area Chamber of
Commerce.
Eriks Gabliks
Deputy Fire Chief
Dallas Fire & EMS
Polk Fire No. 1
provides kindness
We want to thank the
Monmouth ambulance
EMT for their kind expertise
skills and services. What a
wonderful service we have
in our community. Many
thanks to all of you.
Clara and Chris Spradling
Independence
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—
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Mail: Editor, Polk County
Itemizer-Observer, P.O. Box 108,
Dallas, OR 97338.
Fax: 503-623-2395.
Email: ionews@polkio.com.
Office: 147 SE Court St., Dallas.
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nEwSROOM
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Vol. 143, No. 2
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