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About Seaside signal. (Seaside, Or.) 1905-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 27, 2015)
6A • November 27, 2015 • Seaside Signal • seasidesignal.com Dale McDowell digs in to big building projects Seaside resident brings about 40 years of construction experience to Public Works position wastewater and storm sys- tems; water lines; and water treatment and sewer treat- ment plants. He has built rela- tionships with governmental agencies including the Or- egon Department of Trans- portation, Department of En- By Katherine Lacaze vironmental Quality, Army Seaside Signal Corps of Engineers and the Seaside’s new Public Oregon Department of Fish Works Director Dale Mc- and Wildlife. McDowell sought to be- Dowell foresees no major changes to the department un- come Public Works Direc- der his leadership but plans to tor in anticipation of “a little continue supporting staff and change.” “It’s the only facet that I serving community residents haven’t really been involved as they tackle new projects. McDowell, a 12-year Sea- in construction,” he said. “I side resident, started work- thought it would be interest- ing as Public Works Director ing.” As a director, he has more 1RY+HLV¿OOLQJWKHUROH formerly held by Neal Wal- managerial responsibilities, lace, who retired in June. including “a lot of paper- Wallace served the city for work,” which he said he doesn’t mind. about 17 years. McDowell oversees a staff McDowell brings to the job about 40 years of expe- of 19 from the engineering, rience in the construction water, sewer and streets and industry. Most recently, he parks departments. He also worked for TFT Construc- works with the Seaside build- tion, a full-service contractor ing and planning departments based in Scappoose. Prior on several projects. When he accepted the to that, he worked for a con- tractor based in Astoria. He position as Public Works Di- has experience and training rector, McDowell served on working on buildings; roads; the Transportation Adviso- KATHERINE LACAZE/SEASIDE SIGNAL Dale McDowell started as Seaside’s new Public Works Director on Nov. 9. ry Commission, the Budget Committee and the City Tree Board. He had to resign from the budget committee; he will continue serving on the City Tree Board and the Transpor- tation Advisory Commission but as the staff representative, a position he also will take on the Airport Committee and Parks Advisory Committee. Additionally, in the past, McDowell volunteered to help install playground equip- ment at Cartwright Park. He said he believes it is important to volunteer. “You have to give back to your community,” McDow- ell said. “Sometimes when you’re younger, you don’t really realize that, and as you get older, you really realize it. You want to do those things.” In particular, he liked serv- ing on the city’s Budget Com- mittee, where he could see how the city was spending its tax revenue. As Public Works Director, McDowell hopes to bring to the table more learning op- portunities for employees. “A lot of it is training the staff from the construction end of it, to show them some of the new techniques that are out there,” he said. “There’s quite a bit of difference when you’re maintaining some- thing and when you’re build- ing it from scratch to start with.” He wants his staff to be ad- ept at both. McDowell also plans on bringing more projects to the table and writing grants to get funds to do so. “We have a long, long list of projects,” he said. The city has to decide which “ones to take on at a time because of funding.” Besides the North Hol- laday Drive improvement McDowell seeks team effort on Holladay project Holladay from Page 1A City Engineer Geoff Lil- jenwall, project engineer Al Hardwood and McDowell will oversee the project and KDQGOHWKH¿QDOLQVSHFWLRQ but McDowell hopes other city departments join in. “It’s a citywide project and I want everyone involved on it,” McDowell said, adding when people can offer their opinions on a project, they become invested and “take a little ownership in it.” CenturyLink and Charter Communications delivered plans later than expected, de- laying the project. Some in- house engineering and design plans also took longer than expected. :KLOH FLW\ RI¿FLDOV KDG KRSHG WR KDYH DOO ZRUN ¿Q- ished by Memorial Day, they are now asking the general contractor to achieve “sub- stantial completion” by that time. May 27 is the “key paving date,” when all the asphalt and curbs need to be laid — ahead of Memorial Day — “so that the road could be opened and used,” McDowell said. The project is scheduled to continue for about 30 days afterward, for the contractor to put in the rest of the side- walks, landscaping and elec- trical hook-ups, he said. The city will replace the existing sewer main, water Beach Elementary School before being hired to replace former superintendent Harold Riggan in 1998. Phillips, who was on the board when it hired Dough- erty, said he “absolutely” has achieved everything the board hoped for and expect- ed when it made the decision. Phillips described Dougherty as “the epitome of the oppo- site” of Riggan, a tall, ath- letic man who commanded respect and attention with his physical presence. “Dougherty has com- manded respect because of the work ethic and the knowledge he has,” Phillips said, adding he provides the board with background infor- mation and research to help members make every deci- sion regarding the district. Dougherty’s retirement is coming “quicker than a lot BUSINESS DIRECTORY C ONSTRUCTION B OB M C E W AN C ONSTRUCTION , INC . E XCAVATION • U NDERGROUND U TIITIES R OAD W ORK • F ILL M ATERIAL S ITE P REPARATION • R OCK OWNED AND OPERATED BY main, force main and storm drainage along North Hol- laday and connect existing sewer and water service to the new water and sewer main. The project details installation of underground vaults and conduits for con- version of the existing over- head utilities — electrical, telephone and cable — to million to $3.2 million. The cost of a bond for a project so expensive may prohibit some smaller, local con- tractors from bidding on the project, McDowell said. However, the city will sup- ply local companies with in- formation about the general contractors bidding on the project. That “gives local contractors the opportuni- ty to know who to contact” about subcontracting op- portunities, he said, which is better than waiting until the job is awarded and then trying to “get in” as a sub- contractor. underground utilities. “The only way they can New pavement and side- walks will complete the really work on the project is to get a subcontracting op- project. Utility providers include portunity, so that’s why it’s 3DFL¿F3RZHU&HQWXU\/LQN key they contact the gener- and Charter Communica- al contractors,” McDowell tions. Water and sewer are said. “Everything is pub- lic record. We just have to public utilities. The estimated cost of the make sure they’re looking at project ranges from $2.8 the public record.” Dougherty ‘commanded respect’ due to his work ethic Dougherty from Page 1A Additionally, he said, the city would like to put all the ‘You have to give back utilities throughout the city to your community. underground, “but unfor- everything comes Sometimes when you’re tunately down to funding.” younger, you don’t The city does some small project and many repairs in- really realize that, house. They have to send cer- and as you get older, tain projects out to public bid based on the city’s charter and you really realize it.’ state laws. Dale McDowell McDowell does not antic- ipate there will be any major changes to the department un- project — scheduled for der his leadership. He would completion by summer 2016 like to get more city employ- — the city also is eying an ees involved in each project improvement project for Av- “so everyone gets a say or enue S, from its intersection at least an opinion on it,” he with Roosevelt Drive to Wa- said. hanna Road, and redoing the “Any time you haves a intersection of Broadway and change in administration, Roosevelt Drive near Seaside there is always some chang- &LW\ +DOO &LW\ RI¿FLDOV WR es that go on, too. But a lot put in turn lanes so the traf- of what was being done will ¿FGRHVQRWJHWVREDFNHGXS continue,” McDowell said. during busy days. The depart- “Like I’ve told all the staff, ment is “going to do some I’m not here to change what preliminary design for that” they’re doing. I’m here to project, to determine what support them. And along the can be done with the avail- way, we’ll probably make able property at that location, some changes, but for the McDowell said, adding they time being, we still have to will “see what we can come provide for the city and the up with and then get some residents, and that’s our most funding to pursue that.” important focus.” of us anticipated,” Phillips said, but “obviously we sup- port Doug.” “He’s been a personal hero to a lot of us,” Phillips said. In the past, Dougherty has served on the board of directors for the Confed- eration of Oregon School Administrators, the board of directors for the Oregon As- sociation of School Execu- tives, the superintendent ad- vis o er to the Oregon State Board and the advis o er to the Oregon Department of Education State Assessment Committee. Presently, Dougherty is involved with the Vi- sion and Policy Coalition of the Oregon Association of School Executives, the 2UHJRQ2I¿FHRI(PHUJHQ- cy Management: Planning Team for the Cascadia Ris- ing 2016 Statewide Func- tional Exercise, the Ore- CON CEAL CONCEAL CARRY CARRY PERM IT PERMIT CLASS CLASS Oregon – O rego n 34 - U States tah - Valid D ecem b er 12 th Utah Valid 35 States 1 PM o r 6 PM Best W estern : 5 5 5 Ha m b urg Ave, Asto ria O OR/Utah–valid R/U ta h— va lid in in WA W A $80 $80 or o r Oregon O reg o n only o n ly $4 5 $45 | Firea rm Tra in in gN W @ gm a il.com w w shauncurtain.com w .Firea rm Tra in in gN W .com ~ shauncurtain@gmail.com 36 0-921-2071 360-921-2071 gon Seismic Safety Policy Advisory Commission and the Earthquake Engineering Research Institute’s School Earthquake Safety Initiative Subcommittee. Dougherty stated in his letter he is grateful to par- ents and community mem- bers for their support and amazing generosity. “I also want to thank the current and past administrators, teachers and staff for tirelessly creating collaborative learning environments as they develop our community’s greatest asset — its children,” he wrote. M IKE AND C ELINE M C E WAN 503-738-3569 34154 H WY 26, S EASIDE , OR P.O. B OX 2845, G EARHART , OR S ERVING THE P ACIFIC N ORTHWEST S INCE 1956 • CC48302 R EMODELING & R EPAIR Da n Cho jn a cki Rem o d elin g a n d Rep a ir 20 yea rs exp erien ce to better s erve you CCB #204834 • Ho m e Rep a irs • Des ign & Co n s u lta tio n • Rem o d el Pro jects • K itchen & Ba thro o m s • S m a ll Ad d itio n s • Do o r & W in d o w Rep la cem en t • Pres s u re W s hin g • Ro t Rep a ir S p ecia lis t 3 6 0 .5 80 .813 2 O w n er chojnackirem odeling@gm ail.com Da n Chojn a ck i F LOORING 2/3 of Showroom ALWAYS ON SALE! Window Treatments, Fabric, Wallpaper, Flooring and Interior Design 2311 N. Roosevelt Dr., Seaside, OR 97138 • 503-738-5729 rlflooring@yahoo.com • www.RandallLeesFlooring.com Randall Lee’s Flooring Outlet • 3579 Hwy 101 Gearhart • 503-738-6756 Warehouse pricing • Open to the Public • Hundreds of instock rolls & remnants • In House Binding L ANDSCAPING Laurelwood Compost • Mulch • Planting MacMix Soil Amendments YARD DEBRIS DROP-OFF (no Scotch Broom) 503-717-1454 Seaside Kiwanis Christmas Tree Sales 34154 HIGHWAY 26 SEASIDE, OR A DVERTISING Find your perfect tree at the Seaside Kiwanis 2015 tree sale at the Outlet Mall starting BLACK FRIDAY, November 27 th at 10:00am HOURS OF OPERATION Mon thru Fri 3 PM to 6 PM Sat and Sun Noon to 6 PM We have extra fresh trees priced by height not by kind of tree All money raised goes toward the youth of Clatsop County TO PLACE YOUR AD HERE! Call or Email Wendy Richardson 503.791.6615 wrichardson@dailyastorian.com BUSINESS DIRECTORY