WOEC negotiating lower wholesale rate from BPA
By Jim Buxton
West Oregon Electric Co
operative board of directors
has agreed in principle to a
new power sales contract
with Bonneville Power Admin
istration (BPA).
The action took place last
night during the regular Au
gust board meeing, after the
directors met behind closed
doors with WOEC corporate
attorney Charles Fadeley.
Before the vote, Director
David Hess, a member of the
Voi. 11, No. 16
board’s Power Supply sub-
committee, described the
process to members present
at the meeting.
According to Hess, WOEC
had broken ground last year
by successfully negotiating a
unique contract with BPA,
providing stable rates for
WOEC members.
The contract is no longer
unique, however, since other
utilities have followed suit, ne
gotiating even lower rates
from BPA. Now WOEC and
BPA are about to agree to a
better deal for WOEC.
Elements of the new
agreement include:
• Reduction in the whole
sale power cost to WOEC, to
2.463 cents per kilowatt-hour,
starting in September.
• Elimination of built-in 2.75
percent rate increases, as in
the present contract.
• No demand charge.
• Extension of the contract
to 2001.
INSIDE:
• WOEC must purchase
power exclusively from BPA,
except...
• Option to purchase power
from other suppliers for cus
tomers who draw over 10
megawatts.
• WOEC will not be re
quired to pay “stranded costs”
if it does not continue to pur
chase power form BPA in the
future.
• No change in the conser
vation plan.
Please see page 16
“ Voice of the Upper Nehalem River Valley"
Meet new VHS
principal
.............see pg. 7
Are Vernonia
schools ready
for classes?
.............see pg. 8
Banks Eagle
Scout
.............see pg. 9
August 21, 1996
M illio n -d o llar road
levy will be on ballot
A two-year, $1 million seri
al levy will be on the Septem
ber 17 ballot to fund Columbia
County road repairs and
maintenance.
The levy is intended to
help finance road work that
the county has been unable
to do because of the massive
damage caused by February
flood. The flood damage has
taken precedence, by neces
sity, but much more work is
needed.
While much of the flood-re
lated damage will be covered
by federal agencies, the
county estimates that its por-
tion of the cost will exceed
$400,000. In addition, the
road department has been
falling steadily behind in its
maintenance schedule be
cause of inadequate rev
enues.
Simply put, road usage
has increased at a more rapid
pace than road department
revenues.
The serial levy, which
would generate $500,000 per
year for two years, is expect
ed to cost 20.5 cents per
$1,000 of assessed property
value.
City sets public meeting
about hazard mitigation
The Hazard Mitigation
Committee has identified
Good news: City
grant is approved
Courthouse security measures
The Columbia County
Courthouse has begun to in
stitute building security mea
sures. Recently posted signs
at the entrances to the court
house warn persons not to
bring weapons or hazardous
substances into the building.
These include guns, mace,
pepper spray or the following
described knives: "Any knife
having a blade that projects
or swings into position by
force of a spring or by cen
trifugal force and commonly
known as a switchblade knife,
any dirk, dagger, ice pick,
slung shot, metal knuckles, or
any similar instrument by the
use of which injury could be
inflicted upon the person or
property of any other person."
A person who brings a firearm
into the courthouse is in viola
tion of Oregon Revised
Statutes.
Anyone appearing in court
who wishes to present a
weapon as evidence in a
criminal proceeding may turn
it in to the Sheriff’s Office, in
the basement of the court-
house. Anyone else who
comes to the courthouse with
a weapon should secure the
weapon in the trunk of their
vehicle.
Additional security mea
sures are being planned for
implementation at a later
date.
Filing time extended--------
Vernonia residents wishing
to file for election as either a
City Council member or May
or may continue to do so until
August 26 at 5:00 p.m.
Monday night, the Vernon
ia City Council extended the
time for filing from the previ
ously announced July 29 to
August 26, after it was
brought to their attention that
the early closing date could
unnecessarily prevent poten
tial candidates from taking out
nomination papers.
The City of Vernonia re
ceived good news with ap
proval of their grant request
ed for a thorough feasibility
study of a “Vernonia building”
that can combine city offices,
police department, library,
courtroom, visitor information
center and more.
In addition to approving the
$47,500 grant, the Northwest
Oregon Economic Alliance
also agreed to hold a $37,500
grant previously awarded to
the Vernonia Chamber of
Commerce so it can be used
to help with the Vernonia
building after the design
phase is complete.
Even more exciting to city
officials, was a request by
NOEA that the city return in
the fall to seek construction
funds. City Administrator
Vergie Ries has assured the
council that the grant request
will be ready.
goals to be incorporated in
the mitigation plan. Some of
the goals are to:
• Encourage growth out of
the flood way and flood plain.
• Raise structures deter
mined to be substantially
damaged.
• Acquire greenway by
buying out structures sub
stantially damaged
• Expand Urban Growth
Boundary out of flood plain.
• Diligently adhere to flood
plain development regula
tions.
These goals will affect
everyone living, or owning
property, in the flood plain
and may affect many others.
For that reason, the first
public informational meeting
on nazard mitigation within
the City of Vernonia will be
held August 27, 7:00 - 9:00
p.m., in the Fire Hall meeting
room.
The meeting has been set
to answer questions about
mitigation requirements and
to provde residents with the
opportunity to make sugges
tions.