Consultants say county needs to triple size of jail
In twenty years, Columbia
County will need a jail that can
hold up to 130 inmates, ac
cording to a study done by jail
consultants Liebert & Associ
ates.
Columbia County officials
have discussed the need for a
larger jail for many years. Now,
with changes in sentencing
that are resulting in longer sen
tences for offenders, the need
is becoming acute.
At this time, the county jail
frequently exceeds its capacity
Voi. 12, No. 16
of 39 male and 6 female pris
One factor in predicting the
oners, resulting in early release county’s future jail needs is po
of prisoners. Law enforcement tential growth. One population
agencies are aso sometimes projection from Portland State
hampered by the overcrowding University predicts a 32-per-
when they must cite and re cent increase in population, or
lease offenders because there more, in the county from 1990
to 2010.
is no space in the jail.
Renovating and remodeling
Another factor is Senate Bill
the current jail in the basement 1145, which places all offend
of the county courthouse is not ers sentenced to a year or less
feasible, the consultants con under the jurisdiction of coun
cluded, because it could not ties. At this time, the average
meet future needs and would sentence of more than half of
not allow adequate expansion. the inmates is 84 days and 81-
Yarbor didn’t break election law
Highway 47 will be closed
to through traffic north of Mist
on Tuesday, Aug. 26, to allow
installation of a new culvert.
The culvert will be placed be
tween Mist Store and Mist
School.
The Oregon Department of
Transportation anticipates the
project will be completed in
one day. The new culvert will
increase creek flow and be
more compatible with the
needs of fish.
Logging Show
plx...................Pg. 8
Banks BBQ
plx.........Pgs. 10-11
4-H Fair
results......... Pg. 12
RlverCity
racing Pgs. 16 & 20
School News...Pg. 18
August 20, 1997 ' ■
Sidewalk ordinance
looked at by council
Washington County Dairy Princess Robin Marsh proudly displays the Grand Prize tro
phy won by her float in the Banks Barbecue Parade.
Hwy. 47 will be
closed one day
percent of all prisoner days are
served by felony offenders. SB
1145 took effect in January.
The Board of Commission
ers has held open forums on
the problem in St. Helens,
Rainier and Clatskanie. Three
more forums will soon be
scheduled in Vernonia, Mist
and Scappoose to discuss the
current situation and possible
options.
The forum dates will be pub
licized as soon as they are
scheduled.
______ ‘Voice of the Upper Nehalem River Valley”
Prize Winner...
Columbia County Commis-
sisoner Joel Yarbor did not vi
olate Oregon election law, as
Scappoose resident Mervin
Arnold charged, according to
INSIDE:
a review by the Elections Di
vision in the office of the Ore
gon Secretary of State.
Arnold’s complained that
public statements by Yarbor
that he would sue Arnold and
others for slander, constituted
“undue influence” against citi
zens who were attempting to
recall Yarbor, intimidating
them into discontinuing their
efforts.
To support his complaint,
Arnold submitted a letter from
Yarbor’s attorney demanding
a retraction of “the false and
defamatory statements made
regarding Mr. Yarbor in the
Petition for Recall,” plus video
and audio tapes of Yarbor’s
statements during a Board of
Commissioners’
meeting
(The INDEPENDENT, July
16, 1997).
“The situation you describe
is not ‘undue influence.’ It is
not an election law violation
for a person who believes
they have been damaged by
allegedly false and slander
ous statements to request a
retraction or to state they in
tend to file a legal lawsuit
against the person(s) making
the statements,” the Elections
Division concluded, accord
ing to a letter dated Aug. 11,
1997.
Those involved in the re
call effort had alternatives to
discontinuing the campaign,
the letter said. They could
have continued and, if sued,
defend their statements in
court, or they could have filed
a new recall petition with a
new statement of reasons.
Residents asked the Ver
nonia City Council, Monday
night, to include in a proposed
sidewalk ordinance for exist
ing buildings the method by
which areas would be chosen
for sidewalk construction.
Kim Tierney and Christo
pher and Ruth Burkett ex
pressed concern about how
the ordinance would be ap
plied because they live on
steep downhill lots in older
homes with very little setback
from the public right-of-way.
Though the proposed ordi
nance is the same as a prior
ordinance which was acci
dentally deleted when side
walk standards for new con
struction were adopted, the
council agreed that it would
be preferable to spell out se
lection criteria. The ordinance
was referred to staff for rec
ommendations.
Two other ordinances were
adopted, one regarding regu
lation of public rights of way,
the other setting system de
velopment charges for water
and wastewater.
The council also agreed to
a request by Vernonia Pride
to review the ordinance gov
erning garage sales, with an
eye to reducing the prolifera
tion of garage sale signs that
are left up long after the sale
date.
Proposed revisions to the
City Charter were accepted
by the council and referred to
City Attorney Diana Shera-
Taylor for a ballot title. It will
appear on the November
General Election ballot for
voter consideration. Copies of
the proposed charter will be
available in City Hall in ad
vance of the election.
The city has received 24
applications for the City Ad
ministrator position. After re
view, they will reduce the ap
plications to the top five, then
set interviews with those ap
plicants.
The next council meeting
will be on Tuesday, Sept. 2,
because the regular meeting
date of Sept. 1 is the Labor
Day holiday.
Federal grant may not provide
more deputies for Columbia Co.
The Federal government is the additional $100,000 need
willing to pay 75-percent of the ed to accept the offer, they
cost of four new patrol deputies have applied for a waiver of the
and equipment for the Colum 25-percent match. Under the
bia County Sheriff’s Office for a grant program, the waiver can
period of three years, but the be approved if the county can
county may not be able to hire show “severe financial dis
them because of lack of funds tress.”
to cover the remaining 25-per-
County officials are waiting
cent.
for a response to the request
Approval was easily ob for a waiver and have no idea
tained because of the county’s what the response will be. It is
tremendous need for assis anticipated that an answer will
tance in paying for law enforce be forthcoming shortly.
ment. The $300,000 in grant
“We have the need,” said
funds was awarded through Columbia County Commission
the COPS (Community Orient er Tony Hyde, “but not the
ed Policing System) program.
funding.”
Because the county lacks