Voi. 17, No. 22
“ Voice of the Upper Nehalem River Valley”
___________November 21, 2002
City sets hearing on
proposed park fees
Education funds being closely watched
By Noni Andersen
As the state’s economic con
dition continues its downward
slide, a need for new textbooks
is just one of the situations be
ing monitored by a subcomm it
tee of the Vernonia School Dis
trict budget committee.
In an effort to stay aware of
changes in the revenue picture,
Leslie O ’Leary, Cari Leven-
seller, Cindy Naillon, Robyn
Bassett and I meet monthly at
7:00 a.m. with administrative
team members Mike Funder-
burg, Dawn Plews, Kirk Sherrill
and Mike Durbin.
The meetings are not fun. In
January, if voters say no to a
temporary income tax increase,
Vernonia schools will be look
ing at a decrease of $140,000 -
money that is already budget
ed. The group is now looking,
very reluctantly, at cutting
teaching positions because ap
proximately 80 percent of the
general fund is in salaries.
If necessary, the district will
have to consider closing two
Mist School classrooms, and
moving one teacher from Mist
to Washington Grade School in
order to eliminate busing stu
dents to Mist. The state reim
burses 70 percent of the trans
portation cost, but the other 30
percent may be needed.
Another undesirable alterna
tive would be to eliminate one
teaching position by creating a
blended classroom at Lincoln
Grade School. The “worst
case” scenario would include
selling the Mist property.
The budget monitoring will
continue, no matter what the
outcom e, because in about
three months, the full budget
committee will have to start
work on the 2003-04 budget.
Everyone involved hopes that
the econom y starts to turn
around by that time, but no one
is holding their breath.
The good news is: Vernon organizations and individuals.
Under the proposed regula
ia’s parks are much loved and
tions, for example, if the City of
much used.
The bad news is: Parks cost Vernonia sponsored a potluck
money to maintain and they workshop in the Anderson Park
Picnic Shelter (as they have
don’t pay for themselves.
Therefore, the question be done in the past), there would
fore the Vernonia City Council be no fee. There would be no
is: How can the City maintain fee for the Vernonia Summer
and improve parks without de Youth program, a Class 2 or
ganization, to schedule a
veloping a funding source?
The sticker fee developed potluck and registration in the
last year for vehicles entering
same facility. However, if a po
Vernonia Lake was partially litical organization wanted to
reserve the picnic shelter for a
successful, but the program
couldn’t raise enough money to fund raiser or an informational
meeting, they would have to
be of much help.
Volunteers on the city Parks pay a $30 fee.
Group camping, whether RV
Commission have been study
ing the situation for over a year or tent, would always require a
and, after many meetings and fee for both Class 2 and Class
several workshops - including 3, but the amount would vary. A
some with the council - have group camp is defined as five to
developed a fee schedule, park ten RVs or tents per night.
“ Expectations are high,” for
user regulations and manage
ment responsibilities for all of Vernonia’s parks, said Public
W orks Director Robyn Bassett,
the parks.
Users may make reserva “but the grants are gone.”
Vernonia has been fortunate
tions for park facilities and
sports fields, with varying fees, in being allowed to use “in-kind”
depending on the facilities re contributions, Bassett said, as
served, what activities are matching “money” for grants.
scheduled and the users’ clas However, maintenance and im
sification. Three classes of provements in the future will re
quire actual cash to meet grant
users have been identified:
Class 1 is for activities spon requirements.
Everyone interested in the
sored by the City of Vernonia.
Class 2 is composed of non future of Anderson Park, Ver
profit organizations sponsoring
nonia Lake, H aw kins Park,
an activity, or activities, for the Spencer Field, Airport Park and
primary purpose of serving the Ora Bolm eier Park is invited to
educational or recreational attend the public hearing on
needs of youth in Vernonia.
December 2 at 6:30 p.m. in the
Class 3 is all other groups (in Council Chambers at Vernonia
cluding religious and political), City Hall.
Volunteer firefighters needed, ideas wanted for workshop
As recent incidents have
shown, there is a critical short
age of volunteer firefighters in
Vernonia who are available to
respond to emergencies during
normal, daytime working hours.
In an effort to alleviate the prob
lem, the Vernonia Rural Fire
Protection District has sched
uled a workshop to discuss
ways to recruit and train more
people.
All ideas and suggestions
will be considered and the pub
lic is urged to attend. The work
shop will be on Tuesday, No
vem ber 26 at 7:00 p.m., in the
fire hall, 555 E. Bridge Street.