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About The independent. (Vernonia, Or.) 1986-current | View Entire Issue (April 17, 2003)
The INDEPENDENT, April 17, 2003 Page 13 anks Council returns to nuisance abatement, park maintenance Nuisance abatement, the park maintenance agreement, and the impact of PERS on city funding were the main items at the Banks City Council meeting April 8. Nuisance Abatement Last month, apartments lo cated at 263 and 265 Wilkes St. were declared in violation of the city nuisance ordinance. The property owner was sent a letter requiring compliance by late March, according to city at torney Jim Lucas. Police Chief Daryl Crandall showed council photos of the property from last month and this month that clearly indicate the condition of the property has continued to degrade. In a phone conversation, Lu cas said, the property owner seems anxious to clean up the property, but claims that the cars and garbage in question belong to a renter. Councilor Kirk Andrews said that half of the building has two year old fire damage, and wondered if this would meet the city’s at tractive nuisance ordinance. Council directed Crandall to draft another letter detailing re quirements and granted the homeowner until May 13, the next city council meeting, to comply. Park Maintenance Pact David Valdez, secretary treasurer of the Arbor Village Homeowners Association (AVHA), brought an AVHA pro posal to council in February, outlining a process for the city to take over maintenance of Greenville Park. The cost for maintaining the park is current ly included in AVHA member fees, though the park is owned by the city. Valdez told council that this creates tension and that AVHA was looking for an equitable and responsible solu tion. The plan proposed by AVHA has an 18-month take-over time to allow the city and AVHA to secure funding for continued maintenance of the park. Be ginning July 1, 2003, the plan calls for the city to take over re sponsibility for irrigation of the park. The association pays ap proximately $9,000 annually to irrigate. Because the city sells water at the same amount it costs to produce clean water, city irrigation expense would be the same, according to Mayor Bob Orlowski. The AVHA plan would further have the city take over the entire cost, approxi mately $30,000, at the begin ning of the 2004-2005 fiscal year. According to Valdez, AVHA members don’t anticipate any reduction in the amount they pay for park maintenance. Us ing the example of a park levy, which would assess fees based on property values, Valdez said it could result in higher costs for many homeowners, but that it is more equitable to spread the cost throughout the city, since all city residents use the park. Responding to a question from Andrews about how much would have to be raised to cov er park maintenance costs, Valdez said that an additional $5 fee on the water bills would cover current costs. Orlowski noted that the city’s water rates are currently among the high est, compared to thirty other cities. Councilor Pete Edison- added that all cities pay for their parks. Speaking from the audience, Franklin Smith asked why council could not simply sell the land for more houses in order to increase income for the city, Orlowski explained that deed- ing the park to the city was part of the land use approval that al- lowed the development to be built. The city can use the land for a park, only, not for any an- other purpose, Orlowski said. The city’s general fund will be reduced in the next fiscal year because of the loss of to bacco settlement money, Or lowski explained, and because the city has very few buildable lots remaining, there will not be much income from building fees. Orlowski explained further that a levy can be put on the ballot, either by the council or through the initative process, and reminded council that they have already placed a police department levy on the ballot this year. The discussion ended when Valdez said that AVHA has re ceived a verbal opinion from their attorney that the city has “legal exposure.” Council will continue the discussion in ex ecutive session next month, af ter the city attorney has an op portunity to speak with repre sentatives of AVHA and their at torney. Ye Olde Dingheiser Pub & Restaurant VISA - M C - ATM Access M ain S treet A ppliances Sales & Service Guaranteed S toves • W ashers • D ryers R efrigerators • F reezers BRING IN THIS AD FOR 10% OFF Possible Pickup & Delivery Discount Prices in Banks 180 S. M aim S treet * B anks 503-324-0997 S trassei ’ s A uto R epair & H ydraulic H oses 2-4-6 S piral W ire F lange H ead • S uction H oses A daptors - 3/16" to 2” B ulk O il P roducts 5 ^ 276 S unset , R anks 503-324-9108 SUNSET LAUNDRY W ash ...$1.00 D ry...250 180 S. Main St. • Banks, Oregon PERS Increase When a public employee ac crues more than 600 hours in a calendar year, Mayor Orlowski told the council, Public Employ ees Retirement System (PERS) benefits are triggered. Two li brary employees have met this threshold and the city will be re- quired to pay PERS benefits for them. Orlowski complimented the library staff for including both this increased expenditure and building a beginning fund balance to cover the possibility of the library levy failing (which ¡t did). However, Orlowski told council that he does not want the city to get in a position of having increasing, uncontrol- lable expenses, such as man- dated PERS benefits, when revenues are stable or falling. Orlowski asked council to consider setting a policy that no city employee could work more than 600 hours without council approval. Further, he asked that council direct the library to roll back the hours of the two positions that have qualified for PERS benefits to less than the 600 hour threshold so that those positions could be re moved from the PERS roll. Library com m issioner Ed Ohlman told council that it will be difficult to attract qualified people to work at greatly re duced hours. The current posi tions are held by two half-time employees, and would have to be filled by four employees to stay under the 600 hour limit. N open1- Breakfast • Mayor Orlowski informed council that the city’s insurance carrier is looking for a less ex pensive alternative for employ ee health insurance. • Brock Banks told council that the parks committee would be re-bidding the landscaping contract for a three-year period in order to reduce expense. • Appointed Jeannette Gar- nsey, Brian Biehl, Dee Coffey, Robert Murdoch, Gary Coffey, John Deegan and Jim Branstitre to the budget com mittee. • Approved the budget cal endar. Presentation of the budget message will be at the first meeting on April 23 at 7:00 p.m. The budget committee will also meet April 30, with addi tional meetings scheduled for May 7 and 14, if needed. A budget hearing will be held May 21 and the budget will be adopted at the June 10 council meeting. BANKS M IN I STORAGE FOOD, KEGS & ICE TO GO Daily 11:00 am - Closing Other Business I have long been o f the opinion that i f work were such a splendid thing the rich would have kept more o f it for themselves. The Observer, London, May 22,1988 COCKTAILS • BEER • WINE L u n c h & D in n e r Councilor Ryan Birr asked if it would be possible to draft a policy that no city position could expand the number of hours worked to the point that retire ment benefits were triggered. Discussion ended when Lu cas suggested that the item should be included on the regu lar agenda in order to ensure that those affected received ad equate notice. The discussion will be continued in May. Ask about our tc, Clock & Lock Giveaway!" Sat-Sun 9 am - Noon Pay 3 months and get 4th month FREE! Ask about our Long Term Lease rates SUNDAYS 5-8 PM Specials available for a limited time CASH PRIZES!! ZZI 'W e have All Lottery Games CLOSED MONDAYS 47100 N W Sunset Hwy. Manning • 324-4848 the lowest rates in town ! 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