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About The independent. (Vernonia, Or.) 1986-current | View Entire Issue (June 5, 2003)
Page 28 The INDEPENDENT, June 5, 2003 City of Banks general fund is healthy Banks Budget com m ittee wrapped up its work for this year by approving the 2003- 2004 budget at a May 14 meet ing. The budget will go before the city council for a hearing and final adoption on June 10. Budget committee chair Teri Brandstitr started the May 14 meeting with a discussion about possible ways the city could help reduce insurance costs for city employees, partic ularly those with families. Insur ance costs for city employees have risen dramatically in the last two years since Banks was excluded from the League of Oregon Cities group insurance coverage due to the small num ber of employees. Brandstitr told the committee that any change in the policy would have to be made by city council but that it was important for the budget committee to under stand potential fiscal impacts. Mayor Bob Orlowski told the committee that the general fund is now strong enough to support other funds. In the past, money was “borrowed" from the Traffic Impact Reserve Fund (TIF) to cover operating expenses until tax revenues were received, beginning in December. The TIF is large ($528,000) and is designated for certain street and road im provements. Previously, O r lowski said, there were ques tions about why TIF money was not used for the Oak Way im provements completed a cou ple of years ago. In that case, he explained, the intersection improvements were included in the permit process and were the developer’s responsibility. However, Orlowski told the committee, it is important that TIF remain intact because it may qualify for use in the Sell ers Road realignment and im provements. According to budget clerk Debra Deegan the budget com mittee concluded this year’s meetings with a discussion of the budget adoption process. After approval by the budget committee, the budget goes to city council for adoption. Coun cil can take action to increase spending up to 10% of the total amount of the budget. Any ad ditional increase requires a supplemental budget and the budget committee must be re convened. CORRECTION The address of surplus property sold by the City of Banks was 140 Market Street. The Independent had an incor rect address for the property in the issue of May 15, 2003. Music in May attracts 500 Northwest music students The annual Music in May Festival, the only college-spon sored high school music festi val in the Northwest, at Pacific University, was held May 28 through 31. Approximately 500 student musicians from com munities throughout Oregon, Washington and Idaho partici pated in the festival, which con cluded with a final concert at Banks man named to PSU President’s List Banks High School gradu ate Kevin Vandecoevering has qualified for the Winter 2003 President’s List at Portland State University. He is enrolled in the School of Business Ad ministration Pacific University’s Athletic Center. Banks and Vernonia stu dents participating in the recent Music in May, at Pacific Univer sity in Forest Grove, included Gesenia Mejia, Katie Looper and Eryk Olsen of Banks High School, and Christopher Richardson of Vernonia High School. Music in May offers student musicians three days of work shops, lessons and rehearsals. The annual event is sponsored by Pacific University’s Music Department. Students stay in residence halls with school chaperones. High school choral, band and orchestra students are se- lected to participate based on their school music ensemble di rector’s recommendation and the instrumentation needs of the Music in May ensembles. The grand finale concert fea tured four conductors, including Dr. Michael Burch-Pesses, Pa cific’s director of bands, and visiting conductors from North western University, the Univer sity of Cincinnati’s College- Conservatory of Music, and the Midwest Young Artists in Chica go, Illinois. Helicopter landing site being built in Banks for Life Flight service Transportation agencies are all too familiar with the possibil ity of serious accidents on Ore gon Highways 6 and 47, as well as other country roads. When accidents or other life-threaten ing emergencies occur, quick response is crucial. Now, a cre ative public-private partnership is developing a landing pad for Life Flight service in Banks. Chief Brian Coussens of Banks Fire District and Betty Colgrove of Life Flight Network started the ball rolling by select ing a site and developing a lay out for the landing spot. Then they contacted Ray Mott, ODOT Maintenance Supervisor at Manning, and ODOT set aside land for the pad at the in tersection of Highways 6 and 47 in Banks. Brush was cleared and de bris removed from the site by a Washington County Sheriff's Office Jail inmate work crew supervised by Deputy Terry Rilling, with help from Evers Dairy employees. Mott then spoke to local con tractor Dave Dober Construc tion, who readily agreed to pre pare the site and install pit-run base rock. Sunset Rock sup plied the rock and ODOT in stalled a crushed rock leveling course. Westside Rock sup plied the final layer of crushed rock and now Washington County will shape and prep the pad so the area will be ready for paving. W ashington County Engi neer Greg Miller, arranged to have the county’s Department of Land Use and Transportation help with the paving and Gary Baker, of Baker Rock, agreed to supply the 75 tons of asphalt hot mix needed for the project. When the weather and the paving crew’s schedules coin cide, the pad will be finished. Life Flight will make a test land ing at the new pad at a date to be determined. Baker Rock, Dave Dober Construction, Evers Dairy, Sun set Rock, and Westside Rock are all committed to the good of this community. Banks Fire Dis trict No. 13, Life Flight Network, ODOT and Washington County are all committed to the safety of roadway users. For more information, con tact Chief Brian Coussens, Banks Fire District #13 at 503- 324-6262; or e-mail to <bri anc@ banksfire.org>. M ain S treet A ppliances DAY B JUNE 15,2005 HUTCHINS TV & APPLIANCE Sales & Service Guaranteed S toves -W ashers - D ryers R efrigerators • F reezers BRING IN THIS A D FOR 10% OFF Possible Pickup & Delivery Discount Prices in Banks 180 S. 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