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About The independent. (Vernonia, Or.) 1986-current | View Entire Issue (July 3, 2003)
The INDEPENDENT, July 3, 2003 Page 11 Duckworth appointed to council; police levy will go to voters again In addition to discussion of the Parks Maintenance Agree ment, as reported in the June 19 issue of The INDEPEN DENT, Banks City Council con ducted other business at their meeting June 17. The council is now back to full strength, with the appointment of Heidi Duck worth to fill the council position vacated by Brock Banks (who moved to Idaho). Mayor Bob Orlowski report ed that W ashington County Sheriff Ron Gordon ap proached him last month about the prospect of Banks and North Plains sharing a Wash ington County deputy as police chief for both cities. Gordon’s proposal required both cities to participate because each would pay half of the salary. Accord ing to Orlowski, North Plains declined to participate, citing reasons of local control and the importance of the chief’s day- to-day presence. Banks council members expressed sim ilar concerns. Since North Plains had already declined to partici pate, no action was needed from Banks. Council discussed the failure of the police levy, which re ceived a majority of “yes" votes, ■■■■■■■■■■■■■ M ain S treet A ppliances Sales & Service Guaranteed S toves • W ashers • D ryers R efrigerators • F reeiers BRING IN THIS AD FOR 10% OFF Possible Pickup & Delivery Discount Prices in Banks 180 S. M ain 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 276 S unset , B anks 503 324 9808 SUNSET LA U N D R Y W ash...$ 1 .0 0 D ry...250 180 S. M ain St. B a rk s , Oregon but lost because only 42.8 per cent of registered voters cast ballots. To pass, the levy need ed a “double majority,” with at least 50 percent of registered voters casting at least 50 per cent of their ballots in favor of the measure. Orlowski told council that there is a definite reduction in police service, though officers are trying to meet the city’s needs. In addition, city recorder Debbie Deegan is taking care of much of the paperwork. While going door-to-door before the election, Orlowski told the council, he found that most people believed the levy was for an increase in police fund ing, although it would only con tinue funding at the current lev el. Council voted to place the levy on the September ballot. Councilor Ryan Birr reported that the allocation of the next three years of federal discre tionary money is being dis cussed by the W ashington County Coordinating Commit tee (WCCC). According to Birr, the smaller cities will receive lit tle of these funds, with the bulk of the dollars going to support large projects in the metropoli tan area. After considerable reword ing, council accepted an ordi nance requiring their approval for the maximum number of hours an employee may work and the benefits package they may receive. During the 2002- 2003 fiscal year two library em- ¿joy Jim's 11 AM - 6 PM ployees reached the threshold for participation in the Public Employees Retirement System (PERS). Orlowski proposed the ordinance as a way to limit “un expected and uncontrollable expenses.” Councilor Kirk An drews urged the council to meet with all current employ ees to discuss compensation packages. Future employees will be informed of limitations at the time of employment. Council member Teri Brand- stitre told council that, after evaluating different insurance plans, the amount budgeted appears to be sufficient to offer a modest increase in employee health benefits. Brandstitre and Orlowski will meet with the city’s insurance broker. A deci sion on coverage will be made next month. In other business, council: • Took no action on a request for funds from Little Guy Foot ball. • Approved hiring Debby Brown as Water Clerk. • Approved the sale of a 1993 Ford Crown Victoria and a 32” TV stand as surplus equipment. • Approved a request to hire two on-call library clerks. • Reappointed Ed Ohlman to the Library Commission. Approved a 5 percent salary increase for the city recorder. • Continued an abatement determination until a police offi cer could inform council about compliance. • Approved application for a special city allotment grant for resurfacing Oak Way. • Approved a resolution to adopt the budget, make appro priations, and levy taxes for the 2003-2004 fiscal year. Leadership training program is opportunity for Banks The Ford Family Institute for Community Building has se lected Banks as a recipient for their “Ford Community Leader ship Program” (FCLP). FCLP is an intensive training that will be conducted over four two-day sessions in Banks, plus a two- day Conference of Communi ties, which will be held in Cen tral Oregon. Starting this fall, this will be a wonderful opportunity for around 20 community mem bers, ages 14-74, to increase their skills in communication, conflict management, project management, resource devel opment, volunteer recruitment and more. The training session will be facilitated by Rural De velopment Initiatives (RDI), which recently co-facilitated the Banks Strategic Planning pro- B-B-Q E very F riday a S aturday lf2 Chicken or Beef Rib Dinner $C 5O • , „ □ ...includes Potato Salad, BBQ Beans £r Dinner Roll Sentry ■■■suPMMMKnaHr ...and see us for all o f your Summer •*> Picnic Essentials Jji 660 So. M ain , B anks • 503-324-2171 cess with Laurel Schweitzer, Banks’ R.A.R.E. member. In addition to an estimated $5000 worth of free training, Banks will also have the oppor tunity to apply for a grant of up to $10,000 from the Ford Fam ily Foundation, for a community project. An Advisory Committee, consisting of representatives from the Banks City Council, Planning Commission, Cham ber of Commerce and School District, is currently forming to nominate emerging community leaders. Once they have been invited to apply, the chosen community members will send their applications to the Ford Family Institute, where the final decision will be made on who will be involved. Training will begin in September. The timing of the leadership training couldn’t be more per fect, as a group of about 20 community members just com pleted a Community Strategic Plan in late June. With goals such as “Obtain economic growth through environmental ly clean industry” and “Enhance lifelong learning opportunities in the Banks Community", the plan also lays out strategies and detailed action plans to reach the goals. Armed with leadership training skills, many of these emerging leaders will be better prepared to carry out the actions in the Plan. Musicians invited to join new band The W estern W ashington County Com m unity Band is starting up in the fall. Weekly rehearsals will be on Monday evenings, 7:00 to 9:00 p.m., in the Banks High School band room. The first rehearsal will be Monday, September 22. High school age and older are wel come. For more information, call Mariana Peters at 503-324- 2021 or <tmpeters<® teleport com> by July 1. □ s ■ L -I BANKS ' M IN I STORAGE Ask about our Clock Er Lock Giveaway!" Pay 3 months and get 4th month FREE! Ask about our Long Term Lease rates Specials available for a limited time We can honestly say... 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