Page 12
The INDEPENDENT, August 21, 2003___________________________________________________ _ _ ________ _________ ___________________________
Banks Council and AVHA résumé talks about park maintenance
Following an extended exec
utive session, Banks City
Council discussed the Parks
Maintenance Agreement with
Arbor Village Homeowners As
sociation (AVHA) President
David Valdez, at their August
12 meeting. Referring to an in
creasingly contentious dis
agreement on the costs and re
sponsibility for maintenance
and water, Valdez said that he
wanted to work with the council
to “end the nightmare situation
in a mutually beneficial and col
laborative way.”
In February, council had
agreed to extend the existing
agreement until June 30, and to
work with AVHA to draft a new
agreement. At that time, AVHA
Banks Police
levy on ballot
in September
Voters will be asked to main
tain funding for law enforce
ment in the City of Banks by re
newing a five year operating levy
dedicated to police services.
The levy, which will be on
the September 16 mail ballot,
would replace an existing five
year levy which will end next
year. The new levy would
maintain the same rate as the
existing levy - $1.80 per
$1,000 of assessed property
value. This is approximately
$180 per year for property as
sessed at $100,000.
A group of Banks citizens
have formed a committee to
answer questions about the
levy and to work for its pas
sage. Anyone wishing to con
tact them may leave a mes
sage at 503-324-9114.
proposed that the city begin
paying
for
irrigation
at
Greenville Park in July, as a
transition to accepting all re
sponsibility for park mainte
nance in July of 2004. Council
requested that information
about maintenance costs be
presented in March.
Subsequently,
discussion
stopped abruptly when AVHA
board members implied legal
action, saying they had been
informed by an attorney that
the city had a “legal exposure.”
Discussions resumed at the
April and May council meet
ings, centered around vague
“ legal opinions” offered by
AVHA board members that the
homeowners
association
should not be responsible for
the water bill. After an execu
tive session, council extended
the current agreement until a
new agreement could be
reached. In July, council decid
ed to put a parks levy before
the voters in the September
election.
At the August meeting,
Valdez said that the two groups
had been working at cross-pur
poses and that none of the ac
tions or statements made by
AVHA board members were
meant to polarize the situation.
He added that AVHA would be
paying the entire water bill, in
cluding fees and interest, and
that the board was formally
withdrawing a letter sent to the
city in July.
Valdez asked for a letter to
the homeowners’ association
saying that the city would re
lease AVHA of its financial obli
gation when the park levy
passed. Mayor Bob Orlowski
explained that it is necessary to
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sponsible for the maintenance
of any future improvements to
the park. According to Lucas,
the city is also responsible for
repairs necessitated by any
damages occurring during a
city-approved event when the
park has been rented.
see what the public response
will be before effecting any
change, although several coun
cil members indicated that it is
their intention to release AVHA
if the levy passes.
Valdez also asked council to
begin a process to “seek com
mon ground on the cost of wa
ter." When asked for a defini
tion by Katie Murdoch, Valdez
said that the high commercial
water rate was difficult for
AVHA. Orlowski explained that
the city water rate structure is
not based on zoning (i.e.
whether a property is commer
cial, industrial or residential)
but on the volume of water
used. High volume users are
billed at a higher rate because
large quantities of water are
more expensive to produce.
Further, according to Orlowski,
the city must provide "equal
treatment under the law" for all
entities and cannot reduce the
water rate for any one cus
tomer. Valdez suggested possi
bly adding language that would
allow the city to negotiate water
rates for city-owned properties
such as the park. Discussion
will continue at future meetings.
Police Department
Orlowski told council that the
high bidder for the police car
sold as surplus had requested
to withdraw from the agree
ment. According to Orlowski,
the city should be able to get
more money for the car than
was offered so he readily
agreed. The car will be put up
for sale again to be sold as sur
plus by sealed bid.
Banks Police Officer Bruce
Bringman reported that the de
partment will have a Kids Care
booth at the Banks Barbeque,
to give away bike helmets and
take ID photos. The department
will again raffle off two bicycles.
Because of several con
frontations with partygoers at
Schlegel Hall in Sunset Park
during these events, Bringman
explained, in addition to the se
curity provided by Sunset Park,
the department has decided to
post a reserve officer on the
New Parks chairman
Later in the meeting, Coun
cilor Kirk Andrews introduced
Tina Sturmer, the new chair
man of the Parks Committee,
who requested information
about what AVHA’s fiscal obli
gations. Orlowski said that city
attorney Jim Lucas had clari
fied the issue earlier in the
evening: Everything currently in
place in Greenville Park must
be maintained at the expense
of AVHA. The city would be re
premises in order to ensure of
ficer safety. Andrews asked if
the additional police presence
was being billed to the Park.
Orlowski said that since the
park had not requested the ad
ditional coverage it was not be
ing billed. Andrews also raised
a concern about the liquor li
cense at the hall. Orlowski told
council that he would report
next month on possible actions
the city could take.
Bringman also reported that
he and Officer Duggan have
been investigating a series of
thefts from vehicles.
Sunset Park request
Sunset Park Association re
quested a donation of $150
from the city to support chil
dren’s activities during the bar
beque. When Andrews won
dered if the association was
amenable to discussion of the
problem s at Schlegel Hall,
Councilor Ryan Birr countered
that the barbeque was a large
city event, bringing many peo
ple to town, and separate from
the Schlegel Hall issues.
Council unanimously agreed to
grant the request, after a brief
discussion.
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