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About The independent. (Vernonia, Or.) 1986-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 5, 2004)
Page 12 The INDEPENDENT, August 5, 2004 Needed highway work causes delays In order to complete resurfacing before the Banks Bar-B-Q, traffic will be limited to one lane with flaggers on duty 24 hours daily. The inset at bottom left tells it like it is! Following a public informa- tional meeting on July 22, con- tractor Eagle-Elsner began repaving Highway 47 on July 26. The contractor is “attacking the town from both ends” in or- der to complete the project be- fore the Banks Bar-B-Q, August 21-22, according to Banks Pub- lic Works Superintendent Tim Grossnickle. The highway will be resurfaced from the Sellers Road intersection on the north end of town, to Wilkesboro Road, south of Banks. Because a lot of the existing road must be removed and there is no alternate route through town, one lane of the highway will be closed for the duration of the paving activity. Traffic will be flagged through the open lane, twenty-four hours a day, for as long as nec- Jim’s Famous BAR-B-Q Fridays & Saturdays •Q B•B ib k R Por er n Din 50 *$7 1/2 Chicken or Beef Rib Dinner $ 50 5 essary. Residential parking will be restricted but parking on both sides of Wilkes, Depot and Market will be allowed. Grossnickle said that resi- dents should be prepared for a wait of up to twenty minutes at either end of town, possibly waiting as long as forty minutes to get through the city. He also praised Banks Lumber Com- pany, which has voluntarily re- stricted traffic. Travelers may use a some- what lengthy detour around the city, using Hwys. 26 and 6, to reach Hwy. 47 north or south. S TRASSEL ’ S A UTO R EPAIR & H YDRAULIC H OSES German Sausage On a Stick $1.25 On a Bun $1.50 Too Hot To Cook? Try Jim’s Famous Bar-B-Q Don’t miss Jim’s Supermarket 100 6:30 pm Sat Aug. 7 Sunset Speedway Banks, Oregon 660 So. Main, Banks • 503-324-2171 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 LAUNDRY Wash…$1.00 Dry…25¢ 180 S. Main St. Banks, Oregon Banks will put police levy back on the ballot, start process to hire new chief Funding and staffing a police department again dominated discussion at the July 13 meet- ing of the Banks City Council. Noting that Banks currently has only one police officer, Mayor Bob Orlowski proposed putting a police services levy on the November ballot, at $2.00 per thousand dollars of assessed value. The previous levy of $1.80/thousand, which expired June 30, provided $127,550 in fiscal year 2003-04 and was supplemented with $59,300 from the general fund. There had been no increase in either the police levy, since vot- ers approved it seven years ago, or the general tax levy during the last ten years. The proposal would require about $80,000 per year from the gen- eral fund in order to provide ad- equate revenue for a three per- son department. Orlowski also asked council to allow him to begin the hiring process for a new chief. Councilor Katie Murdoch ex- pressed hesitation to hire a chief when the city lacks struc- ture and leadership, and is be- ginning the process of hiring a city manager. She said that council should engage in dis- cussion about what is desired, and that too many officers have left the department. Taking a different approach, Councilor Ryan Birr said that a new chief could be the catalyst needed to pass a levy, and Councilor Kirk Andrews consid- ered hiring a chief as a way to begin putting together a new team. The group agreed with a suggestion by Councilor Teri Branstitre and approved the formation of a hiring commit- tee. Murdoch will chair the committee, which will include council members and repre- sentatives from legal service, community, neighboring law enforcement, schools etc. Returning to funding for law enforcement, Branstitre said that, the city “has paid officers embarrassingly low salaries” and wants an increase that would provide competitive salaries for the full four-year term of the levy. Birr said that he thought the department should be funded through the general fund, which would require an in- crease in the general tax rate, a complicated process not con- sidered by council at this meet- ing. He also made the motion to put a police levy on the No- vember ballot at $2.00/thou- sand saying, “there is no way to support the kind of police de- partment wanted here (well equipped, well trained, etc.) at the current funding level.” Orlowski expressed concern about voter approval for an in- creased levy, when the general fund currently has a surplus. Property tax statements show- ing a reduced tax rate will go out just before the election. Council unanimously agreed to seek approval for a police levy. BANKS MINI STORAGE For every month you pay we’ll give you an additional month FREE* (up to six months) P a y 1 M o n t h g et 2n d M on th F R E E P a y 2 Mo n t h s g et 3r d & 4t h Mo n t h s F RE E Check us out and you’ll want to check in! * Specials available for a limited time only. Gates Operate Daily 7 AM - 9 PM Office Hours: Mon- Fri 10 AM - 6 PM Sat 8 AM - Noon 140 NW O AK W AY , B ANKS • 503-324-0552
