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About The independent. (Vernonia, Or.) 1986-current | View Entire Issue (July 5, 2007)
The INDEPENDENT, July 5, 2007 Page 5 Business Notes Business buys new flag for city; Council reinstates police funds The July 2 Vernonia City Council meeting started off with citizen Helen Hudson telling council that Vernonia Hardware had purchased a flag and re- placed the one at City Hall. They also provided lights to keep the flag lit. Mayor Sally Harrison responded by saying, “I would like a thank you sent to Vernonia Hardware.” Vernonia Police Sergeant Mike Kay spoke to council about a group of citizens who have been complaining about ‘selective enforcement’ and about Chief of Police Mat Workman. Kay offered his sup- port of the chief and said, “He leads by example and has all seven habits of effective peo- ple.” He went on to list accom- plishments of the current force, such as a reduced crime rate, the successful Night Out cele- bration, the staff volunteering hundreds of hours, all the po- lice training taking place in Ver- nonia because of the good rep- utation of our police force. Kay finished by saying, “So this ‘se- lective enforcement’ is true – because we do it in effective ways.” Scott Laird told council that the groundbreaking for the bi- cycle skills park took place on Saturday and there is now one trail. Kevin Hudson told council he believes the budget needs to be increased to get more po- lice officers on the street. He went on a ride-along this past weekend and told council he “wouldn’t want to use the police car he was in to commute to Hillsboro, let alone in a police chase, and that cutting the po- lice budget is ludicrous.” The police, that night, spent most of their time on drunks and while two officers were kept busy booking two drunks, there were other things going on in town that didn’t get attention, Hud- son concluded. Cindy Ball told council that the pothole on Riverside Drive had been patched but that one- third of the street was still grav- el, and asked for a timeframe for completion of the work. Har- rison told here that she has been trying to get hold of Jeff (Burch) to get a timetable. Chief Workman told council that the amount discussed dur- ing the budget process ($16,600) for two leased cars with camera systems was for the ‘deal’ they put together then. After being asked to see what he could find now, he found two 5-year leases on cars, that with equipment, cam- eras and shipping (from Illi- nois), would cost $18,594. City Administrator M.R. “Dick” Kline added that there are no capital replacement plans in the budg- et and, “We are always scram- bling due to crisis instead of planning ahead. We are start- ing the fiscal year with cash in the bank,” and we could get these cars but it would leave only $5,000-$10,000 in the General Fund for contingencies for the whole year. Kline went on to say, “I didn’t find an extra $20,000 but we could purchase the cars if council makes it the priority. My two cents worth is I think it’s a necessity.” Kline also said, “It will take us two years to get our of this [budget prob- lems] and this is the first year. We need alternative revenues for the General Fund. Mr. Tony Hyde has said you cannot fund municipal government on prop- erty taxes.” Council consensus was to lease the two police cars. During Kline’s city adminis- trator report, he told council that, “I will be working continu- ally to get our year-end figures to you. I recommend we have a press conference or open town hall meeting so everyone can hear and close out that year. I want to give a comprehensive report on that.” Kline also re- ported that the primary thing, in addition to that already men- tioned, he would be working on this month is to be sure the committee meetings get up and running appropriately. He then reiterated, “We are in a serious financial position.” Harrison reported that she thinks, “it is time we start in- specting businesses to be sure they are up to code.” In other business, council (with councilor Steve Whiteman Campfire safety is vital in the forests The Keep Oregon Green As- sociation is cautioning Oregoni- ans to use extreme caution when visiting the forests this summer. More than 200 wild- fires have been caused by hu- mans since January 1. Many Oregonians love the outdoors and sitting around a campfire is one of the special times. In the last five years, however, 681 campfires built on state and private lands burned 11,253 acres and cost taxpayers $1,710,370 to sup- press. Abandoning fires is the fourth-leading human cause of wildfires in Oregon. Here’s what you can do to help: Call the local fire district to assure that fires are allowed where you plan to camp. If they are allowed, and you choose to camp in an undeveloped camp- ground, here are a few sugges- tions to ensure safe campfires. • When selecting a site for a campfire, avoid areas near buildings, fallen trees, tree trunks, or low overhanging branches. • Scrape all leaves and litter away down to bare earth for at least five feet on all sides of the fire. Dig a pit in the center of this circle and surround it with rocks. • Build your campfire down- wind and at a safe distance from your tent, never leave it unattended, and after you light it, thrown your match into the fire. Have a shovel or rake handy to suppress sparks. When it’s time to leave and head to bed or back to town, be sure your campfire is DEAD OUT! • Drown all embers, sticks, and coals; look for any that may have fallen under rocks, • Stir coals to make sure all heat has been removed, • Drown the area again. Wildfire prevention is the re- sponsibility of everyone who visits forests. Be alert to weath- er conditions, especially wind, and ALWAYS be careful with fire. Keep your bucket full of water and your shovel near by. Smokey Bear and the Keep Oregon Green Association thank you for taking that re- sponsibility. absent); • approved a housekeeping issue correcting the new schedule of park fees, • approved the first reading of an ordinance amending the reimbursement district ordi- nance due to errors in the orig- inal, • set a public hearing date of August 6, at 7:00 p.m. for the public to learn more about a re- imbursement district being formed to extend water lines north along Mist Drive, • approved the signing of an Intergovernmental Agreement with the Department of Admin- istrative Services (the city leas- es vehicles from DAS), • okayed street closures and a beer garden (for the Lyon’s Den) for Jamboree weekend, • heard from Randy Parrow (as a Jamboree committee rep- resentative) that Shirlee Daughtry has been named Citi- zen of the Year (for the second time), • was told that the county has approved Indigo Rescue, a dog kennel on Airport Way. Harrison said the council want- ed more information so they could decide whether to ap- peal, but was told (by the audi- ence) that the city had already missed the appeal deadline.
