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About The independent. (Vernonia, Or.) 1986-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 17, 2008)
Page 4 The INDEPENDENT, January 17, 2008 Council approves “vague” job description Flood insurance draws negatives From page 1 The city has said they will contract with him to handle public works, finances, and the budget, although Kline has not been able to provide full 2007- 08 first quarter (July through September) expense and re- source numbers. This contract will be included in the next council meeting, along with a contract for Aldie Howard to act as Interim City Administrator. Council discussed a new job description for the city adminis- trator position that Dick Kline wrote. Councilor Steve White- man commented that the quali- fications portion seemed vague and Councilor Brett Costly agreed, saying, “Yes, it’s kind of just whatever council considers qualified is qualified.” Council unanimously approved the new job description. Acting Interim City Adminis- trator Aldie Howard asked for and received council approval for a ‘recovery committee’ to work on grant opportunities to find funds that FEMA doesn’t provide to complete the city’s flood recovery costs. The com- mittee includes Tony Hyde, Dan Brown, Jim Tierney, Scott Laird, Bill Haack, Jesse Jones, Bud Dow, Aldie Howard, Heather Lewis and Paul Epler. Council also agreed to let Howard contract with Dale Mer- rell, of CIDA, Inc. to review the sewer issue. Howard said he expected Merrell’s analysis to save the city more money than his services would cost. Additionally, Howard was given permission to contract with grant writer Bill Haack to write grants for the new recov- ery committee. Haack has agreed to recover his costs through grants, thereby not costing the city anything for his services. In the City Administrator’s report, Howard got council’s approval to sign a six month agreement with Verizon to keep a temporary cell tower in Ver- nonia, with the expectation that they will pay to site a tower here on a more permanent ba- sis after that. In other business, council: • unanimously repealed Or- dinance 820 that prohibited re- mote controlled or radio con- trolled airplanes at the Vernon- ia Municipal Airport, • heard that the Vernonia Community Learning Center now has leases for office space with Columbia County Rider, Columbia Community Mental Health and Vocational Rehab. that will provide monthly in- come of $450.00. The next meeting of the council is scheduled for Janu- ary 22 (due to Martin Luther King, Jr. Day on Monday, Janu- ary 21) at 7:00 p.m. at the Scout Cabin, unless FEMA has left city hall by then. From page 1 “Let’s talk about forestry as it relates to weather. In federal forests we are paying dearly for neglect. Woody material on the forest floor causes fires,” re- sponded Wyden. County Com- missioner Tony Hyde spoke up to say that 99 percent of the trees in Columbia County are not federal forest, but privately owned. Hyde added that Co- lumbia County and FEMA just spent an hour discussing miti- gation including raising houses. On a comment about flood insurance ‘lowballing’ people, Wyden asked for a show of hands and six people in the crowd responded. When asked how many had good experi- ences with their insurers, two hands went into the air. Wyden then asked his staff to meet with the people who had problems. “Many of us have had heaters running since Decem- ber 5 to try to dry out our homes. Is there any Federal help for extra heating and ener- gy costs associated with the flood?” asked one person. Wyden responded that, “I’m going to push to up the assis- tance for low income (heating assistance). I think we’ll have support.” Commissioner Hyde then spoke up to say that West Oregon Electric Cooperative has said they are going to aver- age out people’s bills and not Please see page 5 Volunteers needed From page 1 Donations are still being ac- cepted. The greatest current needs are for money and build- ing materials. Building materi- als needed, according to Tier- ney, include plywood, under- layment, insulation, insulation and insulation. Please call 1- 503-791-9675 if you have items to donate. See related story on page 5 Community Calendar VERNONIA Alcoholics Anonymous Mondays & Thursdays 6:30 p.m., Head Start Bldg. American Legion Post #119 2nd Thursday 7:00 p.m., 627 Adams Avenue Arts & Crafts Society 2nd Thursday 2:00 p.m., City Library Booster Club 2nd Wednesday 7:00 p.m., VHS Library Boy Scout Troop 201 Tuesdays 7:00 p.m., Scout Cabin Boy Scout Troop 860 Wednesdays 7:00 p.m., LDS Church Cemetery Beautification Comm. 2nd Thursday 6:30 p.m., City Hall CERT 4th Wednesday For Info Call 503-429-3018 Chamber of Commerce 2nd Wednesday For Info Call 503-429-6081 Community Coalition 2nd Monday 12:30 p.m. School District Ofc. Cub Scout Pack 201 Scout Cabin For Info Call 503-429-4250 Friends of the Library 1st Tuesday 7:00 p.m., Vernonia Library Girl Scouts, Neighborhood 4-2 For Info Call 503-819-0143 Hands On Art Committee 1st & 3rd Thursdays 4:00 p.m., City Hall Izaak Walton League 3rd Thursday For location call 503-429-7193 Lions Club 1st & 3rd Tuesdays 6:30 p.m., Buckhorn Restaurant Municipal Airport Committee 4th Thursday 7:00 p.m., City Hall Narcotics Anonymous Saturdays 7:00 p.m., Head Start Bldg. Pioneer Museum For Info Call 503-429-3713 Public Works Committee 4th Tuesday 7:00 p.m., City Hall Vernonia Cares Directors For Info call 503-429-1414 Vernonia City Council 1st & 3rd Mondays 7:00 p.m., City Hall Vernonia Community PTA 3rd Thursday 7:00 p.m., WGS Library Vernonia Grange 3rd Monday 7:00 p.m., Grange Hall Vernonia Health Center 2nd Monday 6:00 p.m., 510 Bridge St. Vernonia Learning Center 1st Wednesday 6:00 p.m., VLC Vernonia Parks Committee 3rd Wednesday 6:30 p.m., City Hall Vernonia Planning Comm. 1st & 3rd Thursdays 7:00 p.m., City Hall Vernonia Pride 3rd Thursday 1:00 p.m., City Hall Vernonia Ridge Riders Last Thursday 7:00 p.m., Senior Center Vernonia RFPD Board 2nd Tuesday 7:00 p.m., Fire Station Vernonia School Board 2nd Thursday 6:00 p.m., District Office Vernonia Sr. Center Board 2nd Friday 1:00 p.m., Senior Center Vernonia Transfer Station 2nd & 4th Saturdays, 8 a.m.-2 p.m. Behind VHS Vern. Volunteer Ambulance Assoc. 1st Thursday 7:00 p.m., Fire Station Vernonia Volunteer Firefighters 2nd Monday 7:00 p.m., Fire Station WOEC Directors 3rd Tuesday 7:00 p.m., WOEC MIST-BIRKENFELD M-BRFPD Board Business Mtg. 2nd Tuesday M-BRFPD Board Workshop 4th Tuesday M-B Ambulance Drill 1st & 2nd Thursdays M-B Fire Drill 1st & 2nd Wednesdays M-B Helping Circle 2nd Monday M-B SAR Drill 3rd Wednesday M-B Volunteer Assoc. 1st Tuesday Natal Grange 2nd Wednesday T.O.P.S. Mondays Upr Nehalem Watershed Council For date call 429-2401 7:00 p.m., Main Fire Station 7:00 p.m., Main Fire Station 7:00 p.m., Main Fire Station 7:00 p.m., Main Fire Station 7:00 p.m., Main Fire Station 7:00 p.m., Main Fire Station 7:00 p.m., Main Fire Station 7:30 p.m., Natal Grange Hall 6:00 p.m., Main Fire Station 7:00 p.m., Main Fire Station BANKS Alcoholics Anonymous Fridays 7:30 p.m., Methodist Church Alcoholics Anonymous Wednesdays 7:30 p.m., Methodist Church American Legion Post #90 2nd Tuesdays 7:30 p.m., Main Street Post Banks City Council 2nd Tuesday 7:30 p.m., City Hall Banks Fire District #13 2nd Wednesday 7:00 p.m., Station 13 Banks Library Commission 3rd Tuesday 7:00 p.m., City Library Banks Planning Commission Last Tuesday 7:00 p.m., City Hall Banks School Board 2nd Monday 7:30 p.m., Jr. High Library Banks Youth Group Sundays, Wednesdays 7:00 p.m., UMC Youth Bldg. Chamber of Commerce 1st Thursday 12:30 p.m., Fire District Office CPO 14 3rd Monday 7:00 p.m., City Library Friends of the Library 2nd Tuesday 7:00 p.m., City Library Lions Club 1st & 3rd Mondays 7:00 p.m., Brown Derby Sunset Park Assoc. 3rd Wednesday 8:00 p.m., Gun Club T.O.P.S. Wednesdays 7:00 p.m., Administration Bldg. COLUMBIA COUNTY (All meet in St. Helens unless otherwise noted.) Board of Commissioners Wednesdays 10 a.m., Courthouse Citizens for Senior Justice 2nd Tuesday 7:00 p.m., Sunset Park Church Columbia Soil & Water District 3rd Wednesday 7:30 p.m., NRCS , 2514 Sykes County Fair Board 2nd Monday 7:00 p.m., Fairgrounds 4-H Bldg. County Parks Commission 3rd Monday 6:00 p.m., 1054 Oregon St. Mental Health Advisory Comm. 3rd Tuesday 10 a.m., 2nd Floor, Courthouse Comm. on Children & Families 3rd Thursday 5:30 p.m. OSU Ext., 550 N. Hwy. 30 Local Alcohol & Drug Plann. Comm. 2nd Tuesday 3:00 p.m., 2nd Floor, Courthouse Organizations and meeting dates not listed may be included by calling 429-9410 or by mail to The INDEPENDENT, 725 Bridge Street, Vernonia, OR 97064.
