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About The independent. (Vernonia, Or.) 1986-current | View Entire Issue (May 1, 2008)
Page 4 The INDEPENDENT, May 1, 2008 Council starts administrator hiring; puts old City Hall up for sale From page 1 dent for portraying city hall and employees in a biased fashion and publishing stories filled with inaccuracies and half- truths. Councilor Randy Parrow then handed the city a check for $160.00 given to him by a citizen to pay Mr. Simmons ar- rears and get his water turned back on. Katrina Connor speaking “as a citizen” said she was not pleased with the actions of Howard, adding that council should think seriously about who they hire because, when she comes to city hall, she’s seen Howard be “rough and tough” to other citizens and she doesn’t like it. Heather Lewis told council that attendees at a meeting on the potential lease of a strip of city-owned property behind Muffy’s and The Buckhorn were told the meeting was being taped. The next day, upon re- questing a copy of the tape, she was told that the tape recording was not available. Lewis said it was unfortunate that council couldn’t hear what occurred at that meeting. City Recorder Joann Glass said “There was no need to keep recording so the tape was stopped.” Lewis responded that, “We all were told it was being recorded.” Council authorized city staff to contact the League of Ore- gon Cities to begin the hiring process for a city administrator to replace Howard. Following a public hearing on proposed changes for Waste Management, council unanimously accepted the pro- posal. Waste Management’s rates will be increased effective July 1, but curbside recycling service will be added on an every-other-week schedule. Waste Management will send a letter to all customers with the new rates and service options before July 1. A proposal from the Parks Committee was approved that will change the park host con- tracts, move Anderson Park host Bill Yeo to Vernonia Lake, and provide for hiring a new park host for Anderson Park. Council approved two Parks Committee requests: One to use $500 of their budget to buy fish for stocking Vernonia Lake in late spring, before it is stocked for the KUPL fishing derby; the second to close the lake to fishing two days prior to the event. [At a study session on April 28 council learned that the Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife will not allow the clo- sure of fishing in the lake un- less the whole park is closed. Council agreed that they did not want to close Vernonia Lake Park altogether.] After coming out of an April 21 executive session, Old City Hall was declared surplus and council told Howard to list the building with a local realtor for $150,000 plus or minus roof re- pairs. [At the April 28 study ses- sion, Howard told council he had listed the property with re- altor Sharon Bernal, who also leases the building.] In other business, council; • appointed Dick Kline as Budget Officer for 2008-2009, • heard Harrison accept the resignation of Heather Lewis from the Planning Commission, • approved the liquor license renewal for New Hong Kong Restaurant, • heard that the next Bridges Planning Group Vernonia 2020 meeting will be May 3, at 10:00 a.m. at Vernonia Community Church, • voted (with flood victims Councilor Parrow and Mayor Harrison abstaining) to apply for a Community Development Block Grant for a flood recovery housing rehabilitation program, • received a handout from Jim Tierney regarding services provided to date by the Colum- bia County Flood Assistance group. Three executive sessions were held. Because The Inde- pendent questions the legality of one of the sessions there is a related article in this issue. At the April 28 study session, Howard told council that the city received $3,000 from the film company that was here last week and that council can de- cide how that money should be spent. The next regularly sched- uled council meeting will be April 5 at City Hall starting at 7:00 p.m. Community Calendar VERNONIA Alcoholics Anonymous Monday 6:30 p.m., 410 North Street 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., 410 North Street 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.
