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.