Page 4
The INDEPENDENT, August 7, 2008
Council appoints Cindy Ball to vacancy, identifies City priorities
Prior to the start of the July
21 Vernonia City Council meet-
ing, the council held interviews
with the five applicants for the
open council position created
when Shirlee Daughtry re-
signed. The five applicants
were Mike Seager, Karen Wall,
Andy Nebergall, Cindy Ball,
and Kevin Hudson. After inter-
viewing each and deliberating
amongst themselves, the coun-
cil unanimously voted for Cindy
Ball. As Councilor Brett Costley
put it, Ball “has experience and
can hit the ground running.”
Ball previously served as a
councilor and was mayor when
citizen complaints resulted in a
mediated town hall meeting, af-
ter ongoing issues with then
Chief of Police Cahill were not
resolved by council action.
Cahill eventually quit to train
police officers in Afghanistan
and Ball finished her term, but
did not seek re-election.
Discussion, started on July
21, regarding cracks in the
walls at City Hall was complet-
ed at the August 4 meeting, af-
ter an engineer was brought in
to assess the building. The
structural engineer’s report in-
dicated that the cracks are cos-
metic in nature and probably a
result of the building continuing
to settle, and that no action is
required at this time.
Interim City Administrator
Jim Johnson told council that
Dick Kline’s last day has come
and gone and that City Planner
Aldie Howard resigned effec-
tive July 18. Howard’s resigna-
tion letter said, “It is with a sigh
of relief and a moment of regret
that I herewith tender my resig-
nation from the position of
Planning Director for the City of
Vernonia, Oregon, effective im-
mediately. What a great trip it
has been for me…little rough in
spots but overall an experience
that I will cherish forever. Good
Luck in the future.”
Gene Winningham told
council that he would like to see
golf cart use be permitted as
they are cheaper to use, and
encouraged council to see if
legislation can be changed to
allow their use prior to the po-
lice department “getting strong-
ly into enforcement.”
At the July 21 meeting,
council completed question-
naires, provided by Johnson,
on city priorities. At the August
4 meeting Johnson and council
discussed the resulting priori-
ties list. The items listed as the
highest priority included finan-
cial forecasting of General
Fund resources, work on natu-
ral water storage basin (to re-
duce water flow in winter and in-
crease in summer), updating the
Wastewater Facilities Plan then
on to the design phase, sludge
removal from the wastewater la-
goons, participating with Oregon
Solutions on school siting, and
finding funding to replace the
fourth police officer position in
the budget, and finding grants or
other funding for police equip-
ment, etc.
Council approved awarding
a contract to S-2 Contractors
for street repairs on portions of
Weed Ave., Maple St., Adams
Ave., State Ave., Heather Lane,
part of the intersection of Mist
Dr. and Birch St., and Washing-
ton Ave. Repair costs of
$132,810.50 will be paid by
FEMA and a special public
works grant from the State of
Oregon.
In other business, council:
• agreed to solicit applica-
tions for a community member
to serve on the Unmet Needs
Committee.
• agreed to extend the dead-
line for relocating D.A.D.’s Re-
cycling from July 31 to August
31 while the DeWebers work
on other siting options. Council
asked the DeWebers to keep
them
updated
on
their
progress.
• heard Garrett Abney’s
(Gadget’s Gadgets) opinion
that a heat pump should be in-
stalled to replace City Hall’s
broken air conditioner unit.
• saw schematic drawings of
the plan for this year’s work on
the Bicycle Skills Park. Council
approved spending $931 of
grant funds on this work.
The next council meeting will
be August 18, at 7:00 p.m. at
City Hall.
Town Hall meeting
on hazard mitigation
From page 1
and subjects of these meetings
will be available at City Hall,
Columbia County Flood Relief
Center (The Vernonia Commu-
nity Learning Center), as well
as on their websites, www.ver-
nonia-or.gov and www.vernoni-
aflood.com, approximately one
week before each meeting.
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
6:00 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.
Quarterly
For Info call 503-397-7211
Comm. on Children & Families
3rd Thursday 5:30 p.m. OSU Ext., 505 N. Hwy. 30
Local Alcohol & Drug Plann. Comm.
Quarterly
For Info call 503-397-7211
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.