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About The independent. (Vernonia, Or.) 1986-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 17, 2009)
Page 4 The INDEPENDENT, December 17, 2009 Council more upset with messenger than Administrator’s lies At the December 7 Vernonia City Council meeting, council was given copies of an email from DPSST saying they had not spoken to City Administra- tor Bob Young. City Attorney Jeff Bennett told council that Young’s statement at the last meeting, with “I this and I that”, were not Young’s words, but rather a statement by an attor- ney from Bennett’s firm. Clark McGaugh, who handed out the email copies, answered that he had talked to Young to confirm Young’s statement that he, per- sonally, had spoken to DPSST and Young confirmed the state- ment. Councilor Kevin Hudson stated that he was “satisfied”, but Council asked Bennett to prepare a written response for them. Sam Waters spoke to coun- cil about his father’s water be- ing turned off, and the family’s contention that the wrong me- ter has been read, with the charges posted to his father’s bill. Waters gave councilor Randy Parrow a letter from his father’s doctor asking that the water be turned back on for a month. Waters stated he had been trying to get information from city staff and that Bob Young did not return his calls timely, and did not provide re- quested documentation of wa- ter consumption. “All I want is to be treated with respect and not be lied to,” Waters conclud- ed. Waters received no re- sponse from council or staff. Councilor Kevin Hudson asked what the cost has been for the questions about the po- lice department. He was told by Young that there had been $5,500 attorney fees on this subject in October and Novem- ber. No information was given as to what the specific “subject” was about. In other business, council; • unanimously approved an amendment to the Intergovern- mental Agreement for Hazard Mitigation Grant Program Ad- ministration. • approved a Grant Adminis- tration contract to allow for flood acquisitions, subject to approval by the city attorney. • okayed a policy recom- mendation on use of CDBG funds for steps and decks that have already been approved by the County Commissioners. • approved a six month ex- tension for Unmet Needs trailers to stay at Maple and Madison. • heard from the mayor that Shirlee Daughtry got the stone garbage cans around town re- furbished and cleaned. CITY: Ignores Dr’s letter, withholds requested records From Page 1 says Young had not returned any of his calls in the prior two months and that, when he asked city staff why they let the bill get so high, he was told they were trying to help Mr. Wa- ters. Young eventually did speak to Sam and told him they had read the wrong meter but that it made only a $31.00 dif- ference. Waters asked the city for a five year printout of the meter reads and a consumption re- port. The city has not provided that information and has re- fused to sit down with the fami- ly to review the issue. The fam- ily requested the water be turned back on for a month while the issue is resolved and provided a doctor’s letter say- ing Mr. Waters needed water for the next month due to med- ical conditions. The city re- turned the doctor’s letter by mail, with no response. Now, Sam Waters said, the city has decided that the cur- rent bill, plus one-third of the arrears, must be paid each month and when the bill is cur- rent, they will review the bills to see if they were correct and is- sue credits as appropriate. Sam Waters says he told everyone at city hall that, “the bill will be paid if they can prove the bill is right.” In addition, the Waters want the city to develop a reasonable repayment sche- dule that will work with their fa- ther’s fixed income, and to have the late fees dropped. It is more than a year ago that the city turned off the water of another Vernonia senior citi- zen, after confrontations with then Interim City Administrator Aldie Howard, who refused to work with the citizen to resolve the issues in that case. That cit- izen still has no city water. As of press time, the water was still off at Don Waters’ home, and his doctor reported- ly told the family that, with his medical conditions, “Something like this could drop him.” Community Calendar VERNONIA Alcoholics Anonymous Mondays 6:30 p.m., 410 North Street Alcoholics Anonymous Thursdays (Big Book Study) 7:00 p.m., 410 North Street American Legion Post #119 2nd Thursday 7:00 p.m., 627 Adams Avenue 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 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 2nd Wednesday 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 2nd 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, 3rd & 4th Tuesday 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 429-0869 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 9:00 a.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 1:00 p.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 6:00 p.m., Fairgrounds 4-H Bldg. County Parks Commission 3rd Tuesday Times vary, 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 Quarterly For Info call 503-397-7211 Local Alcohol & Drug Plann. Comm. 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.