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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.