The INDEPENDENT, October 21, 2010
Board told of contractor Summit
Two IBEW (International
Brotherhood of Electrical Work-
ers) members spoke at the Oc-
tober 14 Vernonia School
Board meeting, saying they
had heard that IBEW would not
be the subcontractor used by
P&C Construction to build the
new schools. Superintendent
Ken Cox responded that, “We
have no control over sub-con-
tractors choice.” He added that
other opportunities may be
available and he would be sure
that IBEW knew about those
projects.
The board was told that a
$3.4 million Quality School
Construction Bond (QSCB)
was sold last week as part of
an $8.3 million bond package
with several other schools. The
bond will be repaid at .25% in-
terest over 17 years by approx-
imately $202,000 not sent to
the district from the ODE State
School Fund payments. The
bond was considered neces-
sary because the construction
is a three year project, while
the district’s fundraising efforts
are expected to span a 4-5
year period. The bond will help
pay for construction while
fundraising continues.
The district has been award-
ed an additional $10,776 from
the federal Rural Education
Achievement Program due to
the student population drop-
ping below 600 this year. The
award also allows greater flexi-
bility in the use of federal funds.
Cox told the board he would
give details of the allocation of
the additional funds at the next
board meeting.
Cox told the board that the
official ground breaking cere-
mony for the new schools proj-
ect has been changed to De-
cember 2 at 10:00 a.m. to ac-
commodate the governor’s
schedule.
The board voted unani-
mously to increase the commu-
nity service graduation require-
ments. The class of 2011 will
need to have 30 hours of com-
munity service, while future
classes will need to have 40
hours. The requirement had
been 20 hours, though the
board was told that many stu-
dents exceeded that number of
hours.
The contract with P&C Con-
struction to build the new
school was approved, after
board member Bill Langmaid
made a statement indicating a
preference for local labor to be
used whenever possible.
P&C Construction has set
October 26, from 3:00 to 6:00
p.m. as a day and time for a
Contractors Summit between
them, their subcontractors, and
local contractors and workers.
This event will take place at the
VSD Cafeteria (green building),
with snacks served from 3:00
to 4:00 p.m., while local firms
and tradespeople meet with the
P&C project management
team. At 4:00 p.m. a presenta-
tion will be made by P&C about
their proposed plan for pro-
curement of subcontractors,
suppliers, and trade personnel
for construction of the new Ver-
nonia School. A question and
answer period will follow. The
meeting will adjourn at 6:00
pm.
The next school board meet-
ing, November 4 in the District
office, will have an early start,
at 6:00 p.m..
FEMA comment period now open
The Town Hall meeting held
October 14 by the Vernonia
School District was also a pub-
lic comment period for FEMA’s
proposal to provide a Flood
Mitigation Assistance (FMA)
grant to be used by the City of
Vernonia for acquisition and
demolition of the existing
school buildings.
Though the meeting was not
well attended by the communi-
ty, with only two or three non-
involved citizens in the audi-
ence, the information provided
and available was extensive.
Information was provided
about the conversion of
Spencer Park from its current
location to the site where the
schools now sit. This conver-
sion is required by the National
Park Service Land and Water
Conservation Fund. The con-
version allows using the space
now occupied by Spencer Park
See FEMA on page 20
Page 11
Chalk Talk
Chalk Talk is a column of information about Vernonia
schools. This column was provided by Superintendent
Ken Cox.
We are getting closer!
I heard a comment the other day about our
promises, but no results, even some of our stu-
dents are skeptical. But I assure you there are
results! Last week I received the first two of the
permits that we will need to begin construction.
These are permits that will need to be posted on
the new school site and we have them in hand! I
know these aren’t the dramatic results that we
would like to see, like holes being dug and walls
going up, but it is a very real start. It is not just
my belief or a promise that we are going to build
new schools, we have begun!
To help make this possible we held a public
comment meeting last Thursday to review the
Environmental Assessment that has been done
in order for the FEMA buy-out to occur. I would
like to publicly thank the many people who were
there who have put so much time and effort into
getting this complicated project completed in
near record time. The lead from the Region X
FEMA office in Seattle is Science Kilner, a dedi-
cated and articulate person who has successful-
ly taken on the coordination of the many aspects
of this project. Vernonia has become a major
project in her life and even though she had to
drive back to Seattle after the meeting ended at
8:30 p.m., she continues to do all she can to help
the project move forward. There were two repre-
sentatives from the Oregon Emergency Man-
agement in Salem, who came to the meeting
and, in fact, spent much of the afternoon com-
pleting the online application for the project so
that it can move forward as quickly as possible.
Dennis Siegrist is the lead from that agency and
has coordinated conference calls for the project.
Every week since last April this group has met
via phone to work out glitches and make sure
that tasks are being completed.
There were many others at the meeting who
have adopted our cause; Dan Brown and Tony
Hyde, who have been at so
many of our meetings and
have done so much in the
background, were there, and I
would be remiss to not mention
Jim Johnson, former interim
administrator for the city, who
has done such a great job in
dealing with the transfer/con-
version of Spencer Park and
planning for the creation of a
new park that will eventually
replace the existing schools.
Steve Effros, our Project Man-
ager, and his boss Don Irwin,
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both from Aadland
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answered
many questions about
the CMGC RFP that
was completed, making
it possible for us to hire a Construction Manag-
er/General Contractor.
Last, but certainly not least, I would like to
thank the school board for their unfailing support
and confidence in this project. They know that
this is going to happen and that it will make Ver-
nonia a better place for all of us.
We are moving forward! We have crested the
hill and the momentum is building!
Some examples:
1. P&C Construction has set October 26th
from 3–6:00 p.m. as the day and time for a Con-
tractor’s Summit between them, their subcon-
tractors, and local contractors and workers.
More details will be sent to those whose emails
and addresses are on file with the District Office.
2. We are in communication with the gover-
nor’s office and it looks like he will be able to be
here on December 2nd for an official ground-
breaking ceremony.
3. Please note that we will, however, be doing
work on the site the day after we get permission,
which at this point looks like mid-November.
Check out the latest information at www.ver-
noniaschools. org.
Subcontractors,
suppliers, local firms,
and tradespeople:
Come to a Summit with P&C
Construction on the new
schools project, Oct. 26,
3-6 pm,
in the Cafeteria
(green building).
Midway
Veterinary
Clinic
Senior
Discounts
Open in Vernonia
Wednesdays and Saturdays
9 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Call for appointments
503-429-1612
805 Bridge Street
Vernonia
Small and Large Animals