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About The independent. (Vernonia, Or.) 1986-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 16, 2010)
Page 6 The INDEPENDENT, December 16, 2010 FEMA work will continue for at least two more years, Council told Jim Tierney, from Communi- ty Action Team, gave a Power- point presentation on flood re- lief efforts at the December 6 Vernonia City Council meeting. Tierney told the council that, so far, “of the 840 homes wrecked in the county,” 13 of 35-40 homes have been elevated, 24 of 40-50 homes have been ac- quired for demolition. FEMA Region 10 will use Vernonia as a national recovery model, and has provided $17 million for re- covery efforts. That number is expected to reach $32 million by the end of efforts. Tierney reported that after the 1996 flood, the Northwest received $50 million for recovery, $14 million of that was for Clatsop, Columbia and Tillamook coun- ties, so Vernonia homeowners saw only $200,000 in help. Tierney concluded saying, “Work will continue for at least two more years.” Interim City Administrator Bill Haack presented council with a Col-Pac Continuation Contract for his services from January 1 through June 30, 2011. The pro- posed amendment includes re- imbursing Col-Pac up to $43,312.00. Councilor Cindy Ball moved to adopt the con- tract, but the motion died for lack of a second. Prior to the motion, Councilor Kevin Hud- son said he wanted to see the written contract amendment before approval. Council will re- view the amendment at the next meeting. Mayor-elect Jo- sette Mitchell told council that it appears the budget starting July 1, 2011, will support a 19- hour-per-week administrator. The Airport Committee re- quested approval to use $1,000 from their budget for gravel on Airport Way, and asked that the Parks Committee match that amount. Mitchell told council she wasn’t seeing $1,000 in the Airport budget available for this use. Catherine Helmer, speak- ing for the Parks Committee, reported that Parks doesn’t have $1,000 to donate and has no information on whether the money spent would offer any real fix to the road. Hudson suggested that the Airport Committee or Public Works needs to come up with a plan for the road. Council finally ap- proved using up to $1,000 of Airport Committee funds if that amount can be found in the budget, to be used on the por- tion of the road the city owns. Haack asked council to di- rect Public Works, the City En- gineer and City Staff to deter- mine the correct form to use to get funds for three rate studies (water, sewer and system de- velopment charges). The cost should be around $30–$40 thousand, he said, and Com- munity Development Block Grant funds may be available for this project. Council gave the go-ahead to start working towards the rate studies. Haack told council that mon- ey has been released to the Weller family in settlement for damages connected with a sewer backup at their resi- dence, and that the contractor who did the original pipe work has fixed the problem. Haack reported that Public Works Supervisor Jeff Burch found a pipe that has been leaking thousands of gallons of water since November. The leak is in the woods near Mellinger Road and a contrac- tor has been hired to “open it up” so Public Works can wet- patch the leak. George Tice, from the Public Works Committee and Budget Ad Hoc Committee, reported that the $12.00 fee on the sew- er bill will sunset in February or March 2011. This fee is paying for a $500,000 planning loan for waste-water treatment up- grades. Tice went on to say, “But, we still owe $4.4 million, on a 20-year loan, for work al- ready done,” and reported that the Public Works Committee is suggesting continuation of the $12.00 fee to pay for that loan, as the loan repayments need to start at about the same time the old loan sunsets. Tice told council that this was for infor- mation only and that no action was requested at this meeting. Council will get more informa- tion closer to February. In other business, council: • Approved appointing Su- san Wagner, and re-appointing Nancy Dailey to the Planning Commission. • Three agenda items, Quiet Title Action for a strip of proper- ty near the new school, Short Term Lease with St. Mary’s for emergency use of the church, and a discussion on Vernonia Municipal Airport Easement See Council on page 20 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., Library 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 Izaak Walton League 3rd Thursday For location call 503-429-7193 Kiwanis Club 2nd & 4th Wednesday 6:30 p.m., New Hong Kong Lions Club 1st & 3rd Tuesdays 6:30 p.m., New Hong Kong Municipal Airport Committee 1t Wednesday 6:30 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 Garden Club 2nd Tuesday 1:30 p.m., Vernonia Library Vernonia Grange 3rd Monday 7:00 p.m., Grange Hall Vernonia Health Center 3rd Thursday 6:30 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 10:00 a.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 BANKS Alcoholics Anonymous Alcoholics Anonymous American Legion Post #90 Banks City Council Banks Fire District #13 Banks Library Commission Banks Planning Commission Banks School Board Banks Youth Group Chamber of Commerce CPO 14 Everybody’s Hometown Band Friends of the Library Lions Club Sunset Park Assoc. T.O.P.S. Friday Wednesday 2nd Tuesday 2nd Tuesday 2nd Wednesday 3rd Tuesday Last Tuesday 2nd Monday Sunday, Wednesday 1st Thursday 3rd Monday Tuesdays 2nd Tuesday 1st & 3rd Mondays 3rd Wednesday Wednesday 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 7:30 p.m., Methodist Church 7:30 p.m., Methodist Church 7:30 p.m., Main Street Post 7:30 p.m., City Hall 7:00 p.m., Station 13 7:00 p.m., City Library 7:00 p.m., City Hall 7:30 p.m., Jr. High Library 7:00 p.m., UMC Youth Bldg. 12:30 p.m., Fire District Office 7:00 p.m., City Library 7:00 p.m., BHS Music Room 7:00 p.m., City Library 7:00 p.m., Brown Derby 8:00 p.m., Gun Club 7:00 p.m., Administration Bldg. COLUMBIA COUNTY (All meet in St. Helens unless otherwise noted.) Board of Commissioners Wednesday 10:00 a.m., Courthouse Citizens for Senior Justice 2nd Tuesday 7:00 p.m., Sunset Park Church Columbia Comm Mental Health 1st Tuesday 5”30 p.m., 58646 McNulty Way 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 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.