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About The independent. (Vernonia, Or.) 1986-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 6, 2011)
Page 4 The INDEPENDENT, January 6, 2011 Old and new Vernonia council members and mayor change places The Vernonia City Council that met on December 20 had a very different make-up than the one that met on January 3. Out- going members Mayor Sally Harrison, Councilor Cindy Ball and Councilor Catherine Helmer all received certificates of appreciation for their service, at their final meeting. Incoming Mayor Josette Mitchell, and new councilors Willow Burch and Marilyn Nicks, all took oaths of office at their first seat- ing on January 3. An amendment to extend Bill Haack’s contract as Pro Tem City Administrator to June 30, 2011, was discussed and ap- proved at both meetings. At the December meeting, the outgo- ing council voted to approve the amendment but for a few minutes it looked iffy. When Harrison asked for a motion there was silence. On her sec- ond request of, “Do I hear a motion,” Councilor Randy Par- row made the motion which was then seconded and car- ried. On January 3, the incom- ing council voted to approve (with Councilor Marilyn Nicks abstaining without explanation) the amendment. The new council had to ratify the amend- ment because of a provision that an outgoing council cannot bind a contract for an incoming council. In December Council heard an update from Ben Fousek on the city’s GIS project. Fousek reported that there is a possibil- ity that FEMA may use the city’s GIS for flood mapping, and that might lower the flood insurance rates by 20 percent. Councilor Kevin Hudson asked Haack to provide an up- date on the contract for the po- lice department’s K9 officer, at the next meeting. Haack told council he will be working with the city’s financial director to find funds for some council training and the hiring process for a new City Adminis- trator. More information will be provided at the next council meeting. In other business, council: • Approved the second read- ing of Ordinance 871, making some changes to the handling of the water utility. • Approved the procedure outlined by the Public Works Committee to move towards hiring someone to do a rate study of water, sewer and sys- tem development charges. • Appointed Kevin Hudson as the 2011 President of the Council. (Council President presides when the Mayor is ab- sent.) • Approved a liquor license for the New Hong Kong Restaurant. • Okayed a resolution to transfer funds within the Airport fund to allow the purchase of gravel for the road to Airport Park. • Heard from Interim Chief of Police Mike Conner that New Year’s Eve was uneventful; the only activity was a couple of traffic stops. The next meeting will be Tuesday, January 18 (due to a holiday on Jan. 17) at City Hall, and will start with a work ses- sion at 6:00 p.m. before the regular 7:00 p.m. meeting. Utility rate studies needed to help assure timely loan repayments The City of Vernonia Public Works Committee, the City En- gineer, and the Interim City Ad- ministrator have worked to- gether the past few months to look closely at current utility rates and weigh the need for modification of the rate struc- ture. Prior to the 2007 flood, the Vernonia City Council and for- mer City Administrator Dick Kline, formed the Vernonia Public Works Committee. It was anticipated at that time that the Public Works Commit- tee would make regular reports to the public about the City’s public works systems and the utility rates that pay for them. It is hoped that these reports can provide the public with some of the complex information that the engineers and the City Council must digest before making decisions that impact utility rates. From the beginning, the sewer project has been the 800 pound gorilla in the room. For most of the last two decades Vernonia has been under an enforcement order from Ore- See Rates on page 5 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 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.