Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About The independent. (Vernonia, Or.) 1986-current | View Entire Issue (June 16, 2011)
Page 4 The INDEPENDENT, June 16, 2011 Council learns necessity of code enforcement in all flood areas Vernonia’s City Council ap- proved the 2011-2012 budget at their June 6 meeting, with no comments from the audience during the public hearing por- tion of the meeting. At a study session held the same night, the council was told about the importance of en- forcement and permitting for any work done in the flood plain. Such work can include fencing and plantings, in addi- tion to such items as new or re- placement heat pumps. In raised buildings, the heat pumps and electrical must be above the first floor level in or- der to be out of the floodway. This applies to all homes in the floodway and some in the flood plain. Both permitting and en- forcement are important in or- der for the community to contin- ue to be able to purchase FEMA issued flood insurance. If that ability is lost, homes need- ing flood insurance to comply with mortgages, etc. would be forced to purchase the more expensive private flood insur- ance. Later in the meeting, the council approved the hiring of a reserve police officer who will do code enforcement. Reserve officers are unpaid volunteers, although it is expected that there will be some kind of pay for code enforcement duties. The council was told that, as of Friday, June 3, the property known as the Rose Avenue Project has been officially given to the city by the State Parks. A special meeting was held on June 13 to accept the June 10 Special Election Results and appoint a new Council Presi- dent, a position that was held by Kevin Hudson before his re- call removed him from the council effective June 13. Councilor Randy Parrow was appointed to the Council Presi- dent position. Council also agreed to start taking applications to fill the newly vacant council position. Applications are available on- line or at City Hall and will be accepted until 1:00 p.m. on Monday, June 20. Interviews are scheduled for June 21 at a Special Meeting at 6:30 p.m. Council then discussed whether to postpone the June 24 City Administrator candidate interviews based on the expec- tation that two other councilors, Willow Burch and Marilyn Nicks, will face recall elections after July 5 (when they have been in office for six months – the legally required time before they can be recalled). During the discussion about the city administrator candidate inter- views, Burch revealed that there are only two candidates left to interview. The council had, at an earlier meeting, agreed to interview four candi- dates. After Burch mentioned only two candidates, she was reminded that that fact had not yet been made public. At both the June 6 and the June 13 meetings, council held executive sessions (closed to the public), but announced no decisions after returning to the regular council meetings. The June 6 executive session was held to “conduct deliberations with persons designated to car- ry on labor negotiations”. The June 13 session was “to con- sider dismissal or discipline of, or to hear charges or com- plaints against an officer, em- ployee, staff member or agent, if the individual does not re- quest an open meeting”. In other business, council: • were told by Jim Johnson that he is still working with the city’s attorney on how to handle the new open spaces created by flood demolition. The next regularly scheduled council meeting will be at City Hall on June 20, at 7:00 p.m., but will start with a 6:00 p.m. workshop to review the applica- tions for the vacant council seat. Hudson recalled by large margin, vacancy remains The recall of Vernonia City Councilor Kevin Hudson was accomplished with a landslide vote. Voter turnout was high, with 52.6 percent of registered voters sending in ballots, 86 percent voted “yes” to recall See Council 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 Tuesday 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 Tuesdays 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.