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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.