Page 14
The INDEPENDENT, October 19, 2011
Council told Banks participating with PGE on LED streetlights
From page 13
Banks. Hough anticipates the
program being operational later
this year. The program is ex-
pected to be useful to inform
residents of short notice water
utility shutdowns, etc.
• The city has two openings
on the Banks Tree Advisory
Board.
• Hough advised council that
the city is beginning its annual
Tree City, USA recertification
process.
• The city entered into the
LED streetlight Pilot Program
with PGE. Hough anticipates
that the new fixtures will be in-
stalled along Banks Road be-
fore the end of the year.
Council adopted a revised
Capital Improvement Plan
(CIP) to Water System Master
Plan because three of the four
highest priority water system
improvement have been com-
pleted. The city engineer draft-
ed the proposed revision that
updates the plan appropriately.
Council approved having
city staff begin researching for
a future water rate study. The
current water rate study pro-
jected needs through a five
year period, with the final water
rate increase to be effective
July 1, 2014. Councilor Pete
Edison urged that “we [the city]
go down the road of seeking
grants.”
Patty Barber, Senior Advisor
for EnergyPros, gave a brief
follow-up presentation to coun-
cil on the project for installing
solar panels on City buildings.
At the September 13 meeting,
Council expressed a desire to
proceed with a solar panel proj-
ect on one or more of the City
buildings. EnergyPros LLC pro-
poses to install and service
solar panels, as a lease: City
Hall
Council
Chambers
$16,975, City Hall Administra-
tion Building $16,975, Banks
Public Library (without reroof-
ing) $36,051, Public Works
Building $16,975, and Four-
Building Package (plus reroof-
ing Public Library) $87,000.
Council moved to award the
Public Works Building installa-
tion, service and lease solar
array project to EnergyPros
LLC, at an amount not to ex-
ceed $16,975. The motion
passed by a 4-1 vote.
Council unanimously author-
ized an Emergency Response
Program agreement between
Servpro of Hillsboro/Forest
Grove and the City of Banks.
The local franchise assisted
city staff in conducting pre-dis-
aster planning for city build-
ings, and has produced an
Emergency Ready Profile for
the library, city hall, slow sand
filter, north star, Behrman wells,
public
works
building,
Greenville Park, and Log Cabin
Park. The agreement commits
Servpro to provide rapid re-
sponse to a city emergency
and to give priority to the city.
Banks Chamber of Com-
merce President Lori Godfrey
requested that the City of
Banks partner with the cham-
ber to host a Holiday Lighting
Contest during the month of
December. The chamber in-
tends to host a contest for resi-
dents living within the water
billing district of Banks, and is
inviting residents to participate
in the contest by filling out an
entry blank. The top three
places will be given an award
of monetary value. The cham-
ber will provide an information-
al flyer to be added to the water
bill, judging, and communicat-
ing with the winners. $150 of
the funding will be provided by
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the chamber. The chamber is
requesting that the city match
funds and provide manpower
to add flyers to the water bill.
Council approved the proposal
and authorized up to $300 of
funding support for prizes.
The Banks Sustainability
Strategy (BSS) was adopted
on February 8, and has been
reviewed for needed updates.
Council unanimously adopted
the amended BSS as present-
ed.
After a second reading, by
title only, Council adopted an
ordinance revising the Banks
Municipal Code regarding
Urban Forestry.
A first reading was held, by
title only, of an ordinance
amending the Banks Municipal
Code regarding the provision of
bulk water sales and services.
Council unanimously ap-
proved a tree safety program
and authorized contracting with
Radford Landcraft, LLC for cer-
tified arborist pruning services.
The city was approached by
the operations manager for
Clean Water Services regard-
ing street-side tree overhang
distance in Arbor Village subdi-
vision. Clean Water Services
owns and operates the storm-
water system in Banks. Part of
the stormwater system is the
street sweeper that keeps the
system from being clogged by
leaves and debris. The street
sweeper must avoid sweeping
where a tree overhang is lower
than nine feet above the street,
thereby making the stormwater
system more susceptible to
flooding in those neighbor-
hoods. The city will mail appro-
priate property owners with in-
formation about requirements
to prune trees for which they
are responsible.
The next City Council meet-
ing will be held on November 8
at 7:00 p.m. in Council Cham-
bers.
Sheriff Gordon set to retire
Sheriff Rob Gordon has an-
nounced to his staff that he will
retire at the end of November
2011 after 32 years of service
to Washington County.
In a message to Sheriff’s Of-
fice staff, Sheriff Gordon con-
veyed that he’d struggled with
retiring prior to his term’s end,
but that prospective changes in
the PERS system had led to
his decision. He relayed his
fondness of his staff and said,
“The good training and work
you do, and the resulting tradi-
tions of quality you have each
contributed to this office. You
are an amazing group of crime
fighters who have the most
honorable of missions. I’m very
proud to be associated with
each of you.”
The Oregon State Sheriffs’
Association “Sheriff of the
Year” in both 2006 and 2008,
Sheriff Gordon is widely known
for his stances on concealed
handgun privacy, the state’s
mental health client placement,
and the medical marijuana pro-
gram. Sheriff Gordon is also
recognized for chairing a state-
wide group that authored the
Oregon Jail Standards – a se-
ries of guidelines that Sheriffs
throughout Oregon have credit-
ed with helping improve local
jail operations over the last
decade.
During Sheriff Gordon’s first
elected term, he led the Wash-
ington County Sheriff’s Office
to its initial national accredita-
tion with the Commission on
Accreditation for Law Enforce-
ment Agencies (CALEA). The
Sheriff’s Office maintained
compliance with over 400 stan-
dards comprised of five review
areas of policy and procedures,
administration, operations, in-
vestigations, and support serv-
ices. The Washington County
Sheriff’s Office remains the
largest
law
enforcement
agency, and the only Sheriff’s
Office to hold national accredi-
tation, in Oregon.
Sheriff Gordon joined the
Washington County Sheriff’s
Office in the fall of 1979 as a
Corrections Officer, after serv-
ing four years in the United
States Marine Corps. He has
held the positions of Correc-
tions Deputy, Senior Correc-
tions Deputy, Sergeant, Lieu-
tenant, Patrol Commander, Jail
Commander, Chief Deputy
Sheriff, and has served as
Sheriff since September of
2002.
In his announcement to the
Washington County Board of
Commissioners, Sheriff Gor-
don strongly recommended
current Undersheriff Pat Gar-
rett as his successor.