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About The independent. (Vernonia, Or.) 1986-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 19, 2011)
Page 4 The INDEPENDENT, October 19, 2011 Vernonia City Council told of biomass design grant approval The Vernonia City Council meeting of October 17 was pre- ceded by the third in what’s turned into a series of work sessions with the Public Works Committee, to discuss the water rate study requested by the city and done by the Ore- gon Association of Water Utili- ties. The primary question is what the water rate portion of the water/sewer bill should be in order to pay the actual cost of making water, plus infra- structure repair and future re- placement. After a discussion that went beyond the allotted hour, council had a list of items for which they want more infor- mation. The Public Works Committee was asked to get that information ready for their October 25 meeting, allowing council consideration during council’s November 7 meeting. Alan Deweber of DAD’s Re- cycling updated council on his progress towards meeting the items listed in a memorandum from the council dated in July. He was to have done certain work on his entry road by Octo- ber 17. After hearing of the progress, though more work is still needed, council agreed to issue a new memorandum al- lowing Deweber until April 14, 2012, to get the road in a con- dition that any vehicle can drive over, as it is still rough at this point. Council heard a preliminary report from John Forester of OTAK engineering firm on the status of plans for the waste water treatment plant update. The city is waiting for the re- sults of boring under two la- goons to determine the geolo- gy (gravel, sand, clay, or other) and whether that geology may support an infiltration system improvement to those lagoons. The city is preparing to choose a design engineer and is work- ing on the makeup of a commit- tee for that purpose. The proj- ect can move forward more quickly when the geology part is determined. The buy-out of the old West Oregon Electric Cooperative was approved. The city ex- pects to leave that site grav- eled, similar to the gravel at the old Country Kitchen site, so it can be used for parking. Anoth- er buyout, on Mist Dr., was ap- proved. In both cases, council must approve these before Flood Relief can use FEMA, and other, funds for these pur- poses. Approval was given to use a $25,000 grant received by the city for design of conceptual drawings, one for a biomass boiler that might be used at the Rose Ave. Project (or another similar site), and one at the school’s Natural Resource Center, that would be a project to test different pellet types. The school will also have a bio- mass boiler to help heat the buildings, but this is a separate research boiler. In other business, council: • approved the first reading of Ordinance 878 establishing the Budget Committee and re- pealing Ordinance 89, which was the original budget com- mittee ordinance from 1924. The city has been aware of the need to update this and is now doing so; • approved the first reading of Ordinance 879 repealing Or- dinance 852, which was ap- proved just after the 2007 flood to allow for exceptions to exist- ing ordinances during an emer- gency period. Specifically, it al- lowed for the FEMA trailers to be sited on property not desig- nated for temporary trailer use. The next regular council meeting will be November 7, starting at 7:00 p.m., at city hall. City of Vernonia hires camp host The City of Vernonia hired Jason Schumacher as the Win- ter Park Host at Anderson Park for the period October 1, 2011 to May 30, 2012. Jason has been working, since February, for the City as a Public Works Department Utility Worker trainee under a contract with MTC, the regional job training organization. City Administrator Bill Haack reviewed the recommendation made by representatives of the Parks Committee, Public Works Department and the City Recorder in making this selec- tion. 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 Emerg. Preparedness Comm. 4th Wednesay 6:30 p.m., WOEC 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 Ridge Riders Last Thursday 7:00 p.m., Senior Center Vernonia RFPD Board 2nd Tuesday 7:00 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 Upr Nehalem Watershed Council For date call 429-0869 7:00 p.m.,Vernonia Grange MIST-BIRKENFELD M-BRFPD Board Business Mtg. 2nd Tuesday 7:00 p.m., Main Fire Station M-BRFPD Board Workshop 4th Tuesday 7:00 p.m., Main Fire Station M-B Ambulance Drill 1st & 2nd Thursdays 7:00 p.m., Main Fire Station M-B Fire Drill 1st & 2nd Wednesdays 7:00 p.m., Main Fire Station M-B Helping Circle 2nd Monday 7:00 p.m., Main Fire Station M-B SAR Drill 3rd Wednesday 7:00 p.m., Main Fire Station M-B Volunteer Assoc. 1st Tuesday 7:00 p.m., Main Fire Station Natal Grange 2nd Wednesday 7:30 p.m., Natal Grange Hall T.O.P.S. Mondays 9:00 a.m., Main Fire Station BANKS Alcoholics Anonymous Friday 7:30 p.m., Methodist Church Alcoholics Anonymous Wednesday 7:30 p.m., Methodist Church American Legion Post #90 2nd Tuesday 7:30 p.m., Main Street Post Banks City Council 2nd Tuesday 7:30 p.m., City Hall Banks Fire District #13 2nd Wednesday 7:00 p.m., Station 13 Banks Library Commission 3rd Tuesday 7:00 p.m., City Library Banks Planning Commission Last Tuesday 7:00 p.m., City Hall Banks School Board 2nd Monday 7:30 p.m., Jr. High Library Banks Youth Group Sunday, Wednesday 7:00 p.m., UMC Youth Bldg. Chamber of Commerce 1st Thursday 12:30 p.m., Fire District Office CPO 14 3rd Monday 7:00 p.m., City Library Everybody’s Hometown Band Tuesdays 7:00 p.m., BHS Music Room Friends of the Library 2nd Tuesday 7:00 p.m., City Library Lions Club 1st & 3rd Mondays 7:00 p.m., Brown Derby Sunset Park Assoc. 3rd Wednesday 8:00 p.m., Gun Club T.O.P.S. Wednesday 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.