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.