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About The independent. (Vernonia, Or.) 1986-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 21, 2011)
Page 6 The INDEPENDENT, December 21, 2011 Vernonia Council completes 2010 business Small business problems studied The Vernonia City Council took care of two items of busi- ness deemed necessary, at short meetings on December 9 and December 19. At a work session on De- cember 9, one item of business was added and unanimously passed. Resolution 29-11 out- lines the rules for water service under Ordinance 871, requiring compliance with Ordinance 845 – Flood Damage Preven- tion. This resolution affects per- sons purchasing substantially damaged, foreclosed homes, and outlines the needed agree- ment to raise such houses in order to obtain city water and sewer services. The City sees the need for this resolution in order to stay in compliance with FEMA regulations. At a short regular council meeting, on December 19, with only one item on the agenda, council unanimously agreed to sign an intergovernmental agreement (IGA) with the State of Oregon. This IGA to allows the State of Oregon to begin improvement work on Hwy. 47/ E. Bridge Street, that is needed for access to the new school site. The next Vernonia City Council meeting will be held at 7:00 p.m. Tuesday, January 3, at city hall. The meeting will be held on Tuesday, as city hall will be closed on Monday, Jan- uary 2, for the New Year’s holi- day. Haack provides Vernonia update by Bill Haack, Vernonia City Administrator On Tuesday December 13, the City of Vernonia conducted a mandatory pre-submission meeting with firms interested in responding to a Requests for Qualifications to provide design and final engineering services for the Wastewater Treatment Plant Improvement Project. The City had provided infor- mation to twenty-five firms that expressed interest in the proj- ect. Of those firms, six firms at- tended the mandatory pre-sub- mission meeting. These six firms have now each met the first step in our selection process, as only these six firms are eligible to submit a re- sponse to this RFQ offering. These responses are due no later than end of business De- cember 22. The City will review the ap- plications the week of Decem- ber 26. A new study examining im- pediments to growth in the small-business sector reveals that 72 percent of small-busi- ness owners would like to ex- pand by adding employees within the next five years, but various impediments are cur- rently standing in their way. According to Growth – Ex- ternal Factors, a report pre- pared by the National Federa- tion of Independent Business (NFIB) Research Foundation, uncertainty and weak sales are the two primary impediments to small-business growth. “There is no question that small businesses are responsi- ble for a significant portion of the job creation in our econo- my,” said William J. Dennis, re- port author and senior fellow at the NFIB Research Founda- tion. “Their growth and success is often contingent upon a litany of factors beyond their control – but within the purview of policy-makers in Washing- ton. Impediments to growth may not be easily overcome, but if we are ever to bridge the gap between desired and actu- al growth, government officials must look at the problems small businesses face. Under- standing the challenges should help with the formulation of policies that would help them to thrive.” The study found that busi- ness uncertainty and weak sales – identified as the two pri- mary impediments to small- business growth – are current- ly limiting the ability of many owners to expand. While eco- nomic concerns rank high in the minds of owners, a large number of small businesses also report that uncertainty is a significant factor in making business decisions. Not sur- See Study on page 7 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 Upr Nehalem Watershed Council For date call 429-0869 7:00 p.m.,Vernonia Grange 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 Comm. Learning Center 1st Wednesday 5:00 p.m., VCLC 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 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 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 7:30 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 9-1-1 Board 3rd Thursday 9:00 a.m., 9-1-1 meeting room 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.