Page 10
The INDEPENDENT, January 18, 2012
Banks Council told Wash. Co. has given part of Banks Rd. to city
by Jodi Boylan
At the January 10 Banks
City Council Meeting, Mayor
John Kinsky announced that it
is “actually fun to be mayor
when I get to award people or
host people who award things.”
He then turned to Ray Deeth
and President Lori Godfrey, of
the Banks Chamber of Com-
merce, who announced the
winners of the 2011 Banks
Chamber Holiday Lighting
Contest.
Eight contestants entered
the contest. The $100 First
Place award was presented to
Lee Becker, Second Place
went to Jean Forrest with $75,
Tim O’Connor also received
$75 for Third Place. The five
additional contestants each re-
ceived a letter from Godfrey
with a gift of $10 for participat-
ing in the contest. The Cham-
ber thanked Banks Hardware
and Outdoor, Jim’s Thriftway,
Krissy’s Café, Banks Trail
Café, Banks Pharmacy, Banks
Subway, Alley Way Photogra-
phy, Banks Curves, Chinese
Garden, and Duncan Auto Re-
pair and Service for being
Chamber members - the con-
testants will be spending the
awards at their businesses.
Deeth and Godfrey also
called Kinsky forward to pres-
ent him with a Certificate of Ap-
preciation in recognition for
making the first Banks Commu-
nity Christmas Tree lighting in
Greenville City Park a success-
ful event in 2011.
The Washington County
Sheriff’s Office/City of Banks
monthly police report for De-
cember was presented by the
city’s contract officer, Deputy
Todd Hanlon. Hanlon reported
that there were a total of 86 in-
cidents, 24 were by public de-
mand, three arrests, 22 traffic
stops which resulted in seven
citations, and 15 written re-
ports. Incidents included the
theft of a leaf blower/compres-
sor taken from a driveway; tak-
ing an informational report on a
disturbance/fight at Banks High
School between two females
that resulted in minor scratch-
es; criminal mischief at the Bus
Barn parking lot where the bars
on the gate were bent, but
nothing appeared to be miss-
ing; a couple of welfare checks,
theft of a wallet at Banks High
School; a runaway and return
of a female juvenile; harass-
ment/fight between an intoxi-
cated adult female attacked by
two unknown females; a verbal
PRECISION OUTD OOR
POWER EQUIPMENT
Banks Hardware
503-324-5221 • 150 N. Main St., Banks
disturbance; theft of prescrip-
tion medications; hit and run to
a vehicle on N Main by the
Shell station. An arrest was
made in a theft from a vehicle
at Jim’s Thriftway parking lot,
where a window was smashed,
and a purse taken from the
seat. An adult male was arrest-
ed after many other county-
wide crimes were committed.
The suspect was identified af-
ter reviewing the parking lot
surveillance footage.
City Manager Jim Hough
noted the “exceptionally good
police work”, and not only does
the city receive local support
from the Washington County
Sheriff’s Office, it receives
county wide support. Kinsky
commented that the report was
“very informative… probably
the most informative we’ve
ever received.”
Planning Commission Liai-
son Ray Deeth reported that
the commission reviewed the
Urban Growth Boundary status
and talked about the Semi-An-
nual Joint City Council/Plan-
ning Commission Work Ses-
sion that will be held on Janu-
ary 31 at 6:00 p.m. at the City
Council Chambers.
City Manager Jim Hough’s
Monthly Report included:
• Mon - Fri 8am to 6pm
• Saturday 8am to 5pm
• Sunday 10am to 4pm
• Reminder that Leslie Sipp
is still collecting reusable bags
for the Sonrise Food Pantry.
The reusable bags can be
dropped off at the fire station.
• The Washington County
Board of Commissioners has
approved and ordered the
transfer of a small portion of
Banks Road to the city of
Banks for maintenance and op-
eration.
• The city is working with the
Oregon Department of Trans-
portation (ODOT) to install park
directional signage on Main
Street.
• The signage at the exit/en-
trance to Stubb Stewart State
Park has been changed. The
City of Banks is now identified
on the sign.
• A noble fir tree has been
donated to the City of Banks for
planting in Greenville City Park.
The Park Management Com-
mittee has recommended that
the tree be planted in the re-
cently established Educational
Arbor on the Southwesterly
corner of the Arbor. The city is
working with the Park Manage-
ment Committee and Tree
Board to plant the tree with a
ceremony. The city intends to
publish a press release about
the Educational Arbor and the
newest addition.
• As part of the Water Utility
security upgrade, the city is
conducting an audit of the lock
system throughout the city.
• The city replaced two inop-
erative fire hydrants (Wilkes
Street and Banks Road) and
restored service. Some addi-
tional hydrants are being over-
hauled, work that is anticipated
to be finished in early April.
• The city is proceeding with
the Traffic and Street Sign Re-
placement and Upgrade Pro-
ject that was first mentioned in
2008. The city hopes to have
approximately 1/3 of the sig-
nage replaced and upgraded in
March. The city will hold off on
upgrading signage in old town,
pending a response from
ODOT regarding Main Street,
and the addressing project that
the city planner is conducting.
• The Court Clerk has signed
an agreement with a person
who recently damaged a stop
sign on Trellis Way. The person
made full restitution and the
City has agreed to not pursue
the case in court.
Council
approved
an
amendment to the Water Im-
provement Project memoran-
dum dated July 6, 2010. The
City Engineer has advised that
the costs have been greater
than anticipated and that a por-
tion of the project budget needs
to be adjusted accordingly; at
the same time Kennedy-Jenks
has conducted a thorough on-
going value-engineering review
of the projects, and has also
advised that there have been
significant cost savings.
Council adopted a Resolu-
tion approving the addition of
the City of West Linn as a new
member of the Metropolitan
Area Communications Com-
mission (MACC). West Linn
application for membership co-
ordinates with the upcoming re-
newal of the MACC/Comcast
cable franchise.
Council President Pete Edi-
son was congratulated after
Council voted to re-elect him
Council President for 2012.
A credit card vendor was ap-
proved for the City of Banks.
The city hopes to have it up
and running in about three
months.
Council tabled discussion on
the purchase and installation of
a new telephone local ex-
change system to a future
meeting.
Council adopted a Fleet
Safety Program policy in an on-
going effort to enhance the
safety of city staff. The city has
worked with City County Insur-
ance Services to develop a
fleet safety program policy,
which will now be included in a
new section of the Banks Safe-
ty Manual, then provided to city
staff.
The next city council meet-
ing will be held on Tuesday,
February 14, at 7:00 p.m. in the
council chambers.