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About The independent. (Vernonia, Or.) 1986-current | View Entire Issue (March 7, 2012)
The INDEPENDENT, March 7, 2012 Page 11 Banks City Council continues work to hire a new city manager Mayor John Kinsky, at the February 14 meeting of the Banks City Council, proclaimed March 12 to 18 as Banks Fix-A- Leak Week. Malmedal Plumbing and Five-Star Plumbers, Inc, both local companies, are offering leak repair services to Banks residents, with the first half- hour of service provided free during Banks Fix-A-Leak Week. With the support of Banks City Council, Kinsky commend- ed Five-Star Plumbers, Inc. and Malmedal Plumbing for their support of the citizens of Banks and the Banks Conser- vation Plan. Household leaks account for nearly 1 trillion gal- lons of water wasted in the United States each year. Deputy Todd Hanlon report- ed on police activity in Banks during January. A total of 101 police incidents included 19 public requests, three arrests, 24 traffic stops, six citations, and nine written reports. Two men were arrested for siphon- ing gas, and a woman was ar- rested for taking prescription medications from a residence. Hanlon also briefed council on the 2011 City of Banks An- nual Police Report, comment- ing that the Washington Coun- ty Sheriff’s Office is proud to be the law enforcement provider of choice for the City of Banks. A comparison of 2011 to 2010, showed an overall increase of 6.1% in total incidents, with 1446 in 2011 and 1363 in 2010. Incidents include: • Public requests declined by 11.1% from 2010, 325 to 361; • Traffic stops increased by 29.6% over 2010, 390 to 301; • Traffic citations increased 6.5%, with 82 in 2011 and 77 in 2010; • Deputies took 152 reports in 2011, an increase of 10.1% over 132 in 2010; • There were 73 crimes in 2011 and 56 crimes in 2010, an S TRASSEL ’ S A UTO R EPAIR & H YDRAULIC H OSES 2-4-6 S PIRAL W IRE S UCTION H OSES A DAPTORS - 3/16” TO 2” A MERICAN & M ETRIC F ITTINGS B ULK O IL P RODUCTS 276 S UNSET , B ANKS 503-324-9808 increase of 35.7%; • Arrests decreased slightly from 39 in 2010 to 38 in 2011. In 2011 the sheriff’s office also participated in National Night Outs, Harvest Festival, sports events, and the Banks BBQ. City Manager Jim Hough re- ported on the following: • The CPO Boundary Proce- dures Task Force is about to make recommendations to the central CPO Board and then to the County Commissioners. • ODOT is manufacturing new park signage. The city wants to have them installed in about a month. The city has al- ready upgraded the north- bound school zone signage. • Four city council seats will be up for election in November, including mayor, currently held by Kinsky, and council posi- tions 2, 4 and 6, currently held by Stewart, Biehl and Greagor, respectively. Election Day will be November 6. • As part of the City’s contin- uing community support activi- ties it is sponsoring an official rest station at Log Cabin Park during the Beaverton, Banks, and Beyond Fund Raiser Bicy- cling Event for the Northwest Bicycle Safety Council on Sat- urday, August 25th. The event brings about one hundred bicy- clists through town. • Hough suggested that council review all nine reserve funds in the budget during the November Council meeting, to meet a requirement that re- serve funds be reviewed and renewed at least every ten years. Presently, there are var- ious dates to review the funds; reviewing them all at one time will reset the clock so the re- view date is identical for all of them. If Council agrees to the change, staff will be prepared to bring the issue before Coun- cil on November 13. Hough also proposed that Council set a policy to review the reserve funds every five years. • The city has purchased two Automated External Defibrilla- tors (AED) for installation in council chambers and the li- brary. Training will be conduct- ed for all staff, followed by in- stallation of the AEDs. It is an- ticipated that the City Hall AED will be ready in April and the Li- brary AED will be ready in June. • The Traffic and Street Sign Replacement and Upgrade Project that was discussed in 2008, is underway. It is hoped that approximately one-third of the signage will be replaced/ upgraded by March. The city likely will postpone upgrading the street signage in old town pending a response from ODOT regarding Main Street signage, and the re-addressing project that the city planner is conducting. • Solar panels are being in- stalled on the Public Works Building. The City has execut- ed a net metering and intercon- nection agreement with PGE and should be generating elec- tricity to the grid by the end of the month. A draft of the City Manager Recruitment Profile was circu- lated. With the pending retire- ment of City Manager Jim Hough, Council has started the process to interview and hire the next city manager. Council has created a recruitment pro- file so applicants have the op- portunity to compare individual experience with the required and desired attributes. The next city council meet- ing will be held on March 13 at 7:00 p.m. Main Street Pizza 680 S. Main Oak Village Shopping Center Banks, Oregon 503-324-5858 Receive $2 off any large Pizza. $ 2 Off 00 Expires 3-31-12. 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