21 October 2013
Working on Financial Plans…
Discussions on debt-service management; sustainable funding for street repairs; and implementing the “FEC-Solution” are among the topics this evening when Florence City Councilors get together.
Instead of holding a formal meeting at seven, the council will be in a more casual “round table” an hour earlier than usual.
They’ll take up a conversation on the city’s long-range planning process. That includes things like how to deal with the final two payments on the Florence Events Center, while at the same time implementing the recommendations of a special panel that suggested using property tax revenue to offset operating shortfalls at the center.
Four options on how to deal with street repair costs will be explored. Those include a possible city gas tax; piggy-backing on a possible Lane County Vehicle registration fee; seeking voter approved bonding for repairs; or continue to do a little at a time as current funding allows.
The special work session starts an hour earlier than usual… six pm at City Hall.
Stabbing Death Investigated
Police in Reedsport have still not released the name of the victim, but they’re continuing to investigate a stabbing death Saturday night. Reedsport officers and Douglas County Sheriff’s Deputies responded to a report of two men fighting at an apartment on Longwood Drive at seven pm Saturday night. When they arrived, they found a man dead of stab wounds.
24-year old Michael L. Corrie was arrested. The Douglas County Major Crimes Team is assisting in the investigation.
Marine Board Quarterly Meeting in Florence
The Oregon State Marine Board will be spending a couple days on the Oregon Coast this week. The five-member citizen panel will tour a couple projects in Winchester Bay and Lakeside tomorrow afternoon before convening for a strategic plan update at 3:30 at the River House Inn on Bay Street.
The board will meet again all day Wednesday at the River House for their regular quarterly meeting to discuss and take possible action on several different rule proposals.
Low Income Heating Assistance Program
The first round of signups for a federally funded program aimed at providing one-time assistance to low income households to help offset seasonal heating costs will begin in two weeks.
Last year the Low Income Heat and Energy Assistand Program, also known as LIHEAP (LY-heep), administered through Siuslaw Outreach Services, aided more than 500 area households according to Bob Teter. Teter, the housing assistance manager for the non-profit group, says signups, either in person or on the phone, begin at 9:00 AM Friday, November 1st. He said the funds are not guaranteed and applicants should continue to pay their bills. He said more information can be had by calling SOS during regular business hours.
