25 February
Planning Commission to Ponder Pair of Proposals
Projects needing approval of the Florence Planning Commission have been few and far between in the past few years. City Manager Jacque Betz says the panel will meet tonight.
Jacque Betz – “They have two very good applications to review and one is for the Church on the Rock which is applied for a conditional use permit and design review. Talk about a nice redevelopment project. What they’re proposing to do is rebuild the church and add some buildings.”
That proposal would expand and remodel the existing church building at 18th and Pine and south to 17th street.
The other project up for approval is a request by PeaceHealth to change the status of an existing modular building. It was originally placed on the east side of the hospital and granted temporary approval in 2008. PeaceHealth now wants to make it a permanent fixture.
Planning staff says the building can meet city code requirements with a few conditions… they’re recommending approval.
The Planning Commission meets at city hall at seven PM.
High School Tribal Mascots
Oregon schools with Native American mascots are one step closer to being able to keep them under a bill that cleared the House Education committee Monday.
A statewide ban on school use of Native American symbols or nicknames takes effect in 2017, requiring a number of Oregon schools, including Reedsport, to change their mascots.
But the House committee approved a bill which would allow school districts to get a tribe’s permission to use symbols or names that are meaningful to that tribe.
The measure would order the state Board of Education to establish rules for such agreements in consultation with tribal representatives – a compromise Gov. John Kitzhaber has said he supports after vetoing an earlier version of the bill last year.
The bill goes next to the full House. It cleared the Senate earlier this month.
Bank Adds Board Members
Oregon Pacific Bank is adding two new members to its Board of Directors.
Mary Jeanne Kuhar, the dean of Lane Community College in Florence and Tim Salisbury the former Chief Financial Officer for Bay Area Hospital in Coos Bay will each bring a unique perspective and history to the board.
Bank CEO Ron Green said they both bring “an impressive set of skills and leadership qualities”.
Kuhar practiced as an OB/GYN for ten years in Bend before deciding to change her focus to education. She began as a faculty member at Central Oregon Community College before eventually being named as the Instructional Dean at the school. She moved to Florence three years ago.
Salisbury grew up in New York, but earned an MBA at Cal State and worked in smaller community hospitals before moving to North Bend in 1992.
