4 September 2014
City Manager Interviews Set for 12th and 13th.
Two of the eight finalists invited to be interviewed for the open City Manager’s position will not be coming to Florence next week. That’s because they’ve already taken other jobs.
But, so far, six finalists will be in town one week from tomorrow for a community “meet and greet” before spending the following day in a series of interviews with elected officials, city staff and community members.
Roy Eckert from Montrose, Colorado has a 25-year background in city and county management. Steve Golnar has been a municipal manager in four different cities in his 24-year career. He Currently resides in Loveland, Colorado. The third Colorado candidate is Catherine Sinnard. She was Town Manager in Monument, Colorado between 2005 and 2013. Prior to that, she was the assistant City Manager in Pueblo, Colorado.
William Kohbarger has a Masters in Public Administration and a Bachelor’s in Criminal Justice. He’s the Town Manager in Pahrump, Nevada. Allen Rothermel has spent the last ten years as assistant City Manager in Delaware, Ohio. Before that he served in the same capacity in Fairborn, Ohio for 17 years.
The final candidate… Jim Pascale… has been Administrator for the college town of Princeton, New Jersey for 30 years.
Fuel Tax Could Reduce Costs for Some Residents
Florence Voters will say “yea” or “nay” to a retail fuel tax that officials say might increase costs at the pump, but it could cost some residents less and raise more money for street repairs.
Voters will decide on a nickel-a-gallon tax on retail sales of gasoline and diesel in November. The tax would be reduced to just three-cents between November 1st and February 28th. The money would be used to fund a list of 23 street repairs and improvement projects totaling $5-million.
Mayor Nola Xavier said for many Florence residents a ‘yes’ vote
could end up being a “wash”.
That’s because an existing “street utility” fee of $5 per month will be reduced to just $2 per month if voters approve. That three dollars a month would equate to using 60 gallons of fuel during one month in the ‘peak season’.
The amount of extra revenue generated by the tax would be about three-and-a-half times of that from the current utility fee. It raises about $110-thousand a year now; that would go up to about $390-thousand.
The revenue would increase according to Xavier, because everyone buying fuel in Florence would pay… not just city residents.
Critics say the additional fuel tax would harm retailers and cause visitors to buy gas in other communities.
Cummins Creek Fire Resists Containment
The Cummins Creek fire, 18-miles north of Florence in the Cape Perpetua Scenic Area, continues to burn in steep, rocky terrain. As of yesterday afternoon it was about an acre in size and did not appear to be threatening to spread.
Central Coast Ranger Michelle Jones with the Siuslaw National Forest said the fire is burning in a remote area just outside the Cummins Creek Wilderness Area, southeast of Cape Perpetua.
Crews worked yesterday to build lines around two sides of the perimeter, but heavy brush and steep slopes made access difficult.
The fire is burning in the bottom of the drainage, adding to the danger according to Jones. That’s because firefighters are unable to get below the fire where it’s safer to work. A helicopter began attacking the base of the blaze yesterday, dropping water in the bottom of the canyon.
Jones said no road closures are in effect, but she stressed the continued need for fire safety in outdoor areas. She also said fire danger could increase over the next couple of days with east winds and low humidity in the forecast.
