19 January 2015
Lane County Seeking City Support
Lane County Commissioners are seeking support from other elected officials around the county before deciding whether or not to ask voters for approval of a $35-per-year vehicle registration fee.
It’s estimated that about $11-million a year would be raised by the fee. By law it would be used exclusively for roads and bridges. Also by law, it would be split 60-40 with incorporated cities in the county. Lane County’s 60-percent would be about six-and-a-half-million a year; Eugene would get the lion’s share of the city portion with about $2.7-million. Florence would get about $143-thousand and Dunes City $22-thousand.
Lane County representatives sought support late last year from Dunes City; but weren’t successful. Dunes City Councilors said they would not formally oppose it however.
West Lane County Commissioner Jay Bozievich will be in Florence tomorrow evening where he will seek formal support from the City Council.
A public hearing is scheduled January 27th in Eugene on the matter.
Florence man reported missing; found.
An 88-year old Florence man, reported missing Saturday morning from his residence, was found later in the day.
Lane County Search and Rescue Coordinator John Miller released few details, but said Alexander Campbell, and his maroon Oldsmobile Sport Utility were last seen Saturday morning at nine AM in Florence. At the time, he was reportedly headed to the store.
Miller said Campbell was found about 3:30 Saturday afternoon.
Timber Payments Out of the Question
The Obama Administration has told 41 states how much money they are losing after Congress ended subsidies to counties that contain national forest land.
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced this week that the U.S. Forest Service is distributing more than $50-million to timber counties nationwide… far less than the $300 million shared by the 746 counties during the final year last year of the Secure Rural Schools subsidies program.
For decades, the Forest Service has paid a quarter of its logging revenues to counties with forest lands to be used for roads and schools. About 20-years ago, with logging reduced to protect the spotted owl and salmon, Congress began approving the subsidies.
Efforts to renew them died last month in Congress.
High tides to be documented
If you can get to the beach with your smart phone the first part of this week, you could play a role in this year’s “King Tide” project.
Some of the highest tides of the year will happen today, tomorrow and Wednesday.
The CoastWatch program of the Oregon Shores Conservation Coalition is hoping to document them.
Volunteer photographers will take photos showing the relationship between the tides and the “built environment” like roads, buildings and bridges. You can post your pictures online at www-dot-OregonKingTides-dot-net. This month’s king tides follow similar ones last month, with more in about four weeks.
School board appreciation month
The administration and staff at Siuslaw Schools are joining the other 196 Oregon School Districts in recognizing their local board of education.
January is “School board recognition month”.
97-J Superintendent Ethel Angal said school board members are the corporate board of directors for one of the area’s largest employers. As such, she added, they spend “countless hours of unpaid time” working on behalf of schools and students.
The seven board members have a combined 38-years experience on the board with more than a quarter of that resting in the longest serving member; Paul Burns.
Noon time work session for Council
A number of items will be discussed tomorrow at noon when the Florence City Council meets for their first regular midday work session.
A review of the Rhody Express pilot project; a proposed probation proposal from the city’s municipal judge; and the Events Center Catering will be just three of the work session topics.
Earlier this month, the council adopted a new regular meeting schedule. When the meet on the third Monday of each month, they’ll start with a noon work session, then convene at six for the regular session.
Because of the Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday, the meeting was moved to Tuesday.
