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Siuslaw NewsFriday, November 17, 2023 Florence, Oregon 12

Number 46 • 133 years

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Florence joins county in hazard reduction plan 12

By TONY REED Siuslaw News

At its Nov. 6 meeting, the Florence City council adopted its share of the 2023-2028 Lane County Multi-Jurisdictional Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan, as required by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). FEMA requires that plans need to be approved by all jurisdictions within the county before each can use the plan. The plan was created to reduce risks from natural hazards and serves as a future guide for decision-makers. It also serves as the basis for the state to provide technical assistance and project funding. Assistant City Manager Megan Messmer said

a jurisdiction cannot apply for reimbursement during a natural disaster unless its plan is complete. Messmer said staff have been working to update the previous plan for about a year. “Every five years this plan comes up for adoption after it has been updated,” she said. “We also use this plan to apply for pre-emptive mitigation dollars… We use this plan to outline why a particular project will help us mitigate a natural hazard within our community and those mitigation dollars are very competitive.” Said Florence’s hazards are different from the rest of the county, but that the overall plan looks at 88 different action items.

The update involved several meetings and public comments before coming back to FEMA. On the coast, most hazards are seasonal and somewhat predictable, including flooding, outages, snow issues, heat and wildfires. Less predictable hazards like windstorms, earthquakes, tsunamis, and landslides were evaluated based on frequency, probability, vulnerability and the maximum threat posed by them. Messmer said pandemics were taken from the list of natural hazards in the last update. Lane uses the plan Of Oregon counties, Lane has received the most hazard mitigation funding in the last 10 years, meaning it’s been

City buys two new police trucks

The math is explained in the Powerpoint presentation to the council. By TONY REED Siuslaw News In what Mayor Rob Ward called “a black and white issue,” the Florence City Council voted to spend $156,000 to purchase and outfit two new police vehicles. Public Works Director Mike Miller said the new 430-horsepower, twin turbo V6 hybrid crewcab Ford trucks can be bought for a price below MSRP, for $51,000. However, outfitting the trucks with police equipment adds to the cost. “That’s the lights, the sirens the radio, partitions, all the different systems, the decals and everything that goes on a police vehicle,” he said, adding that the combined cost comes to $71,061 per truck. Miller said changes to the Ford lineup prompted staff to consider purchasing the full hybrid in consideration of fuel economy. He said that with a standard engine, the 18mpg estimate is pushed down to about 12 actual miles per gallon, since the vehicles

spend a lot of time idling. “At $4 per gallon of fuel, it’s very important to have high efficiency and high-mileage vehicles in the fleet. Funding was budgeted for 2023 to 2025 at $225,000, along with$15,000 in savings from other funds were available. Miller said the city has bought another police vehicle which it has not yet received That vehicle cost $61,975. Savings after the purchases and outfitting would total $6,900 Miller said. Police equipment will be added to the vehicles by Lehr, a Salem Company, at $26,153 each. When asked, Police Chief John Pitcher said officers have driven a similar vehicle in the Public Works fleet and feel it will suit their needs and provide a place to put items like bicycles and evidence. Miller added that the outfitting will include lockable storage inside the truck beds. With very little discussion, the council voted unanimously to purchase the vehicles.

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Story & Photos By TONY REED Siuslaw News A rainy morning turned into a clear afternoon for the 2023 Florence Veterans Day Parade. Led by a Color Guard in raincoats down Bay Street, the parade put Russ Connelley in the Grand Marshal’s seat at the font of a line of military Jeeps. Appearing in a 1954 Military Jeep was Mayor Rob Ward with Oregon Rep. Tim Sapps. Local Jeep clubs brought many more jeeps of varying sizes and styles. Other entries came from the US Coast Guard Siuslaw River, Florence Habitat for Humanity, the Oregon Coast Humane

Military and civilian Jeeps were a Steve Olienyk major part of the parade. Society, The Catholic form of several young parade. According to one Church/ Knights of Co- cheerleaders. Roses and organizer, Cal Applebee, lumbus, the Florence Area tiny flags were handed out some unregistered entrants Ambassadors and the US along the parade route. also arrived at the start to Coast Guard Auxiliary. Rhody Cruisers brought take part in the parade. The Siuslaw High School some classic and vintage Around the entire city Marching Band, led by Se- horsepower to the parade of Florence, hundreds of nior Drum Major Aiden while Central Coast EV flags lined major streets. Armstrong, could be heard Association brought the The flags were put there for several blocks around. voltage. the day before by Florence The Boys and Girls Club According to the parade Kiwanis Club and collectof Western Lane county tally, about 224 people and ed again later. brought the cheer in the 64 vehicles took part in the See PARADE page 9A

A celebration of the exploding whale Story & Photos By TONY REED Siuslaw News A week of exploding whale-related activities culminated in a celebration in Old Town Florence Sunday, with an in-person appearance from the man whose 1970 newscast anchored Florence in the history books. Monday’s City Council meeting started with a pair of “whales” named Flo and Rence and a proclamation recognizing the 53rd anniversary of the exploding whale. Read aloud by Mayor Rob Ward, the proclamation recognized the lesson learned by putting dynamite under a dead whale and added, “Flor-

Opinion — A3 Classifieds — B6-7

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said, “to make sure those Public Works operations lifelines Indiegogo continue to opercenter •and is developing launches: Aug 2nd • In-Store Dining Takeaway ate, and that what those erosion control measures Website for campaign: mitigation efforts aim to for Rhody Drive. Seismic tinyurl.com/silajuice support.” retrofits for city water She said collaborations tanks and Aug seismic reinIndiegogo launches: 2nd are ongoing toFindsecure forcements or relocation us on Facebook or Instagram for campaign: funding and Website make projfor a city-owned SILAplans JUICERY ects happen. tinyurl.com/silajuice fire station are being deFlorence specific veloped. Messmer said Find Florence Newor Instagram projects includus on Facebook has its own list of hazards, ed in the SILA JUICERY update are an which are windstorms, emergency fuel center, a wildfire, tsunami, win- stabilization project for ter storms, earthquakes, the Coast Guard Road, landslides, tidal impacts, updated tsunami sirens, coastal erosion, drought undergrounding of utility See HAZARD page 4A and floods.

Rain parts for Veterans Parade

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successful in working through the process of receiving those funds, she said. “A lot of that is due to the plan [and] that we have well thought-out projects for those,” she said. Using some local fire disasters as an example, Messmer said some damaged areas were not built back the same, but in ways that will help prevent them from being damaged again. The plan’s five key objectives are to strengthen infrastructure against earthquakes, enhance community resiliency, to look at how hazards will impact differing areas of the county, reduce longterm risk and promote regional collaboration to implement projects.

• Treats • Wraps • Juices • Handcrafted • Healthy •Fresh Smoothies • Treats Wellness Messmer said the colWhile tidal impacts and • Shots Wraps lective goal is to sustain coastal erosion set Flor• Juices Smoothie community lifelines to ence apart from the coun• Bowls Smoothies food, energy, medicine, ty, a variety of impacts • Wellness Acai Bowls water, shelter, communi- from storms can cut off Shots cation and transportation lifelines in the area. • Smoothie in the event of a natural To address those haz•Bowls In-Store Dining • Takeaway emergency. ards, the plan says Flor• Acai “That’s our Bowls job,” she ence has completed a

Some kids were shy about Paul Linnman taking photos with Mermaid and Mermaid Luna but others brought their Luna pause for best coloring to show her. a photo. ence should be proud sary celebration every and celebrate being rec- year. She noted that the ognized worldwide for U.S. government has a the whale and how it has manual on how to (and led us to be creative and how not to) dispose of a catalyst for taking time large marine mammal to care for nature which carcasses. is vital for the survival of “They learned from us, our home, livelihood our event here,” she in Florence and beyond.” said. “I’s nothing to be Councilor Jo Beau- ashamed of. This debadreau noted that more cle has turned into a lopeople join the anniver- cal legend and is known

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worldwide and channels morbid curiosity into positive channels that help support our local flavor.” After a group photo, it was back to city business. The weather defied the local forecast of rain to allow a mostly outdoor celebration. All week, local businesses offered discounts, specials and merchandise as part of the Whale Trail, that culminated in a Sunday celebration at Homegrown Public House and Brewery. It had to be said Paul Linnman, whose newscast made the exploding whale known worldwide, arrived with wife Vicki arrived to See WHALE page 2A

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