The Umpqua Post
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Wednesday, November 12, 2014 | Serving the Reedsport area since 1996 | theworldlink.com/reedsport | $1.00
Measure failure hurts levee efforts BY STEVE LINDSLEY The Umpqua Post
A Reedsport ballot measure to get rid of the double majority for fee and tax increases was defeated by a 56 to 43 percent margin. The city submitted the measure after another measure, in May, to allow for the use of sewer fee decreases to be put into an account to help pay for levee certification was approved, but did not meet the double majority, where at least 50 percent of the registered voters in the city have to approve it. Outgoing Reedsport Mayor Keith Tymchuk was disappointed.
“I’m surprised,” he said. “I think that it puts the city at a handicap to try to solve its levee issues. I’m disappointed for the city and I think that it really creates some difficulties in trying to find a way to move forward in a way that is predictable.” The city is in the early stages of getting its 3 miles of levee certified by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The funds saved from refinancing a Department of Environmental Quality loan could have been put into a fund to pay for the certification, which could run several million dollars.
City to discuss refinance of loan
That levee certification will be necessary to keep flood insurance rates reasonably low for homes and businesses, including Reedsport City Hall and other city buildings, in the floodplain. New floodinsurance rates could be in the thousands of dollars a year for some owners, if the levee is not certified. “Certification,” Tymchuk said, “is clearly going to be costly. The city’s operating under a premise, based on what we’ve discussed with other cities ... we’re looking at several hundred thousand dollars, just in engineering and consulting costs.”
Those costs do no include any work the city has to do to repair or upgrade the levee, based on engineering reports and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers inspections. Tymchuk said Measure 10-135 would have helped. “With the passage of the ballot measure, we had a path that we knew,” he said. “Without it, now we’re scrambling and the path to solving our problems with the levee and our floodplain issues are now less clear.” The mayor said the measure was a good solution posed by the city. “It was a practical and logical
solution that allowed us to raise that money without raising rates,” he said. “This is, essentially, the same ballot measure that was passed ... in May.” Tymchuk, who leaves office in January, says the city will now have to find another way to get through the certification process. “If we can’t pay for it,” he said, “it’s going to be the property owners of Reedsport, especially downtown, who will face great difficulty.” In final unofficial returns, Measure 10-135 had 591 no votes (56 percent) to 462 yes votes (44 percent).
Tymchuk put forth for SCCF board
FINE FEATHERED FRIENDS
BY CHELSEA DAVIS
BY STEVE LINDSLEY
The Umpqua Post
The Umpqua Post
The Reedsport City Council will hold a special meeting Monday, Nov. 17, at 6 p.m. to discuss whether to refinance a Department of Environmental Quality loan for the city’s wastewater treatment facility. “The state gave us two years to accomplish this,” Reedsport City Manager Jonathan Wright said. “It’s going to take us some time, once we pull the trigger, to actually get through the process. We’re coming up on our one year mark and we definitely don’t want to miss out on our opportunity if the thing gets hung up or takes more time than we originally intended. We want to make sure we have enough time left in the process in order to complete it.” Wright said refinancing the loan would be a benefit to the community. “Lowering your interest rate from 3.05 to 1.8 is a big deal,” he said. He said it was unfortunate that voters did not approve Measure 10135 on the Nov. 4 ballot to eliminate the double majority for fee and tax increases. The city had planned, had the measure passed, to ask voters to use the savings of refinancing the sewer plant to put into a fund for levee certification. “With the failure of Measure 10135 we do not have the ability to adjust rates if we need to,” Wright said. “Some of options that were on the table, previously, are now off. All of those options included additional savings, based on a shorter term. Based on staff’s analysis at this point, it appears that, in order to take the loan and be able to pay
SEE LOAN, PAGE A6
Playground fundraising campaigns The Umpqua Post
At least three fundraising campaigns are underway to replace the playground equipment at Reedsport’s Lions Park. One is a local fundraising campaign by Dr. Rio Lion from Dunes Family Health Care. Another is a gofundme.com campaign put together by Vik Schaaf, the youth director of Salem’s Westminster Presbyterian Church. She is a former Reedsport
SEE PLAYGROUND, PAGE A6
By Lou Sennick, The Umpqua Post
A elk at the Dean Creek viewing area watches as a small hawk hovers and flies around it Wednesday afternoon. The hawk was not the only flying critter, several small birds were foraging themselves on the elk.
COOS BAY — The South Coast Community Foundation has picked the final three candidates to round out its seven-member board. SCCF’s four current board members — John Sweet, Terence O’Connor, Brianna Hanson and Tom Leahy — chose Keith Tymchuk, Al Pettit and Andy Combs for the three at-large seats at their Wednesday meeting. Now, SCCF’s four member entities — Coos County, Oregon International Port of Coos Bay and the cities of Coos Bay and North Bend — have to approve the three candidates. Tymchuk is ending his sixth term as mayor of Keith Tymchuk Reedsport, and brings 30 years of experience teaching social studies. The foundation is proposed to receive community service fee payments from Jordan Cove, some of which will be dispersed to Coos County school districts, as well as Reedsport and Port OrfordLanglois school districts. Pettit also has a write-in campaign pending for a vacant Coos Bay City Council seat. He owns Harley-Davidson in Coos Bay and
SEE SCCF, PAGE A6
Robertson’s vacated McCollum, Patten seat won by Boice capture city races do, what I was going to do for Douglas County, and not what In the race for Douglas County everybody else was going to do or Commission, to fill a two-year wasn’t going to do. I’m very excited term left vacant by the resignation with the way it turned out.” Boice said they asked supportof Doug Robertson, Myrtle Creek business owner Chris Boice won ers to focus on his campaign and over five other candidates in the not disparage others. “I think they did a very good Nov. 4 election. In final unofficial results, sent job of that,” he said, “and I’m very Nov. 5, Boice led Roseburg busi- grateful.” Boice will replace interim ness owner Gary Leif 42 to 33 percent. Boice had 15,751 votes to commissioner Mike Winters, who took Robertson’s seat in August. 12,514 for Leif. “I’m very grateful,” Boice said. Winters is a former county com“I did have a lot of support that missioner. Boice will join veteran comI’m very grateful for from all over the county. I did make it a point to mission Susan Morgan and new try and reach every far corner of commissioner Tim Freeman, who won the May primary to take Joe Douglas County.” Boice said, despite some cam- Laurance’s seat. Laurance decided to step down after two terms. paigns, he ran a good hard race. Both Morgan and Freeman “(We) worked very hard to keep the campaign above board,” he said, “focused on what we were going to SEE BOICE, PAGE A6 The Umpqua Post
mayor’s reins as the city wades hip deep into levee certification. “It’s something we’re really Only one seat in the council and mayor election Nov. 4 was contest- going to have to work on,” she said. ed, but there were, at least, two “Put our heads together and figure write-in campaigns. The write-in out something to do.” A presentation Monday, Nov. 3, campaigns were not successful. Linda McCollum was unop- showed the city will be on the hook posed for mayor and received 74 for $600,000 to $700,000 to get a percent of the vote in final unoffi- consultant to help with the levee cial returns. She faced a write-in certification. In a contested Reedsport City campaign from councilor Frank Barth. Write-ins accounted for 26 Council race, Rich Patten led Eddie O’Carroll 71 to 28 percent. percent of the vote. “I was very impressed with Ed,” McCollum said she was surPatten said, “because he was a genprised Barth jumped into the race. tleman. We treated each other fair“Frank’s a great guy,” she said ly. He even came to me and thanked Tuesday night. “A lot of people know him and know what a good SEE REEDSPORT, PAGE A6 person he is. Yes, I was concerned. If he had made it, that would have been fine. I would have supported him.” McCollum will take over the
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