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North Powder takes step toward restoring staff
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NORTH POWDER — The city of North Powder took a step toward restoring its paid staff Monday, appointing a two-person committee to oversee the hiring of a city recorder and a Public Works director. In April, Recorder Sue Harris resigned her position because of her objection to ethics reporting requirements imposed by the state Legislature. Public Works Director Cody Anderson resigned about the same time, for other reasons. Most of the City Council resigned also because of the reporting requirements, though Mayor Bonita Hebert stayed on. Later, a five-person council was appointed, enough to make a quorum.Since April, the city office has been manned by Joyce Lawyer, one of the new city council appointees. The city has functioned without a public works department, though Mayor Bonita Hebert has been helping with water and sewer problems. During Monday’s regular meeting, the council appointed Mike Morse and Eileen Davis to review applications for the two paid positions and make hiring recommendations. The council expects to complete the hirings by its August meeting. In a related item, the council voted to allow Lawyer and other council members to conduct city business until the new clerk comes on board. “We’re trying to help the city survive and operate,” Councilor Lloyd Bigler said during a discussion. Also, the council voted to compile a roster of volunteers who are authorized to use city equipment. In still other business Monday, the council adopted the $1,785,414 budget hammered out this spring by the city’s budget committee. The budget is based on property taxes of $4.31 per $1,000 of assessed evaluation. Other discussion Monday centered on a city-wide clean-up, and the upcoming Huckleberry Festival. Mayor Bonita Hebert said she will coordinate the clean-up, as she did last year. She asked the council for money for a Dumpster, saying the cost for placing the Dumpster at the city’s recycle station will be $165, and the cost for emptying it will be $59 a ton. The council approved the funding request. The clean-up is set for the week of July 16. Citizens may bring items to the Dumpster and dispose of them for a small fee. In another matter, Janet Dodson of the Huckleberry Festival Committee asked the city to waive its vendor fee for the event, which is slated for July 26. Dodson said she hopes the fee waiver will help attract more arts and crafts and food vendors. “The festival is bringing a lot of attention to North Powder,” she said. |
