City moves to clinch land for a new water treatment plant less than a mile south of downtown
By Anne Scheck
Trammart News Service, January 26, 2024
The city is acquiring about 10 acres of land several blocks south of town west of Corvallis Road for a new water treatment plant at an estimated construction cost of $44 million and, in a separate action, Independence plans to annex into the city limits nearly eight acres just north of that property.
The western boundary for both parcels is 4th Street, along the railroad tracks. An approximately 2.5 acreage on the other side of Corvallis, extending to the river, also is part of the planned acquisition by the city.
It’s part of a $95 million project to meet the town’s future water management and needs – called “The Water System Master Plan” – that was approved by the City Council last year. The treatment plant will process a new water source, the Willamette River, according to the plan. The annexation is an entirely separate action and would place a new mixed-use residential zone inside city limits.
The property for the plant has yet to be purchased, but at a recent city council meeting, the councilors voted unanimously to allow the city manager, Kenna West, to take possession of the land for the city by eminent domain if the owners and Independence cannot agree on the compensation package for it.
The need for a new treatment facility arrives when the city’s current supply of water in well fields is likely to reach capacity in only a few years.
The funds to pay for the water treatment plant and property remain relatively unexplained, although state monies are expected to be one of the ways and federal grants or allocations have been mentioned as another possibility. West has mentioned the possibility of partnerships.
However, neighboring Monmouth isn’t committed to any joint agreement use so far. “From what we understand, the water projects that Independence is moving forward with, are not projects identified in Monmouth's Water Master Plan,” explained Sabra Jewell, communication coordinator for the city of Monmouth. “We are evaluating how a partnership might fit into Monmouth's plans, but we have no partnership at this time,” she added.
A comparison with other towns shows that water-sewer rates paid by Independence residents are higher than those in many other Oregon cities. In the past, Independence has relied on part of the water-sewer bill to contribute toward city debt payments.
Portions from water-bill proceeds have helped subsidize MINET, the city’s municipal broadband, co-founded with Monmouth.
However, at a recent meeting of the MINET board of directors, General Manager P.J Armstrong said the municipal fiberoptic now is solidly in the black and making full bond payments; An interest-only payment on loans the city made over the years to MINET was paid this past December, but it’s too soon to tell whether a larger repayment sum will be made this coming December, Armstrong said.
Most residents who were queried for their response following the council meeting said they expect their water rates to rise regardless of how solidly MINET is performing. ▪
A series of townhomes in Brandy Meadows where builders say SDC increases would boost home prices
By Anne Scheck
Trammart News Service, January 26, 2024
The City of Independence has proposed a massive $21,000 increase in their water System Development Charge (SDC), increasing Independence’s total SDCs to nearly $54,000. If adopted at the Independence City Council’s February 27th meeting, Independence’s SDCs would be the most expensive in the state of Oregon.
The above statements may sound like the lead-in to an article on the city by Trammart News, but the sentences actually come straight from the latest report by the Home Builders Association of Marion and Polk Counties, which made Independence’s plan for water SDCs the top story in the group’s latest newsletter. The SDCs would be paid by developers as fees to build a single-family home.
“I can tell you that this is a real threat to builders who want to keep building here,” said Larry Dalke, whose construction firm is responsible for most of the Brandy Meadows development in Southwest Independence.
Several other builders also expressed deep worry over how they can continue with residential construction in the city. By comparison, nearby Monmouth has water SDCs of about $2,500 – a tenfold difference. In fact, Independence’s water SDCs are expected to rise to be about four times that of Salem’s, as well.
At the initial work session on the water SDC increase, Steve Donovan, the city’s engineering consultant on water rates, said comparisons are always complicated, and often unreliable. The rates of other cities are in frequent flux, he pointed out.
However, residents both within and outside Brandy Meadows have reacted to the proposed change with questions about where the additional money will be applied.
“My understanding is the cost of SDCs is for new developments, and not for other obligations, so why does it cost Independence so much more money to lay pipes than it does Monmouth?” asked one of them.
The answer, at least in part, appears to be financing for a new water treatment plant, which is needed in order to exercise water rights from the Willamette River and meet a pressing water need.
But the HBA is contending that Independence also plans to use part of these SDC increases to pay for replacement of existing water lines that are beyond repair – “a clear violation of Oregon law regarding the use of SDC funds,” the industry group asserts in the newsletter article.
Despite being contacted several times by Trammart News to comment on the HBA’s assertion, the city’s communications coordinator, Emmanuel Goicochea, failed to respond.
The HBA is opposing the city’s water SDC change with an allegation that it wasn’t correctly done under Oregon law – asserting that SDCs cannot be used to repair systems and that they can only be utilized to create additional capacity needed for future growth. Independence Public Works Director Gerald Fisher confirmed during the recent SDC work session that a meeting with HBA representatives will be held.
The city SDCs are designated funds earmarked for the development and repair of the water and sewer system, according to a definition provided in the city's 2022 municipal audit. ▪
Sheriff reports on trends in Polk County that suggest more brazen law-breaking
By Anne Scheck
Trammart News Service, January 26, 2024
When it comes to conversing about crime, Polk County Sheriff Mark Garton isn’t afraid to use the g-word. In fact, he uses two of them together – gangs and guns. "There are more incidents involving guns and I don't hesitate at all to call some gang-related,” Garton said in a brief interview following a report on last year’s arrest record to the Polk County Board of Commissioners.
In fact, overall crime declined from 2019 – from 2,237 to 1,647 – but incidents of theft have increased and so have “eludes.” Though Garton’s presentation ranged from staffing levels at the Sheriff’s Office to the fluctuating population at the county jail, it was the changing numbers of some offenses that drew the focus of the commissioners.
Juvenile arrests, reckless driving and “eludes,” the need for deputies to halt pursuits, all were points of discussion. So were crimes by youth, which have become a ”hot topic,” Commissioner Craig Pope said. He asked how many had been recorded in 2023; Garton replied that two dozen juveniles had been arrested and a further breakdown to identify specific charges was underway.
The “sheer numbers (of those) showing disrespect” have grown in Polk County, making law enforcement more difficult, Garton said.
Suspects whose driving escalates to dangerous speeds are an example, Garton said, noting that some of those who were targeted for traffic stops seem to have become “emboldened” to flee this way. In 2019, there were 10 pursuits that were terminated due to public endangerment; last year it was 33. “It lies on us to be responsible in how we actively monitor those pursuits,” Garton said.
“I appreciate your using discretion,” commented Commissioner Jeremy Gordon.
After his presentation, Garton acknowledged that gun violence has been a growing concern for him, an observation that Independence Police Chief Robert Mason also made a few months ago in reporting the crime pattern in Independence to the town’s city council. Two serious events involved youth, guns and car chases.
This past fall, a youth fired a gun at a Polk County sheriff’s deputy in Independence by Riverview Park. About two weeks later, a sheriff’s deputy, acting in self-defense, shot and killed an 18-year-old after being fired at by a suspect on Highway 22, following a pursuit. A responding deputy had been struck and injured.
An analysis issued this past spring on Salem’s violent crime showed gun-involved incidents and gang-related disputes had substantially increased since the police force there disbanded the anti-gang enforcement team in 2019. Incidents involving juveniles – both as victims and suspects – rose 20% by 2023. Gang-related conflicts were the second highest cause of gun-involved incidents, behind personal disputes – and many of those personal disputes involved gang members, according to the findings. ▪
By Anne Scheck
Trammart News Service, January 26, 2024
The city is acquiring about 10 acres of land several blocks south of town west of Corvallis Road for a new water treatment plant at an estimated construction cost of $44 million and, in a separate action, Independence plans to annex into the city limits nearly eight acres just north of that property.
The western boundary for both parcels is 4th Street, along the railroad tracks. An approximately 2.5 acreage on the other side of Corvallis, extending to the river, also is part of the planned acquisition by the city.
It’s part of a $95 million project to meet the town’s future water management and needs – called “The Water System Master Plan” – that was approved by the City Council last year. The treatment plant will process a new water source, the Willamette River, according to the plan. The annexation is an entirely separate action and would place a new mixed-use residential zone inside city limits.
The property for the plant has yet to be purchased, but at a recent city council meeting, the councilors voted unanimously to allow the city manager, Kenna West, to take possession of the land for the city by eminent domain if the owners and Independence cannot agree on the compensation package for it.
The need for a new treatment facility arrives when the city’s current supply of water in well fields is likely to reach capacity in only a few years.
The funds to pay for the water treatment plant and property remain relatively unexplained, although state monies are expected to be one of the ways and federal grants or allocations have been mentioned as another possibility. West has mentioned the possibility of partnerships.
However, neighboring Monmouth isn’t committed to any joint agreement use so far. “From what we understand, the water projects that Independence is moving forward with, are not projects identified in Monmouth's Water Master Plan,” explained Sabra Jewell, communication coordinator for the city of Monmouth. “We are evaluating how a partnership might fit into Monmouth's plans, but we have no partnership at this time,” she added.
A comparison with other towns shows that water-sewer rates paid by Independence residents are higher than those in many other Oregon cities. In the past, Independence has relied on part of the water-sewer bill to contribute toward city debt payments.
Portions from water-bill proceeds have helped subsidize MINET, the city’s municipal broadband, co-founded with Monmouth.
However, at a recent meeting of the MINET board of directors, General Manager P.J Armstrong said the municipal fiberoptic now is solidly in the black and making full bond payments; An interest-only payment on loans the city made over the years to MINET was paid this past December, but it’s too soon to tell whether a larger repayment sum will be made this coming December, Armstrong said.
Most residents who were queried for their response following the council meeting said they expect their water rates to rise regardless of how solidly MINET is performing. ▪
A series of townhomes in Brandy Meadows where builders say SDC increases would boost home prices
By Anne Scheck
Trammart News Service, January 26, 2024
The City of Independence has proposed a massive $21,000 increase in their water System Development Charge (SDC), increasing Independence’s total SDCs to nearly $54,000. If adopted at the Independence City Council’s February 27th meeting, Independence’s SDCs would be the most expensive in the state of Oregon.
The above statements may sound like the lead-in to an article on the city by Trammart News, but the sentences actually come straight from the latest report by the Home Builders Association of Marion and Polk Counties, which made Independence’s plan for water SDCs the top story in the group’s latest newsletter. The SDCs would be paid by developers as fees to build a single-family home.
“I can tell you that this is a real threat to builders who want to keep building here,” said Larry Dalke, whose construction firm is responsible for most of the Brandy Meadows development in Southwest Independence.
Several other builders also expressed deep worry over how they can continue with residential construction in the city. By comparison, nearby Monmouth has water SDCs of about $2,500 – a tenfold difference. In fact, Independence’s water SDCs are expected to rise to be about four times that of Salem’s, as well.
At the initial work session on the water SDC increase, Steve Donovan, the city’s engineering consultant on water rates, said comparisons are always complicated, and often unreliable. The rates of other cities are in frequent flux, he pointed out.
However, residents both within and outside Brandy Meadows have reacted to the proposed change with questions about where the additional money will be applied.
“My understanding is the cost of SDCs is for new developments, and not for other obligations, so why does it cost Independence so much more money to lay pipes than it does Monmouth?” asked one of them.
The answer, at least in part, appears to be financing for a new water treatment plant, which is needed in order to exercise water rights from the Willamette River and meet a pressing water need.
But the HBA is contending that Independence also plans to use part of these SDC increases to pay for replacement of existing water lines that are beyond repair – “a clear violation of Oregon law regarding the use of SDC funds,” the industry group asserts in the newsletter article.
Despite being contacted several times by Trammart News to comment on the HBA’s assertion, the city’s communications coordinator, Emmanuel Goicochea, failed to respond.
The HBA is opposing the city’s water SDC change with an allegation that it wasn’t correctly done under Oregon law – asserting that SDCs cannot be used to repair systems and that they can only be utilized to create additional capacity needed for future growth. Independence Public Works Director Gerald Fisher confirmed during the recent SDC work session that a meeting with HBA representatives will be held.
The city SDCs are designated funds earmarked for the development and repair of the water and sewer system, according to a definition provided in the city's 2022 municipal audit. ▪
Sheriff reports on trends in Polk County that suggest more brazen law-breaking
By Anne Scheck
Trammart News Service, January 26, 2024
When it comes to conversing about crime, Polk County Sheriff Mark Garton isn’t afraid to use the g-word. In fact, he uses two of them together – gangs and guns. "There are more incidents involving guns and I don't hesitate at all to call some gang-related,” Garton said in a brief interview following a report on last year’s arrest record to the Polk County Board of Commissioners.
In fact, overall crime declined from 2019 – from 2,237 to 1,647 – but incidents of theft have increased and so have “eludes.” Though Garton’s presentation ranged from staffing levels at the Sheriff’s Office to the fluctuating population at the county jail, it was the changing numbers of some offenses that drew the focus of the commissioners.
Juvenile arrests, reckless driving and “eludes,” the need for deputies to halt pursuits, all were points of discussion. So were crimes by youth, which have become a ”hot topic,” Commissioner Craig Pope said. He asked how many had been recorded in 2023; Garton replied that two dozen juveniles had been arrested and a further breakdown to identify specific charges was underway.
The “sheer numbers (of those) showing disrespect” have grown in Polk County, making law enforcement more difficult, Garton said.
Suspects whose driving escalates to dangerous speeds are an example, Garton said, noting that some of those who were targeted for traffic stops seem to have become “emboldened” to flee this way. In 2019, there were 10 pursuits that were terminated due to public endangerment; last year it was 33. “It lies on us to be responsible in how we actively monitor those pursuits,” Garton said.
“I appreciate your using discretion,” commented Commissioner Jeremy Gordon.
After his presentation, Garton acknowledged that gun violence has been a growing concern for him, an observation that Independence Police Chief Robert Mason also made a few months ago in reporting the crime pattern in Independence to the town’s city council. Two serious events involved youth, guns and car chases.
This past fall, a youth fired a gun at a Polk County sheriff’s deputy in Independence by Riverview Park. About two weeks later, a sheriff’s deputy, acting in self-defense, shot and killed an 18-year-old after being fired at by a suspect on Highway 22, following a pursuit. A responding deputy had been struck and injured.
An analysis issued this past spring on Salem’s violent crime showed gun-involved incidents and gang-related disputes had substantially increased since the police force there disbanded the anti-gang enforcement team in 2019. Incidents involving juveniles – both as victims and suspects – rose 20% by 2023. Gang-related conflicts were the second highest cause of gun-involved incidents, behind personal disputes – and many of those personal disputes involved gang members, according to the findings. ▪
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