by Anne Scheck

Special Coverage
New Year Report

• City Hall Buyer  
• Park Land House
• PIN Report: Riverside!
• DATE-TO-NOTE: tonight
• Editorial: Ken Day, MIA
• Finale: City Display!

FORMER CITY HALL SALE MAY NET $40K
A buyer has been found for Independence’s former city hall – the vacant building next to the post office – and proceeds to the city from the sale “could be as little as $40,000” after rebates and other provisions attached to the $350,000 purchase price, according to city documents.

The buyer reportedly is the current owner of Independence Station, an Oregon-based investment group headed by a Salem entrepreneur; The still-skeletal structure is expected to be converted into a medical-office building, which will have use of the parking lot between the former city hall and the post office, as will the new business.

In a staff report publicly distributed in preparation for the city council meeting tonight, councilors were advised that the building will need to be rehabilitated to meet city standards for the downtown area, and that the “business will support the ultimate completion” of Independence Station. A craft brewery is planned for the site.

(The current issue of The Independent is comprised of questions and answers about city finances, thanks to inquiries submitted by readers – and answered by appropriate city staff and officials Pick up copies at The Brew and Tap House, The Ovenbird Bakery, Elite Cleaners and Robin’s Roost, all downtown or The Starduster at the Airport.).


PLANNING COMMISSION APPROVES ‘PARK HOUSE’
 
The Planning Commission approved plans for the sale of a parcel of land between Riverview Park and the Independence dog park, which is privately owned -- though it was commonly assumed to be part of the city’s riverfront property. A house is slated to be built there, once the property is acquired.
 
The parcel will remain agricultural-use land, and the current easement – a pathway along the river connecting the dog park to Riverview – will continue “in perpetuity.” However, a fence on the side opposite the river will be constructed on the property by the city, according to the presentation at last night’s meeting by Brent DeHart, a Salem financial advisor who is in the process of buying the acreage. The land is currently owned by William Leedy, who also attended the meeting.


PIN REPORT
Public Interest News
It was a dark and stormy night! Nonetheless, quite a crowd turned up for  the open house to solicit public feedback for proposed Riverview Park enhancement. These engaged citizens literally put their mark on the proposed plan, by placing coded stickers above or below the examples illustrating possible changes. Most ideas got lots of positive-sticker placements. However, preserving “soft edges” along the river seemed to get a big “no” vote. Shawn Irvine, economic development director, suggested this might be because the photo showed high grass where water and land converged -- and it wasn’t really representative of the shoreline of the Willamette River in Independence.
 

DATE-TO-NOTE: CITY COUNCIL TONIGHT, 6:30 PM
The city is slated to hear the annual audit report covering city spending, budget outcomes, and revenue balances for the past year. Gloria Butsch, the city’s finance director, is scheduled to give it this year. A representative of the auditing firm, Merina and Co., is not expected to be present.
 

 Editorial: Ken Day Loss
A man many believe to be the most outspoken city councilor in many years resigned from the council earlier this month. Preparation and tenacity were characteristics of his year-long tenure. Will Mr. Day’s replacement fire off questions the way he did -- ranging from a demand to know the city debt to repeated requests to clarify the water bill? It is unfortunate that general frustration and time pressures took their toll on Mr. Day. He leaves behind an empty chair sorely in need of a dedicated individual who can serve till the term expires.


FINALE: A Long-Vanished Community Worth Learning About
The story of a short-lived Oregon town that became historic for two significant reasons -- first as a model city, then as a submerged city in the 1948 Columbia River flood -- can be seen in the lobby of the Civic Center, displayed in panels that chronicle its achievement and disappearance. Vanport, with a lifespan of only six years, was home to 40,000 people and known nationally for its successful housing project.

by Anne Scheck

NEW YEAR REPORT
City Councilor Resigns
ALSO:  MINET Debt in Water Bills

KEN DAY RESIGNS CITY COUNCIL SEAT 

Ken Day resigned from the Independence City Council earlier this month, citing several issues that prompted him to re-evaluate his position on the council. Chief among his concerns was a lack of "initiative and commitment" he perceived among some council members. "I applaud them for volunteering, but with the job comes expectations of involvement," he said. As an example, he cited a planning session on strategic development where several councilors had no "suggestions or critique."
 
They seemed to "almost always go along with the mayor or city manager rather than questioning and/or offering alternatives," Mr. Day said. He also acknowledged having difficulty working with the city manager, David Clyne, whose management style differed so much from his own. Mr. Day, a former CEO, noted that there are many different ways to lead groups of people, and he acknowledged that his results-oriented, problem-attacking style is only one of them. However, Mr. Clyne "created more issues and confusion than he needed to," Mr. Day said.
 
One example is the announcement last year by the city manager of his impending retirement, which circulated around Independence. This prompted the city to invite a local expert to address the ramifications of a multiple-month-long search for a replacement city manager, a presentation that was given at the last council work session. "Then, at that meeting, the city manager said no, he wasn't retiring in mid-2018. He was going to stay till Independence Landing was completed," Mr. Day said. This meant another relatively long period of work with Mr. Clyne, which Mr. Day said for him was "the straw that broke the camel's back."
 
When contacted by email, Mr. Clyne said Mr. Day “never shared with me why he chose to resign. I was as surprised as most. “  Mr. Clyne said he considered Mr. Day someone who was “really starting to learn the role of councilor" and was “interesting and frequently helpful to a broader understanding of discussions and issues,” in part thanks to Mr. Day’s  business background. 
 
“I wish him well in his return to private life,” Mr. Clyne said.
 
Mr. Day said another key reason was transparency -- that issues were being discussed in executive sessions that he felt should be discussed "openly, in public."
 
[The Independent will take a close look at the financial issues that have been the subject of so much speculation and debate in the next issue of The Independent, available in February at Brew and Tap House, The Ovenbird Bakery, Elite Cleaners and Tailoring and Robin’s Roost, all downtown, and The Starduster at the airport).

Discrepancy in Water Bill Pertaining to MINET will be reported in the next Linking Letter for e-mailing. The city’s utility consultant, Steve Donovan, said slightly over $14 of water-sewer billing goes to MINET debt payment. A letter sent in the last bill puts the amount at just above $6. The explanation from Gloria Butsch, finance director, is that she used the actual allocations from the 2017 billings in information inserted in the last bill and the higher dollar amount is a projection for 2018.