By Anne Scheck

(Please see the opinions expressed in “Letter to the Editor” by City Councilor Kathy Martin-Willis)

COMMUNITY COVID COALITION LETTER
A letter signed by six community leaders, including Mayor John McArdle, was sent to Governor Kate Brown last week urging a “gradual, thoughtful and science-based reopening of Oregon that maintains the safety of thousands of residents.” It was included in the mayor’s report at the Independence City Council meeting Tuesday night.
 
The letter, which expressed support for state and federal guidelines, also stated that it’s “imperative that we have baseline support for adequate testing and contact tracing.” 
 
“We must be careful in our efforts to return to our new normal,” the letter said, while noting that “these economic hardships are real.” In addition to Mayor McArdle, the letter was signed by Rep. Paul Evans, as well as the school district superintendent, the Monmouth mayor, the fire chief of Polk County Fire District No.1 and the president of Western Oregon University.  
 
The letter had been the subject of a brief discussion after the meeting of the Polk County Board of Commissioners Tuesday – commissioners are working on a county plan to reopen, for submission to the governor. 
 
Asked about the letter, City Councilor Marilyn Morton, who attended the commission meetings this week, said: “I think that letter conveys what we need to convey right now,” adding “it shows solidarity.”
 
CITY BUSINESS LOANS
A fund of $200,000 from the city for loans to local businesses is being established, which should help those struggling under the burden of coronavirus restrictions, City Manager Tom Pessemier announced Tuesday night – and the idea won quick endorsement by the city council. Details of when the money will be allocated and how the applications will be processed should be available soon (More information on this will be in the May issue of The Independent – a hyper-link will be provided to online publication of it in the next Linking Letter.)

CITY COUNCIL OKs ZONING CHANGES 
Zones in Independence designated “Mixed-Use-Pedestrian-Commercial,” which encompass large swaths of the city, now are officially defined as places for “live-work units,” giving residents the opportunity to live and work at the same location. The change, which was passed Tuesday night by the City Council, tweaked some restrictive language and removed some ambiguity.
 
“The change is intended to define what a ‘live-work unit’ is and makes it clear that the use is allowed in the zones,” explained City Planner Fred Evander, prior to the meeting. Residences with accessory dwelling units, as well as commercial buildings with living quarters, already were in the code but the description lacked a precise live-work definition. 
 
Another code change approved by the councilors enables community uses by structures like the Masonic Hall and the Elk’s building in the downtown, according to Mr. Evander. Previously, such “community or neighborhood club buildings” weren’t allowed downtown, though they’ve existed for decades. (The clubhouse for the Independence Landing apartments by Tokola had been approved under a different zoning provision.)
 
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Anne,
First of all, I want to thank you for your efforts to keep our community notified of happenings in our city; you cover items often overlooked by our other local media. 
 
That said, I was disappointed in a recent Linking Letter (April 18). The article barely acknowledged the efforts by City Council to integrate resident input into their decision regarding the Cherriots bus routes. The article began with what sounded like a presumption that the council would approve the plan as submitted. It almost sounded as though the piece was written in advance and that our review and plan modification was inserted as a surprise update.
I want to assure you that your volunteer City Council takes resident input seriously in considering our decisions. The outcome, for a variety of reasons, may not always be to residents liking, but we do our best to do what is best for the city as a whole.
 
The proposed stop in front of Ms. Gordon’s property was eliminated as requested. She shared concerns about the mailbox being blocked by parked cars. Even without the bus stop, the mailbox will be yellow striped to assure delivery. Cherriots is rerouting their bus to accommodate one stop on the north side of E St in front of the apartments. We will be reassessing the situation. 
 
Maybe next time a headline like “City Council Responds to Resident Concerns, Eliminates Bus Stop.” During these difficult times, I understand we can become jaded regarding government in general but a positive voice can make all the difference.

Thanks for all you do.

Sincerely,
Kathy Martin-Willis
City Councilor
 

COUNTY COMMISSIONER, CITY COUNCILOR CLASH
A plan by the Polk County Board of Commissioners to consider allowing businesses to reopen by adopting protective measures against the coronavirus drew objections today by Independence City Councilor Marilyn Morton, who said the commissioners failed to adequately include efforts by other local officials.

Noting that there had been a recent conference call on the same matter that included a cross-section of county participants, Ms. Morton, who attended the commission meeting, told them afterward “you have had little contact” with others who had given a “well-reasoned presentation” of the issue.  

The commissioners indicated they wouldn’t proceed with any plan that didn’t receive the blessing of the governor’s office. “We have to receive certification criteria,” Commissioner Craig Pope told Ms. Morton. “But we have a responsibility” to the business community, he stressed. 

Later, when asked what prompted the difference of opinions, the commissioners asserted that Mayor John McArdle and other local city leaders had signed a letter to Gov. Kate Brown, essentially affirming a “stay-the-course” action. (Trammart News has requested a copy of the letter, which was unavailable for this Linking Letter). 

The Polk County Board of Commission’s plan hasn’t been created, except in concept, but it would place more responsibility on individual decision-making – if hygienic procedures and social-distancing policies are put in place. Their aim is to work with Yamhill County and Marion County on the proposal, they said.   

Earlier, Jackie Lawson, a Dallas city councilor who stressed she didn’t attend the meeting in her civic capacity but as a co-owner of the World Gym, said businesses have been devastated. One business reported a 40% drop and another said that it may be forced to close permanently, she said. “This is the view from the business owner’s side in Dallas,” she said.
“We respect other’s right and some who have wishes to remain at home or in a protective environment, maintain physical distance, or keep their business closed,” Ms. Lawson said. However, she urged the commissioners to help find a path forward for businesses to resume.  (Related editorial on COVID-19’s potential effect on public-meeting coverage is below) 

EDITORIAL: PUBLIC ACCESS in a PANDEMIC by Anne Scheck
A few weeks ago, I took part in an assembly of thoughtful people. It was in the Polk County Courthouse building, which was locked up tighter than a bank vault. I’d entered because meetings of the Board of Commissioners are public. I was wearing a mask and carrying sanitizer wipes. After the meeting, I said, “OK, I am going to take a few notes,” because everyone was talking about stay-at-home orders but not about how they were being individually affected by them. Instead, those who lingered after adjournment – staff members, a few other attendees and the commissioners themselves – shared deep concern about the impact of shelter-in-place on the business community. You can read some of those comments in the May issue of The Independent, but that’s not the important part. 
 
A public meeting was held  – publicly. That’s what’s important. 
 
Suddenly, we’re at a time when children are no longer allowed on playgrounds, when older adults are wary of venturing out for groceries, when teachers who once worked personal learning magic in class now are forced to teach by computer. We have lost so much already in the pandemic, but access to government – the transparency needed to learn where tax dollars are going and who’s making those decisions – can’t, simply can’t, become another victim of COVID-19. Or can it? Earlier this month I was asked to leave the school board meeting by a District 13J executive because she said it wasn’t open to the public – fortunately it wasn’t the superintendent making this surprising statement, so I stayed. (Thank you, Dr. Jennifer Kubista.) 
 
When public agencies slam a door on the press for access to meetings and records, they shut out much more than the person there taking notes. Journalists, particularly those covering communities, often spend time tracking where the money goes. And they have good reason to do so – lots of local people pay for city services and schools. Elected officials are only a tiny percentage of that tax-paying public.

Access to public meetings is an issue that leads me to our community-access public television, WIMPEG. It's partly financed by dollars from Independence citizens. Monmouth is WIMPEG's fiscal agent; Western Oregon University provides some operational services for it.

But, month after month, there hasn’t been any substantial detail on WIMPEG by the Independence city councilor who serves as the liaison to the board. 
 
This didn’t seem right to me. I’d burrowed into the recurring expense borne by Independence to help fund MINET, our co-owned municipal broadband company  – and I wanted to know what WIMPEG cost, too. Out of my own sense of fairness, my boring into MINET finances meant I should do the same with WIMPEG. MINET is required to collect fees for it – and pass them through to – WIMPEG, for public-education-government (PEG) programming. MINET doesn’t have a choice, and MINET also is required to provide two channels for broadcast purposes, earmarked for PEG. “MINET doesn’t have any content nor editorial control of what ends up being broadcasted on the channels provided,” I was told by Don Patten, general manager of MINET.  
 
I thought there was great potential for civic coverage by WIMPEG – such as meetings of the Polk County Board of Commissioners – which don't seem to be on public-access TV. 
 
During the past year, WIMPEG’s board disbanded, and a new board hasn’t yet convened. But now the WIMPEG board has a full panel of members – and one of the recent appointees is the IT specialist from our city, a perfect fit given his background. However, Cec Koontz, Monmouth’s mayor, who’s at the WIMPEG board helm, said there’s no guarantee when a board meeting actually will occur, given the pandemic. It seems the coronavirus can inflict damage beyond the threat of infection – it can hurt the public’s right to know, too. Meanwhile, I’ll just keep showing up where I’m not always welcome because, even in a crisis as horrific as this one, access to public information is still so important. 

(Disclosure: I received training on how to operate one of WIMPEG’s cameras, to obtain video for public broadcast at county commission meetings. I was asked to serve on the WIMPEG board months ago – an invitation that was later withdrawn, causing me to turn in the camera. But I did start going to the Polk County Board meetings – it’s now part of my usual coverage.) 

FINAL NOTE: The Oregon Heath Authority reported today that COVID-19 has claimed seven more lives in Oregon, raising the state’s death toll from 92 to 99. There were 31 new cases of COVID-19 as of 8 am, bringing the state total to 2,385.

By Anne Scheck

NEW CITY BUS STOPS PROMPT OBJECTIONS
Independence is adding a dozen bus stops by Cherriots – a few on Main Street and several in local neighborhoods – and some residents on E Street are unhappy about the one on their block. The Independence City Council approved the plan at the meeting Tuesday night. 
 
“Nobody knew anything until it was too late,” said Stephanie Rincon, whose house on “E” is a short walk from the stop that will become part of the new “Route 45.” She told councilors that neighbors weren’t properly notified. Several along her street wrote letters to object, but “attempts to reach out” were unsuccessful, Ms. Rincon said. “Everyone was shocked,” she added.  
 
The biggest concern – one also voiced a few weeks ago by a downtown merchant – is that the bus stops will require new yellow curbs, essentially creating a no-parking zone where spaces previously existed. However, each stop is expected to take only two spots – and, on E Street, a yellow curb already exists by a fire hydrant, so only one additional parking space will be lost. “The stops were placed with taking the minimal amount of parking in mind,” according to the city memo submitted in support of the project, which described the new service as one that will provide needed “transportation alternatives.” 
 
Ms. Rincon told the councilors she counted cars on her street prior to attending the meeting and it’s simply too crowded with vehicles to be feasible. Councilor Kathy Martin-Willis stated that she’d made a site visit before the meeting, too; She suggested dropping one of the two stops on the street, which would allow only one at the front of the apartment building, Parkwest, to remain – a recommendation accepted by the council. 
 
Councilor Shannon Corr then asked for an evaluation of ridership numbers following a period of operation, which would yield results that could be used to assess the route. Both Councilor Martin-Willis and Councilor Jennifer Ranstrom-Smith agreed with that idea. 
 
In a follow-up interview, Ms. Rincon said she felt “let down” by the city, asserting that its staff seemed unconcerned about the lack of direct contact with the neighborhood about the bus stop. However, Cherriots communication director, Patricia Feeny, said door-hanger notices were hung on 160 residences. 
 
“The Cherriots planning staff studied where existing riders of the Polk County Flex (program) were getting picked up and also looked at local demographic information to determine proposed new bus stop locations,” Ms. Feeny explained in an email. “Cherriots conducted a public survey last summer, which revealed the public's desire for a change to the Polk County Flex,” she said. 
 
Asked about confirmation of the porch postings, Ms. Rincon responded: “I never saw anything, and I checked with a lot of us who live here, and they said the same thing.” She added that “I was told it was on the Cherriots website, but how would I know to look at that?” 
 
Cherriots “Route 45” should launch this fall, said Ted Stonecliffe, transit planner for the transportation agency, who presented the concept to the city council in February and again Tuesday night.

ALSO: Cherriots transport system services to Polk County – temporarily suspended after a COVID-19 outbreak – have resumed on a limited basis, a return welcomed by all three members of the Polk County Board of Commissioners at a recent meeting. 
 
Even though the buses now will make fewer trips, “we will take what we can get,” said Commission Chair Mike Ainsworth. Commissioners Craig Pope and Lyle Mordhorst said the re-instatement means some residents, particularly the elderly, are now again able to seek essential services. Riders are being asked to wear masks and follow social-distancing guidelines, according to a statement issued by Cherriots. 

SIGN CODE CHANGE IS NOW POSTPONED
The Independence Planning Commission decided to delay consideration of sign-code changes during the COVID-19 crisis, despite a draft proposal of sweeping new provisions that took weeks to prepare. 
 
Sign regulations, which are part of the Independence Development Code, were undergoing revisions to make them both more prescriptive and historically oriented for the downtown corridor, explained City Planner Fred Evander. Though commissioners were supportive of the sign-code updates, business owners would want to give “a lot of input and would have a lot of questions,” noted Commissioner Kate Schwarzler. 
 
The commissioners decided to put the sign-code review on temporary hiatus. “What I’ll try and do is simmer on this for a couple more months," said Mr. Evander. The meeting of the planning commission was held earlier this month. -end- 
 

By Anne Scheck

DURESS OF CORONAVIRUS INCREASES COUNTY CALLS
Stress-associated episodes comprise a larger share of county law enforcement responses than ever before -- about 20% of new calls seem to be related to the strain some residents are suffering under the coronavirus stay-at-home order, Polk County Sheriff Mark Garton said Tuesday. 
 
The abrupt changes -- business closures, job lay-offs, fear of infection -- all seem to be taking their toll. The Independence Police Department (IPD) is responding to two-to-three calls a week from families who feel "overwhelmed," according to Police Chief Robert Mason. It isn't just the lifestyle change, but the fact that "people are having to live with such uncertainty," he said. 
 
The IPD also answers “upwards of 10 calls a day on COVID-related questions,” which typically spike after Gov. Kate Brown issues a new statement on the crisis. Today, the governor announced that the state would be able to return to more normal functioning only after significant declines in infection and the means for widespread testing and contact tracing.  (To learn what access is available for resources ranging from food to housing assistance phone 211, a toll-free number).
 
POLK COUNTY JAIL POPULATION DOWN 
The Polk County jail population is down to 28, a low number that should help prevent infection among those housed there and the employees who take care of them, according to Polk County Sheriff Mark Garton, who reported the strategy at the Polk County Board of Commissioners today. 
 
So far, no testing yet for COVID-19 yields immediate results, so fast-acting hand-held thermometers are used to check body temperatures of those headed to jail. In addition, a medical history is taken, the sheriff explained. 
 
This is the best approach under the circumstances, according to law enforcement officials across the Willamette Valley. Not only is medical testing for the COVID-19 infection time-consuming – sometimes taking days to get a result – there simply aren't enough test kits for wide-scale screening.  
 
LOCAL ASSESSMENT; GOVERNOR'S SPEECH  
Deciding when to return to former protocols is going to be difficult, according to Chief Ben Stange, who heads Polk County Fire District No. 1. "I use the analogy of putting studded snow tires on your car in cold, icy weather. You see what the snow is doing, so you know that's the right time. But when the snow melts, do you know how long before the next blizzard? Maybe it's not over yet."
 
It’s similar to the decision about tapering off measures to contain COVID-19, he said. Tires with studs help guarantee safety under winter conditions. “But when are you confident enough to take them off with (assurance) that your safety will not suffer?” he asked.  
Oregon’s decision-making will occur in conjunction with the neighboring states of California and Washington, according to Gov. Kate Brown. Republican legislators have expressed the worry that assessing when Oregon should resume based on Washington and California could be detrimental for the state. “We must give Oregonians a real plan to move toward reopening the economy,” said Rep. Christine Drazan, the minority republican leader of the Oregon House of Representatives. 

FINAL NOTE: How safe are the “first responders” of Independence? At Polk County Fire District No. 1, they now wear "full protection" gear, including goggles, masks and gloves, said Fire Chief Ben Stange. Generally, only two-person teams are being sent out; In most cases, only one of them is allowed to enter a residence. In fact, on good-weather days, the teams often conduct their examinations outside. 
 
Twice a day, fire district personnel take their own temperatures. These self-checks help them spot symptoms – and in one case, detection of a fever meant one individual was sent home. When it quickly subsided, the employee was allowed to return to work. 
 
Firefighters and paramedics have held their recent drills by linking online from remote locations. In the past, drills were conducted on Wednesday nights at the fire station, where emergency vehicles and other on-site technology could be used. Though the internet link-up for drills is only temporary, other forms of video-conferencing are likely to become a more common tool in the future, Chief Stange observed. For volunteers in rural areas, this option is proving more convenient, he added.
 

by Anne Scheck

Note: County Commissioner Lyle Mordhorst’s editorial, a report on regional transportation, follows news briefs on related city transport issues in Independence.

TRACKING TRANSPORTATION THAT IMPACTS INDEPENDENCE  
Finalists Mulled for Feasibility Study of Independence-Monmouth Trolley. Two consulting firms are vying for a city contract to investigate how a trolley would operate between Monmouth and Independence, according to Shawn Irvine, the city’s economic development director. No decision has been made, but $300,000 was awarded to the City of Independence by the state, with the assistance of Rep. Paul Evans, so that the evaluation can move forward. Mr. Irvine confirmed that consideration for the contract award was underway at a meeting at Indy Commons a few weeks ago. 

Central High School Students Weigh in on Local Parking and Streetscape Issues. At a special Independence City Council meeting held at Central High School (CHS) in early March, CHS students identified the need for improved sidewalks and crosswalks in the city, so walking and bicycling would be easier for youth. One called for a lighted crosswalk on Gun Club Road; Another noted the rainy, dark winter weather decreases visibility so flashing lights are becoming more necessary at crossings that have gotten busier with time, such as those at Hoffman and Stryker roads. Parking was also seen as a problem – it seems more limited now, according to CHS students. City Councilors took note of the issue, with Councilor Marilyn Morton later observing that these comments showed the high school students had a sense of community that extended all the way to the town’s traffic-serving infrastructure.

Cherriots Suspends Service in Wake of COVID-19. All local and regional service by Cherriots vans and buses has ceased except for medical trips “in the interest of public health and safety,” according to General Manager Allan Pollock, who announced the stoppage in a recent news release. The paratransit service, Cherriots LIFT, will provide “life-sustaining trips only, including appointments for medical care and dialysis treatment,” according to the announcement. The action was taken after seven staff members self-reported confirmation of coronavirus. During the suspension, all facilities will undergo deep cleaning and executives of the transit service will continue to meet to formulate a plan for restoring public transportation to Marion and Polk counties, the news release stated. 

Independence Transportation System Plan Kicks Off. A long-range plan will soon be underway to meet the future needs for car, bike and pedestrian travel for the City of Independence, according to City Planner Fred Evander, who announced the plan at a city council meeting earlier this year. Community input will be sought, and the project will include some of the elements of the previous plan, which was published in 2007. There will be “numerous opportunities” for residents to register their opinion during the process, Mr. Evander said.                  
                                   
COMING UP Monday night, 7pm, April 6, Planning Commission Meeting, which can be accessed remotely (see city website). On the agenda are new standards for downtown business signs, including at storefronts, which will be introduced in draft form by City Planner Fred Evander. Proposed changes to the design-review process for signs include evaluation of legibility, lighting, historic significance and architectural compatibility.

EDITORIAL
Lyle Mordhorst was appointed to the Polk County Board of Commissioners in early 2019. He is seeking election to the board in May. He’s Involved in the county’s effort to address county traffic-safety issues with the Oregon Department of Transportation. He wrote the following editorial about several spots affecting travel here, including the Highways 22 & 51 interchange and the roundabout slated for Clow Corner Road.  

By Lyle Mordhorst 
As our communities and county continue to grow, so too, does the demand of increased traffic on our transportation system. I am grateful for the men and women that came before me, who developed the transportation system that we rely on today. Their foresight and sheer determination to get things done paved the way for the economic growth of our region. Take the creation of the Hwy 22 corridor, which single-handedly provided Polk County merchants the ability to export products thanks to the accessibility it provides to the I-5 corridor. 
 
Following in the footsteps of these predecessors, I am determined to make every effort to improve the safety and efficiency of the local transportation system. This includes working closely with the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) on projects on State Highways, which are not in Polk County’s jurisdiction, but encompass some of Polk County’s busiest, most dangerous intersections and thoroughfares. 
 
Clow Corner Road at the intersection with Hwy 99W is at the top of this list. Here, ODOT already has plans in place to install an Offset Roundabout beginning in 2021. We may not all agree on the design, but we can agree that between a choice of a roundabout, or doing nothing, in order to prevent any more lives being lost at this intersection, we support building a roundabout. Statistically speaking, roundabouts effectively alleviate serious head-on or rear-end accidents compared to a conventional lighted intersection. 
 
I was, like most of you, skeptical of a roundabout design at first.

In Oregon they are a relatively new concept, and with anything new, most of us react to change with hesitation or resistance. “Will our farm equipment fit through it?” “How will it handle oversized freight loads?” “Is it equipped to handle college football game day traffic?” These are all valid questions that I can assure you have been asked and addressed in the roundabout design. 
 
Next is the Hwy 22 corridor & Hwy 51 interchange. This stretch of highway has seen the highest growth in Polk County in usage, with over 36,000 vehicles passing through daily and growing at a rate of 3 percent per year (per ODOT). Last year we took the first step in creating a safer commute along this corridor by eliminating the left turn off of Doaks Ferry onto Hwy 22. 
 
The Hwy 51 intersection itself is entering the first phase of improvement, the design phase. All aspects of traffic control improvements will be considered, from overpasses to frontage roads, in order to find the safest and most efficient design possible. ODOT and Polk County are partnering on this project so we will be updating you as it progresses. 
 
Further west is the Hwy 22 and Perrydale Rd. intersection, which experienced one of the largest increases of severe accidents in the state in 2019. We participated in a community meeting in December with local concerned citizens and parents to discuss options to reduce accidents at this location. From that meeting a task force was created that includes members from Polk County Fire District, Perrydale School, Polk County Sheriff’s Office, Polk County Public Works, The Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde, community members, ODOT, and myself, as your Polk County Commissioner. 
 
So far the group has had productive discussions about establishing a Safety Corridor through this area until intersection safety improvements can be completed. We are currently working through the process of meeting the requirements to qualify for the safety corridor which should be in place by the end of summer. There will also be Traffic-Activated Warning System lights placed at the Perrydale Rd. intersection this spring, similar to the lighted signs that were installed on Hwy 99 prior to Clow Corner Rd. to alert drivers that a car may be entering the highway at the intersection ahead. 
 
We are also exploring the possibility of realigning Perrydale Rd. to Smithfield Rd., which would eliminate the northern connection of the Perrydale Rd. interchange. The intersection of Hwy 22 and Kings Valley Hwy/Smithfield Rd. is located less than one mile from the Perrydale Rd. and Hwy 22 intersection, and is scheduled for improvements starting in 2021. Polk County estimates that by incorporating the Perrydale Rd. realignment into the Smithfield Rd. intersection improvement project, it would accelerate safety improvements at the Perrydale Rd. intersection, while saving over $6 million by eliminating the need for future improvements to the Perrydale Rd. intersection. The south half of the Perrydale intersection would also be upgraded by squaring the roadway entrance onto Highway 22 for better visibility and access. 
 
Last but not least is the intersection of Hwy 99W and Bethel Rd., or as the locals refer to, the McCoylight. The first phase of this intersection improvement will be completed this fall with a new box culvert, which is being installed in preparation for a future project that will include improving visibility and adding turn lanes. 
 
Polk County was recently recognized by the Oregon Association of County Engineers and Surveyors for having the highest rated roads in the state of Oregon. Our Public Works Department staff are dedicated to maintaining that status and ensuring that the 500 miles of roads, 122 bridges, and over 200 pieces of equipment and vehicles within our care are designed, built, maintained and repaired to support the high-quality transportation system Polk County residents and businesses expect and deserve. 
 
As the population in Polk County continues to grow, we will continue to prioritize projects that have the largest preservation benefit, while providing improved safety and needed infrastructure that will be effective for years to come. Honored to serve. Lyle Mordhorst. -end-