Independence is contracting with Polk County Corrections to provide court-ordered community-service workers for tree-trimming and other environmental needs, according to a report at the Polk County Board of Commissioners Tuesday.  
  
“It’s restorative to the community and provides offender accountability,” explained Jodi Merritt, director of community-service programs for the county. Independence was listed as one of five designated sites, along with a cemetery, several county areas and the fairgrounds.   

A public hearing to bring 70.2 acres previously zoned for farming use into the city limits will be held at the city council meeting Tuesday night. A proposal to deem the land “mixed-residential use” also is scheduled for a vote. 
 
The annexation area, south of the city, includes several relatively extensive wetland areas, prompting some residents to express concern. “Our question here is, has an environmental impact report been done on those areas? Are there any wetlands being impacted for this annexation?” asked Stephen Westfall, who sent a letter to the council. Mr. Westfall, who resides outside of Independence, lives in a neighborhood adjacent to the planned project. 
 
Wetland delineation – the means for determining the precise size of natural water-collection used by wildlife – was the subject of some discussion at the annual meeting of the Oregon chapter of the American Planning Association last week; City planners noted wetlands can be challenging and costly to mitigate. Estimates put delineation at $40,000 to $100,000, depending on the area of study. 

The Independence Hotel has begun promoting the city’s “Event Center” for hotel guests – it’s the floor below City Council chambers at the Civic Center. The hotel website lists it as “a great space to hold your next meeting, conference or event,” with over 4,300 square feet of “modern, high-quality meeting space.” Terms of the hotel’s proposed contract with the city for use of the civic center’s lower level are expected soon.  

Hundreds of traffic stops have been made by the Independence Police Department this year – 23 of them resulted in arrest for “driving under the influence of intoxicants” (DUII), according to the Independence Police Department, which issued a news release this past month. Of the nearly two dozen arrests, 18 were alcohol-related and five were for drug impairment. Eight motorists were found to be in violation of “Failure to Install an Ignition Interlock Device,” meaning these DUII offenders were not abiding their conviction conditions. There were 14 arrests for driving during a license suspension.  

CITY COUNCIL OKs $650,000 in MUSEUM BUILDING MOVE

By Anne Scheck

A resolution that will allow Independence to seek $650,000 from a bank loan for a new museum building is being prepared for the city council after a plan to sell city-owned lots on Polk Street for part of the money was called off due to restrictions on the land by the corporate donor.  
 
Councilors directed city staff Tuesday to create a resolution to enter into the bank loan following an announcement by City Manager Tom Pessemier that years ago, when Boise Cascade gave the lots to the city, it stipulated that the land must be open space – and if not, the conversion must be to a park. The parcels had been offered for sale under a previous administration so the restriction came as a surprise to current city officials.
 
The new location will be on the corner east of the Post Office, which allows access that the present one doesn’t. The current home of the Heritage Museum is in a former church a few blocks away, with a stairwell entrance – the main floor is up a flight of stairs and use of restroom facilities require steps to a downstairs area.   
 
The sum of the loan includes both the purchase and the cost of immediate upgrades, Mr. Pessemier said.    

LOCAL MANUFACTURER OPS FOR HEMP NOT MJ

A manufacturing facility on Stryker Road across from the north end of the Independence Airpark that had been planned – and permitted – for marijuana processing will switch to hemp production, according to one of the plant supervisors, Lewis Pettenger. The company, Organic Investments, is expected to operate commercially under the name Cascadia Naturals. 

In a brief interview Wednesday, Mr. Pettenger explained that the change is being done to meet the expected demand for medicinal oils derived from hemp, which are receiving favorable reviews for treating pain and other disorders. 

The move is only the latest in what is expected to be a large switch to hemp in county agriculture, according to the Polk County Board of Commissioners. It is the “next big thing,” said Commission Chair Craig Pope, when asked about local hemp production. However, he and fellow commissioners Mike Ainsworth and Lyle Mordhorst cautioned that there may be a more enthusiastic reception among growers than the market will support. 

That view was echoed at a luncheon meeting on hemp, held by the Strategic Economic Development Corporation in Salem Wednesday. “There is a lot of hype,” said Ken Iverson, co-owner of Wooden Shoe Tulip Farm near Woodburn. He became interested in growing hemp when he found that CBD – a chemical derivative – was helpful for a seriously ill family member. “But finding markets was the most difficult part of the process,” he said. 

APPEAL CHALLENGES BRANDY MEADOWS

A resident of Sunset Meadows, the newest subdivision in Independence, has called for the city to stick to its Southwest Independence Concept Plan and is appealing a decision by the city’s planning commission approving a plan for Brandy Meadows that allegedly departs from it. The developer, Harvey Cummings, said he had no comment on the appeal – yet. 
 
Parks and multi-use trails that are part of the Southwest Independence Concept Plan should be included – and have dedicated easements – prior to approving proposals for the housing lots, stated Rich Clark MD in his filing with the city Tuesday. Dr. Clark had been joined by two dozen residents of Sunset Meadows in making the same case to commissioners a few weeks before they gave the go-ahead on Brandy Meadows, which is adjacent to Sunset Meadows in the southwest section of the city. 
 
Asked about the appeal process, City Planner Fred Evander said a hearing will be held before the city council, following a minimum 20-day period for public notice. (This month’s issue of The Independent takes a look at the concerns by residents, in “The Little Neighborhood That Could – Then Did.”)  

Dates to Note:  

LUCKIAMUTE WATERSHED COUNCIL EVENTS. A Bilingual Bird Walk will take place this Saturday, October 12, 8 a.m. to noon, at Baskett Slough NWR. Tickets are $12 – lunch included, kids free.; A FREE outing to Auer Farms in Monmouth will be held on October 26, 12:30 to 3:30 p.m. Meet at Sarah Helmick Park to carpool.   Information at https://www.luckiamutelwc.org/

FINAL NOTE
~Wetlands Prove Barrier to Local Development Plan~ A plan for industrial land west of the airport literally may be dead in the water. In the advisory report for the “Targeted Industry Analysis” of the area, Independence Public Works Director Kie Cottam identified infrastructure needs that have to be addressed before the property can be developed.
Stormwater issues are "significant," she said, given the "presence of significant wetlands.” Drainage challenges would be “problematic,” he added. Asked for his opinion on the matter, City Manager Tom Pessemier said he could not predict the development potential of the parcels, but “wetlands do need to be protected and preserved.”