By Anne Scheck
 
NEW TRANSPORTATION PROPOSAL PRESENTED

A new transportation system that would include regular bus stops in Independence was presented by Salem transportation planner Ted Stonecliffe at the last city council meeting. Mr. Stonecliffe, who appeared on behalf of Cherriots, Salem’s public transit system, thanked Independence for its previously stated support of this proposed “redesign.” 
 
The plan would change bus transportation from a pattern that has no fixed pathway in Independence – but is available by request 24 hours in advance – to one with scheduled times and locations for travel back and forth to Salem, up to eight times daily. Riders who have difficulty getting to the designated spots could continue to arrange for special pick-up and drop-offs, he explained.  The project would be funded with grant money, Mr. Stonecliffe added. Several options are being examined, and public input is being sought (see link below). 
 
However, the concept failed to win approval from the Polk County Board of Commissioners last month. At the city council meeting, Mr. Stonecliffe said there has been some “fence-mending” since that time. 
 
At the most recent meeting of the Polk County Board of Commissioners, Commission Chair Craig Pope explained that a rift occurred more than a year ago, over a bus route from Falls City to other cities, such as Dallas. It was financed as a pilot project – and widely seen as a success, he said. But it failed to win support for more funding from Cherriots. Now, the county is paying for that transportation. “Some of the people who need to go to a pharmacy, who want to shop – they would have no way to do this from out there,” he said. “So we’re using county money.”
 
Commissioner Pope said he couldn’t rule out the possibility that the Polk County Board of Commissioners might take a more conciliatory view in the future. “I think the (Cherriots) general manager might do well to come to (our) commission meeting,” he commented. (To take a survey on the proposed change, click on this link   https://www.cherriots.org/regional/  and scroll down the web page and click on TAKE THE SURVEY.)

 UPDATE: RIVERFRONT – 124 APARTMENTS COMING

A site-design review is in the works for 124-unit apartment complex along the downtown riverfront. “They want to get going,” City Manager Tom Pessemier told the city councilors at their last meeting, referring to the developer, Tokola Properties. The apartments are to be located next to the as-yet unfinished hotel. The development, originally called Independence Landing, is now being referred to in city documents as Osprey Landing subdivision. Both the multi-family housing and the hotel are being built by Tokola of Gresham, Ore. 
 
Tokola company officials estimated last month that the opening for The Independence Hotel would occur in July, but that date now has been pushed back to August. However, Tokola apparently is ready to start the second phase, which includes two apartment buildings, as well as townhomes and duplexes. The company plans to use the vacant land across the street as a staging area for the new construction. No public hearing was required on the proposal, according to forms filed with the city. 

 IN BRIEF

Skippers, the seafood house on Main Street, has moved to Monmouth (165 S Broad St.) The Picken Chicken, a vintage-vendor shop In Independence, has vacated its location across from the Independence Post Office; It’s now at 120 D Street. Two business-related fees renewed last month by the city are unlikely to affect locally relocating businesses like the Picken Chicken. A business-registration fee, of $25, isn’t required for a move in town, and a business-occupancy fee, of $75, is imposed only on businesses that need city-provided proof of a commercial enterprise, usually for the purposes of securing financing, according to city staff.   

COMING UP 

A project manager has been selected for construction oversight of the round-about traffic circle for Highway 99, which is scheduled to be built at the juncture of Clow Corner, according to an announcement at the Polk County Board of Commission meeting. Work on the project may mean some drivers will divert to Highway 51 or other parallel thoroughfares through Independence, according to some commuters who were asked to predict how they might change their homeward or work-heading navigation.  

FINAL NOTE

Trammart News wishes you a happy, healthy, fun-filled and safe Fourth of July in a town known far and wide for Independence Day. 

By Anne Scheck

TRANSPORTATION ISSUE
County Commission: No; Independence Says Yes
 
In what appeared to be a stinging rebuke, the Polk County Board of Commissioners told a representative of Cherriots last week that lack of trust toward the agency prevented them from signing a letter of support for a funding effort aimed at providing a long-term transportation plan that would include Polk County. The decision was made at a board meeting after Ted Stonecliffe, a Cherriots transit planner, presented the request to the commissioners. 
 
In contrast, Independence has signed a letter in favor of the request by Cherriots, said Tom Pessemier, city manager. The application – to the state’s Transportation Growth Management fund – seeks revenue to construct a 20-year plan for transit in Marion and Polk counties. The move by Independence came after the opposite action was taken by the Polk County Board of Commissioners.
 
Referring to what he said was a history of being “discounted” by the Salem-based mass transit agency, Commissioner Craig Pope said he felt signing the letter would be wrong. “We have no relationship,” he said. “There is no way I would sign anything to support this,” concurred Commissioner Mike Ainsworth. Due to a past record of interaction between Cherriots and the board, “trust was broken,” explained Commissioner Lyle Mordhorst. 
 
A statement provided by Patricia Feeny, Cherriots’ director of communication, expressed regret with the decision. “While we are disappointed not to have a letter of support from our Polk County partners, our mutual work and collaboration will continue through the Mid-Willamette Valley Area Commission on Transportation and the Salem-Keizer Area Transportation Study Metropolitan Planning Organization,” the statement said. “Through these and other venues, we will identify opportunities to provide more and better communication,” it concluded.  

CITY PLANNING COMMISSION ENDORSES CODE CHANGE
 
The Independence Planning Commission decided Monday night that another code change is needed for their city, after a local resident was turned down when he wanted to construct an accessory building deemed too tall for his property. The applicant, Dustin Ball, presented examples of such structures throughout Independence, where homeowners had secured a building permit that he said he was being denied. 
 
Under the current city code, a calculation based on Mr. Ball’s current roof height would prohibit the building he proposed. However, Mr. Ball has a ranch-style home with a relatively low-pitched roof, said Fred Evander, city planner. Mr. Ball told the planning commissioners that “this only became an issue when we raised it, proactively.”
 
“This is similar to the vinyl-fence issue,” observed Commissioner Kate Schwarzler, who pointed out that a homeowner seeking a vinyl fence was barred from having one, despite the fact that there were vinyl fences in yards throughout Independence. “It required a code change,” she said. 
 
During a discussion, the commissioners noted that the vinyl-fence coding change was done for a different reason: there may have been violators of the ban on vinyl fencing, but they had not sought building permits. The homes with accessory buildings apparently had done so – and had been approved. Even so “it is not consistent and it is frustrating,” said Ms. Schwarzler. 
 
The commissioners directed Mr. Evander to return with code-change alternatives. “In the grand scheme of code changes, this would be one of the easier ones,” he said. He added that this may be the first of several coding revisions. The code book is several hundred pages long, and he already has worked to consolidate the regulations. Additionally, he urged the planning commission to see themselves, in part, as community “problem solvers.” If there is a “pressing issue” from the public, it can be brought forth by the commissioners themselves at future planning commission meetings, he said.

COMING UP
 
City Council Meeting tonight. Formal adoption of the 2019-2020 budget is expected. 6:30 pm at the Civic Center. BE SURE TO CHECK OUT the new city web page!

FINAL NOTE
 
Skippers on Main Street downtown has announced it’s closing at the end of June -- the business will be concentrating on its Monmouth location. Plans for a new commercial tenant at the soon-to-be-vacated space are not known.

 By Anne Scheck

MAXIMUM TAX PASSED AND NEW CITY BUDGET
 
The maximum allowable ad valorem tax for Independence – just under 4.6% per $1,000 dollars of a property’s county-assessed value – was approved by the Independence City Council at a special meeting on the budget last night. The tax is likely to mean the city has the highest municipal taxation of any in the county, with the exception of West Salem. 
 
In another action, the councilors approved a “deficit” budget for the Urban Renewal District, where the Independence Landing project is underway. The city, which funded streets and site preparation of several million dollars, is expected to remain in a deficit, even after the hotel is completed. 
 
City Councilor Marilyn Morton inquired how long it would take before the Urban Renewal District moved into the black. “We really need to dig into that,” said City Manager Tom Pessemier.  However, he predicted that there is a strong possibility the urban-renewal deficit would be eliminated two years from now, in the fiscal year beginning in 2021.

UPDATE: On-boarding of New Audit Consultant
 
At an earlier meeting, the council approved hiring an outside consultant to provide a review of the budget package every year from now. This annual addition for what was termed “a second set of eyes” is part of  a “plan of action” to address a reporting “deficiency” identified by the Secretary of State’s office this spring in the city’s original 2019-2020 budget. The original estimate of the omission, $6 million, has been corrected, according to Gloria Butsch, the city’s finance director. 

IN BRIEF
 
Following passage of the ad valorem tax Wednesday night, the Independence City Council approved taxes for repayment of general-obligation (GO) bond funding to the city. Trammart News will take a closer look at the progress the city is making on its bond debt, including these general obligation bonds, in the August issue of The Independent. General obligation bonds serve as one way for local governments to borrow money to fund infrastructure projects, ranging from street repairs to park equipment

COMING UP
 
Independence State Airport will host a Memorial Day tribute to pilots who have died in the past year, beginning with a fly-over by local aviators shortly before 11 am. Rep. Paul Evans will issue the public welcome, followed by a brief program honoring both military and civilian aviators. A $5 hot-dog lunch will be served by the Boy Scouts as part of this annual event, which has been held for more than 20 years. 

FINAL NOTE

Brew Coffee and Tap House, at 211 S Main Street downtown, now has a second location in West Salem, tentatively named the same as the one in Independence – but so far known as the “underground” location for its basement coffeehouse-pub, which is across from Annette’s Restaurant.

 By Anne Scheck

CONSULTANT NEEDED TO FINALIZE 2018 AUDIT

Independence needs to hire an outside consultant for the city audit due to a reporting “deficiency” identified by the Secretary of State’s office, according to a proposal expected to be voted on at Tuesday’s city council meeting. As a result of the finding -- which prompted a letter from the Oregon Audits Division -- the mayor and city council are required to adopt and file a “plan of action.” 

The city audit had “a missed journal entry related to the refunding of the Independence Civic Center and MINET debt,” stated City Manager Tom Pessemier, in a memo to the council. The proposed corrective action, which recommends contracting with an independent consultant, comes from Mr. Pessemier and Gloria Butsch, city finance director.

UPDATE: MINET

More than half of the desired upgrades to MINET have been done, and the municipal broadband has been moving toward the finish line for the rest, MINET has reported. So far, all converted addresses have been funded through operational income -- not by borrowing. About 5,400 service addresses are expected to be accomplished in the project, and 2,972 (55%) were completed by the end of April.

COMING UP
Annual Clean-Up Day! Saturday, May 18 -- 9 am to 1:30 -- Soccer field/ Boat-landing area in Independence (Deann Drive)

FINAL NOTE

The Lucky Dragon, which replaces its predecessor, The Happy Dragon, is open at 101 Polk Street.

By Anne Scheck

The best practices for reducing chronic homelessness, including how cities can work together to provide effective support services, is one of the issues slated for a joint meeting of the Independence and Monmouth city councils, Tuesday. The presentation “Continuum of Care,” which is being held as a “work session,” will be given by staff of the Mid-Willamette Valley Council of Governments. 
 
The meeting will be held at 5:30 pm in the conference room of Polk County Fire District One, 1800 Monmouth St. The Independence City Council meeting will follow, at its usual time of 6:30 pm.

A bank line-of-credit sought by MINET was denied, but that isn’t the reason for delay in some upgrades to the system, according to MINET’s chief executive. "While it is true that MINET did not receive approval for a recent commercial credit application, it is due to a world-wide hardware shortage of the required equipment that forced our 'escalated' GPON equipment purchases into our (MINET's) new fiscal year,” explained Don Patten, general manager of MINET.
 
 “As such, our not having commercial credit resources available to us neither factored into our current upgrade timeline nor is it playing a consequential factor in our cities’ debt support forecasting,” he added. (Below, see brief editorial related to this issue, “Taking the Reins.”)

A federal grant submitted to help Independence become a designated Agricultural-Technology hub will be reported in the May issue of The Independent. A grant for $650,000 has been submitted, and it requires matching funds by the city, in cash or in-kind services.  But most of those matching funds are pledged to come from about a dozen “partner organizations,” explained Shawn Irvine, the city’s economic development director. “The project is to create a three-year program of pilot projects, entrepreneurship and innovation events and workforce development programs,” he explained. The goal: To build local tech-oriented businesses and remote work opportunities. 

This past week, when it was reported that MINET had been denied a line of credit by a bank, it seemed obvious news. Anyone who carefully follows the actions of the homegrown municipal broadband could have learned of it. However, because this was attributed to Independence City Manager Tom Pessemier in The Linking Letter, it seemed surprising to some. But why? Perhaps it’s a signal such clarity is worthy of attention. 
 
To reiterate what has been reported before: Independence has a debt approaching $37 million with a population of around 10,000. Any development related to the city’s co-owned broadband company – whether it’s a bank-declined line of credit or a shortage of technology – should be public knowledge. So, as Mr. Pessemier takes the reins of our city, I hope he’ll keep riding as a straight-shooter on what is sure to be a rough mount. It’s an aim from which we all can benefit.  

New water rights were purchased this spring by Independence – and apart from the cost of hundreds of thousands of dollars -- there are some looming regulatory issues ahead, according to Oregon experts who spoke recently at a regional meeting on the topic. The July issue of The Independent will take a look at the possible ramifications of new policies relating to water use in the Mid-Willamette Valley.

By Anne Scheck

Outside funding being sought by MINET to finance new technology for its system has fallen through, delaying some upgrades for the municipal broadband, Independence City Manager Tom Pessemier announced at the last city council Meeting. 
 
“It turned out MINET was not able to get that funding,” said Mr. Pessemier. The city council had voted to guarantee a line of credit for $350,000 to MINET – an action not needed until a loan is secured. 

A protocol for dealing with fast-rising waters of the Willamette River will be followed in the future, preventing “portable potty” bathrooms at Riverview Park from being dislodged under such circumstances, City Manager Tom Pessemier said in a report at the city council meeting.
 
The public works team at the city – which scrambled to clear culverts, storm drains and remove the boat dock – is developing a protocol that will be followed in the future when increasing water threatens to “reach action levels,” he said, adding that it wasn't expected to do so recently -- but did. 
 
Residents who snapped pictures of the submerged parking lot and water-covered park grounds had expressed worry over possible fecal contaminants from the park's temporary restrooms -- playground equipment was exposed to the roiling water.  

A federal grant of $650,000 dollars, which also will require matching funds in either cash or in-kind services, is being sought by the city for its move to build an agricultural technology hub. 
 
The hub would be housed at Indy Commons, with other locations also providing space, said Shawn Irvine, economic development director. 
 
The city was one of only 11 chosen by an East Coast-based non-profit for providing assistance in submitting the application for the federal grant. (The effort will be covered in more detail in the May 1 issue of The Independent.) 

This Tuesday there will be a joint work-session & council meeting with Monmouth City Council and Independence City Council at the Polk County Fire Station, Monmouth Avenue, 5:30 p.m.

Objections voiced by Mayor John McArdle at the last city council meeting -- over a legislative bill that would mean multi-family housing could be placed in zones once reserved for single-family homes -- may pass, Mayor McArdle acknowledged. “We’ve had extensive conversations,” he said, noting that the new law could have significant impact on the city. “Many legislators have no understanding of how local governments and cities work – that is as polite as I can be,” he said.

By Anne Scheck

An estimated $800,000 for a neighborhood park in Sunset Meadows, the newest subdivision in Independence, is too costly to pay all at once – so the park will be built in phases, according to Shawn Irvine, economic development director for City of Independence. 
 
A resolution for approving the park is on the agenda at tonight’s city council meeting.
 
The forecast in the master plan – which comes to nearly a million dollars with additional interest and other costs – means it is unable to be immediately constructed, said Mr. Irvine, who was asked about the cost projections at the last city council meeting. So the park will be built in stages over several years, he said.
 
Plans for the park make it the most linear in the city; It is slated for a slice of land between back yards of a relatively new city block. Aside from homeowners who have direct backyard access, park entrances will be placed between house-lots on Maple and Chestnut streets. 
 
Sunset Meadows Park will feature a nature-play area and a pedestrian pathway that leads from one entrance to the other. 

A state law that allows at least one accessory dwelling unit (ADU) to be built for each home in areas previously zoned for single-family housing has some cities scrambling to enact new local provisions for the option. So far, the nearby towns of Corvallis, Salem and Monmouth have passed special guidelines for the construction of these smaller units, often called “guest cottages” or “grandparent flats.” Independence has an existing provision for ADUs.
 
Without specifically-tailored local ordinances, home-made “tiny houses” in yards and trailers in driveways could conceivably be claimed as an ADU, depending on code interpretation, according to a 2018 audit that looked at previous zoning by cities for ADUs.

The 2020 census is on its way – and this one is cyber-ready. Individuals will have a higher-tech option this time around, allowing them to complete the census "self-response" questions online. For those who don’t want to use the internet, the census also can be taken by filling out a form or by phone, according to a state report on the pending count. 
 
In Independence, the census may help determine whether the city’s population is accurately listed by the Population Research Center at Portland State University, which tracks Oregon cities (and puts Independence at 9,370) or whether it more closely matches the current estimate at just above 10,000 in the federal database.

For the month of April, Independence Police Officers will be working extra patrol shifts to detect distracted drivers. This operation is being made possible as a result of a “Distracted Driving” grant from the Oregon Department of Transportation. In the past, some of these incidents have turned out to be a driver on a cellphone,  a driver focused on eating a sandwich or a driver drinking (or spilling!) a cup of coffee – but all can lead to unsafe driving, which often precedes an accident, according to the Independence Police Department.

Concern expressed by Mayor John McArdle over a legislative proposal that would require cities to offer multi-family housing in single-home residential zones prompted Rep. Paul Evans to announce that he is working to ratchet up the population level that would trigger such a provision if it becomes law. 
 
Under House Bill 2001, duplexes, triplexes and accessory units with single-family homes would be allowed in areas designated for single-family housing. But this would apply only to towns of 10,000 or more, Rep. Evans noted. He’d like to see that limit kicked up to 25,000, he said. 
 
Rep. Evans, who represents Independence and neighboring areas in the Oregon House of Representatives, was a featured speaker at the city council meeting Tuesday. 
 
Although city officials often cite Independence as having a population of around 10,000, the most current Oregon census count -- released last December – puts the number of people living in the city at approximately 9,300. Reaching a population of 10,000 would place the city under tighter state restrictions, from pollution-control measures to infrastructure regulations. 

A majority of students at Central High School (CHS) don’t wish to live in their hometown as adults, according to an electronic poll of the CHS juniors and seniors who filled the CHS auditorium Tuesday. The poll also showed the student group overwhelmingly endorsed a “can-do” attitude and “entrepreneurial spirit.” 

Later, in public testimony, the students asked city councilors about the city’s role in social causes, inquiring about provisions for easier access to mental health services and asking for more support for the elderly and disabled. Other concerns ranged from worries over speeding cars around CHS to the odors of the allegedly dirty Willamette River during summer months (see “COMING UP” below for City Manager Tom Pessemier’s response to the last assertion.) 

Dozens of changes to the city’s development code were approved by the city council in an effort to clean up old language, revise inadvertent errors and generally modernize the document, said Zach Pelz, the city’s contracted urban planner. The nearly 200 pages were tough reading for councilors and city staff alike – City Recorder Karin Johnson was tasked once again with making changes after councilors spotted words like “nursery,” which still needed a written definition to distinguish between a plant-growing area from a daycare center. 

Want to take a more in-depth look at the development code changes and new ordinances passed by the City Council this month? Pick up the March issue of The Independent. Available March 1.

FINAL NOTE: 
Welcome Jennifer Ranstrom-Smith, who was selected and sworn in as a city councilor at the meeting. She is the youngest councilor now – beating Michael Hicks for that spot by a mere month or two. Both are 37 years old.  

A WINNER!: Ama Mykyta, a student at Central High School, was pronounced the winning entrant to the American Legion Post 33 oratorical competition, and she has since gone on to the district competition. Though she lost at that level, Ms. Mykata will be awarded a $100 check from a fund established by Trammart Inc., which has set up a donation fund for local schools. Trammart publishes The Independent, The Linking Letter and The Linking Loop. 
 
Ms. Mykata's speech and other details will be featured in The Linking Loop, which covers school-related topics of Central School District 13J. Independence resident Billy Whisenant, of American Legion Post 33, organized the contest, which was held at the Independence Library this month. Congratulations to both Ms. Mykyta and Mr. Whisenant for inaugurating what promises to be a memorable annual event. 
 
COMING UP: Two new inserts will debut in the February issue of The Independent, which will take a look at water-sewer issues and at MINET. The first insert -- in the February issue of The Independent -- is The Police Box, which will examine the combined use of alcohol and marijuana, and the challenge it presents to local law enforcement. The second one, The Green Bee, covers a presentation on local-dwelling lampreys, which was sponsored by the Luckiamute Watershed Council in early January.