PUBLIC HEARING ON

WATER RATE INCREASE

On March 15, 2007, at 7:30 p.m. the City Council will hold a public hearing to accept comments on a proposal to increase water rates. The rate increase is needed to raise revenue to repay the City's Safe Drinking Water Loan.

The City received a low interest (1%) loan in the amount of $2,990,500 to construct a 1.0 million gallon water reservoir and to develop production wells. The reservoir project is complete, and the new water source project is still underway.

Initially the City plans to use a combination of system development charge revenues and water usage revenues to make the annual loan payments. In order to retain the low interest rate and make future loan payments solely from water usage revenues, additional annual increases will be necessary. The low interest rate will save nearly $2 million during the loan payback period.

To raise funds for the upcoming loan payments, the City Council plans to implement an increase in water charges, effective March 26th, which will be reflected on the April 26th water bills. For a residential customer within the City limits, the proposal is to increase the minimum monthly charge by $.85 and increase the first volume charge by $0.10.

Residential Customer in Columbia City	Current Rate	New Rate
Minimum charge - less than 500 cubic feet of usage	$28.50	$29.35
For each additional 100 cubic feet, but usage less than 1,000 cubic feet	$3.40	$3.50
For each additional 100 cubic feet	$4.45	$4.45

The rates for commercial, industrial and outside City water users are scheduled to increase in similar proportions. The rate increase is expected to increase water revenues by about 3%.

Comments about the proposed water rate increase may be submitted in writing prior to the hearing or may be delivered in person during the hearing. The hearing will be held in the Council Chambers of the City Hall, 1840 Second Street, Columbia City.

FIREWOOD FOR SALE!!!

We are accepting sealed bids for the purchase of a trailer full (approximately 3 cords) of mostly fir and maple firewood. This wood was recently removed from Jim Bundy Memorial Park within the City. You can view the wood-filled trailer in front of City Hall. The minimum bid price is $250.00.

Sealed bids must be received no later than 9:00 a.m. on Monday, March 12, 2007. Send or deliver bids to City of Columbia City, SEALED BID, 1840 Second Street, PO Box 189, Columbia City, OR 97018. If you have questions call (503) 397-4010.

CAPLES HOUSE MUSEUM RE-OPENS!

On Thursday, March 1^st at 1:00 p.m. the Caples House Museum Complex will have their grand re-opening! During the season, the museum facility will have regular hours on Friday, Saturday and Sunday from noon to 4 p.m. They will also be open from noon to 4 p.m. on Federal holidays.

WHAT’S HAPPENING @ YOUR LIBRARY

The Novel Quilters have been reading March, by Geraldine Brooks. The book is set during the Civil War and is the story of Little Women’s father, a clergyman. During our April meeting we will unveil our creations. Please stop by to see them! We will also announce what our next book will be. New members have continued to join us. If you are interested, we’d love to have you join us! The Novel Quilters meet the third Wednesday of each month (March 21^st) at 6:30 p.m.

We had a successful book sale on Saturday, February 24^th. We cleaned out our closet, made over $500 for the library, and now have room for more donations! We had a great turnout of volunteers to help setup. Thank you so much to all of you! Our next book sale will be scheduled in the spring. Watch for details in the next newsletter.

New books at the library:

Six Frigates is a superb history of the founding of America’s Navy. The first book by Ian W. Toll, a former financial analyst and political speechwriter, is a fluent, intelligent history of American military policy from the early 1790’s when Congress commissioned six frigates to fight the Barbary pirates, through the War of 1812. But the book’s real value, and the pleasures it provides, lies in Toll’s grasp of the human dimension of his subject, often obscured in the dry tomes of naval historians. The battle depictions are worthy of Patrick O’Brian (whose fictional hero, Jack Aubrey, he cleverly uses to illustrate a scene in the December 1812 shootout between the American frigate Constitution and the British frigate Java). Toll has plumbed diaries, letters and ships’ logs to give the reader a feel for the human quirks and harsh demands of life at sea in the Age of Sail. Most of all, he captures the zest for action that seized, and sometimes warped, young warriors on all sides. (New York Times Review of Books, Editor’s Choice)

By a Spider’s Thread by Laura Lippman was a nominee for the 2005 Agatha award for mystery novels. Mark Rubin’s family is missing—and the police won’t do a thing because all the evidence indicates his wife left willingly. The successful furrier turns to Tess Monaghan, hoping she can help him find his wife and three children. Tess doesn’t know what to make of Rubin, a wealthy Orthodox Jew who doles out vitally important information in grudging dribs and drabs. According to Rubin, he and his beautiful wife, Natalie, have a flawless, happy marriage. Yet one day, without any warning or explanation, Natalie gathered up their children and vanished.

Tess is able to locate the runaway wife and her stolen progeny, moving furtively from state to state, town to town, but the Rubins are not alone. A man is traveling with them—a stranger, described as “handsome” and “charming” but otherwise unremarkable to casual observers who have no way of sensing the fury beneath his smooth surface.

An intricate web of betrayal and vengeance is already beginning to unravel, as memory begets rage and rage leads to desperation…and murder. Suddenly much more than one man’s future happiness and stubborn pride are in peril; the lives of three innocent children are dangling by the slenderest of threads.

Internet Access:

Online access is available at the library. The staff can help with online research or guide new users.

Friends of the Library Meeting: 3/19/07 - 7 PM

Novel Quilters Meeting: 3/21/07 - 6:30 PM

Storytime: Mondays 11 AM

Staffed Library Hours:

Mondays & Saturdays

10 AM to 2 PM

Wednesdays

4 PM to 8 PM

Phone: (503) 366-8020

E-mail: cclibrary@opusnet.com

Address: 205 "I" Street

PLANNING COMMISSION ACTIVITIES

The Planning Commission will be holding a public hearing on Tuesday, March 13, 2007. The hearing is to receive written and oral testimony on an application for site development review and a variance to setbacks and landscaping for expansion of the City Shops and construction of a well house. The property is located at 1755 2^nd Place, and is identified on the Columbia County Assessor map 5128-014 as lot 4400.

The Planning Commission meeting will be held at 7:00 p.m. in the Council Chambers of the City Hall.

GIRL SCOUT TROOP 2041

CANNED FOOD DRIVE THANK YOU

On behalf of the Columbia Pacific Food Bank, Girl Scout Troop 2041 wishes to thank Columbia City residents who donated to their canned food drive on January 27, 2007. The troop collected 488 pounds of food and toiletries, which was over 1/5^thof the total of 2200+ pounds collected by Girl Scouts from St. Helens that weekend. Your generosity meant a lot as the food bank had just run out of canned vegetables. Thank you again and we’ll see you next year!

THANK YOU

We'd like to extend a very special "thank you" to:

v ODOT for replanting the Bike Path.

v Jean Carulli, Nell Harrision, Dolores Heinz, Shelia Jackson, Betty Jensen, Kathy Keudell and Phyllis Rowley for helping us in January with the utility bills and newsletter.

v Jimmy Zaha for the macadamia nuts from Hawaii.

v Marian Calnon, Steve Reed, Nell Harrison, Jim & Annette Shinkle and the Columbia County Community Corrections Work Crew for their help with the recent work party in Jim Bundy Memorial Park.

v Vonnie Walker and Marian Calnon for working in the flowerbeds at City Hall.

BIANNUAL BURN PERIOD

The next biannual burn period will begin on Saturday, April 7^th and end on Sunday, April 15^th. The burn period is for yard debris only, and burn barrels are prohibited. Yard debris is lawn clippings, leaves, brush, trimmings, prunings, sawdust and wood scraps. It is not dirt, gravel, paper, plastic, metal, rocks, bricks, sod, or food waste.

A burn permit is not required, but it must be a designated burn day during the daylight hours. Call (503) 397-4800 for burn day information.

You must follow these basic rules for proper open burning:

q You must have a garden hose, or a shovel and a 5-gallon bucket of water at all times, and the fire must NOT be left unattended at any time until out.

q Yard and garden trimmings must be cut and piled no larger than 6 feet wide by 4 feet high.

q The ground must be cleared not less than 10 feet around the burning area. There must be a separation of 50 feet between the burn pile and any structure, trees, vehicle or property line if the burn pile is greater than 3 feet in diameter; and a 25 foot separation if the burn pile is less than 3 feet in diameter.

q The fire must not adversely affect neighbors (smoke).

DAYLIGHT-SAVING TIME BEGINS

The new changes in the DST as part of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 will start this year on the second Sunday in March. March 11^th begins daylight-saving time; so don’t forget to set your clocks ahead one hour.

POLICE REPORT

(01/25/07 to 02/22/07)

01/25/07 Noise complaint in the 500 block of Pacific Street.

01/25/07 Citizen assist near Fourth and "M" Streets.

01/27/07 Open door reported in the 2000 block of The Strand.

01/27/07 Report of two guys with guns in the 400 block of “A” Street. Checked to find they were walking to a friends house on Robinette Road to do some target practice.

01/28/07 Theft reported in the 200 block of “G” Street.

01/28/07 Outside agency assisted at City Hall.

01/29/07 Animal complaint in the 2000 block of Third Street.

01/29/07 Suspicious vehicle reported in the 1600 block of Third Street.

01/30/07 Premise checks conducted.

01/30/07 Public assist near Second and “E” Streets.

01/30/07 Public assist at the Mini Mart.

01/30/07 Disabled vehicle checked near Highway 30 and “L” Street.

01/31/07 Public assist in the 3500 block of Sixth Street.

02/01/07 Premise checks conducted.

02/02/07 Citizen assist in the 3300 block of Sixth Street.

02/02/07 Citizen assist in the 1600 block of Sixth Street.

02/06/07 Disabled vehicle checked near Highway 30 and Chimes Crest.

02/06/07 Follow-up investigation at City Hall.

02/07/07 Follow-up investigation at City Hall.

02/07/07 Public assist at City Hall.

02/07/07 Outside agency assisted at City Hall.

02/07/07 Suspicious vehicle near Highway 30 and “E” Street.

02/09/07 Public assist at City Hall.

02/09/07 Premise checks conducted.

02/11/07 Burglary report taken in the 2100 block of Fifth Street.

02/12/07 Follow-up investigation in the 2100 block of Fifth Street.

02/14/07 Found bike in the 2000 block of Third Street.

02/15/07 Public assist at City Hall.

02/15/07 Premise checks conducted.

02/16/07 Missing adult reported to be in route to the 300 block of Mattie Street. Discovered later, subject was in jail.

02/16/07 Suspicious activity reported in on Metlako Way.

02/17/07 Audible alarm at the Mini Mart. Burglary.

02/17/07 Fraud activity reported in the 3200 block of Park Drive.

02/17/07 Premise checks conducted.

02/18/07 Alarm reported in the 1200 block of Fourth Street.

02/18/07 Follow-up investigation at the Mini Mart.

02/18/07 Suspicious vehicle in the 2800 block of Sixth Street.

02/18/07 Citizen assist in the 300 block of “A” Street.

02/18/07 Follow-up investigation in the 300 block of “A” Street.

02/18/07 Alarm in the 1900 block of Second Street.

02/18/07 Domestic dispute reported in the 400 block of Skookum Court.

02/20/07 Attempt to locate suicidal subject.

02/20/07 Follow-up investigation in the 2000 block of The Strand.

02/20/07 Follow-up investigation near “L” and Third Streets.

02/20/07 Follow-up investigation in the 1800 block of Second Street.

02/20/07 Attempt to locate stolen vehicle near the southern city limits.

02/21/07 Follow-up investigation in the 300 block of “M” Street.