MARCH 2006

PUBLIC HEARING ON

WATER RATE INCREASE

On March 16, 2006, 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 $1.50, increase the first volume charge by $0.15, and increase the second volume charge by $0.20.

The rates for commercial, industrial and outside City water users are scheduled to increase in similar proportions. The rate increase is expected to result in an overall rate increase of 5.3%.

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.

BIANNUAL BURN PERIOD

The next biannual burn period will begin on Saturday, April 1^st, and end on Sunday, April 16^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:

• 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.

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

• 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.

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

SPRING CLEAN-UP

The Annual Spring Cleanup Day will be held on Saturday, May 6^th, 2006, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Columbia City School. There is no charge for yard debris, and other items such as junk, tires, car batteries, appliances, etc., will be accepted for a fee. Watch for details in the next newsletter!

COMMUNITY LIBRARY NEWS

In honor of Dr. Seuss's birthday on March 2, anyone wearing a wacky hat during the month of March will get a free cookie.

The Novel Quilters will be displaying their quilts based on "The Mermaid Chair" on Wednesday, March 15 at 6:30 p.m. Please join us and see how they turned out!

To celebrate St. Patrick's Day, John Brown, a local guitarist and vocalist, will be performing from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. on Friday, March 17th in the United Koffee Shoppe.

March is time to start thinking about landscaping and gardening. A few of the many books we have in the Library include:

"A Year in Trees: Superb Woody Plants for Four-Season Gardens" by Kim E. Tripp and J.C. Raulston.

"Bold Visions for the Garden: Basics, Magic & Inspiration" by Richard Hartlage.

"The Perfect Garden: Finishing Touches and Fabulous Effects" by Tessa Evelegh.

"The Frugal Gardener: How to Have More Garden for Less Money" by Catriona Tudor Erler.

Staffed Library Hours:

Monday, 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.

Wednesday, 4:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.

Saturday, 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.

Self-Serve Checkout:

Available to all adult patrons

holding a valid Library card

whenever the United Koffee Shoppe is open.

COLUMBIA CITY LOGO CONTEST

WIN $50

Please help us come up with a logo design for Columbia City! The contest winner will receive a $50 St. Helens Chamber of Commerce gift certificate and a City-logo t-shirt.

If you would like to participate in the contest, please submit your logo designs to City Hall on 8-1/2" x 11" paper by Thursday, March 31st.

The City Council will select the winning logo.

PUBLIC WARNED ABOUT

IDENTITY THEFT E-MAIL SCAM

The Social Security Administration issued a warning about a new e-mail scam that has surfaced recently.

The Agency received several reports of an e-mail message being circulated addressed to "Dear Social Security Number And Card owner" and purporting to be from the Social Security Administration. The message informs the reader "that someone illegally is using your Social Security number and assuming your identity" and directs the reader to a website designed to look like Social Security’s Internet website.

Once directed to the phony website, the individual is asked to confirm their identity with "Social Security and bank information." Specific information about the individual’s credit card number, expiration date and PIN number is then requested. In a recent news release, Social Security representatives said, "Whether on our online website or by phone, Social Security will never ask you for your credit card information or your PIN number. You should never provide your Social Security number or other personal information over the Internet or by telephone unless you are extremely confident of the source to whom you are providing the information."

To report receipt of this email message or other suspicious activity to Social Security’s Office of Inspector General, please call the OIG Hotline at 1-800-269-0271. (If you are deaf or hard of hearing, call the OIG TTY number at 1-866-501-2101). A Public Fraud Reporting form is also available online at OIG’s website www.socialsecurity.gov/oig.

THANK YOU

We'd like to extend a very special "thank you" to Bernie Albertine, Gloria Chinell, Joe Detloff, Barbara Jones, Dee Loyd and Phyllis Rowley for helping with the February utility bills and newsletter.

DAYLIGHT-SAVING TIME BEGINS

Sunday, April 2^nd begins daylight-saving time, so don’t forget to set your clocks ahead one hour.

POLICE REPORT

(01/12/06 - 01/31/06)

01/12/06 Traffic complaint taken of several vehicles not stopping at the intersection of "I" and Second Streets.

01/12/06 Assisted Oregon State Police on a traffic stop near Highway 30 and "E" Street.

01/12/06 Assisted motorist with a disabled vehicle on Highway 30 near "L" Street.

01/13/06 Loose dog reported in the 400 block of "D" Street.

01/13/06 Loose dog reported near Highway 30 and "A" Street.

01/14/06 Traffic hazard removed from Highway 30 near Chimes Crest.

01/14/06 Assisted citizen locked out of vehicle in the 1800 block of Second Street.

01/17/06 Child assaulted on school bus investigated. Initial investigation by Columbia City Police and referred to St. Helens Police school resource officer for follow-up.

01/17/06 Animal Complaint. Barking dog in the 1600 block of Sixth Street.

01/17/06 Assisted St. Helens Police with several subjects at Safeway.

01/17/06 Suspicious vehicle checked behind Mini Mart after it was closed.

01/18/06 Ongoing criminal activity reported with the theft of a door from new subdivision on Fifth Street.

01/18/06 Animal complaint. Barking dog in 1600 Sixth Street.

01/18/06 Person arrested on felony warrant. Vehicle impounded.

01/19/06 Department of Human Services referral in the 3200 block of Sixth Street.

01/19/06 Loose dog report.

01/19/06 Suspicious person checked okay in the 400 block of Belle Court.

01/19/06 Report of a woman sleeping in her car with the engine running at the Community Hall. Subject gone upon arrival.

01/19/06 Report of a dog barking in the 1600 block of Sixth Street. Owner warned.

01/20/06 Suspicious person found and checked on at West Oregon Wood Products.

01/23/06 Checked suspicious vehicle behind Mini Mart.

01/23/06 Citizen assisted with a civil matter.

01/23/06 County Animal control was advised of a loose dog on Highway 30 near Deer Island.

01/23/06 Parking complaint in the 3300 block of Park Drive. Vehicle moved by owner.

01/23/06 Suspicious person checked near Highway 30 and "I" Street.

01/24/06 Fraud reported in the 400 block of "A" Street.

01/24/06 Loose cat reported near Fifth and Pacific Streets.

01/24/06 Traffic Hazard removed from Highway "30" near Pacific Street.

01/24/06 Abandoned vehicle checked.

01/26/06 Assault call taken.

01/27/06 Loose dog in the 2700 block of Sixth Street. Owner located.

01/30/06 Telephone harassment report taken.

01/30/06 Incomplete 911 call investigated and found to be phone problems.

MONTHLY MEETING AND EVENT CALENDAR

MARCH 2006

March 2 7:30 p.m. Regular City Council Meeting at City Hall

March 7 7:00 p.m. Parks Committee Meeting at City Hall

March 9 7:30 p.m. Municipal Court at City Hall

March 14 7:00 p.m. Planning Commission Meeting at City Hall

March 16 7:30 p.m. Regular City Council Meeting at City Hall

March 20 7:00 p.m. Friends of the Library Meeting in the Library

March 23 7:30 p.m. Municipal Court at City Hall

IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR DRINKING WATER

Columbia City is pleased to announce that the new City of St. Helens' Water Filtration Facility has been completed and is in operation. The water produced from this new facility meets or exceeds all current and foreseeable state and federal water quality standards.

On March 11, 2004, Oregon Department of Human Services (ODHS) determined that the City of Columbia City's water system was out of compliance with a regulatory drinking water standard. Our water quality has not deteriorated or changed in recent years. Where we once met all standards, more stringent requirements have been adopted over the years by the regulatory agencies. As a result, it became necessary to provide a higher level of treatment. Hence, ODHS issued an order requiring the City to filter its water in addition to the regular disinfection process. This order came after water sampling led to St. Helens' two primary well sources being placed in a category where there is an increased possibility of untreated surface water mixing with the groundwater in the vicinity of the well. The only feasible method of dealing with this possibility and meeting the ODHS drinking water standards is to filter the water.

In the event that surface water were to mix with the groundwater source, the water supply could possibly carry disease-causing organisms. To date, testing has not detected any of these organisms in the water. Inadequately treated water may contain disease-causing organisms. These organisms include bacteria, viruses and parasites that can cause symptoms such as nausea, cramps, diarrhea and associated headaches. These symptoms, however, are not caused only by organisms in drinking water. If you experience any of these symptoms and they persist, you may want to seek medical advice. A home filter system will not necessarily increase protection because not all home filter systems protect against parasites. Infants, some elderly and persons with severely compromised immune systems would be at some increased risk in the event any contamination were to take place, and these people may seek advice about drinking water from their health care providers.

• It is not necessary for you to take any action. You would have been notified immediately if there had ever been any water quality emergency. You do not need to boil your water.

• General guidelines on ways to lessen the risk of infection by microbes are available from EPA's Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 1 (800) 426-4791 or the Department of Human Services Drinking Water Program at (971) 673-0405.

• Please share this information with all the other people who drink this water, especially those who may not have received this notice directly *such as people in apartments, nursing homes, businesses and schools). You can do this by posting this notice in a public place or distributing copies by hand or mail.

The City will send out similar notices if at any time the water quality does not meet regulatory compliance. All such notices are also posed on the City's website at www.columbia-city.org. For more information, you may contact Leahnette Rivers at (503) 397-4010 or write to PO Box 189, Columbia City, OR 97018.

Please share this information with all the other people who drink this water, especially those who may not have received this notice directly (such as people in apartments, businesses and schools). You can do this by posting this notice in a public place or distributing copies by hand or mail.

State Water System ID #4100203 Distributed March 1, 2006

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