15 July 2014
City Manager Finalist Could Be Selected This Week
The search for the next Florence City Manager enters the next phase this week. Interim City Manager Larry Patterson:
Larry Patterson – “The position’s open until filled. But at the present time we’re going to do the first screening of those candidates on the 18th.”
Patterson said that approach gives the city more flexibility, as well as potential choices. Meanwhile, more information will be gleaned from the first round of finalists.
Larry Patterson – “Some supplemental questionnaires with them and do some preliminary background checks and then try to narrow that down to somewhere between five and seven finalists that we’d bring on site for interviews.”
Patterson is working under a temporary contract that will keep him here until the end of September. But, he adds…
Larry Patterson – “Depending on who they hire, if the individual can start sooner then we definitely get them on board sooner and then I go back to being retired. The object is try to make that transition, try to make it as smooth as possible and get a new person in here so the city can continue to move forward.”
The new city manager will have plenty of work to do when he or she arrives… hiring a new police chief will likely be one of the first things on the ‘to-do’ list.
Lightning Strikes Pose Risks
More than six-thousand lightning strikes were recorded in Oregon between Sunday and Monday touching off dozens of small fires. Fire managers in the Northwest say a barrage like that can also cause numerous “sleeper” fires in the coming days.
Many of those strikes were in the Coast Range between Newport and Tillamook; more still in the Cascades and Central Oregon.
One fire that started Sunday is not likely to have been caused by lightning however.
The Moccasin Hill fire near Klamath Falls has destroyed six homes and 14 other buildings since it began near a subdivision. Investigators are looking into the cause. The blaze has already covered about four square miles, and as of early this morning, was about 15-percent contained.
Airport Maintenance Closes Runway
Flight activity at the Florence Municipal Airport will be curtailed today and tomorrow as crews work on maintenance of the pavement.
The runway will be closed today until seven PM, then again tomorrow between eight AM and seven as crews work on crack sealing and painting of the runway, apron and taxiway. Intermittent apron and taxiway closures will continue Thursday.
The work is funded through the Oregon Department of Aviation program that assists Oregon airports.
Mushroom Permits Go On Sale Next Month
Up to 100 commercial matsutake mushroom permits will go on sale next month at the Oregon Dunes Recreation Area office in Reedsport.
That’s a change from previous years when officials offered contracts by sealed bid auction.
Casey Hawes with the Central Coast Ranger District said the ‘over-the-counter’ permit sales will provide the same protection of resources as the previous method. Hawes added that the majority of the matsutake mushroom harvest takes place on the Oregon Dunes.
Permits will be on sale at the ODNRA office August 5th and 6th only or until they sell out. Any remaining permits will then be sold from the Central Coast District office in Waldport and at the Siuslaw National Forest Supervisor’s office in Corvallis.