Council Turnover in November Election To Have Impact in 2015
The results of the November general election in Florence could have a resounding impact in 2015. Voters approved a new mayor and three new city councilors. All will take office next week.
Joe Henry has served as a councilor for two years, he successfully challenged the incumbent mayor Nola Xavier. Voters chose Ron Preisler to fill the remaining two-years of Henry’s term. Two other new councilors, Susy Lacer and George Lyddon each won four-year terms.
All will join the sole holdover on the council; Joshua Greene.
The five will be faced with several challenges, including finding a new City Manager and watching over interim City Manager Larry Patterson as he works on hiring a new Police Chief.
The Council will also have to work out the details of a proposed multi-use path for a portion of Rhododendron Drive between 9th Street and the Wild Winds Subdivision; as well as how to pay for long overdue street repairs after voters nixed a fuel tax that would have provided the funding.
>>>
Oregon State Police continue their investigation into the discovery of a deceased man who washed ashore at Baker Beach near Florence Saturday morning. A walker in the area discovered the body of 27 year old Bryan E McKinney. Identification of the Wenatchee, Washington man was made through his dental records. McKinney was reported missing on December 16th. While the investigation is ongoing, troopers do not suspect foul play was involved.
>>>
An Artic weather front is pushing across the Pacific Northwest bringing with it frigid temperatures. Forecasters are predicting lows on the coast to dip into the low 20’s tonight. In response the newly founded Florence Emergency Cold Weather Shelter will offer a haven to the area’s homeless, according to shelter coordinator Bob Du-Bose …
200 – “We are going to have dinner for our guest, and we’re going to have breakfast for our guest. We have nice cots from the Red Cross, we have nice bedding from the Seventh Day Adventist Church.
The shelter will be opened from 4 this afternoon until 9 tomorrow morning in the Masonic Center south of the Siuslaw River Bridge.
Du-Bose and his team are sending out a van to pick up the shelter’s potential clients beginning at 4 o’clock..
201 – “We are going to go North to South with our van. So the first place will be Fred Meyer..”
The van will then stop at the Siuslaw Public Library, Florence Safeway parking lot, and just south of the Siuslaw River Bridge. A second running of the route will begin at Fred Meyer’s Recycle center beginning at 5:30.
>>>
Florence City Code requires all businesses that do business in the city of Florence, whether or not they’re actually located here, have a valid city business license.
They cost just 80-dollars a year for permanent businesses and they all expire on the same date… December 31st.
Businesses that take care of their annual renewal no later than close-of-business Wednesday will get a ten-dollar credit on next year’s license.
You’ll still have to pay $80 this year, but according to City Recorder Kelli Weese, as an incentive to renew before the year’s end, you’ll get a credit of $10 to be used for your 2016 renewal.
>>>
The Oregon Department of Transportation is installing a traffic signal to control traffic at a location on Highway 101, north of Florence, where a landslide has damaged the roadway, leaving a single lane of travel. The signal will replace a pilot car in controlling travel at milepost 177, approximately 12 miles north of Florence. The signal, operating on a timer, will reduce delays for all travelers by allowing traffic to move through the 500-foot-long single lane segment more quickly. Flaggers and possibly a pilot car will still be used to control traffic when the contractor is working at the site. During those periods, travelers should plan on delays no longer than 20 minutes. The signal will be activated by tomorrow Wednesday, December 31.
