City Project Nears Completion; Port Executive Session To Review Manager Candidates; Emergency Shelter Open Tonight

City Projects Near Completion

The water main project on highway 101 and highway 126 is nearing the completion stage.  Public works director Mike Miller says this week should be the final week of installation and testing.

“They have to pressure test the line this week, get some bacteriological testing completed and then they’ll actually be physically hooking up all the services and putting the hydrants into a live capacity along highway 101 down to 126.”

Miller also says they should be completing the connection to quince and 126.  When asked about connecting the new lines to the existing businesses and residents he says there are rarely any complications with old lines breaking.

”Usually it doesn’t affect their plumbing.  Sometimes plumbing is what it is you have some issues, but typically we don’t see a lot of that.”

Miller also says that city hall is finishing up with asbestos removal this week and exterior work on the building should begin shortly with demolition possibly starting by weeks end.

Port Meeting This Evening

The port of Siuslaw is undergoing several projects and this evening’s meeting at the port office will outline the progress of several of those including the Erosion Repair Project.  The port will go into a work session at 6 pm prior to their meeting and then hold their regular meeting at 7 pm.  The Port is still soliciting public comment on projects and amenities that the public would like to have considered in order to increase the effectiveness of the port.  The work session and regular meeting are open to the public.  Immediately following the meeting the Board will go into Executive session to review applications for a new port manager.

Shelter To Open Again This Evening

Florence dodged a bullet in regards to this past weekend’s snow event.  Locally we received a variety of precipitation including some snow flurries, hail, and rain, but to the south and north of Florence there was a significant amount of wintery mix to cause some problems.  Coos bay reported some icy roads along with snowfall.  The cold weather did prompt the opening of an emergency cold weather shelter here in Florence and if conditions and temperatures hold this evening it will likely be open again.  Last night and tonight the shelter will be located at the  New Life Lutheran Church on Spruce Street.  Shelter flags will be posted for shuttle pickup between 5 and 6 pm.