School Looks to Future of Facilities
The Siuslaw School Board of directors met with the Facility Advisory Committee for a special work session on June 22. Participants discussed ways to clarify and focus the Committee’s upcoming efforts toward building improvement. Board Chair Bob Sneddon remarked that the committee has been laboring for a long time with little clear direction from the board. While the board considered the scope of each of the school’s needs, Superintendent Andrew Grzeskowiak said it was clear from the meeting that the most pressing need was the high school.
“The big need coming out of the Wednesday meeting is really preparing the high school as an educational facility for the next 50 to 75 years, and that making sure the facility is going to be accommodating for teaching and learning into the future. And then also making sure that we have a project that is going to be fiscally viable as we look at the ongoing operational costs on a year-to-year basis as well as the increasing maintenance fees of that building down the road.”
The board discussed the role that facilities have both in education and in highlighting the importance of education within a community. Grzeskowiak added that the district needs a consultant that can help to articulate that to constituents.
Planning Commission
Tomorrow evening’s city planning commission meeting will focus on updates for the removal of vegetation. Several changes have been made to title 4 chapter 6 of the city code to include definitions of clearing, felling, pruning, removal, topping and trimming of vegetation. It will also include an update to organization and enforcement and violations and penalties associated with the removal of vegetation. The commission will hold its meeting at City Hall at 5:30.
OHA Upholding Choice
Despite a Supreme Court Ruling last week overturning Roe v. Wade the state issued a release stating that abortion rights in the state will remain intact and not change. Oregon established the Reproductive Health Equity Act in 2017 after the passing of House Bill 3391. The bill guaranteed the protection and access to the full scope of reproductive services for all people in Oregon. OHA Director Patrick Allen said the Oregon Health Authority will continue to implement and promote the bill to ensure that individuals have access to essential reproductive services without any barriers. Oregon’s abortion rate has been on the decline in recent years dropping 21% since 2017.