House Named Deputy Chief
He first started his public safety career as a volunteer firefighter in 1999. Four years later Matt House went to work full time with Western Lane Ambulance District. When the district merged administrative functions with Siuslaw Fire and Rescue, House became the EMS Division Chief. Siuslaw Valley Fire Chief Michael Schick says House is an essential part of the team.
“Officially as of July First he’s the Deputy Chief. He runs all the operations for Fire and EMS. Every other project I can give him he does a great job. So, it was well deserved and very proud of him.
House was sworn in by Schick last week. Western Lane Ambulance and Siuslaw Valley are in the middle of a multi-year plan that would eventually combine the operational functions, as well as the admin functions.
Water Rate Hearing: Dunes City
Private water company south of Florence subject of rate hearing. The Oregon Public Utility Commission will hold a virtual hearing Monday evening to hear testimony on a proposed rate increase for a private water system in Dunes City. South Coast Water, which serves about 80 homes near Clear Lake Road has been under pressure from the P.U.C. to increase rates so as to ensure the company can remain viable. A proposal from state regulators last year would have increased rates from an average of about 47-dollars to more than one-hundred-twenty. South Coast Water told the PUC, as did the system’s customers, that was too high and too fast. Instead the company is proposing a two-step increase over two years. If approved the average bill would go from $47 to about $65 as early as January of next year. The second increase would then take the rate to an average of about $91 per month a year later. The hearing is set for six pm Monday online via Zoom. Interested parties can join the hearing online Oregon dot gov slash PUC and follow the links to the South Coast Water proposal.
OCMM Gets Military Gift
The Oregon Coast Military Museum is the recipient of two vintage military vehicles donated as part of a large collection from a USMC Korean Veteran. Operations Manager Goeff Cannon says the donation is a huge addition to their already significant inventory of artifacts and it represents the epitome of one of the primary reasons the Museum was created. The two vehicles are jeeps, one a 1942 Ford GPW and a 1965 Ford M151 from the Vietnam Era. Both are heavily adorned with supplies, equipment and weapons typical of the period they represent. Cannon puts the value of the two vehicles around $40,000. The name of the donator was not released. Cannon says they are grateful for the service and the donation.