New Process For Business Licensing
Business owners in Florence will be introduced to a new process for applying for or renewing their business license. The City of Florence is going to an online business license application and will be offering a free training program at the Florence Events Center on Monday September 25th from noon until 3 pm. Staff will demonstrate the application’s capabilities. Lunch will also be served. There is an RSVP required and it can be done at the city’s website at ci.florence.or.us.
Three Buttes Fire
The Three Buttes fire 15 miles north of Florence has grown to 138 acres according to the latest information from the Oregon Department of Forestry and is considered 0% contained. Staging for some of the personnel continues to be at the old Siuslaw baseball field on Quince street as well as the undeveloped property across from the Florence Events Center. According to the ODF the fire management structure is still a type 3. A type 3 employs the assistance of multiple agencies with a unified command. There are currently no structures endangered and there have been no evacuation notices issued. The remote fire is considered a lightning caused event. Another fire west of Corvallis, the Rock Creek Fire is considered 75% contained and is expected to be fully contained by the weekend.
Helping Hands
Rick Chilton with the volunteer organization Helping Hands coalition says they will serve more than 56 thousands meals to Florence by the end of 2023. Chilton says about 60 percent of Florence residents are in financial distress and about 14% are at the poverty level and their goal is to provide assistance to those families in the way of education and training. Chilton says their organization is not about hand outs but about giving individuals the tools to move towards financial resilience.
“What we’re focusing on is get them to be self-sufficient in a sense of either goals for their education, get more marketable skills or if your already employed we really emphasize getting a side hustle which is sort of a job on the side, and we help you procure that.”
Chilton says they work with many partner organizations to help families and individuals not just for jobs and education but also for housing, and mental health. Chilton will be a guest on the September edition of Our Town.
Lane County Board of Commissioners Seeking Volunteer
The Lane County Board of Commissioners is seeking a volunteer to serve on their public health advisory committee. The committee meets the second Monday of each month and is a four year term. Deadline for applying for the position is Friday September 8. Interested parties can go to lanecounty.org/volunteer.