City Council Meeting
Amendments to the Florence City Code are expected to be voted on this evening at the Florence City Council meeting. The Council and city planners have been working on Ordinance No. 1, series 2024 for some time now and have a completed resolution that will be voted on this evening. The public hearing was held on February 5th and there will be no additional comment on the proposal this evening from the public. The Amendment to city code Title 10 will add support to missions, emergency shelters and transitional housing as part of the Housing Implementation Plan. It will also allow for reduced lot dimensions for medium density single unit detached dwellings. The changes have been met with some pushback from the public worried that the changes could increase the homeless population by making it more palatable for those seeking to build shelters. The code changes will bring the city into compliance with state regulations that have been enacted. The city council this evening will also consider a street closure for what is now the annual Vault competition where schools visit Florence for an outdoor Pole Vault exhibition on the streets of old town. City Council meets at 5:30 at City Hall.
Home Show Winners
Alan Matison was the grand prize winner of the $500 drawing at this past weekend’s Florence Home and Garden Show. Alan and his wife Ann are Florence residents. Organizer of the show Jon Thompson, says the crowds were a little less than expected due likely to adverse weather conditions, but the event still saw over 2,000 people come through the doors of the FEC for the 26th annual event. Thompson also said that the diverse group of vendors, products and services and displays made it one of the best shows to date. He says that information came directly from attendees that visited.
Golf Tournament to Support Siuslaw Golf
The Florence Golf Links has announced a golf tournament to support the growing golf program at Siuslaw High School. Dick Shores at Florence Golf Links says they have raised a significant amount of funds last year to equip the program, but more is needed. He said last year they raised about half of what was needed. The tournament is scheduled for April 6th at Florence Golf Links. Shores says those that do not wish to golf but still help the program can do so through a gofundme account set up. You can contact Shores at Florence Golf Links for more information.
Weekend Weather
Weekend weather brought rain, snow, hail and wind through the Florence Area. On Friday road conditions on Highway 126 cause several accidents and hour plus delays along the route. Conditions east of the tunnel worsened as the day went on. Forecasts for the coming week show significant change in weather patterns bringing sunshine and slightly warmer temperatures by week’s end. Snow was still coming down in the Badger Mountain area of 126 early this morning, but there were no significant delays reported.
Razor Clamming Halted
Razor Clam harvesting has been closed for the Central Oregon Coast. The Oregon Department of Agriculture made the call late Friday as elevated levels of demoic acid were found to be in clams tested in the area. Crab, mussel, and bay clam harvesting are still open.
Flu Numbers
Flu testing is still averaging around 8% positivity for the final week of February. The Oregon Health Authority reports 403 new cases of the Flu with the majority of positive test appearing in the Portland Metro Area with a small amount in the Willamette Valley. Only 20 positive tests were confirmed there. Rates are higher than either of the last two years.
