There are two meetings scheduled for this week. On Thursday, June 18 at the big red Emergency Services Building at 7:30 pm, the city of Cascade Locks will be hosting a town hall meeting to discuss preferences and solutions for the level of emergency service that our town should support. Two days later on Saturday, June 20 at 10:00 am at the big round Port Pavilion, the Charter Starters will host a community forum to set a vision and direction for a new Cascade Locks High School.
Which of these two meetings do you consider to be more important for the future of our town? Or are they equally important? Which meeting will you attend? Or will you attend both? Which meeting do you expect to be more heavily attended and shy?
As is evident from previous pages of this blog, it is much easier criticize and attack than to promote a solution and defend it. Nonetheless, my question is, for these two issues : emergency services and schools, what solutions will you propose or what solutions do you believe should be proposed at the meetings?
A note to anyone who noticed the span of time between my previous and current posts: It has been a month - a difficult month for me personally. It is only only in the past few days that I have reached the acceptance stage and begun to acknowledge the imminent death of my computer. She served me well and will be sorely missed.
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Councilman for Cascade Locks
- Lance Masters
- This blog is intended as a way for people interested in Cascade Locks to share ideas and opinions. Posts that are interpreted as hindering the free flow of ideas and opinions may be removed. Please be encouraged to discuss ideas and opinions rather than individuals and names.
27 comments:
Sorry to hear of your difficulties, hope it is not a health thing.
I think both meetings are important. If I could only attend one I would attend the town hall meeting. I think this meeting will be somewhat of a referendum on the current City Administrator. He is attempting to go over the head of the city council on a issue that the ink hasn't even dried on. This is amidst an audacious but fairly successful demand for a significant increase in his employment contract with the city. Maybe he is on a roll, but on the other hand, maybe he has pushed his luck. I believe his contract expires at the end of the month but I am not sure if it has been officially renewed yet.
The most important point has got to be what can we afford. The whole basis of JP proposing another paramedic was that the transports would pay his costs. The HR News talks how the budget for the HR Fire Dept. changed and we don't have that to pay for another person now.
I don't see how we can afford to hire anyone else now. We are still unsure how we are paying for all the new toys either. And if the FC threatens to leave, well let him. We need a paramedic more than we do a Chief. Perhaps we can find someone less personally ambitious.
"As is evident from previous pages of this blog, it is much easier criticize and attack than to promote a solution and defend it."
As is evident from the previous pages, it doesn't matter what is proposed, the CA does what he wants to do anyway.
I am amazed, shocked and outraged at the nerve of the CA to ask for a bonus if Nestle comes here. And I can't believe you are going to make a post about your computer breaking down when our whole town is facing the same thing.
The good thing about City Administrators in Cascade Locks is that most often, they dont last long. We have had some very good ones, as well as some real stinkers.If Mr Seeger has such a high opinion of his services and the council feels otherwise, then by all means, he is free to start sending his resume out. This is no time to be giving out raises and certainly not the time to reward someone who tends to make such negative comments about CL in the media. Cases in point: "Everyone Loves Stevenson, Nobody wants to live in Cascade Locks" "The Casino will have the same carbon footprint as the Skamania Lodge" "The City of Hood River might be available to police Cascade Locks" " Who ever buys the old firehall will be wealthy" "The appraisal was crappy" and the latest "Nestle is recognized the world over as a great company" And your going to give him a raise Mr. Mayor?
At the present rate, left unchecked, these folks will back off on the fight with the state to close the east interchange so they can get the Casino. Downtown will dry up, properties along Forest Lane will be bought up so the Tribes can expand the road like the state wants to, and Bernie and Jeff can take all the credit. Oh and the Mayor can finally get the gallery the Tribe promised. Wake up folks, its all about the casino.
The fire hall, the interchange, the water and sewer, Forest Lane, everything. Never forget to FOLLOW THE MONEY!! Who wins? Not the town, not the school, not the churches, PTO, Lions or business people downtown. FOLLOW THE MONEY!! The State and the Tribe win and the rest of us pay the tab.You ask for solutions, here you go. Demand open Government from the City Administrator, The Port, the Fire Chief, the Mayor and Council, the Planning Commission and the Planner. If they have a problem having an open and honest exchange of information then its time to vote in and/or hire those that can do just that.
I hope to God I am wrong but I am affraid that in five years, all of this will come to pass.
Given past posts and recent bulletins posted in an attempt to recruit a volunteer Fire Chief, I can only see the meeting on the 18th as a free-for-all attack on current issues but mostly the Fire Chief. If one is to believe current rhetoric, we don't need anything other than a broken down ambulance, a fire engine and a volunteer FC (without the expertise to address all incidents) because we don't need to respond outside our community. So if you crash your car on the way home at the dam - don't call us, we'll send someone that will make you wait another 10 to 20 minutes. Oh! Plus we'll let you deal with the government (that's the big boys) in rescinding our contract for mutual aide. In part, that was created on the premise that people actually wanted to help people. And remember, if somebody stumbles across a portable meth lab, we'll have to call in someone else because those kinds of things don't happen here - yeah right. A volunteer FC will be looking to get paid shortly because of all the training he has to take to maintain that position and to TRAIN the volunteers. That being said, I believe that (according to the mutual aide contract) we are obligated to maintain the current level of service, as that in part, is what the grants were based on.
For the future of our town, I believe that the school is a more important issue at this time because if we can't offer quality education to all grades, where are we? We instantly become a bedroom community to those that can. That being said, we might as well dissolve Cascade Locks and meld into Hood River. Considering their budget cuts, we would be left with less than we have right now.
I foresee many people opting for horrendous cuts to our ES but at what cost? If these same people are on board with saving our school and ushering it into a new area, how are they going to justify not having the safety personnel to serve those families? It's definitely a catch-22.
Susan F.
http://www.illinois-valley-news.com/archive/2009/06/10/story-toler_biomass.html
MAYBE WE ARE GOING TO LOSE BEAR MONTAIN
“Broken down ambulance”: a 2002 ambulance with 40,000 miles, as well as a back up ambulance,
“A fire truck”: 2009 4 door “big pumper” 2 backup trucks, brush truck, command vehicle.
“horrendous cuts to our ES”: anything less than the incredible increases Jeff and Bernard are demanding.
“rhetoric”: anything not written by Susan F.
Portable Meth Lab: The EXPENSIVE difference between the responsibilities emergency services and a fire department.
Volunteer Fire Chief: The guy that is able to operate 3 fire stations, recruit volunteers and cover over 5,000 structures in Corbett, OR with only a ½ time secretary.
need to respond outside our community: An idea not shared by, Hood River, Troutdale, Wood Village, Dodson, Warrendale, ect, ect
I see both as important issues but I think that the Charter Starters are in a beginning stage while the issue over EMS services has divided the town. I believe people have a right to express their opinion as to how government is being run and if that includes "critiques" of the people in charge of those functions, that is part of their right. I don't see why, when people want to ask questions or state their P.O.V. that it's automatically seen as an attack.
Andy
Lance- my condolences on your computer, the same thing happened to me earlier this spring but my tears dried quickly when I realized I could get a new one at a much (much) lower price than I paid eight years ago!
So, how do you know the tooth brush was invented in Cascade Locks?
'cause if it had been invented anywhere else, it would have been called a teeth brush...
Hey, ya ever been to tooth park?
I couldn't be at the Town Hall Mtg. Could someone post a synopsis?
Thanks
Fred B
Solutions,
Follow the advice in the $6,000 study and work with other fire agencies in the are for fire chief duties.
Request proposals from ambulance companies in the area to determine if contracting this service out would be a reasonable approach. It seems to be working okay with the Sternwheeler, and according to the FC there is lots of potential revenue available.
Return to an all volunteer fire dept. This hybrid approach isn't working for anyone, the volunteers, the citizens, or the city.
"That wouldn't be fair to the FC, he's worked so hard".
I don't dispute that he's worked hard and long hours but according to him and the CA, the current situation isn't fair to him either. Unfortunatley, what is in the best interest of the many, may not be in the immediate best interest of the FC.
I think that most of the town is able to see our fire dept for what it has all ways been intended to be. Local citizens helping each other out in a time of need. Local citizens willing to help others outside of our community, as we are able, when they are in need as well, but not to the point where we are being made morally and financially responsible for areas outside the city limits. We just don't have the financial or volunteer resources available.
Neither has it been the intent of our citizens(in my opinion)to become an "emergency services center", We do not have the population to fund haz amt spill teams or meth lab response crews.
It's not reasonable to expect a community of 1000 to bankrupt itself attempting to provide the services of a 100,000 population FD
I would like to challenge you all too. If we are able to get the charter school program up and running, how many of you are willing support the city taking on the type of financial liabilities, in the pursuit of educating our children, as we have in having a dry place to park our emergency equipment?
What will our "Level of Service" be to our kids?
Will we have ANY resources available?
Way to go, Lance. I would have thought that the template from) Nestle contract would have been more important and required more discussion about the (no member) cemetery committee. But obviously, I must be wrong judging by the time spent on each item.
And thank-you Bobby Walker, someone finally showed some ethical conduct. Mayor Galley obvious cannot connect the dots from the approval of the water contract to the building of the water plant.
Some interesting facts about other area Fire Departments:
http://www.parkdalefire.com/apparatus.html
I guess their "old" equipment isn't a danger to their firefighters,their broken down ambulances never get used and their is no chance of an earthquake( at the base of a dormant volcano ) because they are able to operate without a 2M dollar building.
If you were interested in facts and comparisons, you could check the Westside, Odell and Corbett pages as well. I guess CL is a lot wealthier community than than our neighbors. I got the impression that these departments are actually focused on recruiting volunteers, instead of squeezing the last nickel from those they serve.
Wow, a student fire fighter program, what a novel idea.
Interesting to note that these are fire districts as well, they have a far larger tax base to rely on, but still can't hold a candle to excess.
Maybe we need to let these departments know about the dynamo we have working for us, oh I forgot, they had him and got rid of him. I wonder why.
quack, quack
http://www.quackwatch.org/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/Naturopathy/naturopathy.html
Want a giggle? Read the minutes from the planning commission meeting of 11 June 2009. "There was an interruption from the audience."
Brad Lorang forgot he was attending as a citizen and stood up and began to berate Sandra Kelly. Todd sure put him down fast with the gavel. Why don't the Lorang's shut up and stay out of the process?
I'm sure our local naturo-pathetic will soon tenaciously defend the honor of our esteemed leader.
Quack defending Quack
Actually, the mayor had been at home watching the proceedings and enjoying an adult beverage when he was inspired to "come on down". He was setting behind SK and said in a loud voice "Sandra, why don't you just shut your yap!" When he spoke at the podium he introduced himself as the mayor but his buddy Morgan asked him (ahem!) if he was speaking as Mayor or as a private citizen. He wisely decided to go on record as a citizen.
And behaved just like one, too.
"And behaved just like one, too."
Great point, his behavior seems to suit just what he should be, a private citizen. Hopefully he will be one soon.
Children, why is it not ok for Brad to speak out of turn or jeer from the audience? What's with the double standard? Sandra and Guyda are champions of that war cry, if your going to attack Brad the mayor or a private citizen maybe you should request the same for everyone.
Could be because they didn't campaign on the promise of bringing order and civility to city government.
Could also be because we set a higher standard for those wielding public authority.
Could be because he is expected to provide an example of the the type of behavior that is proper in city meetings.
Authority and responsibility go hand in hand. Mayor xxxx has earned the majority of the criticism that he has received.
I would think that both you and Mayor xxxx are bright enough to know all of this. I do wonder why he refuses to act accordingly.
Thank you for these words of wisdom and personal ethics.
Thanks for the great question, glad I could help.
Anyone else notice that sometime after the April minutes the city council minutes became a pdf file and impossible for anyone to send part of, or copy any of? Just another way to mess with our access to information. Well done City Hall, just another. petty way to mess with us.
Seriously? keep crying! your pathetic whimpers are not impressing anyone. How about saving the trees, saving the taxpayers money. The less paper copies made the less I have to pay. Who cares if you cant copy the damn minutes, the fact that you are able to read them should be good enough. They are accessible at city hall and now can be emailed to you. Quit your wining and complain about something that has real substance and need for our community! By the way, if you had an education and could read, one could probably download the most current version of Adobe Reader, but I guess that is to much to ask for people in this community, since you feel that PDF copies are too hard for people to read.
Ya, and while your at it, quit talking about the special land deal for the fire hall with XXXX X, Nobody cares about the type of xxxx. And quit talking about the eighth vote on the 2nd paramedic too, it makes it appear as though the Mayor and the CA might have an agenda that is different than the rest of the council(town).
As a matter of fact , you should all just shut up and recognize that we are doing this to you for your own damn good.
Thank you sir, may I have another?
MiGawd, what are you two doing on the GOOOD blog, why aren't you over on the BAAAAD blog. Or are you doing that old passive-aggressive thing?
For the record, badly proofed (Oak Springs Hatchery?) minutes should not be scanned into Adobe, the Word file will save directly, although maybe Surly Sue (is she channeling Sarah?) doesn't know that. I can download the latest programs with no hu-hu, but shoving the page in, distorting the words cannot make it any more legible to old eyeballs.
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