Dike project approved for wastewater treatmentWarrenton – Sparked by comments from Rep. Debbie Boone, who represents Warrenton in the Oregon Legislature, the City Commission agreed Wednesday night to formally oppose ballot Measure 34, the 50-50 forest plan.

The cities of Astoria and Seaside already have joined Clatsop County in formally opposing the measure.

Boone said it’s important to get word to voters in the heavily populated Willamette Valley area that the ballot measure, which would set aside half of the Clatsop and Tillamook state forests for conservation and recreation, would have a devastating effect on the local taxing districts that depend on timber revenues. She said voters in the Valley now seem to be evenly split on the issue.

In other action Wednesday, the commission approved a construction management services contract with HLB Engineering for a dike construction project associated with the city’s new wastewater treatment plant. The dike is part of the sewer outfall project that will allow Pacific Coast Seafoods to discharge wastewater into the Columbia River rather than the Skipanon River.

John Forrester, a senior engineer and technician with HLB, answered questions about the contract that had been raised at the Sept. 1 meeting, focusing mainly on daily supervision of the project versus weekly supervision, and how much of it could be handled by city staff rather than more highly paid HLB staff.

“We feel the project could have some twists and turns, so it’s important to have an (HLB) inspector on site,” Forrester explained. “Each load of rocks is an important part of the project.” Forrester also said close daily supervision by HLB could save legal problems down the road.

The commission agreed and voted 4-0 to approve the contract for an amount not to exceed $720,100. (Commissioner Gil Gramson was absent.) The commission voted unanimously to approve a contract with HLB to provide professional surveying services for the dike construction project, in an amount not to exceed $12,889.

The commission discussed a letter from homeowners in the Leinenweber Lake Estates and Delaura Beach Lane area. The homeowners are asking the commission to use $68,000, paid to the city by GCI Cable for an easement for a fiber optic cable at Sunset Beach, to fund improvements to the water line that serves their neighborhood.

GCI originally had agreed to make the improvements, but later decided the project was too expensive and backed out, Mayor Paul Rodriguez said. Rather than being earmarked for water improvements, the $68,000 went into the city’s general fund. That bothered Commissioner Dick Hellberg. He called the CGI money a windfall and said the Commission had wanted to use it for infrastructure, but instead allowed it to “disappear.”

“This is like a lot of things this commission does – it’s brought up, discussed, and then it dies,” he said. “Money tends to disappear in this black hole called the general fund.”

Commissioner Jeff Hazen, who previously served as Warrenton’s mayor, disagreed. “My years on the commission have given me an appreciation for what the general fund is,” Hazen said. “It’s mainly for police and fire, which gobble way more than what we take in in property taxes.”

“We’ll put this money back on the radar screen,” said Rodriguez, “and consider it at a later date.”

In other business Wednesday:

The commission extended a contract with Free Willy Bait and Tackle, which is negotiating a new lease for property at the Hammond Marina, until Oct. 22.

Postponed consideration of a Marlin Avenue easement agreement for utilities and maintenance of a new road constructed there by the state in front of Dairy Queen because supporting documents had not been received.

Learned from Warrenton Planning Director Patrick Wingard that the city had won a state grant for $36,000 to be used to improve the waterfront park at the end of Third Street.