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Candlelight Vigil for Sarah Zuber WILL LOHRE Country Media, Inc.
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candlelight vigil hosted by the Zuber family and the Justice For Sarah Zuber group was held at Ranier City Park at 6 p.m. Monday, March 13. More than 50 people were in attendance for the event. Though it had been a rainy day, the sun broke through the clouds, and a rainbow appeared as the group gathered for a statement from Sarah Zuber’s parents, Randy and Rebecca Zuber. “In difficult times, we have a tendency to revert into one’s own self. To pull away from our loved ones, our friends, family. To hide, to withdraw, to seek to be alone, often we don’t know who to turn to even though there are people all around us. Maybe it is trust, or oftentimes it is that we just don’t have the energy to seek someone out,” Rebecca Zuber said. “It has been four years today, and yet it was yesterday in the heart of those closest to her. When Sarah was killed, our family was shattered. Our family was shattered in slow motion; we didn’t even realize the depths of that brokenness until recently.” On March 13, 2019, Sarah Zuber’s body was found by her sister Katie Zuber, on the side of Neer City Road in Rainier, less than 400 feet from her home. After an investigation by a major crimes team, Oregon State Medical Examiner Rebecca Millius ruled that the death was accidental and caused by
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Crowd gathers beneath a rainbow at Rainier City Park for the candlelight vigil for Sarah Zuber.
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City reviewing options for public camping locations WILL LOHRE Country Media, Inc.
The St. Helens City Council and the city’s Planning Commission are discussing city laws and procedures regarding sleeping and camping on public property. Like many cities across Oregon, dealing with issues of homelessness is at the forefront of city government, as local officials seek to be in accordance with House Bill 3115. House Bill 3115 states: “Provides that local law regulating sitting, lying, sleeping or keeping warm and dry outdoors on public property that is open to public must be objectively reasonable as to time, place and manner with regards to persons experiencing homelessness.” The key points here are the “time, manner, and place” regula-
tions. People who will rest or camp on public property must be provided “objectively reasonable” guidelines that dictate when, where, and how they can reside. Conversations during a joint meeting of the City Council and Planning Commission revolved around a draft proposal of public policy that focuses on ensuring “the most humane treatment for the removal of homeless individuals from camping sites on public property.” Planning Commission Chair Steve Toschi said he wants the public to know that ordinance 195.530 allows for lawsuits against the city concerning differences of opinion on the issues of time, place, and manner of people sleeping in public places. In accordance with ORS 195.500 and ORS 195.505, the Planning Commission is recommending to the city the adoption of regulations that recognize the social nature of houselessness and
sleeping on public property. “The major issue is, that is, where we’re discussing what to do, is where would sleeping be allowed in the city, and how would it be allowed: time, place, and manner restrictions,” Toschi said. Toschi believes that studying the effect of camping and resting near residences and businesses will give a better understanding of where the city should allow people to rest publicly. The operative date of the statute is July 1, and so the Planning Commission is hoping to give the council their recommendation by April. St. Helens has a prohibition against all camping in public places. Camping is only allowed at Sand Island and at the city docks for a fee. As the city considers its option for providing camping in public places, Toschi said the issue is finding a location with the appropriate space and time restrictions. “I think it’s very important to
select the place because I think there will be a lot of unmeritorious lawsuits filed against cities. And once you allow one place, then people are just going to say they want all these other places. So I think it’s important that we choose the places carefully, and with the goal of protecting our citizens and our businesses,” Toschi said. “And then secondarily, finding a place that we can maximize, within our means, humanely and fairly helping people to the extent that we can.” According to Toschi, the law has put cities in a difficult position because cities are required to offer a safe location where people can rest, but the cities are also liable for the goings on at those locations. “The way the is written is if you disagree with any aspect of the time, place, and manner restrictions, you can file a lawsuit and seek attorney’s fees,” Toschi said. Toschi’s end goal for this issue is to put in place resolutions that
address and recognize the social nature of the problem. Approaching the regulations surrounding public rest and camping with a focus on humane solutions will “insulate” the city from lawsuits. Toschi also emphasized that the selection of locations where people can and cannot sleep must be well-founded so they can be defended in court as “reasonable.” Through analysis of other cases in Oregon, Toschi said the Planning Commission is creating a policy for the city council that will meet regulations while also sheltering the city from lawsuits. “Every city right now is trying to work on a solution on a very challenging problem, and the Planning Commission is working with the city closely to devise a legal solution that is going to be upheld by the court,” Toschi said. Follow this developing story at thechronicleonline.com.
School district seeking bond to secure state grant WILL LOHRE Country Media, Inc.
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he St. Helens School District hopes to secure a $4 million matching grant from the State of Oregon to help fund the construction at St. Helens High School. However, the district must pass a $4 million bond in the May 16 Special Election to secure the matching
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grant. Superintendent Scot Stockwell said the district is in a unique position because if voters approve the bond, the district will receive a 1:1 matching grant from the State of Oregon that will not increase taxes for voters. This is a result of the increasing population of St. Helens. “Due to the fact that we have been paying off our bonds (much like a loan) and our community has grown (more people/business to help pay), we have space to add a $ 4 million bond without increasing what is currently being paid,” Super Intendent for the St. Helens School District Scot Stockwell told the Chronicle. If the bond is not passed, the $4 million matching grant will be awarded to another school district that did pass their bond. St. Helens High School construction project
Construction on the project began last spring, but a number of factors have resulted in delays and adjustments to plans to stay within the parameters of the original budget. COVID work stoppages, inflation costs, labor shortages, and supply chain issues have contributed to delays and issues with the project. Some examples of what
have caused delays were provided by Stockwell. “What’s created delays is mainly due to supply chain and inflation issues. An example of inflation impact, we delayed construction of the science wing while lumber prices were at an all-time high. When lumber prices dropped, we made purchases and started construction,” Stockwell said. “In regards to supply chain issues, we tried to order a major electrical switch box 39 weeks ahead of time knowing there were potential delays. When we placed the order we were told it would now be 59 weeks.” What is important, Stockwell said, is that the high school project will be completed and be on budget. The original budget was based on a $55 million bond that voters approved in May 2021. Due to inflation and supply chain issues, components of the original design have needed to be augmented. “As part of the process, we go back to the plans and remove expensive items or replace high-cost items with lower cost. When you do this it is called ‘Value Engineering,’” Stockwell said. “We’ve had to value engineer the project to stay within the budget we have to spend.” If the $4 million bond is approved on the May ballot, and the
district secures the matching grant from the state, the $8 million would be used to add back some of the features that have been ‘value engineered’ out of the project. Where would the additional money go? The following items are some potential add-backs to the project the district would consider with an additional $8 million, according to Stockwell: • Updating HVAC throughout • Paving the Parking lots • Updating CTE Programs • Covered area outside the commons • Updating the Auditorium • Updating the locker rooms • Turfing the Baseball and Softball Fields One of the topics that people ask Stockwell most about is the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system. Updating the HVAC system in parts of the original school would be one of the critical priorities if the grant and bond are secured. “We do have HVAC in the school being both updated and replaced. In newly constructed areas, we will install new HVAC systems,
but in areas like the old Building B, where we have HVAC, and it is still working, only essential items to keep it running will be updated,” Stockwell said. “We know it is at the end of its life expectancy and needs a complete update, so if the bond is passed it is one of the top priorities.” While the additional money would help expand the additions to the school, Stockwell emphasized that the project will remain on budget with or without the additional $8 million. The most significant variable is what the renovations will include. Regardless, after the construction, St. Helens High School students will enjoy a brand-new facility. The question is how many of the ‘value engineered’ features will be included without further funding. “When it is all said and done, we will have a great new facility our community will be proud of for many years regardless of whether the bond passes or not,” Stockwell said. “As a School District, we would be remiss if we didn’t provide our community with an opportunity to choose to add back $8 million of construction that evaporated with inflation at essentially no additional cost.” Follow this developing story at thechronicleonline.com.