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TUESDAY, MARCH 5, 2024

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City of Coos Bay forms new Livability Committee solutions,” she said. City officials said they envisioned the committee The seats inside Coos Bay being comprised of council City Hall council chambers members, tribal, county and law filled up with citizens interested enforcement representatives, in contributing to the first service providers, a member of meeting of the city’s Livability a local neighborhood watch, a Committee on Thursday, Feb. 22. local business owner, as well as Coos Bay City Councilors community members at-large. Stephanie Kilmer, Drew Farmer Rutherford said they want the and Sara Stephens headed up committee to focus on solutions the committee meeting. They that city staff have the ability were joined by other city leaders to implement. Initial topics and officials, including law that could be addressed include enforcement. crime, litter and garbage issues, Interested citizens also had the vacant structures and structures opportunity to fill out a form and that need rehabilitation, as apply to be part of the committee. well as building asset-based Councilor Kilmer said the neighborhood watch groups. livability meeting was being The Livability Committee formed as a way to address would work within the set some of the repeating negative guidelines around how community issues being reported communities and cities can by local citizens. address homelessness, and find City Manager Nicole collaborative efforts between Rutherford wanted to use the first mental health providers to meeting to establish future topics address disruptive behaviors in and committee priorities. the community. “We are really good about “The last thing is, whatever discovering what we don’t like you want to bring to this group – but what we hope with in this space is to come up with some Please see COMMITTEE Page 4 BY BREE LAUGHLIN The World

FTLAC Report Reveals Concerning briefed on Habitat Conditions of SCESD Facility Conservation

A report on the indoor air quality of the South Coast Educational Service District (SCESD) facility at 1350 Teakwood Ave in Coos Bay revealed concerning details regarding the safety of the building. The building in question provides early intervention and special education services to the community. The administration brought in Alpha Environmental Services to conduct the evaluation after multiple symptoms were reported by staff starting in the fall of 2023. These symptoms all indicated poor air quality, as staff reported experiencing headaches, nausea, scratchy throats, irritated tongues, and difficulties breathing. The children are special needs and many of them are also considered medically vulnerable. Alpha notes that it is fair to assume that students are experiencing the same symptoms but are unable to properly express discomfort given their ages and specific needs. In the report, Alpha detailed specific areas and outlined the likely causes of the issue, one of which was a large rodent problem in the facility. “Each of the five testing devices recorded elevated levels with all areas peaking over machine maximum detection levels… Based on site observation of rat feces throughout the main level drop ceiling, this is at least one major contributing factor to these levels. Alpha recommends, at a minimum, evaluating and removing rat feces to the extent possible with environmental conscience methods,” states the Alpha Air Quality Report. The levels of carbon dioxide, particulates, and volatile organic compounds (VOC) in the air is concerning, especially for a facility that in part caters to medically vulnerable children. Alpha’s recommended action to abate the issue includes the immediate removal of rat feces, and an evaluation of the HVAC system and materials in the back offices. Reports state that the administration has been aware of the rat problem since October of last year. According to the Alpha report it is an ‘extreme’ issue, described as an ‘infestation’. “There are so many rats that their feces drop down from the ceiling and land on surfaces used by the staff and students. The ceilings in many rooms have visible marks from the rat activity above, staff can hear the rats moving through walls and above the

ceiling and staff have heard the snap of rats being trapped and the yips and flopping of the dying animals,” stated the Alpha report. Upon visiting the Teakwood facility and speaking with SCESD Superintendent Paul Peterson further details were revealed. Peterson insisted that the facility has been on top of the issue and has done everything they can to work with contractors to abate the problem. According to a timeline given by Peterson, they began taking anti-vermin measures in October when the issue was first documented. Company correspondence was sent to staff on October 26th to instruct them to remove any food and drink from the premises. On January 3rd, an email was sent to staff

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by Peterson detailing that their efforts had been effective. According to the email there had been no evidence of rats, in traps or otherwise, since December 6th. Peterson and one other employee confirmed that it had been over 50 days since any evidence of rats during our in person visit on February 22, 2024. In walking through the building, it was hardly the shocking scene described in the report, though the administration was quick to point out the flaws with the building. Constructed in the 1940’s and restored after a fire in 2012, the building has many newer walls with gaps between them and the building’s original structure. Please see FACILITY Page 4

Plan process

BY WILL CHAPPELL Country Media Inc.

The Forest Trust Lands Advisory Committee met on February 23, to discuss their testimony at an upcoming board of forestry meeting and hear a presentation about the development of the habitat conservation plan for western Oregon state forests. Oregon Department of Forestry staff detailed the reasons for pursuing the new conservation plan, which they say will give more certainty to the department’s harvest sales and reduce the risk of lawsuits. The meeting began with State Forester Cal Mukumoto briefly addressing the assembled committee members. Mukumoto told them that he was in the final stages of developing his recommendation on approval of the habitat conservation plan (HCP), which he plans to share next week ahead of the board of forestry’s meeting on March 6 and 7. Mukumoto said that during three recent listening sessions he had held with the public to gather feedback on the HCP, responses divided generally into two groups: conservationists in support of the HCP and those who depended on timber revenues and opposed it. Coos County Commissioner John Sweet said that he felt conservationists’ pleasure with the proposed plan signaled that it was not a good compromise and that it should be revised with more consideration given to economic impacts. Mukumoto did not give any indication as to what he was planning to recommend but said that he would share a copy of his recommendation with county commissioners when it is complete. Following the opening remarks, State Forest Division Chief Mike Wilson Please see FTLAC Page 4

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