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Wednesday, October 9, 2019
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Ethics Commission investigating closed session council meeting
Christine Menges/The Chronicle
The St. Helens City Council at its most recent work session, on Wednesday, Oct. 2. The council is facing an investigation regarding an executive session meeting it held in May that may have violated executive session provisions. CHRISTINE MENGES chronicle2@countrymedia.net
Julie Thompson/The Chronicle
City officials estimated somewhere between 5,000 to 10,000 people visited St. Helens this year for The Big Halloween Parade that has traditionally served as the kick-off for the month-long “Spirit of Halloweentown” celebration. Pictured here is a view of the crowd along Columbia Blvd. from the back of the “FEAR: Tell Us Your Story” float.
What you should know about Domestic Violence Awareness Month locally
Courtesy photo
Pictured are members of the SAFE board and county commissioners: From left, Janelle Adams, Commissioner Alex Tardif, Michelle Wilson, Stevie Strawn, Ellyn Bell, Commissioner Margaret Magruder, and Commissioner Henry Heimuller. JULIE THOMPSON chronicle1@countrymedia.net
On Oct. 2, the Columbia County Board of Commissioners, alongside SAFE of Columbia County’s Executive Director, Ellyn Bell, proclaimed October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month – and there are several plans in place to increase education and awareness around the subject. Domestic Violence Awareness Month began as The Day of Unity in 1981, and focused on connecting advocates working to end do-
Vol. 137, No. 41
mestic violence across the country. By 1987, the day had grown into an entire month devoted to mourning those who have died due to domestic violence and celebrating those who have survived while connecting those in the work to end the violence. Throughout the month, SAFE will be participating in activities devoted to the cause, and first up is a Domestic Violence Vigil to be held at 5:15 p.m. on Oct. 9 on the Columbia County Courthouse steps. Bell said the vigil will last about 15 minutes and is simply a way to honor the memory of those who’ve lost their lives and the courage of the survivors of domestic violence. “We want to not only enhance the awareness of people in the community, but to encourage people to volunteer in the community,” Bell said. “We need to do a strong push for new volunteer advocates.” Volunteers do go through a 40-hour training and background check, but Bell said it’s a good opportunity for college students or those interested in social services, as long as they’re over 18 years old. Volunteers answer phones for the SAFE hotline and can work from home as their answering service directs calls to volunteers wherever
they are and to whatever phone number they choose. Bell said childcare volunteers are also needed for support groups, as well as for various projects, like the Tap Into Wine event scheduled for the end of October. From 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 23, SAFE will host a volunteer appreciation event at Tap Into Wine, located at 313 Strand Street in St. Helens. While there, attendees can learn all about what it takes to be a volunteer and meet current volunteers who are already involved in the work. There is also a Domestic Violence Awareness booth which has been set up upstairs in the County Courthouse, where people can find further education, take a pledge to help end domestic violence, gather resources, and share their stories of hope. Brown Butter Bakery is also supporting the cause this month with purple frosted cupcakes and treats. Community members can stop by the bakery to grab a treat and a purple ribbon to show their support. “We wear purple because, in the United States military, the purple
See AWARENESS Page A6
The Oregon Government Ethics Commission is launching an investigation into whether or not St. Helens City Council violated Oregon Public Meetings law when it held an executive session meeting on May 21 in Portland that covered topics which may have been outside statutory provisions, according to the commission’s preliminary review report released Thursday, Oct. 3. Previously, the Ethics Commission began a preliminary review regarding a complaint Councilor Stephen Topaz filed on Aug. 23 of this year. The complaint brings up two points: that the meeting was held outside city limits – a “no-no” per Oregon Public Meetings law 192.630, section 4 – and that the discussion fell outside the realm of acceptable legal purposes for an executive session, stated as ORS 192.660 (2)(e) Real Property Transactions and ORS 192.660(2) (h) Consult with Counsel/Potential Litigation. However, City Administrator John Walsh noted during the council’s Oct. 2 work session that a discussion city staff had with an ethics committee representative revealed that if the city had held the meeting as a workshop, no violations would have occurred. “I don’t think it’s a negative thing,” Walsh said about the conclusions of the report. “I think it’s a positive thing. It’s kind of a learning opportunity for all of us.” In any case, the ethics commission has decided to open an investigation regarding two possible public meetings law violations from the conclusion of their preliminary review. The meeting and possible violations The May 21 closed session meeting took place at the office of environmental engineering and consulting firm Maul Foster Alongi, in Portland. In his complaint, Topaz mentions the meeting covered “efforts to repurpose the St. Helens secondary wastewater lagoon for use as a solid waste landfill” and that the closed session “had nothing to do with real estate transactions.” Topaz also claimed the council violated public meetings law when it held the executive session outside of the geographical boundaries of St. Helens. However, the Ethics Commission stated in its report that it has not determined the location of the meeting to be a potential violation. “The statute addressing meeting locations is not part of the executive session provisions of Oregon Public Meetings law and is not within the jurisdiction of the Commission,” the report states. Agenda and PowerPoint topics from the meeting are also listed in the report. The agenda lists a project update, financial projec-
tions and governance models. PowerPoint slides show the meeting covered subjects like “Fill Capacity, Disposal Demand,” “Net Present Value,” and “Safety and Environmental Benefit” among other topics. None of the topics mention the purchase of property or current or pending litigation. The commission will determine in their investigation whether the meeting’s topics were abiding by those statutory provisions, or if matters discussed were not relevant. The investigation and potential penalties For the remaining two violations – whether or not the council veered outside the territory of Real Property Transactions and Potential Litigation, the Ethics Commission report definitively concludes the matters warrant further investigation. Regarding Real Property Transactions, the commission states: “The City Council was not actually conducting deliberations with someone designated to negotiate a real property transaction for the City, as required by ORS 192.660(2)(e).” The report continues: “Instead, the purpose of the meeting appears to have been an informational workshop to educate the Councilors on various aspects of the possible project, such as a public relations campaign or governance models,” the report states. Regarding Potential Litigation, the report from the commission also states the meeting does not abide by the provision: “It does not appear that there is any current or pending litigation involving this property or the proposed project,” the report states. The report goes on to say that while an attorney was present, the commission will need to further investigate whether the attorney was representing the city, Maul Foster Alongi, or both, as well as whether the attorney was giving legal counsel in regard to any current or pending litigation. According to the Oregon Government Ethics Commission, it will take 180 days, or six months to complete the investigation. At the end of that period the commission will write another report that will then be reviewed, which will either dismiss the matter or make a preliminary finding of violation. If a violation is found, the general penalty is $1,000 per violation, although according to the Commission, cases usually settle for less than the maximum penalty allowed. For first violations, the governing body might receive a letter of education to better inform them on what they can and cannot do in executive session, although that depends on what is discovered during the investigation. During the investigation, the commission will obtain appropri-
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Thursday Oct. 10 & Friday Oct. 11.
Truckload Meat Sale
centerplacemarket.com/sthelens.html • 1111 Columbia Blvd, St Helens, OR 97051 • 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.