Salmon Creek Neighborhood Association September 2007 Minutes

As part of our ongoing coverage of the activities that shape your Salmon Creek neighborhood, the following are the formal minutes from the North Salmon Creek Neighborhood Association General Meeting, held on September 25, 2007.

12/6/07

To: North Salmon Creek Neighborhood Association Members

From: Larry Gentry, NSCNA Secretary

General Meeting Minutes – September 25, 2007

The September ’07 General Meeting, held at the Three Creeks Library, began at 7pm with cookies and donated Starbucks coffee and hot chocolate. After the Pledge of Allegiance President Dan Bodell welcomed all and made a few announcements, as follows:

• The next general meeting will be held at the Three Creeks Library on November 27 and will include election of NSCNA officers for the next year.  Our main speaker will be Clark County Commissioner Betty Sue Morris. She will discuss plans and progress for the proposed Three Creeks Urban Planning Area which would include Salmon Creek, Felida and Hazel Dell.  Commissioner Morris will discuss Annexation vs. Incorporation and the impact of each option on our NSCNA area.  More information will be forthcoming later.

• The NSCNA annual Halloween decoration contest will be held in October with prizes (and bragging rights) awarded to the best home decorations. The rules for entering yourself or a neighbor are outlined in this month’s NSCNA Newsletter. If you need a copy contact one of the officers listed below or pick up a copy in the Three Creeks Library lobby. Winners will be announced at the November NSCNA meeting on Tuesday November 27.

Our evening speakers were as follows:

1. C-TRAN Route Revisions.    Jim Quintana, Manager – C-Tran Public Affairs, outlined the upcoming changes in C-TRAN routes and schedules partially due to closure of the downtown Vancouver Transit Center and partially due to optimizing ridership and revenues. The new 99th Street Transit Center and Hazel Dell Park and Ride will be opening in Mid-November and will be located between Hazel Dell Ave and I-5 at 99th street. Attached are new schedules for the buses that will service Salmon Creek, Felida and Hazel Dell. More complete routes and schedules can be found in the Three Creeks Library lobby.  Jim Quintana said he would welcome questions and requests for information on other route changes.    Contact him by phone or e-mail –see attachment for contact info.

2. Fire District 6 – Planning for the Future. Chief Dave Taylor presented a history of Fire
District 6 including:

1954;  FD #6 was founded in 1954 as an all volunteer organization with one station in Hazel Dell and about 40 volunteer fire personnel.

1960;

1970; The Salmon Creek station was built

1980;  Paramedic service was added

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1995; Voters approved a tax levy of $1.50 per $1000 of Assessed Value to support the growing needs for fire safety in the Hazel Dell, Salmon Creek and Felida areas of Clark County. Over the intervening years, due to tax limitation initiatives, the amount of that initial levy has decreased to about $1.07.

2007; The FD #6 Commissioners passed a resolution placing a proposition on November’s ballot to restore part of that initial tax levy rate to $1.40 per $1,000 AV.

Chief Taylor described the present services and programs of FD#6 and future plans to improve personnel, facilities and apparatus capabilities to keep up with the growing needs of our community.  Since 1995 call volume has increased by 68% and much of the present apparatus inventory is past or approaching its replacement life. He made a compelling case for the ballot proposition to increase the tax levy to meet our community’s needs.  Part of the upgrading of facilities will be to replace our Salmon Creek station, which no longer accommodates the services and modern vehicles that must be housed in that facility. Future plans will also add a Staff/Rescue Vehicle at Salmon Creek.

Handout materials of future growth plans and tax levy proposition details for FD #6 can be found in the Three Creeks library lobby or by contacting FD #6 at their website www.ccfd6.org or by calling (360) 576-1195.

3. Cowlitz Casino Proponents.  Peter Shultz of the Mohegan tribe and Phil Haryi of the Cowlitz Tribal Council presented information on the plans and status of the proposed resort and casino to be located on the west side of I-5 near La Center. Statements both for and against the development were spirited. A Fact Sheet handed out by the speakers is attached.

The status at present is that Clark County has called the earlier Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) into question and decisions whether and how to proceed are to be made by the Federal Government in the next year.

Submitted by;

Larry Gentry, Secretary, NSCNA

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Please feel free to join your Salmon Creek neighbors at an upcoming meeting.