utility rate update | west nile virus info | mosquito home prevention | mosquito personal protection
philomath police vet retires | street maintenance | Philomath City Council:Getting Stronger/Flying Higher
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Philomath City Council:

Getting Stronger/Flying Higher

Dear Philomath Residents:

Hello again from City Hall. Since our last newsletter, our City Council has been working overtime. Many of you have been reading about our challenges in the local media. Despite all of the controversies created by growth issues, our City Council continues to grow with an increased understanding and respect for one another.

Frustrations have taken its toll in dealing with these growth related issues. All on our Council have exciting and new ideas for the success of Philomath. All are eager to bring these ideas to the public and make them a reality. However, our Council inherited a long list of “time sensitive” issues that must be resolved first. From siting the new Police Facility and Community Center to the Couplet, these controversial issues have demanded a bulk of the Council’s time.

I ask all Philomath residents to exercise patience with your new Council. A majority of the inherited growth issues have been, or will be, resolved this month. Then it will be our turn to start the public process of positive change for our City.  All Councilors are busy preparing for this exciting time. From economic development and creating family wage jobs (Councilor Eric Karbowski), to historic preservation of our past (Councilor Scott Ramsey), it has been profoundly refreshing watching the enthusiasm of your elected officials.

I would like to personally invite all of our citizens to visit the City of Philomath’s website at www.ci.philomath.or.us/ .  Here you will find a lot of great information at your fingertips.  All City Council agenda/meeting minutes, public-meeting schedules, city services and information on how to contact your elected officials are posted on the Philomath web page. It is a great way to get up to the minute information regarding your City government.

I personally invite all Philomath citizens to visit City Hall anytime to learn more about your municipal government. Our City Council and Staff appreciate feedback from you, the voters. We are here to serve you!

---Mayor Chris Nusbaum

CITY FOCUSES ON STREET MAINTENANCE

Starting this year, the City will begin a focused effort to preserve the existing paved city street system through pavement overlay projects.  Under normal conditions, a street can be expected to last for approximately 20 years before an overlay is necessary.  If appropriate maintenance is not provided after this time, and the street base rock is compromised by water leaking through the pavement surface, the street begins to fail and it can cost four to five times more to rebuild the street. 

Timely maintenance is simply a good investment to protect the public investment that citizens have made in our street system over the years.

The total bid cost for this year’s work is $211,600.

Funding sources for future projects will come from grants, System Development Charges (SDC’s) from new developments and a proposed street maintenance fee that the City Council will be considering for possible adoption later this summer.

Selection of future street overlays will be based on availability of funds, condition of the street and a desire to spread the projects around the City so that all neighborhoods share in the benefits of this program.

The Mayor and Council look forward to the start of this new initiative to create a safe and efficient street system that will benefit all of our residents.

utility rate update | west nile virus info | mosquito home prevention | mosquito personal protection
philomath police vet retires | street maintenance | Philomath City Council:Getting Stronger/Flying Higher
WATERSHEDS, WETLANDS, AND WINERIES | top

PHILOMATH POLICE VET RETIRES

Senior Police Officer D.J. Freeman retired last month, after 23 years with the Philomath Police Department.  He was honored at a small gathering attended by friends, family, co-workers and Philomath City officials

Dari Jon “D.J.” Freeman was born in 1947 in Eugene.  After graduating high school, he served in the Navy and worked with optics before returning to attend Lane Community College.  He graduated in 1972 with an Associate Degree in Criminal Justice.

For several years after graduation he worked in various jobs in the oil fields in Texas.  He returned to Oregon and began a law enforcement career in 1975 in Oakridge.

“Oakridge was a small logging community and it had five taverns at that time.  The people worked hard and they played hard,” said Freeman.  “It got pretty wild at times.  It was a great place to start my police career.”

Freeman left the Oakridge PD four years later to join the Philomath Police Department under Police Chief Richard Raleigh.  Little more than a year later though, he quit the force to work for a company in Wyoming, drilling natural gas wells.  He missed Oregon however and returned after only a few months in Wyoming.  He worked in a motorcycle shop but returned to the Philomath Police Department in 1981.

The years have changed Philomath, he recalled.  Gravel streets have become paved. Two traffic lights exist where there were none and the lumber mills that surrounded the town when he first arrived are almost all gone, he said.

“It’s been a great place to work.  The community is filled with many great people and I’ll miss my daily contact with them,” he said.

WEST NILE VIRUS: Protection and Precautions

With the expected arrival of the West Nile virus in Oregon this summer, some recommended precautions can help protect you and your family. 

What is the West Nile Virus?

West Nile Virus is a flavivirus commonly found in Africa, West Asia and the Middle East.  It can cause encephalitis (inflammation of the brain.)  In 1999, it was found in the eastern United States and has since spread south and westward and is already in most states.  West Nile is transmitted by mosquitoes that acquire the virus from infected birds.  Migrating birds help spread the disease.  While humans and horses can be infected by the virus, they cannot spread the virus to humans or other animals.

Most people who are infected with the West Nile virus will not have any type of illness. It is estimated that 20% of the people who become infected will develop West Nile fever: mild symptoms, including fever, headache, and body aches, occasionally with a skin rash on the trunk of the body and swollen lymph glands.

The symptoms of severe infection (West Nile encephalitis or meningitis) include headache, high fever, neck stiffness, stupor, disorientation, coma, tremors, convulsions, muscle weakness, and paralysis. It is estimated that 1 in 150 persons infected with the West Nile virus will develop a more severe form of disease.

Protection from mosquitoes is the best way to protect yourself from the virus. 

THE FIRST LINE OF DEFENSE AGAINST MOSQUITO-BORNE DISEASES IS TO AVOID MOSQUITOS.

Home Prevention:

Eliminate potential mosquito breeding areas.  Since they must have standing water to breed, get rid of water where mosquitoes can lay their eggs.

Remove old tires, buckets, cans, drums, bottles or containers that hold water

Fill or drain any low spots in your yard

Cover trash containers

Inspect rain gutters and downspouts and remove leaves and other debris

Repair leaky faucets

Properly maintain and treat your pool. Cover when not in use and be sure the cover doesn’t hold pockets of water

Clean flat roofs and air conditioner drains frequently

Plant mosquito fish in water troughs and ornamental ponds

Install or repair window and door screens so that mosquitoes cannot get indoors.

Personal Protection:

Apply insect repellant sparingly to exposed skin.  The more DEET a repellent contains, the longer time it can protect you from mosquito bites.  Repellants may irritate the eyes and mouth so avoid applying repellents to the hands of children.  Be sure to read and follow the manufacturer’s Directions For Use, as printed on the product.

When possible, wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants when you are outdoors.

Place mosquito netting over infant carriers when you are outdoors with infants

Consider staying indoors at dawn, dusk and in the early evening, which are peak mosquito biting times. 

BE careful when handling dead birds and report any die-offs of the Corvid family (Crows, Magpies, Ravens, Jays) to the county health department.  For more information on the West Nile Virus, contact the health department or visit www.dhr.state.or.us on the web.

utility rate update | west nile virus info |
mosquito home prevention | mosquito personal protection
philomath police vet retires | street maintenance
Philomath City Council:Getting Stronger/Flying Higher
WATERSHEDS, WETLANDS, AND WINERIES | top

Utility Rate Update

Starting with the July utility bill, residential customers will notice an increase in both water and sanitary sewer rates amounting to about $2.00 per month for the typical homeowner.  With these adjustments, the City will be able to fund the new year’s operating budget as well as continue to provide the funds necessary to proceed with projects identified in the Capital Improvement Plan.

In its annual rate study analysis that includes comparisons with all other Linn and Benton County cities, Philomath continued to make progress in making system improvements while keeping utility rates competitive.  In 1996, of the 12 comparative cities, Philomath had the third highest combined water and sewer rates.  With these latest adjustments, Philomath’s combined rates rank 10^th highest out of the 12 comparative cities.

The city will continue to strive to provide reliable utilities for its customers in the most competitive and cost effective manner possible.

CITY COUNCIL MEETING TIMES:  The Philomath City Council meets on the 2^nd and 4^th Mondays of each month at 7 pm in council chambers at City Hall.

City Of Philomath

PO Box 400

utility rate update | west nile virus info | mosquito home prevention | mosquito personal protection
philomath police vet retires | street maintenance | Philomath City Council:Getting Stronger/Flying Higher
WATERSHEDS, WETLANDS, AND WINERIES | top