By JOY KINGSBURY/for The Herald — Westfir will update their hazard Mitigation Plan Template and identify hazards.
Mayor and Council members held a town hall meeting at Casey’s RV park’s recreation room on November 15th which was well attended. Jim “Gunny” McKee, Westfir volunteer Fire Chief, gave the attendees a breakdown of plans for the Westfir Fire Department. Council recapped that meeting.
Plans for a boat ramp at Confluence Park received a letter of support from the Lane County Watershed Council. Plans for that are continuing.
Westfir is continuing to control speed limits through Westfir/Oakridge Rd. There is a stretch of straightaway where cars just speed up almost unintentionally. The City engineer will go through the process to apply for lower speed limits. The City will update their code violations procedures.
Code compliance is a concern. There was discussion about levying fines. Also, how to handle property owners that have sub-standard housing, portable toilets, as well as vicious and barking dogs.
Oregon State University sent a letter to the city stating that they will do a burn area stream assessment at Westfir. Three water monitoring stations to determine the effects of wildfires in the Northwest on the watersheds. The U.S. Forest Service will clean up fire damaged areas and cut trees that are near roads.
City Clerk/Recorder Nicole Tritten, attended a workshop given by the League of Oregon Cities which was very informative for her. As a result, the City will form two advisory committees. The two committees will address the vision for Westfir’s future. The second one will consult on events and routine matters. The advisory committees will report to Nicole, who will then take the information to City Council.
Citizen volunteers will gather on January 6th at 11 am to take down the decorations on the covered bridge and at the portal.
The next Council meeting will take placew on January 9th at 5pm at the Westfir City Hall. All general meetings are open to the public. A hybrid option is available with instructions on the City’s website. A sign-up sheet is available for those wishing to comment at Council meetings.
George Custer lives in Oakridge with his wife Sayre. George is a former smokejumper from his hometown of Cave Junction, a former captain in the U.S. Marine Corps. and ran a construction company in Southern California. George assumed the volunteer duties as the Editor of the Highway 58 Herald in 2022. He loves riding his Harley-Davidson motorcycle, building all things wood, and playing drums on the weekends in his office.
📣 Support Your Local News Publication: Donate to Highway 58 Herald! 📣
The Highway 58 Herald is your trusted source for all things local, from community events to breaking news. But we need your help to keep delivering the stories that matter most to you. Your generous donation ensures we can continue providing in-depth reporting and vibrant coverage of our community.
Every dollar helps us maintain high-quality journalism and keep you informed. Please consider making a donation today and support the voice of our community. Donate today!
Thank you for helping us keep Highway 58 Herald strong and vibrant!
OFFICE SERVICES AVAILABLE: Copying, Scanning, Emailing & Faxing Services are now available at The Herald’s office in Oakridge.
