LID action delayed
Report to CJ Council to be amended
Despite a quite light agenda, tempers still flared during the regular meeting of the Cave Junction City Council Monday night, Oct. 22 city hall. Newly appointed councilor Don Moore was absent.
A long-anticipated engineer’s report concerning the Local Improvement District (LID) along Redwood Hwy. (Hwy. 199) in the north part of Cave Junction was scheduled for action. However, the report had arrived only shortly before the meeting, and Mayor Tony Paulson suggested discussion be delayed until the council had the opportunity to review the material. Council members agreed with the plan.
The LID is the plan that will pay the $2.5 million cost of the improvements necessary for the residential and commercial developments taking place in that area. Property owners will be assessed a fee based on one of four options available. For example, Z Coffee owner Steve Zabriskie will be assessed fees ranging from slightly more than $30,000 to a possible fee in excess of $50,000 depending on which plan is adopted.
Although Zabriskie’s land is not within the city limits and he therefore cannot vote on city issues, the council is allowed to assess the fees by approval of the Josephine County Board of Commissioners, according to Paulson.
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Also, according to the report, a tract of land owned by Illinois Valley Golf Association had been sold to Manor Communities Development LLC, a California corporation represented by Larry Osborn. This land had been exempted from any assessment through the LID, but Osborn said he wished to reverse that exemption. This reversal will require amending the engineer’s report. The council promised swift action on the amending process.
During the public comments period, Peggy Karp, of Kerby, began to address the council about her disapproval of statements made during the previous meeting by Councilman Lynne Atteberry. According to Karp the councilor had stated, “I need to go cool off before someone gets punched in the mouth” and Karp felt that these comments were inappropriate coming from a member of the city council. Before Karp could finish however, Atteberry interrupted her with another outburst saying, “I am not going to listen to this again.”
Karp was eventually allowed to continue, but only after Atteberry severely admonished her that she had three minutes to speak. Karp stated that she felt Atteberry’s attitude displayed “complete contempt for the democratic process” with her “outbursts and insults.”
Atteberry responded that she had only suggested the tone of the speaker from the last meeting had been inappropriate. She went on to say if Karp had a problem with it, “Maybe you have the problem.”
After the meeting, Paulson was approached by Cave Junction business owner Andrea Thomas, who suggested that the mayor address the issue. The mayor’s response was a quick refusal.
Thomas later said, “We elected these people to properly represent the city of Cave Junction. If one of them is failing to do so, it is exactly the kind of issue that needs to be addressed.”
A recommendation that the Oregon Liquor Control Commission approve an off-site liquor sales permit was approved 4-0 for Perfect Pizza Plus.
Atteberry expressed concern that underage persons might be allowed to purchase alcohol. But she was assured by a representative that all employees would be properly trained concerning the necessary identification checks.
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