Ontario council to ponder annexation proposal Monday
By Katie Pizza
Argus Observer
Sunday, August 3, 2008 12:11 AM PDT
Ontario — The Ontario City Council is slated to hold the final reading of a proposed annexation of 16.8 acres, situated at Northwest Eighth Avenue and Verde Drive at Monday night’s regular meeting.
The annexation was a topic of discussion at the council’s last meeting July 21. One point of conversation was whether or not the property’s annexation had been approved by the county road district.
City attorney Larry Sullivan pointed out lack of approval could pose a problem, leaving the property owner, Ralph Poole, paying double taxes on the property. At the last council meeting, Poole said he did not have an issue with that potential outcome, as long as the project could move forward.
“They have assured me they will get together with the rural road district and get us taken off the tax roll when the time is right and that has been done,” Poole said Friday.
Council members voted at their last meeting to approve the first reading of the annexation proposal, in order to keep the ball rolling.
The council will also decide whether or not to approve an irrigation waterline slated to run from an existing well to residences across a city-owned alleyway, situated in the middle of a block bordered by Southeast Fifth and Sixth streets and Southeast Seventh Avenue.
“She’s just requesting a permit,” Cummings said at Thursday’s City Council work session of the owner Cindy Graversen.
Cummings said the change would not affect the city, but it still had to be voted on because the alleyway dividing the block is city property.
In other work session news:
City Council member Ron Verini spoke about a proposed veteran’s memorial, the location of which is still in the discussion stages. After the meeting, Verini highlighted eight possible locations for the project, including a spot near the I-84 entrance to the city, to a space in front of the Four Rivers Cultural Center and another in a downtown park.
Verini also provided documents that asserted a majority of the funding for the project, up to 80 percent, could come from a state war memorial matching grant program through the parks and recreation department.
Verini said he would offer the council more information on the potential project as discussions progressed.
