Aug. 15, 1974
Faced with skyrocketing food costs, the school board “gambled” by increasing the cost of adult meals by 10 cents and extra milk by two cents. The superintendent cautioned the board that any increase on student meals could drive some students from the hot lunch program. By a unanimous vote, the board only increased the cost of adult meals from 65 cents to 75 cents and the cost of extra milk from 10 cents to 12 cents. Student lunch prices will remain the same at elementary schools (35 cents), junior high (40 cents) and high school (45 cents).
City Council adopted an ordinance eliminating the use of parking meters in the city, to be replaced by limited parking times. Council approved a street improvement district on 18th Avenue between Tamarack Street and Mountain View Road, to include a 39-foot-wide street with curbs and gutters. Parents on Evergreen and Nandina streets requested stop signs at the streets’ intersection following concerns of child safety in the neighborhood. One parent called Evergreen Street a “raceway.”
The school board agreed to spend $68,000 from bond interest money for water circulation improvements at the high school’s 25-year-old swimming pool. If funds are available, the board agreed to spend another $26,130 to renovate the pool’s heating and ventilation systems. Among several deficiencies, a report indicated the biggest concern with the pool was too much water overflowing into the pool’s gutter.
Aug. 18, 1999
City Council approved an agreement with emergency service employees that will give a six percent raise to police officers and paramedics, and a five percent raise to dispatchers. Similar increases will occur for the next two years as well. The increases include cost of living adjustments plus an amount aimed at bringing pay for Sweet Home emergency service employees closer to the average for communities near the size of Sweet Home.
As construction progresses toward an expected spring opening for the new community center, community members are undertaking an effort to have the center named after civic booster Jim Riggs. Upon request, the school board agreed to draft a letter to the Boys and Girls Club, Senior Center and City of Sweet Home urging them to rename the Community Center in Riggs’ honor.
The City of Sweet Home is catching up on a backlog of complaints about nuisances and code violations with the addition of a part-time employee dedicated to code enforcement. Cindi Robeck started working on the backlog, which developed as a result of increasingly busier planning work for City Planner and Code Enforcer Carol Lewis. The position is temporary to see if it’s what’s needed to carry out city council code enforcement goals. Residents for years have stressed the need for more code enforcement to clean up the city’s look.