Media Releases
A new program in the works could help cash-strapped Vancouver water and sewer customers get emergency help with their bills.
Similar to Clark Public Utilities’ longtime electric bill assistance program, the Vancouver City Council on Monday mulled starting its own Utility Customer Payment Assistance Program for low-income residents who fall behind on their water, sewer and stormwater bills.
The program would get $100,000 — a portion of the late fees collected on city...
It looks as if Vancouver City Councilor Bart Hansen will keep his seat for at least one more year: Incomplete returns Tuesday showed Hansen leading his challenger, John Jenkins, for Position 4 on the city council.
Results showed Hansen leading by 52.87 percent to 46.53 percent. The next results will be available today after 5 p.m.
Hansen, celebrating with his wife and supporters at Clark College, said he was “very excited” by the results, but wasn’t ready to...
Vancouver has been well-served during his short term
Bart Hansen’s candidacy for the Vancouver City Council probably is one of the few things upon which Tim Leavitt and Royce Pollard agree. The current and former Vancouver mayor, respectively, both endorse Hansen, who has served for nine months since his appointment to replace Leavitt as councilor. He’s served well, too, and has earned The Columbian’s endorsement for several reasons.
First, Hansen, 35, is the youngest member of the council and the only councilor who...
Combined, they garner about 90% of votes cast
Vancouver City Councilor Bart Hansen and opponent John Jenkins easily advanced to the Nov. 2 general election, defeating third candidate Jack King O’Neal III.
With 17,566 votes counted in Tuesday’s primary election, Hansen had nearly 49 percent and Jenkins had 41 percent. King O’Neal received 9 percent of the votes.
Hansen, 35, was appointed to fill the seat vacated by Mayor Tim Leavitt in January, and has since been a stout opponent to cutting police and...
Hansen, Jenkins have honed their opinions on several issues
Bart Hansen and John Jenkins have been opponents in a Vancouver City Council primary before, and not long ago.
When Councilor Pat Jollota announced her retirement last year, both the men put their names in to replace her. Both failed to garner votes to make it to the general election, and Councilor Jack Burkman ultimately took that spot.
Both tried again, asking the council to appoint them to Mayor Tim Leavitt’s vacated seat. That time, Hansen got the job, in a 4-2...
Vancouver City Council race contested in Aug. 17 primary
Bart Hansen is an incumbent … of sorts. In late January, he was appointed to fill the vacancy created on the Vancouver City Council when voters elevated Tim Leavitt from councilor to replace long-time Mayor Royce Pollard. So Hansen has about six months on the job, after emerging from a process that included 15 other applicants.
Voters have a chance this year to retain Hansen, who faces two challengers in the Aug. 17 primary (ballots will be mailed July 28). The top two...
City’s budget woes mean police, firefighters must be axed, officials say
Vancouver's budget crisis has reached the point that city officials and politicians are using words like “least worst,” or “a mess” to describe finances, and talk about finding solutions that are “the most palatable.”
And no matter how they stack it, “most palatable” is a bitter pill to swallow.
A preliminary budget released last week shows Vancouver will eliminate 105 jobs by Dec. 31. Job cuts that include, for the first...
He was appointed in January to fill spot vacated by mayor
City Councilor Bart Hansen announced Thursday that he will run to retain his seat on the Vancouver City Council.
Hansen, 35, was appointed in January to fill Position 4, the seat vacated by Mayor Tim Leavitt.
Though he’s been on the council for just six weeks, he said he’s sure that he wants to remain in the position.
“I’m absolutely positive and excited to do this. It’s an opportunity to give back to the community once again,” Hansen...
Hansen joins Vancouver council just in time to confront massive 2010 budget woes
Bart Hansen’s first day on the job next week as a Vancouver city councilor likely will be more enjoyable than his second day. It won’t take long for him to realize the magnitude of the recession-ravaged financial crisis into which he ventures. City Manager Pat McDonnell quantified that severity in a Jan. 19 letter to the council, noting that the city is eliminating 65 to 75 positions starting this week. How much of that will be achieved by limited retirement incentives,...
Clark Public Utilities employee will fill spot held by mayor
Bart Hansen, a father of two young children and Clark Public Utilities office manager, was appointed to fill Mayor Tim Leavitt’s vacant Vancouver City Council position Monday night.
The council narrowed its two top choices to Hansen and Lee Rafferty, a former small-business owner and downtown activist, before voting 4-2 in Hansen’s favor.
Retired math teacher Anne McEnerny-Ogle, who was defeated in November’s general election by incumbent Councilor Jeanne...