LOCAL
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2019
THE OBSERVER — 5A
SHELTER
Continued from Page 1A
Bryan Vance/Oregon Public Broadcasting
A business-backed effort to get Oregon voters to reduce the costs of the state’s public pension system has
quietly closed shop — at least for the 2020 election.
PERS
Continued from Page 1A
As a result, he said,
backers concluded it makes
more sense to see how the
fi nances of the system play
out over the next several
years — instead of trying to
tackle the costs of the pen-
sion system during a 2020
general election dominated
by a high-intensity presi-
dential election.
How to solve the puzzle of
PERS has been a hot topic
in state politics repeatedly
over the past two decades.
Democratic Gov. Kate
Brown last year defeated
a Republican challenger,
Knute Buehler, who wanted
to make major cuts in PERS
benefi ts. But she vowed
to take action to reduce
the rise in employer rates,
which now average about
25% of payroll.
Brown signed a measure,
Senate Bill 1049, earlier
this year that makes some
modest benefi t reductions
while also stretching out the
time to pay off the unfunded
pension liability.
Without the bill, pension
costs were projected to rise
to about 29% of payroll,
costing public agencies
another billion dollars over
the two-year budget cycle,
Nesbitt said.
Instead, employee rates
are projected to stay about
the same, particularly if
this year’s stock market
advances stick through the
rest of the year. The pension
system is heavily dependent
on investment earnings, so
the stronger the market, the
more money generated to
pay benefi ts.
“The legislation seems
well-designed to avert
another round of increases
which would devastate bud-
gets” for schools and other
services in the next several
years, Nesbitt said. “We
should give the legislation
time to see how it works.”
The withdrawal of the
PERS initiatives pleased
the public employee unions,
which have bitterly opposed
any reductions in worker
benefi ts.
FEES
Continued from Page 1A
“Revenues have remained fl at while
costs for providing environmental
health services have increased ap-
proximately 5% a year,” according to a
written report presented to the Union
County Board of Commissioners.
The proposed fee structure adjust-
ment also would reduce the costs for
some new restaurant owners. Pres-
ently, anyone opening a restaurant
in Union County must pay a full fee
regardless of when the facility opens.
CHD is requesting permission to
LAWSUIT
Continued from Page 1A
Supreme Court said in Janus
v. the American Federation of
State, County and Municipal
Employees that requiring
public sector workers to pay
dues to a union when they
didn’t want to be members is
unconstitutional.
The Freedom Foundation
argues the unions are vio-
lating the employees’ rights
under the First Amendment
by enforcing the “restric-
tive language” in the cards
union members sign when
they sign up for the union,
limiting the plaintiffs’
freedoms of speech and as-
sociation.
The plaintiffs claim the
process is burdensome and
confusing and can keep
workers on the union’s mem-
bership rolls much longer
than they want to be.
The lawsuit alleges the
American Federation of
Teachers requires its
members to stay in the union
for at least a year after
joining and only allows them
to resign their membership
“I think it’s time for them
to stop these corporate-
backed attacks on hard-
working public employees,”
said Patty Wentz, a spokes-
woman for the PERS
Coalition, which represents
several unions.
She argued that attempts
to cut pensions only make it
harder to attract and retain
talented teachers, fi refi ght-
ers and other public employ-
ees. And she said that voters
made it clear when they
rejected Buehler’s guberna-
torial candidacy that they
weren’t interested in cutting
pensions.
Nesbitt said his support-
ers could return in later
years for another attempt at
initiative reform. He noted
that the Oregon Supreme
Court is considering the
constitutionality of the
PERS measure signed by
Brown this year. The court’s
decision could roll back
some or all of the benefi t
cut. And it will also provide
more clarity on what benefi t
changes it is willing to ac-
cept.
charge new restaurants that open after
Oct. 1 only half of the annual restau-
rant license fee.
Brogoitti said this step might
encourage restaurant owners to open
their businesses late in the year
instead of waiting for the start of the
year to avoid paying a full fee.
CHD’s public health administrator
said the 15% fee increases proposed
are important not only from a fi scal
stability standpoint. She explained the
Oregon Health Authority sets recom-
mend fee standards for the services
agencies such as the CHD provide.
Brogoitti said agencies are expected to
during the month of June.
Claudia Strickland, a
plaintiff in the suit, joined
the union in November 2018,
the lawsuit claims.
Strickland notifi ed the
union in July she wanted to
stop being a member. But
the union denied her request
because she hadn’t been a
member for at least a year.
Under the union’s rules, she
has to keep paying dues until
June 2020.
“So fi rst of all, it’s ex-
tremely confusing,” said
Rebekah Millard, a lawyer
for the Freedom Foundation.
“Second of all, they’re choos-
ing to enforce it in the most
onerous way possible.”
Strickland, and another
plaintiff, Linda Newton, who
signed up after the Janus
decision, weren’t informed of
their right to decline joining
the union in the fi rst place,
Millard said. The other two
plaintiffs joined in April,
about three months before
the Supreme Court’s deci-
sion.
Neither the AFT-Oregon
nor the AFT Local 4671
could be reached for com-
The business-backed
measures prevented a
variety of approaches to
reducing costs. They include
shifting new workers to
401(k)-style retirement
plans and diverting some
contributions to existing
public employee retiree
investment accounts toward
paying the costs of the main
pension plans, which guar-
antee workers a set pension
amount depending on their
pay and years of service.
One other pension-
related measure has been
fi led for the 2020 ballot.
It’s sponsored by two
former Republican state
representatives — Julie
Parrish of West Linn and
Mark Johnson of Hood
River — and Portland
activist Kim Sordyl. Their
measure would amend the
state constitution to require
future benefi ts for all public
pensions to be paid without
going into debt. The intent
is to force public agencies to
either lower their pension
costs or to ensure they are
paid without borrowing.
be no more than 20% above below the
target standards to be in compliance
with OHA rules.
Commissioner Donna Beverage said
she wanted additional time to study
the proposal and see how the Union
County’s inspection fees compare with
those of other counties in the region
before the board votes on the request.
The commission may vote on the fee in-
crease proposal when it meets Dec. 18.
Commissioner Matt Scarfo, citing a
confl ict of interest because he owns two
restaurants, recused himself from the
discussion of the fee increase and will
not vote on it.
T O Y OUR
H EALTH
ment Thursday.
The Freedom Founda-
tion, headquartered in
Olympia, Washington, is
backing similar lawsuits
in the region. And there
are roughly 30-50 similar
lawsuits across the country,
Millard said.
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community effort. This is a
community opportunity to
really take care of our people,
all of our people, every part
of our community. This is a
community effort.”
He said there is no doubt
the community has an
immediate need to address
homelessness, but “ware-
housing” the homeless at a
shelter is not the answer.
Rather, he said, the homeless
need transitional housing
and vocational training.
Dozens joined Adelsberger
in asking the council to
uphold the appeal.
Business owner Brent
Clapp said this was not a
case of “NIMBYism” — not
in my back yard-ism — but
about proper boundaries.
Jeri Mackley, owner of the
Maridell Center, said she
is in favor of a shelter but
questioned if the Third
Street location was the right
place because of its proxim-
ity to downtown. And Bella
owner Beverly Calder said
while downtown is thriving,
that is a fragile state, and the
warming station presents a
threat to downtown busi-
ness “beyond what we can
imagine.”
Dozens also spoke out for
Adelsberger’s appeal to be
denied so the shelter could
open.
Vela headed up that front.
“All you need to ask
yourselves before you place
your vote is did we go about
the processes of fi ling for our
permit correctly?” he told
the county, answering, “Yes,”
subsequently stating, “We
met every single standard
we were required to meet in
order to obtain out permit.”
Vela added the appeal
supporters did not provide
facts to back up their claims.
Local attorney Bruce Ander-
son built on that. He said
the shelter decriers offered
nothing more than a “parade
of horribles,” or a list of all
the outcomes that could go
wrong if the shelter were
to open on Third Street. He
also said Oregon law allows
a governing body to revoke
a conditional use permit
and shut down a place if
it violates the permit. And
La Grande Middle School
student Mary Koltuv said
she encountered homeless
people daily without incident
when she lived in New York
City, and after moving here
last year, her Girl Scout
troop cooked chili for shelter
guests.
“I don’t know how we can
be a considerate community,”
she said, “if we can’t already
open up a warming station
that already has a plan up in
front of us.”
Warming Station board
member Audrey Smith said
the board did its due dili-
gence in fi nding a building
in the proper zone and that
would not require major and
costly construction.
When it came time for the
council to deliberate, Coun-
cilor Jim Whitbeck said he
did not see how the shelter
would lead to more homeless
people sleeping in business
doorways. Councilor Mary
Ann Miesner said she liked
Adelsberger’s notion of a
long-term solution but hadn’t
heard compelling reasons
to uphold the appeal. And
Councilor Justin Rock said
the vote was about rules and
regulations, and the warm-
ing station hit each one.
After the 7-0 vote to deny
the appeal, Clements said
the city council and Union
County government have
been “woefully absent in this
process,” and with the sup-
port of the council, he would
make the commitment to
engage with the differing
sides.
“When I say that, I mean
bringing the community
toward a solution with this,”
Clements said.
He also said he would
be “immensely grateful” if
Adelsberger did not appeal
the council’s decision to the
state.
Adelsberger gave no
response. He also did not
return a call Thursday seek-
ing comment.
City planner Mike Bo-
quist said Adelsberger has
21 days to fi le an appeal
with the state from the time
the city notifi es him in writ-
ing about the denial, and
that could happen as soon
as Friday.
Vela speaking Thursday
said the Union County
Warming Station hopes
Adelsberger does not appeal.
That would mean a greater
delay to opening, he said, and
plumbers, electricians and
other contractors already
called him and said they are
wiling to get to work as soon
as they can to get the build-
ing ready. But that work
cannot begin until the 21
days pass without an appeal
to LUBA.
If Adelsberger does ap-
peal, Vela said he hopes it
happens sooner than later,
and he believed Clements is
sincere about working for a
more comprehensive solution
to local homelessness.
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