NORTHWEST
East Oregonian
Page 2A
Friday, December 16, 2016
BRIEFLY
PERS projected to take 30% of payroll
The base rate set by
the board for employer
contributions the 2017-19
budget cycle is already at
20.8 percent. Although none
of Oregon’s more than 900
government employers pays
that rate, it is an indicator of
upward trends — more than 3
percentage points greater than
the current rate.
Actual rates paid by
employers hinge on the mix
of employees hired before
and after August 2003 – when
lawmakers made pension
benefits less generous for
future workers — and the
employer’s proportion of
public safety employees, who
qualify for greater benefits.
The board on Sept. 30 set
final rates for the 2017-19
budget cycle, which starts in
mid-2017. Those figures are
close to the preliminary rates
projected about a year ago, so
government employers have
had time to prepare for the
increases.
Although the state budget
cycle is for two years, virtually
all local governments budget
for a single year.
The base rate actually
By PETER WONG
Capital Bureau
SALEM — Oregon’s
public-pension contribution
rate has an 80 percent likeli-
hood of exceeding 30 percent
of payroll within the next few
years, according to an analysis
presented to the system’s
governing board.
The projection was offered
by Milliman, the firm that
does the actuarial work for the
Public Employees Retirement
System, as the agency and
lawmakers consider how they
can deal with rising costs.
Those increased payroll
costs will mean less money
available for other govern-
ment services, or potentially
higher taxes.
The PERS board and
agency staff say that policy
changes are up to the Legis-
lature, but through Milliman,
they can analyze potential
effects of various proposals.
Milliman has offered such
reports already.
A legislative work group
has reviewed proposals for the
2017 session, which gets down
to business starting Feb. 6.
would have been up to 29
percent, but the rate was
“collared,” so the increase is
spread out over the following
two-year budget cycles in
2019-21 and 2021-23.
Although
government
contribution rates are limited
this cycle, the PERS board
said the full amounts are
necessary to make up the
gap between investment
earnings — which account for
seven of every 10 dollars paid
out — and promised pension
benefits.
Board Chairman John
Thomas said Oregon has no
intention of underfunding
the system, unlike what has
happened in states such as
Illinois and New Jersey.
“As a board we are going
to continue to stay current
with the actuarial liabilities,
as far as promised benefits are
concerned,” Thomas said.
Still, a combination of
factors has led to a growing
long-term actuarial liability of
$22 billion for Oregon PERS
and a decrease in funded
status to 71 percent as of the
end of 2015. Funded status
was 96 percent at the end of
2013, when lawmakers made
further changes in the system,
and 84 percent at the end of
2014.
A 2015 decision by the
Oregon Supreme Court struck
down the heart of 2013 legis-
lation that would have pared
cost-of-living increases for
about 130,000 current retirees.
The court ruled that the reduc-
tions cannot be applied to
benefits earned before 2013,
so $5 billion in projected long-
term savings were nullified.
The court upheld a
provision barring out-of-state
retirees from collecting
payments intended to offset
Oregon taxes on their
pensions. But that provision
will result in a fraction of
the savings envisioned from
the reduced cost-of-living
payments.
Among other factors
in Oregon PERS growing
liability are investment returns
lagging behind the assumed
rate of 7.5 percent for the
next two years — the board
dropped the rate in 2015 from
7.75 percent — and updated
mortality tables based on
retirees living longer.
Audit faults water resources dept. data collection
use reporting, the department
lacks data altogether, the
audit found.
“Only about 20 percent
of water rights holders are
required to report how much
water they use to (the water
resources department),” the
audit states.
Agricultural users — who
account for up to 85 percent
of the state’s water use —
aren’t required to report how
much they use. As a result,
the department lacks “a clear
understanding of how much
water is actually being used,”
the audit states.
Additionally, the depart-
ment has focused more on
collecting data on surface
water than groundwater,
demand for which is growing.
The audit also recom-
mended the department adopt
an overarching plan to set
long-term water goals, and
improve communication and
how it manages its workload.
Finally, the audit noted that
planning is key to managing
the state’s water in the long
run.
By CLAIRE WITHYCOMBE
Capital Bureau
SALEM — An audit
released Thursday by the
Secretary of State’s Office
calls on the state’s Water
Resources
Department
to improve its long-term
planning and management of
Oregon’s water supply.
The department is respon-
sible for allocating water
rights, enforcing the state’s
water laws and other aspects
of
water
management.
It’s overseen by a citizen
commission.
Noting that the state’s water
problems are positioned to
worsen, the secretary of state’s
findings say the department
could do more to “sustain
current and future water
needs,” protect groundwater,
and collect and analyze infor-
mation about the state’s water.
The audit comes on the
heels of the governor’s 2015
county drought declarations
and state efforts to prioritize
water issues in their wake.
A legislative drought task
Sean Ellis/EO Media Group
A sugar beet field in Eastern Oregon is irrigated in June.
An audit released Thursday by the Secretary of State’s
Office calls on the state’s Water Resources Department
to improve its long-term planning and management of
Oregon’s water supply.
force recently identified gaps
in the state’s systems and
resources for preventing and
responding to drought.
While the water resources
department gathers a lot of
information about water
supply, the department hasn’t
been able to analyze all of it,
the audit found.
For example, the depart-
ment’s water availability
models are based on
decades-old data, although
the department has 17 years’
worth of information about
streamflow
measurement
collected after 1987.
In other areas of water
management, such as water
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East Oregonian (USPS 164-980) is published daily except Sunday, Monday
and Dec. 25, by the EO Media Group, 211 S.E. Byers Ave. Pendleton, OR 97801.
Periodicals postage paid at Pendleton, OR. Postmaster: send address changes to
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Copyright © 2016, EO Media Group
SATURDAY
Partly sunny,
fl urries; frigid
Very cold with
some sun
15° ؏4°
14°
SUNDAY
MONDAY
Partly sunny and
very cold
Cloudy and chilly
PENDLETON TEMPERATURE FORECAST
7°
28° 24°
38° 33°
39° 30°
HERMISTON TEMPERATURE FORECAST
15°
20° ؏2°
PENDLETON
through 3 p.m. yesterday
TEMPERATURE
HIGH
LOW
20°
15°
39°
26°
67° (1959) -18° (1919)
PRECIPITATION
24 hours ending 3 p.m.
Month to date
Normal month to date
Year to date
Last year to date
Normal year to date
0.58"
1.29"
0.70"
12.59"
9.39"
12.21"
HERMISTON
through 3 p.m. yesterday
TEMPERATURE
HIGH
Yesterday
Normals
Records
LOW
24°
39°
68° (1939)
19°
27°
-7° (1932)
PRECIPITATION
24 hours ending 3 p.m.
Month to date
Normal month to date
Year to date
Last year to date
Normal year to date
0.64"
0.87"
0.76"
8.77"
6.50"
9.26"
SUN AND MOON
Sunrise today
Sunset tonight
Moonrise today
Moonset today
Last
New
Dec 20
Dec 28
First
Jan 5
22° 16°
37° 32°
40° 31°
Seattle
33/22
ALMANAC
Yesterday
Normals
Records
7°
7:30 a.m.
4:12 p.m.
7:44 p.m.
9:40 a.m.
Full
Jan 12
Today
TUESDAY
Cloudy with a bit
of snow
Spokane
Wenatchee
12/-6
18/6
Tacoma
Moses
33/17
Lake
Pullman
Aberdeen Olympia
Yakima 18/-2
11/-5
36/22
33/19
23/-3
Longview
Kennewick Walla Walla
33/21
Lewiston
14/0
18/0
Astoria
20/3
39/26
Portland
Enterprise
Hermiston
33/21
Pendleton 20/-8
The Dalles 20/-2
15/-4
23/6
La Grande
Salem
20/-6
33/20
Albany
Corvallis 33/21
33/20
John Day
22/-3
Ontario
Eugene
Bend
28/1
34/18
19/-1
Caldwell
Burns
30/5
22/-10
Astoria
Baker City
Bend
Brookings
Burns
Enterprise
Eugene
Heppner
Hermiston
John Day
Klamath Falls
La Grande
Meacham
Medford
Newport
North Bend
Ontario
Pasco
Pendleton
Portland
Redmond
Salem
Spokane
Ukiah
Vancouver
Walla Walla
Yakima
Hi
39
18
19
47
22
20
34
17
20
22
31
20
16
41
40
44
28
18
15
33
21
33
12
14
34
14
23
Lo
26
-9
-1
31
-10
-8
18
-4
-2
-3
8
-6
-9
24
29
30
1
1
-4
21
-7
20
-6
-11
21
0
-3
W
pc
pc
pc
s
pc
sn
s
sf
sf
sf
pc
pc
sf
s
pc
s
sn
s
sf
s
pc
s
s
sf
s
sf
s
Hi
42
9
25
46
17
12
37
18
15
22
30
17
17
38
40
46
14
15
14
34
24
34
10
16
33
13
19
Today
Beijing
Hong Kong
Jerusalem
London
Mexico City
Moscow
Paris
Rome
Seoul
Sydney
Tokyo
Boardman
Pendleton
Lo
33
-6
10
34
-1
3
25
10
7
13
13
7
5
23
35
33
-1
4
7
31
5
29
0
6
29
7
3
W
c
pc
pc
pc
pc
pc
pc
pc
pc
pc
c
pc
pc
c
c
pc
c
pc
pc
sf
pc
pc
pc
pc
sf
pc
pc
Hi
43
65
53
52
73
12
50
56
35
77
49
Lo
21
59
44
42
51
10
35
36
26
70
39
W
pc
pc
pc
pc
pc
c
pc
s
s
sh
pc
Sat.
Hi
47
69
53
50
74
24
45
55
49
89
56
Lo
22
66
44
38
50
22
36
35
37
65
43
W
pc
pc
pc
pc
pc
sn
c
s
pc
t
s
REGIONAL FORECAST
Eastern Washington: Sunshine and patchy
clouds today. Patchy clouds tonight. Clouds
and sun tomorrow.
Cascades: Chilly today with some sun; a
couple of fl urries in the south.
Northern California: Cooler today with
times of clouds and sun. Cold tonight.
Mostly sunny tomorrow.
Today
Saturday
NNE 3-6
NW 6-12
NE 3-6
WNW 4-8
UV INDEX TODAY
Shown is today’s weather. Temperatures are today’s highs and tonight’s lows.
Coastal Oregon: Sunshine and patchy
clouds today. Clear to partly cloudy and
chilly tonight.
Eastern and Central Oregon: Clouds and sun to-
day. A bit of snow in the south and upper Treasure
Valley; fl urries across the north and in central parts.
Western Washington: Partly sunny today.
Partly cloudy tonight.
James Manning
appointed to
Oregon Senate seat
EUGENE (AP) — Lane
County commissioners
appointed James Manning
as the new state senator
for much of Eugene and
Junction City.
The Register-Guard
reports Wednesday’s 3-2
vote was a shock because
Manning had been the
third choice of local
Democratic Party officials.
Manning replaces
state Sen. Chris Edwards,
a Democrat who is
resigning at the end of the
year for an administrative
job at the University of
Oregon. Manning will
serve out the last two
years of Edwards’ term.
0
1
1
1
0
Roseburg Forest
Products, union
agree to new pact
ROSEBURG, Ore.
(AP) — Roseburg Forest
Products and its union
workers have reached a deal
on a new contract.
The News-Review
reports the previous contract
expired in June, and work
had been continuing under
that agreement.
Union workers
previously took issue
with mandatory overtime
shifts and frozen pensions
in previous contracts.
They rallied at company
headquarters in Springfield
at least twice earlier this
year.
Specifics of the new
contract have not been
released. It affects nearly
2,000 employees, mostly in
Douglas and Coos counties.
Corrections
The Wednesday article “Project Exploration looks at
Pendleton future” misstated one of the projects the city of
Pendleton/Pendleton Development Commission helped
fund. It was the Westgate interchange. The East Orego-
nian works hard to be accurate and sincerely regrets any
errors. If you notice a mistake in the paper, please call
541-966-0818.
Classified & Legal Advertising
1-800-962-2819 or 541-278-2678
classifieds@eastoregonian.com or legals@eastoregonian.com
NEWS
• To submit news tips and press releases: • call 541-966-0818 •
fax 541-276-8314 • email news@eastoregonian.com
• To submit community events, calendar items and Your EO News:
email community@eastoregonian.com or call Tammy Malgesini at
541-564-4539 or Renee Struthers in at 541-966-0818.
• To submit engagements, weddings and anniversaries:
email rstruthers@eastoregonian.com or visit www.eastoregonian.
com/community/announcements
• To submit a Letter to the Editor: mail to Managing Editor Daniel
Wattenburger, 211 S.E. Byers Ave. Pendleton, OR 97801 or email
editor@eastoregonian.com.
• To submit sports or outdoors information or tips:
541-966-0838 • sports@eastoregonian.com
COMMERCIAL PRINTING
Production Manager: Mike Jensen
541-215-0824 • mjensen@eastoregonian.com
Shown are noon positions of weather systems and precipitation. Temperature bands are highs for the day.
WORLD CITIES
(in mph)
Klamath Falls
31/8
ALBANY (AP) —
Sheriff’s detectives in Linn
County are investigating
the death of a man whose
body was covered by a thin
layer of snow.
Sheriff Bruce Riley says
deputies and detectives
responded Wednesday
night after a caller reported
that a stranger was
deceased in his driveway
east of Albany. There was
no sign of foul play.
The sheriff says the
man’s wallet contained cash
but no photo identification.
No abandoned vehicle was
in the area.
Riley described the
body as that of a middle-
aged man. He was about
5-foot-11, 200 pounds, and
had brown hair, hazel eyes
and a full, gray beard.
Anyone with
information is asked to
contact the Linn County
Sheriff’s Office at 541-967-
3950.
NATIONAL WEATHER TODAY
Sat.
WINDS
Medford
41/24
PORTLAND (AP)
— The Portland City
Council voted to ban new
bulk fossil fuel storage
facilities in the city.
Oregon Public
Broadcasting reports it was
one of several bills approved
Wednesday that attempt to
reduce the city’s reliance
on fossil fuels and cut
greenhouse gas emissions.
The new zoning change
bans new fossil fuel storage
facilities in excess of 2
million gallons and limits
existing terminals from
expanding in size. The
move comes at a time when
energy companies have
proposed building coal,
petroleum and liquefied
natural gas export terminals
in the Northwest to better
reach Asian markets.
The council also
adopted an electric vehicle
policy that aims to put
50,000 electric vehicles
on city streets by 2030,
and voted to require home
energy audits when houses
are placed on the market.
REGIONAL CITIES
Forecast
TODAY
Body found in
snowy driveway
near Albany
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Advertising Services: Laura Jensen
541-966-0806 • ljensen@eastoregonian.com
Multimedia Consultants:
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Subscriber services:
For home delivery, vacation stops or delivery concerns: 1-800-522-0255
— Founded Oct. 16, 1875 —
Council bans new
bulk fossil fuel
terminals
0
8 a.m. 10 a.m. Noon 2 p.m. 4 p.m. 6 p.m.
0-2, Low
3-5, Moderate 6-7, High;
8-10, Very High;
11+, Extreme
The higher the AccuWeather.com UV Index™ num-
ber, the greater the need for eye and skin protection.
Forecasts and graphics provided by
AccuWeather, Inc. ©2016
-10s
-0s
showers t-storms
0s
10s
rain
20s
flurries
30s
40s
snow
ice
50s
60s
cold front
70s
80s
90s
100s
warm front stationary front
110s
high
low
National Summary: A storm will spread snow along a 1,200-mile-long swath from the
northern Rockies to the Great Lakes today. As drenching rain exits California, showers will
soak parts of the Four Corners states.
Yesterday’s National Extremes: (for the 48 contiguous states)
High 83° in Miami, Fla.
Low -24° in Fosston, Minn.
NATIONAL CITIES
Today
Albuquerque
Atlanta
Atlantic City
Baltimore
Billings
Birmingham
Boise
Boston
Charleston, SC
Charleston, WV
Chicago
Cleveland
Dallas
Denver
Detroit
El Paso
Fairbanks
Fargo
Honolulu
Houston
Indianapolis
Jacksonville
Kansas City
Las Vegas
Little Rock
Los Angeles
Hi
59
46
32
30
4
55
30
18
50
36
21
22
72
45
21
72
9
6
78
73
28
69
38
65
49
61
Lo
41
37
24
24
-21
50
4
17
45
34
20
22
58
-6
19
56
3
-6
69
70
26
57
23
41
49
44
W
c
pc
pc
pc
sn
pc
sn
s
s
c
sn
c
c
pc
sn
pc
pc
sn
c
r
c
pc
c
sh
r
sh
Sat.
Hi
44
65
51
47
2
71
20
39
75
61
29
48
73
7
35
60
13
-4
80
80
49
81
24
48
71
60
Lo
21
60
49
43
-2
49
5
37
61
45
-1
28
20
-5
17
30
3
-23
69
41
14
60
-4
30
28
43
Today
W
c
c
r
i
s
c
c
sn
c
r
sn
r
c
sn
sn
pc
sn
pc
r
c
r
pc
sn
s
r
s
Louisville
Memphis
Miami
Milwaukee
Minneapolis
Nashville
New Orleans
New York City
Oklahoma City
Omaha
Philadelphia
Phoenix
Portland, ME
Providence
Raleigh
Rapid City
Reno
Sacramento
St. Louis
Salt Lake City
San Diego
San Francisco
Seattle
Tucson
Washington, DC
Wichita
Hi
37
51
80
25
16
48
69
28
67
32
29
72
13
20
38
7
43
51
35
50
63
54
33
71
31
58
Lo
36
50
72
23
6
44
64
27
37
12
26
45
8
15
28
-15
16
32
33
19
47
40
22
48
28
24
W
c
r
pc
sn
sn
c
pc
pc
c
sn
pc
sh
s
s
s
sn
sf
c
c
r
r
pc
pc
c
pc
c
Sat.
Hi
62
73
84
28
7
69
77
44
37
12
47
59
33
44
56
-5
39
49
48
25
60
52
33
56
52
25
Lo
27
28
75
3
-21
30
60
42
8
-11
44
38
28
39
53
-16
16
27
4
13
43
38
30
30
49
-1
Weather (W): s-sunny, pc-partly cloudy, c-cloudy, sh-showers, t-thunderstorms, r-rain,
sf-snow flurries, sn-snow, i-ice.
W
r
r
pc
sn
sn
r
pc
sn
sn
sn
i
s
sn
sn
c
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pc
r
pc
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s
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s
i
sn