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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (March 23, 2017)
SOFTBALL/1B 56/45 WORLD/7A FIVE DEAD IN ATTACK AT BRITISH PARLIAMENT BULLDOGS BEAT BEND THURSDAY, MARCH 23, 2017 141st Year, No. 113 WINNER OF THE 2016 ONPA GENERAL EXCELLENCE AWARD One dollar Irrigators criticize $100 water rights fee proposal Argue fee is effectively a discriminatory tax By MATEUSZ PERKOWSKI Capital Bureau SALEM — A proposed $100 annual fee on all Oregon water rights has met with criticism from irriga- tors who say it would contribute to already mounting fi nancial burdens. Farmers overwhelmingly testifi ed against House Bill 2706, which aims to raise money for water manage- ment, during a March 22 hearing before the House Committee on Energy and Environment. Members of the Klamath Water Users Association, for example, are already paying steep costs to comply with the Endangered Species Act and engage in water rights adjudication in the region, said Dave Jensen, a farmer and representative of the group. “Would $100 break a bunch of farmers out there? Probably not, but there is always the straw that broke the camel’s back,” Jensen said. For irrigators with multiple water rights, the bill would cap total fees at $1,000 a year, while municipalities could pay up to $2,500 a year. The money raised would pay for the administrative, technical and fi eld duties performed by the Oregon Water Resources Department, which oversees 89,000 water rights in the state. The bill would effectively impose a discriminatory tax on irrigators and other water users, said Curtis Martin, a rancher and chair of the Oregon Cattlemen’s Association’s water resources committee. “There is no additional service being delivered to the users of the resource,” Martin said. Opponents also argue that elec- tricity costs have continued rising, adding to the cost of pumping water, and irrigators would have to pay the management fee even if they didn’t See WATER/8A Staff photo by E.J. Harris The Stanfi eld City Council held a goal-setting workshop Tuesday evening where future goals for the city were discussed. One idea was to preserve the historic water tower in the center of Stanfi eld. STANFIELD of TOMORROW City council adjusts goals, big and small, for community By JADE MCDOWELL East Oregonian Staff photo by E.J. Harris The Stanfi eld public library was discussed at the Stanfi eld City Council goal-setting workshop. The library needs new lighting, carpet and money for staffi ng. New playgrounds, new sidewalks and new lights for the library all fi t in city leaders’ vision for Stanfi eld as they worked through a goal-setting session this week. The brainstorming part of the meeting went so long that city councilors agreed to continue it to a second workshop in April, where they will share any last ideas and then pare everything down into a prioritized list of long-term and short-term goals to be revisited each spring before budget approval. “I think we had some good discussion here, and I would love to continue it,” said Blair Larsen, who has been the city manager since 2013. The council started by discussing the vision statement created in 2011, which reads, “Stanfi eld is a community known for its responsive government, hometown atmosphere, cultural opportunities, quality housing and vibrant business community.” Larsen said a vision statement was not meant to describe the current state of affairs, but to present an ideal to strive for. “Our goals should be focused on achieving those ideas,” he said. After looking over the state- ment, councilors agreed to change See STANFIELD/8A PENDLETON Driven by vision This concep- tual design shows the reuse of Pendleton’s Eighth Street Bridge, as viewed from South Main Street facing north. Grassroots groups take on downtown projects By ANTONIO SIERRA and PHIL WRIGHT East Oregonian There’s a certain approach local governments often take to civic projects. The government agency commissions a plan, a professional fi rm (often from Portland) creates the plan, the public is given a chance for public input and either the civic project gets done or the plan sits on the shelf. Whether by choice or by necessity, two community groups comprised of Pend- leton residents and orga- nizations are working at a grassroots level to bring new civic projects to downtown Pendleton. These groups are not only working with local government, but also using personal relationships to help translate their plans into reality. Rivoli Theater Coalition Andrew Picken is the board president of the Rivoli Theater Restoration Coalition, the nonprofi t organization working to bring the old theater on Pendleton’s Main Street back to life. “I think of the Rivoli as the least well acknowledged or recognized success project in Umatilla County,” Picken recently told the Umatilla County Board of Commissioners. The coalition has raised $411,00, Picken said Wednesday, and 16 percent of that came from the Pendleton Development Commission. For every $1 from the commission, the Rivoli group raised $6 more. The Rivoli’s most recent expense was the $138,000 for architectural and engi- neering designs. Umatilla See PENDLETON/8A Contributed image The Rivoli Theater renovation in downtown Pendleton will include a stage, fl oor space, balco- ny and both a green room and storage area in the basement Contributed image