REGION Wednesday, July 19, 2017 East Oregonian PENDLETON Council picks fire station architect Also approves $503k in work orders for street, stormwater data collection By ANTONIO SIERRA East Oregonian Two months after voters gave them the go-ahead, the city of Pendleton is starting to spend money from the $10 million fire bond. At a meeting Tuesday, the Pendleton City Council unanimously agreed to hire the Mackenzie engineering firm of Portland to provide architectural designs and engineering services for the fire department’s new primary station on Southeast Court Avenue. Fire Chief Mike Ciraulo said Mackenzie has a reputation of avoiding change orders and keeping a project under budget. According to Ciraulo, the $701,891 cost for Mackenzie’s services is $8,000 less than estimated. The city council was also set to consider sending out a request for a proposal to hire a general contractor during the design stage, but the city postponed that decision to meet an advertisement requirement for the public hearing. The council did make a decision on some of Ciraulo’s emergency equipment requests, which are also a part of the bond. The council unanimously approved spending $27,530 for “Jaws of Life” extrication equipment and $103,714 for heart monitors. Before the meeting, firefighter/paramedic Jared Uselman told the council that the new heart monitors were lighter, smaller, Bluetooth-capable and able to provide better readings. In addition to the fire bond, the council also approved $503,000 in work orders with Anderson Perry & Associates. Anderson Perry will assist the city in collecting data on the city’s streets and stormwater systems. The engineering firm will also help the city develop a street master plan and a stormwater utility fee. City Manager Robb Corbett explained the importance of the street master plan. “If we anticipate longterm having a robust conversation on street maintenance, we have to talk about things like street lights, painting, curbs, (the Americans with Disabilities Act),” he said. “It’s not just about asphalt maintenance. That’s what I think the value of a master plan is. It helps provide the council with the information to have a conversation about what to do with the limited tax dollars that we have.” The council unanimously approved the work orders. Pendleton city council also took action on other issues, including: • The council unanimously approved offloading two properties. The city sold a 3,300-square- foot property near the intersection of Southwest Court Avenue and Westgate to a business looking to develop mini-storage units on the site. The city originally acquired the property in 2004 through eminent domain. The council also transferred ownership of a property at 1103 S.E. Court Place to Domestic Violence Services. The city originally bought the property in 1991 for $89,500 and leased it to Domestic Violence Services, but because of the property’s future maintenance needs and the grant opportunities the nonprofit can access if it owns the property, the city decided to relinquish ownership. The property is now worth $300,000, according to Umatilla County. • As the Pendleton Development Commission, the council unanimously approved a $3.5 million line of credit from Banner Bank. The money will be used to fund the commission’s operations through the end of urban renewal district in 2023. • The council unanimously approved spending $77,517 for equipment at the Pendleton Unmanned Aerial Systems Range mission control room. The funds are derived from a state grant mainly used to build a hangar at the airport. ——— Contact Antonio Sierra at asierra@eastoregonian.com or 541-966-0836. Irrigators want investigation of fish management By CAROL RYAN DUMAS EO Media Group The Columbia-Snake River Irrigators Association is calling for an investigation of actions by fisheries managers they say were fatal to federally protected juvenile salmon and steelhead in the Columbia-Snake river system. The irrigators claim that in the spring of 2015, those managers compromised juvenile fish survival and the subsequent return of adults by allowing the fish to remain in the Lower Snake River during extremely poor river conditions — low flows and high temperatures — rather than barging them downstream in the Army Corps of Engineers’ transportation program. In their July 10 request, the irrigators asked the inspectors general of the Army Corps and the Department of Commerce National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to investigate the issue. In response to Capital Press inquiries, the agencies stated they have received the request and are reviewing it. The irrigators said the managers deviated from the legally required “spread the risk” policy under the Endangered Species Act biological opinion on fish management in the river system. The policy boils down to leaving half of the juvenile fish in the river and transporting the other half downriver to below the Bonneville Dam when river conditions threaten successful migration. In 2015, managers transported only 13 percent of the juvenile fish — the lowest percentage on record dating back to 1993. The policy has been in place for decades and was upheld in U.S. District Court in 2005. Sheriff’s office nabs four for DUIIs during Fourth of July By PHIL WRIGHT East Oregonian The Umatilla County Sheriff’s Office arrested four people for driving under the influence of intoxicants during the Independence Day weekend. The sheriff’s office released the results Monday. Extra patrols to crack down on intoxicated drivers during the four-day weekend resulted in the following arrests: • Jared Patterson, 26, of Hermiston, for possession of methamphetamine, possession of heroin, resisting arrest, and DUII (controlled substances). • Daniel Loftus, 54, of Hermiston, for DUII (alcohol), reckless driving, making an unlawful turn, open container (of alcohol), and breath test refusal. • Jose Alfredo Orozco, 27, of Hermiston, for DUII. The sheriff’s office reported Orozco’s blood-alcohol limit was .03 percent, less than half the state’s limit of .08 percent, but he still was too impaired to drive. • And Christine Faye Spence, 39, of Weston, also had a blood-alcohol level of .03 percent but showed signs of alcohol and drug impairment. The sheriff’s arrested her for DUII, possession of methamphet- amine, and three counts of recklessly endangering another person for the three children she had with her in the car. In addition to the arrests, the sheriff’s office cited or warned 27 other drivers for violations. The Oregon State Sheriff’s Association funded the local effort, which was part of a nationwide move to get more impaired drivers off the street. The next DUII blitz is Aug. 8-12 during the Umatilla County Fair. ——— Contact Phil Wright at pwright@eastoregonian. com or 541-966-0833. Are You Still Paying Too Much For Your Medications? You can save up to 97% when you fi ll your prescriptions with our Canadian and International prescription service. Their Price Crestor TM Get An Extra $15 Off & Free Shipping On Your 1st Order! 914.18 $ Typical US Brand Price for 40mg x 100 Our Price Rosuvastatin * $ 148 Generic equivalent of Crestor TM Generic price for for 40mg x 100 Call the number below and save an additional $15 plus get free shipping on your fi rst prescription order with Canada Drug Center. Expires December 31, 2017. 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Certificate C250A (ID: C250E; PA: C250Q); Insurance Policy P150(GA: P150GA; NY: P150NY; OK: P150OK; TN: P150TN) 6096C MB16-NM001Gc Severe conditions existed in 2015, and managers should have been maximizing the juvenile transportation program, they claim. Fish managers knew by April 1 that river conditions were potentially lethal, and NOAA Fisheries twice requested an early start date for transporting juvenile fish. Those requests were rejected, and there’s no administrative record showing why, he said. By the time transport started a month later, 60 percent of the chinook and 50 percent of the steelhead had already tried to migrate, he said. “It was just raw stupidity,” he said. The debacle is rooted in a larger problem — endless ESA litigation by environmental groups and the state of Oregon. Over the past 25 years, those groups have filed multiple legal actions challenging the validity of the biological opinion guiding hydropower operations, he said. The irrigators association — which consists of private pumpers, municipalities and food processors — has been involved in that litigation as a defendant intervenor since 1992. The litigation has jeopardized water rights and led to higher power costs, with the Bonneville Power Administration spending $17 billion of rate-payers’ money to mitigate for fish, he said. The situation is out of control, and the litigation needs to stop, he said. The 2015 transport failure “demonstrates how insane this has all become … they are so enthralled with trying to do natural river conditions and spill, they’re killing the fish,” he said. The ESA statute provides for executive action to convene an ESA committee — or God Squad — to determine what’s to be done. Page 3A BRIEFLY Judge bars arson suspect from ‘fire starting materials’ PENDLETON — Angela Fix remains in the Umatilla County Jail, Pendleton, in lieu of $50,000 bail for the charge of first-degree arson. The state accused Fix of starting the fire early Sunday at 439 S.W. Birch Place, Pilot Rock, the home of Larry Castro. Pilot Rock Police Chief Bill Caldera reported Castro’s body was in the home. He was 77. Circuit Judge Jon Lieuallen set the bail during a hearing Monday afternoon at the Umatilla County Courthouse, Fix Pendleton. Fix became disruptive and attorney Kara Davis, who repre- sented Fix for the hearing, said Fix’s comments were “ill advised.” Lieuallen also ordered courtroom staff to turn off her microphone. If Fix can post $5,000, 10 percent of the bail, she can get out of jail. Lieuallen on the jail release form noted one special condition of her release: “No fire starting materials.” Fix has a hearing the morning of June 24 in which the district attorney’s office is likely to bring formal charges from an indictment. Fix nor anyone else faces charges in connection to Castro’s death. However, Caldera stated, the investigation is ongoing. Pendleton to hold Eighth Street Bridge open house PENDLETON — As work on the Eighth Street Bridge continues, Pend- leton city officials are providing another update on the $7.42 million replacement project. According to a letter sent to local residents from Public Works Director Bob Patterson, the Knights of Pythias will host a barbecue and open house at its 11 S.E. Eighth St. lodge at 7 p.m. on July 31. Patterson wrote that representatives from the city, OBEC Consulting Engineers and the Oregon Department of Transportation will update the Eighth Street neighborhood on plans to re-purpose the bridge trusses on South Main Street and provide an update on the project and its schedule. The city has set a bid date for the construction of the project for Oct. 12. ——— Briefs are compiled from staff and wire reports, and press releases. Email press releases to news@ eastoregonian.com