REGION
Saturday, May 12, 2018
East Oregonian
HERMISTON
Page 3A
PENDLETON
City to add park foreman, new
Former councilor
water tower to 2018-2019 budget named interim
Chamber director
By JADE MCDOWELL
East Oregonian
New staff are being
added to the city of Hermis-
ton to support its expanding
services, including a parks
foreman to allow the parks
and recreation director to
focus on longterm projects
as the city eyes the possibil-
ity of a new aquatic center.
The
changes
were
reviewed by the city’s bud-
get
committee,
which
approved the 2018-2019
budget Thursday and passed
it on to the city council for
approval next week.
City Manager Byron
Smith said the city is cur-
rently conducting an aquatic
center feasibility study and
also plans to create an over-
all master plan for parks and
trails in 2018-2019. Hiring
a full-time parks foreman,
who will oversee day-to-day
maintenance of city parks,
will free up department
head Larry Fetter to focus
on more “longterm vision”
projects like the possible
indoor aquatics or “well-
ness” center, which was a
top request citizens made
during a livability study in
2015.
“At the end of this
study we will have a dollar
amount, an estimate of what
it would cost ... then we will
be able to figure out how we
are going to pay for that,” he
said.
Part-time clerical posi-
tions are also being added
to the Hermiston Commu-
nity Center, which the parks
department took over opera-
tion of in January, and to the
Harkenrider Center, which
will house the senior center
when it is completed in late
summer. Smith said the Har-
kenrider Center employee
will work with the senior
center board as a liaison and
be in the building during
activities like mealtimes to
offer assistance.
The city is adding a storm
water management posi-
tion in 2018-2019 that will
be split between the street
department and utility fund.
City staff will be given a
three percent cost of living
increase.
Overall, the $54.9 mil-
lion budget is about $4.7
million smaller than the cur-
rent fiscal year, which Smith
said was mostly due to the
city finishing up big cap-
ital projects like the Har-
Staff photo by E.J. Harris
A group of walkers strolls down the paths of Riverfront Park in October 2017. The
city of Hermiston will hire a parks foreman in the next fiscal year.
kenrider Center and festival
street. The city had expected
to take on a re-alignment of
the intersection of Harper,
Geer and River roads during
2018-2019 but Smith said
there are still design issues
being worked out that will
delay the project into the
next year.
The biggest capital proj-
ect the city has planned for
the upcoming fiscal year
is a new one-million-gal-
lon water storage tank in the
northeast part of town. The
roughly $4.5 million proj-
ect will be paid for through
a short-term loan that will
be repaid by enterprise
zone payments from Lamb
Weston’s factory expansion.
“The project will address
a number of challenges for
our water system there,”
Smith said, noting that low
water pressure in the north-
east part of town was dis-
couraging housing develop-
ment there.
He said if the city keeps
growing as projected, in
about five years it would not
meet state recommendations
for water storage capacity
without the new tank, which
will be the same size as the
water tower on North High-
way 395.
The city is planning to
move forward with a new
skate park that will be built
on First Place across from
the police department and
fire station. The depart-
ment also plans to install
the other nine holes of a disc
golf course installed last
year on 11th Street across
from Good Shepherd Med-
ical Center. Smith said the
money for the course will be
funded through raising pri-
vate donations.
Bids open next week for
contractors to build the West
Highland Trail Extension,
which will create a trail that
runs parallel to Highland
Avenue from 11th Street to
Riverfront Park. Smith said
all of the final design work
and easement acquisition is
complete.
The city is keeping an
eye on the Hermiston Com-
munity Center budget since
it took over operation. Every
weekend in the center is
booked for the year, he said,
and so far revenue for the
first quarter has tracked with
what the center was making
under the chamber this time
of year.
The city has recently
taken over full management
of another event venue —
the Eastern Oregon Trade
and Event Center. Smith said
trying to move the finances
from an intergovernmental
arrangement with Umatilla
County to being fully under
the umbrella of the city’s
finances has been quite the
accounting challenge. As
he went over the budget
for EOTEC with the com-
mittee he said most opera-
tional costs listed were actu-
ally covered by the $9,000
per month the city is paying
VenuWorks to run the cen-
ter, but they were all listed
in the budget anyway to be
more transparent about how
EOTEC is run.
Smith said money the
city is contributing to sub-
sidize EOTEC’s operation
would come from the Tran-
sient Room Tax placed on
hotel reservations, not prop-
erty taxes paid by local res-
idents. While in the past
the TRT funds have been
self-reported by hoteliers
and short-term RV parks,
the city plans to audit the
affected businesses this year
to make sure they are report-
ing their income accurately.
Overall, Smith said, the
city’s finances are in good
shape. He said proposed
general fund revenues are up
$710,000 over 2017-2018,
and 61 percent of that num-
ber was due to increased
property tax revenue.
Approval of the 2018-
2019 budget is the main
item on the agenda for Mon-
day’s city council meeting,
held 7 p.m. at city hall, 180
N.E. Second St. The coun-
cil will also consider leas-
ing about one acre of land
near the Hermiston Munic-
ipal Airport to Ross-Brandt
Electric, which would like
to construct an office and
shop there. On the consent
agenda is appointment of
Lucas Wagner, Mike Kay,
Vijay Patel, Steve Wil-
liams and Steve Eldrige to
the new EOTEC advisory
committee.
———
Contact Jade McDowell
at jmcdowell@eastorego-
nian.com or 541-564-4536.
GOP gubernatorial candidates square off in debate
By CLAIRE WITHYCOMBE
Capital Bureau
SALEM — The three
front-runners seeking the
Republican nomination for
governor faced off in an acri-
monious debate Friday on
the Lars Larson Show.
Larson quizzed State Rep.
Knute Buehler, R-Bend, an
orthopedic surgeon; Sam
Carpenter, a Bend business-
man; and Greg Wooldridge,
a motivational speaker and
retired U.S. Navy pilot, on
topics ranging from taxes to
the death penalty.
The debate also show-
cased differences of opinion
between Buehler, who has
been cast as a moderate, and
Wooldridge and Carpenter,
who are more conservative.
Buehler has been gener-
ally favored to win the nomi-
press release that Wood’s
management experience,
A former Pendleton knowledge of the com-
city councilor will take munity and its businesses
the lead at the Pendleton made him the perfect can-
Chamber of Commerce, didate to fill the role while
but only for the next few they conduct a thorough
search for a full-
months.
time director.
The
Cham-
The board of
ber of Commerce
directors
have
Board of Directors
already
started
announced Friday
searching for a
that Chuck Wood
permanent direc-
has been appointed
tor, and Cham-
as interim execu-
tive director for the
Chuck
ber President Jor-
dan McDonald did
Wood
organization, tak-
ing over the tem-
not specify a date
porary role from Megan by which they’ll fill that
Lauer.
position.
“Chuck will be in the
Wood said he hopes
to keep things running position for three months,
smoothly until the board and he’s doing it as a favor
can find a full-time leader. to us at the Chamber,”
“I know a lot of peo- McDonald said.
ple in town, and I like
Lauer was appointed
working with people,” he to the position in Febru-
said. “I really just want to ary, and will remain with
keep us going in the right the Chamber until the end
of May to assist with the
direction.”
Wood said the position transition. She will serve
is paid, but he does not as membership coordina-
plan to apply for the full- tor, a position she has held
for the last three and a half
time role.
Wood has lived in years. She does not plan to
Pendleton since 1999, and stay with the organization
has been involved with long-term, so the Cham-
the community in sev- ber is currently accept-
eral ways. He and his wife ing applications for the
owned small businesses membership coordinator
prior to moving to Ore- position.
gon. Once in Pendleton, he
Board members said
spent five years on the city they were pleased with
planning commission and Lauer’s work over the past
four as a city councilor. three years.
McDonald said Lauer
He has been involved with
the Main Street Cowboys, left because she was look-
and is currently a member ing for more career devel-
of the Pendleton Enhance- opment opportunities. He
ment Project, a group of said she did not apply for
people working to repur- the full-time executive
pose the Eighth Street director role.
Bridge trusses into a pub-
Any questions may be
lic plaza near the Cham- directed to the 2018 Pend-
ber building. He is also a leton Chamber president,
member of the Pendleton Jordan McDonald, at jor-
dan.mcdonald@pendle-
Men’s Chorus.
The Chamber Execu- tonoverground.com or by
tive Committee said in a calling 541-310-9329.
East Oregonian
nation, although a poll made
public Thursday indicates
Carpenter is not far behind.
There was open hostility
between Carpenter and the
other candidates.
When, for example, Lar-
son asked Carpenter to
respond to attack ads recently
unveiled by Buehler, Carpen-
ter said he has been “wildly
mischaracterized” by Bue-
hler and Wooldridge.
“Everything you’ve said
has been either a distortion
or a complete lie,” Carpenter
said to Buehler. “And Greg,
you’ve done the same thing.
How come you guys are
ganging up on me? What’s
the problem?”
“Because you have a
problem with telling the
truth,” Buehler replied. The
Buehler campaign last week
unveiled an ad alleging Car-
penter has repeatedly failed
to pay his taxes on time, a
charge Carpenter claims is an
exaggeration.
Wooldridge
criticized
Carpenter for what he char-
acterized as misleading state-
ments suggesting Carpenter
had served in the military.
“By the way, Sam, your
desperation doesn’t serve
you well,” Wooldridge said.
“It won’t serve the governor
of Oregon well either.”
Carpenter said he never
suggested he’d served in the
military. He trumpeted his
support for President Donald
J. Trump and maintained he
was the only candidate who
could “rally the base.”
“There is no way Knute
can take (Governor) Kate
Brown in November,” Car-
penter said, alleging Bue-
hler was too moderate in his
EXTRACTIONS, WISDOM TEETH REMOVAL,ORAL AND IV SEDATION
stances on guns and abortion.
“I’m an independent
minded person, and I’ll call
each issue as I see it,” Buehler
said of Trump’s positions.
Wooldridge said he and
the president have differ-
ent “styles,” but that he sup-
ported the president.
All three candidates said
that, if elected, they would
not raise taxes or create new
ones.
Town dedicates park to Donald Duck artist
MERRILL, Ore. (AP)
— The tiny town of
Merrill is dedicating a new
park to the Walt Disney
animator who’s known for
drawing Donald Duck and
creating the characters in
“DuckTales.”
The Herald and News
reported Friday that Carl
Barks died in 2000 but
he’s now considered one
of the most influential
comics of all time.
It will be called Good
Duck Park.
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Pendleton, OR I-84 - Exit 216
Pendleton, OR I-84 - Exit 216
A COMMISSIONER WHO IS DEDICATED,
ACCOUNTABLE AND FULLY ENGAGED
What are observers saying about what
Commissioner Murdock has brought to Umatilla
County in his first full term?
On the subject of energy & commitment:
“He models what he expects from employees -
he’s among those who open the Courthouse in
the morning and among those who close it in
the evening - every day.”
On the subject of accessibility:
“When I drop by the Commissioner’s office,
I can count on Commissioner Murdock
being there.”
On the subject of knowledge & experience:
“It’s not easy helping lead 300 employees and
balancing an $80 million budget.
Commissioner Murdock came to the position
with decades of experience and it shows in the
current state of the county.”
On the subject of past performance:
“Commissioner Murdock made a positive
difference at the Intermountain ESD, the Pasco
School District and at the East Oregonian. It
shouldn’t be a surprise that Umatilla County has
benefitted from this experience.”
On the subject of making the most of tax dollars:
“Taxpayers don’t want public agencies that
whine about not having enough money. Rather,
they want those in charge to function effectively
and efficiently and provide a stable level of
programs and services. Commissioner Murdock
is the chief budget officer for the county and he
is proud of the fact the county balanced next
year’s budget on February 6.”
1100 Southgate, Suite 3. Pendleton OR 97801
541.276.5272
We are open from 7:30am - 4:30pm M-Th
VOTE GEORGE MURDOCK ON MAY 15 & HELP
KEEP UMATILLA COUNTY MOVING FORWARD
Current Umatilla County Commission Board Chair
George Murdock has earned a second full term in office
Paid for by Committee to Re-elect George Murdock, County Commissioner. 191 NW Johns Ave., Pendleton, OR 97801