BULLDOGS
HOST MCC
GRAPPLERS
CONGRESS
OK S SEA LION
KILLINGS
SPORTS, B1
NORTHWEST, A2
E O
AST
143rd year, No. 41
REGONIAN
Thursday, december 13, 2018
One dollar
WINNER OF THE 2018 ONPA GENERAL EXCELLENCE AWARD
PENDLETON
Council
explores
collecting
tax money
on vacation
rentals
By ANTONIO SIERRA
East Oregonian
according to Pendleton convention
center manager Pat beard, the local tour-
ism industry generates $100 million in
direct spending every year. and he wants
to make sure the city collects “every
penny” of the lodging tax revenue it’s
due.
“It’s a huge economic boon that we are
now growing,” he told the Pendleton city
council at a workshop Tuesday. “This is
the fruit that we harvest.”
The city’s lodging room tax and tour-
ism promotion assessment charge have
grown in recent years, with the city pro-
jecting $1.1 million and $105,750 from
the taxes, respectively, for the current fis-
cal year, which ends June 30, 2019.
The pair of taxes go toward the con-
vention center and tourism promo-
tion through the Pendleton chamber of
commerce.
While beard commended the city for
collecting from previously non-compli-
ant lodging providers, like the tempo-
rary recreational vehicle parks that pop
up during round-up, he directed the
council’s attention toward the “growing
phenomenon” of vacation rental proper-
ties that are rented through websites like
airbnb.
While the chamber of commerce has
long acted as a clearinghouse for rental
properties during round-up, these other
websites offer their services year-round.
as of late Wednesday afternoon, there
were 24 Pendleton area properties listed
on airbnb. beard anticipates that number
will surpass 100 within a couple of years.
councilor Neil brown, who rents out
properties through airbnb, said local resi-
dents need to be trained in the city’s lodg-
ing tax laws. The taxes only apply to peo-
ple who stay in a room 30 days or less,
but brown said many of his tenants stay
at his properties for months at a time.
councilor dale Primmer said city
manager robb corbett should talk with
city officials form coastal communities to
figure out how they deal with the issue.
It’s an issue that rosemary Johnson
has been dealing with for years, first as
the astoria city planner then as a planning
Staff photo by E.J. Harris
Pendleton Police officer Cass Clark takes a statement from Gloria Huber, center, about a hit-and-run on her son
Brandan Josleyn’s vehicle recently in Pendleton.
Cops and data
chiefs have concerns as
state mandates expanded
collection
By PHIL WRIGHT
East Oregonian
T
he state mandate for police to
collect race and gender data
could lead to a downturn in some
officer activity.
Local police leaders expressed that
and other concerns about house bill
2355, which requires police to doc-
ument race and gender during traf-
fic stops “to identify patterns or prac-
tices of profiling.” The law kicked into
effect this summer but the state is giv-
ing more time for smaller departments
to sort out how to gather, store and
submit data.
hermiston Police chief Jason
edmiston said his department has to
start by July 1, but will roll out the
program in April so officers have time
to learn the system. he said he antici-
pates at least one side effect.
“I think we’re going to see a very
slight dip in officer initiated activ-
ity and a slight dip in traffic stops,”
edmiston said.
Staff photo by E.J. Harris
Pendleton Police officer Cass Clark enters case notes into a mobile
workstation in his patrol cruiser recently in Pendleton.
That could lead to police missing
bigger crimes. Police catching unlaw-
ful activity during stops “happens all
the time,” edmiston said, but bogging
down a cop in the field with extra work
is likely to lead to backlash to avoid
that work. The chief said that’s just
part of human nature.
The bigger problem, police said,
stems from gathering the data. Offi-
cers have to provide the reason for
the stop and their perceptions at the
moment.
“Just because you perceive some-
See Cops, Page A10
See Vacation, Page A10
HERMISTON
cOmmuNIcaTION Is The Key
Grants fund tech
upgrades in Life
skills classes
By JAYATI
RAMAKRISHNAN
East Oregonian
Whether letting their
voices soar out over the
audience during a perfor-
mance, or simply being able
to spell out a word in class,
all students have reasons to
communicate. Two teach-
ers at the hermiston school
district had polar opposite
projects when applying for
grants from the hermiston
education Foundation, but
both had the basic goal of
helping their students com-
municate more easily.
Karly carlson, a special
education teacher in high-
land hills’ Life skills pro-
gram, received a grant to
purchase an app that will
help her students with ver-
bal communication issues be
able to interact with others.
The app is called “Pecs,”
or Picture exchange com-
munication system. stu-
dents can customize it as
needed, to speak words or
phrases that they want to
say. many of the already
downloaded words come
with pictures, or students
can make their own to go
along with the words they
add.
“most of my students
are nonverbal,” carlson
said. “but as we know, just
because we can’t speak
doesn’t mean we don’t have
things to say.”
highland hills will use
the grant money from heF,
about $230, to purchase the
See Communication, Page A10
CHI St. Anthony Hospital Family Clinic is recognized
as a Patient -Centered Primary Care Home.
What does that mean for you?
• Better-coordinated care.
• Healthcare providers who will help connect you
• Listening to your concerns and answering with the care you need in a safe and timely way.
questions.
• Healthcare providers who play an active role in
your health.
• After-hours nurse consultation.
844.724.8632
3001 St. Anthony Way, Pendleton
WWW.SAHPENDLETON.ORG
Mon through Thurs, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. • Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.,
Sat and Sun, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.,
Walk-ins are welcome but appointments are preferred.