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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 2, 2019)
REGION Saturday, November 2, 2019 East Oregonian A3 City committees struggle to keep members By JADE MCDOWELL East Oregonian HERMISTON — If giv- ing approval for a $55 million budget sounds fun, the city of Hermiston’s Budget Commit- tee has a few openings that might be right for you. “Position No. 8 has been open for about two years, and position No. 9 has been open for about a year,” City Recorder Lilly Alar- con-Strong said. The budget committee is one of about 15 committees that the city regularly fi nds itself struggling to keep full. If someone wants to volunteer for the city, Alarcon-Strong said, there’s generally at least a couple of openings on com- mittees at any given time. Currently there are fi ve open positions on the Budget Committee, one on the Recre- ation Projects Fund Advisory Committee, one on the Faith Based Advisory Committee and one on the Eastern Ore- gon Trade and Event Center Committee. A committee can’t vote on anything without a quo- rum — meaning at least half the committee members are present — so some commit- EO fi le photo Sheriff Terry Rowan, left, speaks during a 2018 Hispanic Advisory Committee meeting at Hermiston City Hall. tees have reduced the number of people on their committee in order to be able to meet that requirement more often when seats are vacant or committee members are absent. “The Hispanic Advisory Committee went from nine to seven to fi ve,” Alarcon-Strong said. The commitment for serv- ing on a committee varies. Some, like the Library Board or Parks and Recreation Com- mittee, meet once a month to discuss recommendations for the city council on their allotted subject. Others, like the Budget Committee, meet once a year for a specifi c pur- pose. And some committees, such as the Rebuild Funland Committee, exist only tempo- rarily to see a specifi c project through. Often committees do the legwork for the city coun- cil in researching and devel- oping projects, before ask- ing for the council’s approval on the plan. One of the city’s most infl uential committees is the Planning Commission, which rules on zoning, con- ditional use permits, plats and other land use decisions that can make or break a building project. Volunteering to sit on a committee can be a good way to step up participation in local government — some- where in between “votes once a year” and “running for mayor.” Often candidates for city council started out on a city committee, and those who win a seat on the council can continue to sit in on that com- mittee as a council liaison. “I think if people volun- teered more, they would have more knowledge of city hap- penings,” Alarcon-Strong said. Mayor David Drotzmann said committees help bring a diverse perspective to the city council and increase transpar- ency, creating the opportunity for input from 50 to 60 people instead of just eight city coun- cilors and the mayor. “We vet a lot of concepts and ideas through these com- mittees,” he said. He said joining a commit- tee is a great way to have an infl uence on city government without taking the “heat” that the city council does on high-profi le decisions. City committee open- ings are kept up to date on the city’s website at hermis- ton.or.us/volunteer, and appli- cation forms can be printed off of there or picked up from city hall. The city performs a background check on appli- cants. If more than one person applies for the same seat on a committee, the Committee to Review Committee Vacancy Applications will interview candidates before making a recommendation to the city council. Hermiston isn’t the only city that is continuously work- ing to fi ll seats on committees. Pendleton also has a wide range of committees, listed on the city’s website. Some, like the Planning Commission, are universal to cities in Oregon. Others such as the Arts Com- mittee, Historic Landmarks Committee and Air Qual- ity Commission are different than Hermiston’s chosen com- mittee topics. Information about each committee and forms to apply for committee vacan- cies can be found online at pendleton.or.us/commit- tees-boards-commissions or picked up at city hall. Pendleton considers Union County sheriff’s challengers deep on background, lack credentials permanent ban on Bill Miller, Shane tobacco in city parks Rollins lack police offi cer certifi cation By PHIL WRIGHT East Oregonian LA GRANDE — If either challenger in the race for Union County sher- iff wins, he would have to spend at least a few weeks in Salem for training. Bill Miller, 53, of Elgin, and Shane Rollins, 45, of Cove, aim to oust Sher- iff Boyd Rasmussen, who seeks a fi fth term. Miller and Rollins have plenty of law enforcement experi- ences, but they lack a crit- ical component for being a sheriff in Oregon: police offi cer certifi cation. The challengers said they can work out a way to deal with that if they win. Miller said he would have to attend a couple of weeks of courses to reac- tive his certifi cate. Rollins, however, would spend 16 weeks training at the Ore- gon Public Safety Acad- emy in Salem. Rasmussen, meanwhile, has certifi cates from basic to executive and all in good standing. Oregon Revised Statute 206.015 sets out the quali- fi cations for sheriff: Can- didates must be at least 21; have at least four years experience, either as a full- time law enforcement offi - cer or a mix of work and post-high school educa- tion; and candidates can- not have a felony convic- tion or other convictions preventing them from obtain- ing police officer cer tif ica- tion. Sher- Miller iffs have up to a year to obtain that certifi cation. If a sheriff fails to fol- low through, the county declares the offi ce vacant. Jason Myers, execu- tive director of the Ore- gon State’s Sheriff’s Asso- ciation, said while the law provides that grace period, a sheriff “absolutely must” complete certifi cation at the academy. Marsha Morin man- ages the Criminal Justice Certifi cation Program for the Oregon Department of Public Safety Standards and Training, which is in charge of the academy. Each of the Union County sheriff candidates meet the eligibility requirements to run for the offi ce, she said, but that assessment does not check the box for certifi cation. “We’ve had a couple of sheriffs come through the academy,” she said. “It’s not common by any means, but it does happen. They usually have out-of- state experience.” She also said those sheriffs obtained the certifi cation. Miller left the Union County Sheriff’s Offi ce in August 2018 for a job in parole and probation and has the certifi cate for that job, according to the Ore- gon Criminal Justice Infor- Rasmussen Rollins mation Records Inquiry System, the state’s online searchable database of law enforcement and emer- gency services personnel certifi cation and training. But that certifi cation can- not substitute for the police offi cer requirement, and Miller’s police offi cer cre- dentials are out of date. Miller said the way he understand it, as sheriff he would have to return to the Public Safety Academy for two weeks of training on criminal law to reactive his certifi cation. “All I have to do is go back and refresh it,” he said. Just how he would man- age the sheriff’s offi ce from Salem remains a question. He said that answer would depend in part on his evaluation of the administrative roles in the sheriff’s offi ce. He said he was confi dent he could remain in communi- cation and work with staff to ensure smooth running if he was out of the offi ce. Rollins said while he could seek a waiver to the academy’s 16-week long basic police course, he is ready to dive into educa- tion as sheriff. “I feel it’s better for me to go through the academy to learn the laws of Ore- gon,” he said. “Plus, that would build a bit of trust with the deputies know- ing I went through the the same academy they did.” Morin with DPSST said there is no guarantee when it comes to waivers. “It’s a case-by-case basis if we’re going to approve it or not,” she said. If either challenger wins, Union County would pay for their time at the academy. The sheriff is the county’s top paid offi - cial with an annual salary of $90,723. Rasmussen said while a lot of people think they can do the work of the sheriff, it takes a “boots-on-the- ground” approach to build trust with the commu- nity and staff. He said the recent unanimous endorse- ment from Union County Law Enforcement Associa- tion supporting his re-elec- tion shows he is doing just that. County Clerk Robin Church said Union County has not had a sheriff’s race with three candidates since the 1980s. March 10, 2020, is the deadline to fi le for candidacy in the pri- mary election. Plenty of time for more challeng- ers to step in. East Oregonian PENDLETON — The ban on tobacco in Pend- leton parks could become permanent. The Pendleton City Council has a public hear- ing during its regular meeting Tuesday evening to consider repealing the sunset provision on the local ban. The council in Sep- tember 2017 passed a ban on the use of tobacco and related products in city parks. The council at the time also approved a two- year sunset provision. City Attorney Nancy Kerns in a memo to the council explained the sunset would repeal the ban on Nov. 31. She also informed the council that Umatilla County’s Tobacco Prevention Edu- cation Program coordina- tor is preparing a petition to request the city make the ban permanent. The city’s parks com- mission recently gave its support for making the ban permanent, accord- ing to Kerns, and Pend- WALLA WALLA, Wash. — The Walla Walla Basin Watershed Council is looking for a few landown- ers in Oregon interested in helping to recharge the shal- low aquifer by irrigating this winter. The landowner must have a water right that allows win- tertime irrigation, according to the release. The council is especially interested in working with landowners who have prop- 11/1-11/3 Cineplex Show Times $5 Classic Movie Showing Wednesday @ 12p Some Like it Hot Terminator: Dark Fate (R) 1:20p* 4:10p 7:00p 9:50p Arctic Dogs (PG) 12:00p* 2:10p* 4:30p 6:50p 9:10p Maleficent: Mistress of Evil (PG) 1:10p* 4:00p 6:40p 9:30p Zombieland: Double Tap (R) 2:20p* 4:40p 7:20p 9:40p BRIEFLY Volunteers needed for aquifer recharge in Oregon leton Police Chief Stuart Roberts had no objection to a permanent ban as long officers don’t have to actively enforce the provision. In new business, the council will consider renewing a lease at the Eastern Oregon Regional Airport to Dustin Sorensen, who has been a tenant there for 13 years. “Sorenson has been an exemplary tenant and continues to maintain the same business, Eastern Oregon Building Enter- prise,” according to the memo to council. The lease is for about $1,500 a year. And the city will hear the first reading of Ordi- nance 3947, amending the marijuana code lan- guage to reflect marijuana as an agricultural product and address the non-retail component of the mari- juana industry. Joker (R) 1:30p* 4:20p 7:10p 10:00p erty in the “cobbly, coarse soils near Milton-Freewa- ter,” the announcement stated. Contact Marie Cobb, with the Walla Walla Basin Watershed Council, for more information at 541- 938-2170 ext. 105. — East Oregonian staff * Matinee Pricing wildhorseresort.com • 541-966-1850 Pendleton, OR I-84 - Exit 216 11/4 Cineplex Show Times $5 Classic Movie THANK YOU *PENDLETON FOUNDATION TRUST* for granting us funds to purchase dome lights and new canvas tents. We endured some incredible storms on our trip and remained warm and dry thanks to your generosity. From The Pendleton Pathfinder Club Walla Walla VAMC Veterans Town Hall Nov. 6, 2019 5-6:30 | Theater (Bldg. 78) (77 Wainwright Dr., Walla Walla, WA) Visit With VA leadership & staff to learn about your future health care options. For additional info, contact Linda Wondra , Public Affairs • 509.386.1117 Showing Wednesday @ 12p Some Like it Hot Terminator: Dark Fate (R) 4:10p 7:00p 9:50p Arctic Dogs (PG) 4:30p 6:50p 9:10p Maleficent: Mistress of Evil (PG) 4:00p 6:40p 9:30p Zombieland: Double Tap (R) 4:40p 7:20p 9:40p Joker (R) 4:20p 7:10p 10:00p * Matinee Pricing wildhorseresort.com • 541-966-1850 Pendleton, OR I-84 - Exit 216