Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 20, 2020)
PENDLETON: Councilors want crackdown on Edwards Apartments owner | REGION, A3 E O AST 144th year, No. 89 REGONIAN THURSDAy, FEBRUARy 20, 2020 $1.50 WINNER OF THE 2019 ONPA GENERAL EXCELLENCE AWARD UMATILLA RIVER FLOODING HERMISTON Residents question city hall proposal City manager fields questions on $9M building By JADE MCDOWELL East Oregonian Commissioner John Sha- fer said Wednesday’s quick action was “extremely important” as the county pri- HERMISTON — City Manager Byron Smith fielded questions from residents about a proposed new city hall on Tuesday ahead of next Monday’s city council meet- ing, where councilors plan to take a vote on the issue. Smith met with seniors at the Harken- rider Senior Activity Center in the after- noon, and presented the same information again to a crowd of more than 40 people at the Hermiston Public Library on Tuesday night. One of the biggest sticking points for residents opposed to the plan has been the estimated $9 million price tag for the proj- ect, roughly $700,000 of which would go to remodeling the basement of the library to serve as an interim place for people to pay bills and conduct other business. Smith emphasized at the library meet- ing that the figure was an estimate by the architects, based on a very preliminary design, and the project could come in lower once a more detailed design was complete and the project was put out to bid. “There’s a lot of cushion in those num- bers,” he said. Residents at the meeting had a lot of questions about the details of how the proj- ect would be paid for. Smith explained that the city could use payments from Lamb Weston, Amazon, and other future proj- ects under enterprise zone agreements that allow them to give the city cash payments directly in lieu of paying a full property tax. The estimated debt payments the city would take on for the new city hall would be $439,291 per year for 30 years. The city will get $500,000 a year from Lamb Weston for the next 15 years, although the first $2 million of that had been planned for the new water tower the city recently built. In answer to a question about what else the enterprise zone payments could go toward if they weren’t used for city hall, Smith said there were many projects it could go toward, but the money hadn’t been earmarked for specific projects, other than the water tower. Smith said another government agency was interested in leasing part of the pro- posed city hall’s basement until the city grew into the extra space, which would also help pay part of the cost. The city was not planning on using property taxes, he said. “A lot of people care about cost right now, especially senior citizens on a fixed income,” attendee Mark Gomolski told Smith. “What guarantee do you have that See Emergency, Page A7 See City Hall, Page A7 Staff photo by Kathy Aney Samaritan’s Purse volunteers bow their heads in prayer on Tuesday afternoon before removing sodden insulation at a River- view Mobile Home Estates home. A new beginning International disaster volunteers get flooded homes build ready By KATHY ANEY East Oregonian ENDLETON — No one could blame Dane Creger for looking slightly dazed. Extreme flooding earlier this month left Creger’s Riverside home a sodden mess, and him and his wife, Candice, in shock. That morn- ing, a dozen volunteers wearing orange Samaritan’s Purse shirts showed up at the home to remove drenched insula- tion, carpet, sheetrock and paneling and to clean up flood debris in the yard. It was surreal, but in a good way. P Creger’s memory of early-morn- ing Feb. 7 is still fresh. That’s when the Umatilla River shape-shifted from its normally placid state into a raging, rising monster that breached its banks and wreaked havoc around the county. Creger came home from his grave- yard shift about 3 a.m., and by 5 a.m. he was helping pile sandbags to staunch the flow into the neighborhood. When the water found another route, res- idents fled. Water rose to a couple of feet outside and several inches inside the Cregers’ home. A layer of mud covered the floor and water soaked into the sheetrock. “We spent days and days mopping up the mud,” Creger said. This week, a semitruck and trailer bearing the name Samaritan’s Purse pulled into town with a cadre of vol- unteers. They parked next to the First Assembly of God, 1911 Court Ave., and prepared to help flood victims muck out and gut their homes. Volun- teers haul away yard debris, remove insulation, paneling and sheetrock, pull up flooring and generally get the house down to the studs and subfloor. Before leaving, they spray a coating of See Volunteers, Page A7 Commissioners approve emergency repair contracts Nearly $140K in contracts approved at meeting of county commissioners By ALEX CASTLE East Oregonian PENDLETON — The Umatilla County Board of Commissioners took swift action Wednesday, award- ing two emergency contracts and revising a development code as the county works to recover from the devastation brought by record flooding two weeks ago. The county unanimously approved an emergency con- tract for $91,966 with Don Jackson Excavation to repair Dorothy Bridge on Walla Walla River Road, along with a $47,250 contract with Ryno Works to drill and blast 15,000 cubic yards of gravel for additional repair projects. In addition to starting on its own construction, the board of commissioners also Staff photo by Ben Lonergan A length of guardrail is all that remains of a section of Walla Walla River Road outside of Milton-Freewater on Wednesday afternoon after flooding severely damaged the road on Feb. 6. unanimously approved an amendment to the county’s development code to expedite the process for homeowners starting to make repairs to their properties. House Republicans disrupt legislative session Rep. Greg Smith discharged from chairing a budget subcommittee By CLAIRE WITHYCOMBE, JAKE THOMAS AND SAM STITES Oregon Capital Bureau SALEM — Republican legislators on Tuesday put the brakes on the Oregon Legis- lature, and Rep. Greg Smith, R-Heppner, paid a price for it. After Republicans left an evening session of the House in protest, saying their mem- bers needed more time to con- sider contentious bills, House Speaker Tina Kotek, D-Portland, issued ret- ribution by gavel — she discharged Smith Smith from chairing a budget subcommittee, assign- ing Democrat Pam Marsh of Ashland in his stead. “Being a chair comes with an extra set of responsibilities and expectations,” Kotek said in a statement. “Not only did Rep. Smith not come to work tonight, he didn’t submit an excuse for his absence.” The House needs two- thirds of its 60 members to take votes. With its current political makeup, that means at least two Republicans must show up with Democrats to have a legal quorum. Just one — Rep. Cheri Helt, R-Bend — showed up for the floor work. Smith did not argue with Kotek’s move. She had expectations for someone in his position, he told the East Oregonian, and unfor- tunately he could not honor those expectations. “Most definitely the Speaker of the House has that authority,” Smith said. “And I most definitely respect her decision.” He added Kotek is his See Republicans, Page A7 AP Photo/Anna Reed, File House Speaker Tina Kotek speaking Feb. 3 on the first day of the short legislative session at the Oregon Capitol in Salem. Kotek, D-Portland, took action Tuesday night to remove Rep. Greg Smith, R-Heppner, as chair of a budget subcommittee after he and fellow House Republicans left in protest over contentious legislation.