REGION
Saturday, June 26, 2021
East Oregonian
A3
Local projects make multi-million dollar spending bill
including workforce initia-
tives, continuing education,
regional conferences and
youth programs.
By JADE MCDOWELL
AND BRYCE DOLE
East Oregonian
SALEM — The Oregon
Legislature again is playing
the role of early Santa Claus
as the 2021 session winds
up, with plenty of projects in
Eastern Oregon on the path to
receive big dole outs.
The Joint Committee on
Ways and Means is consid-
ering House Bill 5006 — the
“Christmas Tree Bill” that is
the collection of local proj-
ects and programs that buoy
individual lawmakers. The
bill is especially large this
year because of $240 million
in federal American Rescue
Plan Act funds.
In Umatilla, a $1.8 million
appropriation will help fund
the Minority Entrepreneur-
ial Development & Business
Center. The Port of Morrow
is getting $4.3 million for
a training facility. And the
spending bill includes $1.75
million for a long-anticipated
renovation of the Umatilla
County Jail.
Umatilla City Manager
David Stockdale said
the city is planning to
create the approximately
21,000-square-foot center by
adding on to and remodeling
the former post offi ce build-
ing on Sixth Street next to
city hall. He called it a “one
stop shop” for business in
Umatilla.
Jail funding returns
Ben Lonergan/East Oregonian, File
A sign on Dec. 4, 2020, along Southwest 18th Street in Pendleton advertises the future site
of Blue Mountain Community College’s Facility for Agricultural Resource Management. The
2021 Legislature’s spending bill for local capital projects includes $3 million for FARM II.
“We should provide all
the tools people need to grow
their business,” he said.
The city’s community
development department
will be housed in the build-
ing, giving people a place to
access building permits, busi-
ness permits and more.
The first f loor of the
two-story building will
contain more than 2,500
square feet of “business incu-
bator” space where entre-
preneurs can start their own
business.
The second story will have
more permanent commercial
tenants to help drive foot traf-
fi c to the newer businesses
downstairs. The building
will include space for train-
ings, community events
and private events, with a
commercial kitchen.
Stockdale said the city
has been working with the
federal Economic Develop-
ment Administration, and it
looks like it will be able to get
a $3 million grant from there,
in addition to the $1.8 million
from the state, an additional
$2.5 million the city has
saved up and possibly some
additional economic develop-
ment funding from Umatilla
County.
Morrow County to hold
COVID-19 vaccine lottery
County residents
who have been
vaccinated as of
June 26 are entered
to win prize money
By BRYCE DOLE
East Oregonian
HEPPNER — Five vacci-
nated Morrow County resi-
dents have the opportunity to
win up to $20,000 through a
lottery intended to improve
the county’s vaccine rates.
The county has set aside
$70,000 in state funding
for a drawing between June
28 and July 6, according to
Morrow County Commis-
sioner Melissa Lindsay. Two
vaccinated residents will
be awarded $20,000 in the
lottery, and three others will
receive $10,000.
“Some of our citizens are
not wanting to get the vaccine,
and that’s their choice,” Lind-
say said. “Seeing the nation
and the state come out with
the lottery to award those that
do want to step up and get the
vaccine seemed like a way
to use those dollars without
overstepping the choice.”
Morrow County resi-
dents who have received at
least their first dose of the
vaccine as of Saturday, June
26, are automatically entered
into the lottery, Lindsay said.
The funding comes out of
the more than $164,000 the
county received in May from
the state’s $25 million eff ort
to improve vaccination rates
through programs like incen-
tives.
The county will be
using the rest of that fund-
ing to recruit a nurse to run
programs and tackle equity
issues in public health, such
as reaching the county’s
Hispanic and Latino commu-
nity with COVID-19 test-
ing and vaccinations. The
county also will use the fund-
ing for marketing COVID-
19 vaccines through Spanish
radio programs.
The county’s lottery comes
in addition to the $10,000 the
state will award to a vacci-
nated resident in each of
Oregon’s 36 counties. One
lucky Oregonian will receive
The most valuable and
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eomediagroup.com
“I think it’s pretty remark-
able to get an $8 million proj-
ect done without borrowing
a penny to do it,” Stockdale
said.
If all goes well with
getting the EDA funding, he
expects construction to start
in early 2022 and wrap up in
summer of 2023.
Port of Morrow Manager
Ryan Neal said the $4.3
million for the Cultural Alli-
ance and Training Center
at SAGE will “provide a
community space to assist
our regional education and
industry partners with addi-
tional programs and events,”
Local offi cials have been
pushing for state funding for
years to renovate the Umatilla
County Jail to accommodate
people suff ering addiction or
mental health crises. County
Com missioner George
Murdock called the alloca-
tion an exciting development.
“We’re going to be able to
have all the facilities that we
need to handle the population
that we’re now seeing on a
daily basis at the jail,” he said.
The new facilities will
allow jail staff to sepa-
rate people struggling with
mental health or addiction
from people who have been
arrested for violent crimes,
which Murdock sees as a
major benefi t.
“We still are not perceiv-
ing it as our long-term solu-
tion for mental health,”
Murdock said. “But it’s the
only alternative we have
at the moment as a place to
house mental health patients.”
For Sen. Bill Hansell,
R-Athena, getting the proj-
ect the funding it needed
after years of lobbying was
rewarding.
“It’s a good reminder to
stick with it,” he said. “We
thought we had it, but then the
pandemic came, over which
we had absolutely no control.
We were able to resubmit
it, but the need was always
there. It’s another example of
a team eff ort.”
Other projects
The city of Echo gis
getting a bit more than $7
million for water and waste-
water improvements. City
Administrator David Slaght
said seeking the funding was
the fi rst time he had lobbied
for anything, so he didn’t
expect much, and he and the
city council were thrilled
with the results.
“We’re super excited,” he
said. “I’m still numb that it’s
even happening.”
And the Facility for
Ag r icult u ral Resou rce
Management project at
Blue Mountain Commu-
nity College, Pendleton, is
getting a $3 million grant.
The entire cost of the multi-
use facility at the Pendleton
campus is about $13 million.
The structure would allow the
college’s rodeo team to prac-
tice in the winter, provide
teaching space and another
space for community events.
Connie Green, the college’s
interim president, said this is
a “long-term commitment to
do something that benefi ts all,
not just one.”
———
East Oregonian news
editor Phil Wright contrib-
uted to this article.
Umatilla National Forest sets use restrictions
By SHEILA HAGAR
Walla Walla Union-Bulletin
$1 million in the lottery. The
drawing will occur June 28,
with the winners announced
in July.
Vaccine incentives are
happening statewide in
response to Oregon’s dwin-
dling vaccination rate. In
Morrow County, only 4,235
residents have been vacci-
nated against COVID-19,
the fourth-lowest rate among
Oregon counties, according to
state data.
Lindsay said the lottery
was specifically intended
to improve the county’s
vaccine rate, and to protect
the community as the virus
mutates into new variants.
“The vaccine is our best
way out if variants keep
coming forward,” she said.
“The best way to protect
ourselves and protect out
families is the vaccine. And if
having a pool of money come
back to our economy helps
people get over the fence,
that’s great.”
County residents still
can get vaccinated through
the Morrow County Health
Department, Morrow County
Health District, Columbia
River Health and Murray’s
Drug. Residents who have
been vaccinated at a state or
federal facility are encour-
aged to contact any public
health office in Oregon to
make sure they are registered.
PENDLETON — With
increased fire danger and
dry weather conditions
comes increased rules in the
Umatilla National Forest.
Offi cials have instituted
the fi rst phase of public use
restrictions for the 1.4 million
acres that stretch across the
Blue Mountains in Northeast
Oregon to Southeast Wash-
ington. Starting just after
midnight on Friday, June 25,
visitors to the national forest
must heed the following:
• Chainsaws can be oper-
ated only between 8 p.m.
and 1 p.m. and a one-hour
fi re watch is required after
saw use stops. Operators
are required to have an axe,
shovel and fi re extinguisher
with them.
• Smoking is allowed only
in enclosed vehicles, build-
ings or cleared areas.
• No off -road or off -trail
vehicle travel is allowed;
travel is prohibited on roads
with standing grass or other
fl ammable material. These is
no vehicle travel allowed on
Forest Service roads where
access has been impeded or
blocked by dirt, logs, boul-
ders or man-made barri-
cades.
The public also is
encouraged to practice safe
campfire principles when
recreating in dispersed and
developed campsites.
Forest officials recom-
mend the following campfi re
safety precautions:
• Campfi res should be in
fi re pits surrounded by dirt,
rock or commercial rings
and in areas not conducive to
rapid fi re spread. All fl amma-
ble material must be cleared
within a 3-foot radius from
the edge of the pit and free of
overhanging material. Use
existing pits wherever possi-
ble.
• Campfires must be
attended at all times and
completely extinguished
before leaving.
• People making camp-
fi res should carry a tool that
can serve as a shovel and one
gallon of water, to completely
extinguish their campfi re.
Officials said public
awareness of the increasing
fi re danger and cooperation
with Forest Service rules and
staff is essential to a safe fi re
season.
Closures might be in
effect on state and private
land protected by Oregon
Department of Forestry in
Northeastern and Central
Oregon, and on such land
protected by the Washing-
ton Department of Natural
Resources.
For more complete infor-
mation, contact the Umatilla
National Forest hotline at
877-958-9663, or visit www.
fs.usda.gov/umatilla.
HERMISTON
Council to discuss system development charges
By JADE MCDOWELL
East Oregonian
HERMISTON — The
Hermiston City Council will
consider a resolution during
its Monday, June 28, meet-
ing that would raise system
development charges each
year.
System development
charges are one-time fees
paid on new construction
that go toward the city’s
costs for supporting new
growth, such as the cost
to extend water and sewer
lines. According to the
staff report in the coun-
cil’s agenda packet, the city
implemented water and
sewer system development
charges in 1998 and added
charges for parks in 2006,
but the city has not updated
the fees since fi rst imple-
menting them.
Under the proposal the
council will consider, the
city would incrementally
raise system development
charges during the next four
years to catch up with infl a-
tion, and then staring in 2026
the fees would increase 3%
each year. Current system
development charges for a
single family home are $907,
according to the report, and
would be at $1,768 in 2026.
Also on the agenda for
June 28 are approval of an
updated franchise agree-
ment with Cascade Natural
Gas and a proposal to name
a new road at the South
Hermiston Industrial Park
Cook Street, after Ivan and
Vernon Cook, who own
most of the property there.
The meeting starts at
7 p.m. at the Hermiston
Community Center and
will be livestreamed on the
City of Hermiston YouTube
channel.
IRRIGON MARINA PARK
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If you
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LOGI ER!
E R GIST
or at a federal location,
register today to be
entered into
Oregon’s $1 Million
Vaccination Lottery!
ALL CONCERTS START AT 7:00PM
Monday, June 28th
Estilo Diferente
(Latino Band)
Monday, July 12th • JD Kindle
(Country/Jazz)
Monday, July 26th • Cruise Control
(Classic Rock)
Monday, August 9th • Cale Moon
(Country)
Funded by Morrow County Unified Recreation District
Sponsored by North Morrow Community Foundation
For information call: Donna @ 541-922-3197
Celebration of a
Life of Service
Please join us to
celebrate the life
of
Tom
Tangney
Wed., June 30th
1:00 PM
Pendleton
Convention Center
~ All are Welcome ~
In lieu of flowers, please consider an act of service
to your community or a donation to the
Pendleton Military Tribute at www.pendletontribute.com