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About Wallowa County chieftain. (Enterprise, Wallowa County, Or.) 1943-current | View Entire Issue (April 8, 2015)
A10 News wallowa.com April 8, 2015 Wallowa County Chieftain Council defends latest street funding plan By Steve Tool Wallowa County Chieftain It was déjà vu all over again for the Joseph city council at their April 2 meeting. During the Feb. 5 city council meeting, council PHPEHUVXQDQLPRXVO\GHFLG ed to approve a $1.3 million street repair levy through a transportation/utility fee of approximately $11 per month. At a Feb. 24 emergency city FRXQFLO PHHWLQJ WKH FRXQ cil, with one dissenting vote, GHFLGHG WR DWWDFK DQ DGGL tional measure allowing for DQ LQFUHDVH LQ SURSHUW\ WD[ es should the transportation/ utility revenue fall short of its obligation to the bondholders. The additional measure was made at the behest of .DWLH 6FKZDE D YLFHSUHVL dent of Wedbush Securities. 6FKZDE VXJJHVWHG WKH DG dition made the bond more attractive to bondholders as guaranteed revenue in case of a shortfall. Without it, Schwab suggested the bond could take DV ORQJ DV ¿YH \HDUV WR IXOO\ LPSOHPHQW6KHDOVRVXJJHVW ed it could keep the city from dipping into general funds to cover possible shortfalls. Joseph citizen Kathy Bingham opened the April 2 meeting expressing concern DERXW WKH SURSHUW\ WD[ FDYH DW DQG LWV ODFN RI D VSHFL¿F dollar amount. Mayor Dennis Sands explained the reasons IRU WKH FDYHDW ZKLFK VRPH what assuaged Bingham’s fears — for awhile — that the council could and would raise and collect property taxes above and beyond the needed amount. That wasn’t the last the FRXQFLOKHDUGDERXWWKHPHD sure. An hour and 22 minutes later, Joseph citizen Lem 0F%XUQH\ UHLQWURGXFHG the subject, asking if the measure included a plan B. ³7KLV LV WRR RSHQHQGHG IRU me. I know it’s being driven by demands of the people at the loan, but it seems like the number should be static.” McBurney added his taxes were “higher than anyone’s.” Kathy Bingham said, “This is going to cost me a WKRXVDQG GROODUV D \HDU´ DO though in fact, the measure doesn’t specify an amount of property taxes to be levied. It PRUHJHQHUDOO\VWDWHV´,IFRO lections of the transportation XWLOLW\IHHDUHLQVXI¿FLHQWWKH bonds would be payable from a tax on property in the city.” City attorney Wyatt Baum said Wedbush could possibly ¿QGRWKHUDOWHUQDWLYHVWRPDNH up for shortfalls if citizen SXVKEDFN SURYHG WRR IRUPL dable against the property tax. Sands said it was too late to amend the ballot measure in any case. Bingham replied VKH ZDQWHG PRUH VSHFL¿FLW\ “There’s no give in there. It could change every year.” Baum said the city had no ZD\WRSURMHFWSRVVLEOHVKRUW falls. He also said the idea of a property tax levy worked as FROODWHUDO IRU WKH ERQG FRP pany in case of a shortfall in collecting the transportation utility fees and added the small size of the community and its general fund were also mitigating factors. Some discussion ensued DV WR SRVVLEO\ ¿UVW GLSSLQJ into the general fund to make XS IRU VKRUWIDOOV LQ IHH FRO lections before instituting the property tax hikes. This is not stipulated in the measure. Baum added that concerned citizens could take comfort in WKHIDFWWKDW0HDVXUHHVWDE lished property tax limits. In regard to a question of people who pay their water/ VHZHU IHHV EXW QRW WKH WUDQV portation utility fees, the council replied it planned an RUGLQDQFHWRVKXWRIIWKHLUVHU vices in that event, and state law allows them to do so. The general fund idea was again bandied back and forth with some people wondering if the council alone should decide if the fund had enough revenue to allow raiding. It ZDVDOVRXQFOHDULIVXFKUDLG ing were allowed without the cooperation of the budget committee. Councilor Teresa Sajonia then stated to McBurney in particular, “The city of Joseph UHDOO\QHHGVWKLVWRSDVV,XQ derstand what you’re talking about, and no one wants to pay PRUHWD[HV:H¶YHZRUNHGUH DOO\KDUGDW¿QGLQJWKLVKDSS\ medium of $11 a month.” She added that even if there were a shortfall, the property tax rates would still be a much smaller amount than the 2014 measure asking for a $2.46 SHUWKRXVDQGLQFUHDVHLQSURS erty taxes. The idea was discussed of taking out a newspaper ad to advise the citizenry of the FRXQFLO¶VLQWHQWWRORRNDWRWK HU RSWLRQV EHIRUH LPSOHPHQW ing a property tax increase as ZHOO DV D GRRUWRGRRU FDP paign. Sands also made one more offer to people who are XQFOHDU DERXW WKH WZR PHD sures. “Call me. I’m in the book.” 5DLOWUDLOWDONVODWHGIRU+XUULFDQH&UHHN*UDQJH By Rocky Wilson Wallowa County Chieftain Not to be confused with WKH QH[W RI¿FLDO SXEOLF PHHW ing regarding a feasibility study currently underway to determine if, how, and under what circumstances a bicycle/ pedestrian path could be built along the 63 miles of railroad WUDFNEHWZHHQ-RVHSKDQG(O gin, the Joseph Branch Trail Consortium is sponsoring a public meeting Thursday, April 9, to share perspectives ATHLETE OF THE WEEK HS, plays shortstop and catcher for the Cubs and is described as a fierce competitor who’s “totally wrapped up in sports.” The 16-year-old daughter of Gary and Stephanie Gassett also plays volleyball and basketball and maintains a 3.76 GPA. When not engrossed in high school sports, Gassett enjoys many aspects of the outdoors including 4-wheeling and camping. A known characteristic of the young lady’s personality, in addition to prioritizing friends After driving home eight runs and family, is how much in two league games Friday, Wallowa County Cub sophomore empathy she has for others. softball player Darby Gassett has Gassett won a Stockgrowers’ been named Athlete of the Week. heifer and enjoys caring for it. Gassett, a student at Enterprise DARBY GASSETT Proudly Sponsored By: Eastern Oregon’s Full Service Propane Supplier 201 E. Hwy 82, Enterprise 541-426-0320 www.edstaub.com RIVLPLODUHQGHDYRUVQRZDF WLYHLQRWKHUORFDWLRQVUHJLRQ ally. Dana Kurtz, the Eastern Oregon University student VHOHFWHG WR EH SURJUDP SURM HFW PDQDJHU IRU WKH IHDVLELOL ty study, says the idea behind Thursday’s meeting and a second one the night earlier at the Elgin Community Center ZDVVSDZQHGE\SXEOLFFRP ments made at a feasibility VWXG\PHHWLQJODVW\HDUMRLQW ly sponsored by EOU and the Oregon Department of Parks and Recreation (ODPR), the entities conducting that study. An adjacent landowner, D KLVWRULDQ DQG D WUDLO DV sociation president closely LQYROYHG ZLWK WKH PLOH Weiser River Trail (trail only, QR UDLOV ORFDWH LQ ,GDKR EH tween New Meadows and Weiser, will speak Thursday QLJKW $SULO DW WKH +XUUL cane Creek Grange, 63081 Hurricane Creek Road in rural Joseph. Another perspective RI WKH UDLOVDQGWUDLO FRQFHSW ZLOOEHRIIHUHGWKHVDPHHYH QLQJFRQFHUQLQJWKHPLOH OC&E Woods Line State Trail, located near Klamath December. According to Houston, the feasibility study is currently RQ VFKHGXOH LQ WHUPV RI FRQ FHSWSODQQLQJDQG(28LV¿ QDOL]LQJDQHFRQRPLFEHQH¿WV assessment. A draft existing FRQGLWLRQV DVVHVVPHQW LV DO ready complete. $ VXUYH\ RI UDQGRPO\ VH lected residents was set to EHJLQ HDUO\ LQ$SULO$FFRUG ing to the Joseph Branch Trail Consortium’s website, the survey will test proposed trail development alternatives. The project group hopes to have preliminary data from WKH VXUYH\ DQG GUDIW WUDLO GH Rob Ruth/Chieftain sign options in hand to review While the topography along this stretch of the WURA rail line, during an advisory committee south of Enterprise near Eggleson Lane, would lend itself meeting on May 5. relatively easily to the addition of a trail, some other portions A new round of public of the 63-mile line would be more challenging to trail project PHHWLQJV LV VFKHGXOHG LQ$X engineers. gust. According to Kurtz, an Falls. Speaking on that topic WRVSHDNEULHÀ\WKHQUHVSRQG unknown number of survey will be Todd Honeywell, a WR TXHVWLRQV IURP WKH DXGL questionnaires will be mailed E\ PLG$SULO ,Q DGGLWLRQ WR former manager of Wallowa ence. Lake State Park. Rocky Houston, the state those that are mailed, surveys The meetings held in Elgin WUDLOV FRRUGLQDWRU IRU 2UH will also soon be obtainable and Joseph are scheduled to gon, will facilitate the two via the Web at www.eou. last from 6 p.m. until 8 p.m. PHHWLQJV WR EH KHOG DW RSSR HGXUDLOVZLWKWUDLOV RU E\ DQG DFFRUGLQJ WR D SUHVV UH site ends of the railroad line FRQWDFWLQJ .XUW] DW lease circulated by the Joseph owned by the Wallowa Union 1804. On a related note, the %UDQFK7UDLO&RQVRUWLXPSDU Railroad Authority (WURA), ticipants “will discuss their the entity that will decide if Wallowa City Council voted experiences in developing, DQ\IXUWKHUDFWLRQZLOOEHWDN March 17 to issue a letter of managing, and maintaining en after EOU and State Parks VXSSRUW HQGRUVLQJ WKH SUR trails.” The announced plan is KDQG WKHLU ¿QDO UHSRUW WR WKH posed Rails and Trail concept for each of the four speakers WURA board of directors in inside the WURA corridor. Now you can get stress echocardiograms right here at Wallowa Memorial Hospital… • New technology allows an ultrasound of the heart • Better diagnostics during stress tests means improved outcomes • No more driving out of the county for this important test Ask your physician today for a referral for a stress echocardiogram! We treat you like family 601 Medical Parkway, Enterprise, OR 97828 • 541-426-3111 • www.wchcd.org Wallowa Memorial Hospital is an equal opportunity employer and provider. We deeply appreciate all the local organizations, business and community members who contributed time, space, donated items and funds. To our dedicated volunteers, thank you for your time, hard work and TLC!