A6 News wallowa.com Roland Johnson named Wallowa’s city attorney Johnson resigns from same post in Enterprise By Kathleen Ellyn Wallowa County Chieftain Local attorney Roland John- son will remain with Wallowa &LW\ DV WKHLU RI¿FLDO FLW\ DW- torney but has tendered his resignation as city attorney for Enterprise. Johnson was selected from a pool of four applicants as the contract attorney for Wallowa City at the regular Wallowa City Council meeting on Nov. 17. Johnson, who keeps an of- ¿FH LQ (QWHUSULVH DQG OLYHV LQ Wallowa, has worked for the city of Wallowa, as needed, since the late 1970s. The coun- cil had published a request for proposals as part of their effort to modernize business practic- es as recommended by the Or- egon Association Cities. Once the proposals were received, city councilors took their time GLVFXVVLQJDQGPDNLQJWKHLU¿- nal selection, according to City Recorder Carol Long. In the end, no other appli- cant measured up with regard to experience, especially local experience. “Johnson is so knowledge- able about zoning, land use in Wallowa, grant issues and city business,” Long said. “He’s had lots of experience being a municipal attorney.” Johnson had been key in helping the city manage the grant process that led to them receiving $3.5 million to mod- ernize the city water system, Long said. “When you do a huge grant process as was required by the Oregon Community Develop- PHQW JUDQW \RX KDYH WR ¿OH numerous documents and we, at the city, were just not qual- L¿HG WR GR WKDW´ /RQJ VDLG “Our engineer, Troy Baker of Anderson and Perry, recom- mended Johnson to protect the city and manage us through that process because he was so knowledgeable.” Johnson also has worked with the City of Enterprise for decades, but tendered a letter of resignation this summer. “I’ve been here since 1977 and was city attorney in 1979,” Johnson said. “There’s been a lot of issues and a lot of dif- ferent kinds of work over the years. I used to prosecute and have jury trials in municipal FRXUW1RZHYHU\WKLQJLV¿OHG in circuit court. I’m still prac- ticing law and still attorney for Wallowa. I just decided I’d been doing it long enough.” He offered to remain in the position of city attorney as Enterprise through the pro- cess of collecting and consid- ering new proposals. Enterprise has so far re- ceived three proposals. The process of selecting a new at- torney is ongoing, according to City Administrator Michele Young. November 25, 2015 Wallowa County Chieftain IRS-related phone scams targeting county residents Hite estimated Thursday af- WHUQRRQ WKDW KHU ¿UP KDG UH- ceived approximately 10 re- ports within the previous few days of supposed IRS-related By Scot Heisel Wallowa County Chieftain calls seeking money from lo- cal residents. “They’re threatening jail If you receive a phone call from someone claiming to time, saying they’re going be a representative of the In- to come out and arrest you,” ternal Revenue Service, keep Hite said. “Some are comput- in mind odds are pretty good er-generated calls, others are that you’re being targeted by from live people.” Hite said that phone calls a scam. Several people in Wallowa are seldom used by IRS staff County have reported receiv- to resolve tax issues. ing such calls recently, and a “They don’t call you on the ORFDO ¿QDQFLDO ¿UP LV VRXQG- phone unless they’ve sent you ing the alarm. VHYHUDO OHWWHUV ¿UVW DQG \RX “They’re getting pretty haven’t responded,” she said. aggressive in our area right Hite also suggested that if QRZ´ VDLG 7LQD +LWH RI¿FH you do receive a notice from manager at Edison, Perry & the IRS in the mail, to take it Company, PC in Enterprise. to your tax professional. Callers threaten jail time 2):UHDSSRLQWHHVFRQ¿UPHGE\6HQDWH ¿VKLQJ LQGXVWU\ DQG FDWWOH ranchers had also called for the governor to appoint commis- SALEM — The Oregon sioners who represented their Senate voted this week to perspectives. Commissioners FRQ¿UP WZR PHPEHUV RI WKH are appointed to represent Or- Oregon Fish and Wildlife egon’s congressional districts. The Senate voted 22-8 on Commission whom Gov. Kate :HGQHVGD\WRFRQ¿UPWKHWZR Brown reappointed in April. The move was a reversal re-appointees, Holly Akenson from earlier this year, when the of Enterprise, and Michael Senate Committee on Rules Finley of Medford. Akenson delayed action on the two re- is a wildlife biologist, man- appointments over concerns ages a tree farm with her hus- that commissioners had failed band and is an archery and ri- to adequately oversee the Or- ÀHELJJDPHKXQWHUDFFRUGLQJ egon Department of Fish and to the Department of Fish and Wildlife budget. The sport Wildlife’s website. Finley is president of a grant-making foundation, and previously served as superintendent of Yellowstone, Yosemite and Everglades national parks. He is also a hunter and angler. By Hillary Borrud Also specializing in GARAGE D00R INSTALLATION AND REPAIR Call Paul Vlietstra 541-263-1247 Licensed Bonded & Insured CCB#200036 Capital Bureau T HE B OOKLOFT AND S KYLIGHT G ALLERY Finding books is our specialty 541.426.3351 • 107 E. Main • Enterprise • www.bookloftoregon.com Ahead of the vote Wednes- day, Senate Republicans said they had been under the im- pression Brown would recon- sider the reappointments. The Senate voted in May WR FRQ¿UP WZR RWKHU FRQ- troversial appointees to the commission, Astoria resident Bruce Buckmaster who has ties to the commercial gillnet ¿VKLQJ LQGXVWU\ DQG IRUPHU state lawmaker Jason Atkin- son of Jacksonville. “You cannot continue to load the board with philo- sophical people that represent the big cities,” said state Sen. Fred Girod, R-Stayton. “It does not work ... The legisla- ture deserves a lot of the cred- ibility for this agency going down the toilet, and the gov- ernor deserves a lot of cred- ibility for this agency going down the toilet. I urge a ‘no’ vote.” Girod’s language dis- pleased Senate President Pe- ter Courtney, D-Salem. “Sen. Ted Ferrioli, try not using the word toilet, please,” Courtney said, as the Senate minority leader from John Day prepared to speak. Ferrioli said the Oregon Department of Fish and Wild- life’s budget trouble is an in- dication the commission has QRW IXO¿OOHG LWV ¿GXFLDU\ UH- sponsibility. “But there’s another issue here, and that is the credibil- ity of the governor and the credibility of the appoint- ments secretary,” Ferrioli said. “Members who voted unanimously (in committee) for the last round of appoint- ments to ODFW did so on the assurance there would be FRQVLGHUDWLRQ RI D VSRUW ¿VK- ing member and a landowner. That did not happen. That to PH LV D EUHDFK RI FRQ¿GHQFH and a sort of a disconnect be- tween credibility of the gov- ernor and the expectation that her asks will be respected.” Sen. Lee Beyer, D-Spring- ¿HOGVDLG$NHQVRQDQG)LQOH\ do represent hunters and an- glers. SEARCH Continued from Page A1 ACROSS DOWN 1. And so forth (abbr.) 4. Used to be United __ 7. Upper left keyboard key 10. Invitable ruin 12. Consumed 13. N.H. Maine river 14. Sen. Thurmond 16. More (Spanish) 17. Oh, God! 18. 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Flower petals 29. Early culture of Gr. Britain 34. Worldwide internet 35. 7th Greek letter 36. When born (abbr.) 37. Before 39. Existing forever 40. About name 41. Myanmar monetary unit 42. Island north of Guam 44. Soft 45. __ Castell, makers of pens 46. Excessively fat 47. Eliminates 48. A Hindu prince or king in India 51. Carrier's invention 52. Possessed 53. Deserve through action 54. Doyen 58. A way to change color (QWHUSULVH 3ROLFH 2I¿FHU George Kohlhepp will contin- ue to shoulder extra respon- sibilities as the search begins again. The City Council re- cently voted to increase Kohl- hepp’s pay by 2 percent to compensate him for the extra workload. The city also has hired retired Oregon State Police Trooper Jed Stone as a tem- SRUDU\ FLW\ SROLFH RI¿FHU WR assist Kohlhepp. In addition to having deep roots in the community, Stone already was current on a number of FHUWL¿FDWLRQV UHTXLUHG IRU WKH position and was able to hit the streets without requiring extensive training. A part-time evidence tech also has been hired to manage the newly organized evidence room shared by the Wallowa &RXQW\ 6KHULII¶V 2I¿FH DQG Enterprise Police Department. Enterprise began the search for a new chief af- ter the resignation of former Chief of Police Wes Kilgore on March 23. Before launching their search the city requested an Oregon Association Chiefs of Police Executive Resources Agency review to reveal any areas in need of correction. The city has been working to address the problem areas revealed by the subsequent report. The three police chiefs that made up the review board — Pendleton Police Chief Stuart Roberts, La Grande Police Chief Brian Harvey and Baker City Police Chief Wyn Lohner — also assisted LQWKHVHDUFKIRUTXDOL¿HGFDQ- didates. That assistance will continue, Young said Friday.