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wallowa.com
February 14, 2018
Wallowa County Chieftain
Opposition to zoning
change heard in Joseph
City settles with
Dawson Ranch
By Steve Tool
Wallowa County Chieftain
Joseph City Council earned
its keep Feb. 8, with a four-
hour evening session includ-
ing an executive session, and a
six-hour goal-setting gathering
during the afternoon.
The evening meeting began
with fireworks when former
council member Tyler Evans
read a letter during the public
comments section blasting a
plan to build low-income hous-
ing in Joseph.
Evans spoke against a pro-
posed zoning change that could
allow a project in the area of
North Daggett and North Lake
streets.
Evans accused the appli-
cants of being disrespectful
to the city and its citizens for
submitting the application. He
also said the council would
be complicit in an illegal act
of Oregon State Land Use if
they granted the application
although he provided no evi-
dence other than a vague Wiki-
pedia quote.
“Tell them that it’s an insult
that they’d even ask and that
the answer is ‘no,’” Evans said.
The threat of a lawsuit was
also mentioned. The read-
ing went about a minute over
the three minutes alloted time;
however, Evans was allowed
to continue.
accepted a counter-offer from
the city to pay the ranch $3,750
for each of five years, a total of
$18,500 from Joseph’s coffers.
Each party will pay its own
legal expenses.
After a George Ballard
motion to approve the deal, the
council voted unanimously to
ratify. Council member Teresa
Sajonia abstained.
City administrator Sandra
Patterson directed the coun-
cil to disregard the testimony
because of a hearing Feb. 22.
“Did you just tell them to
disregard my letter?” Evans
asked.
Mayor Dennis Sands
explained the hearing was a
quasi-judicial function, and
the council was obligated to
remain impartial at this time.
“We’re not to prejudge
applications,” Sands said.
Evans left after the exchange.
Citizens survey
Results from the city’s sur-
vey of its citizens were pre-
sented. Street repair is the upper-
most issue on the minds of the
83 citizens, and an additional 18
Joseph Charter School students
who responded to the survey.
Council member Kathy
Bingham, who instigated the
survey, said the survey results
would help the council priori-
tize its goals.
Dawson payments
In other action Thursday,
the council assented to requests
for payment from the Diamond
D ranch, owned by Joseph
Dawson of Joseph. The ranch,
which uses the city’s treated
wastewater for crop irrigation,
had filed suit against the city in
May 2017, asking $15,000 per
year for 2016 and 2017 plus
expenses.
The 20-year contract
between the two entities ended
in 2016, and the city had exer-
cised a five-year option to
renew the deal. The ranch con-
tended that the option allowed
them to charge the city for dis-
charging the water on its prop-
erty under the new agreement.
The city initially planned
to fight the request, but based
on information from Joseph
city attorney Wyatt Baum,
resistance was dropped after
the ranch offered to settle for
$7,500 per year. Diamond D
DEQ fine
Mayor
Sands
also
announced that the city would
pay the Department of Envi-
ronmental Quality a fine in
the amount of $3,554 for dis-
charging untested wastewa-
ter on irrigated land for two
months last summer. The city
had thought it only needed
before and after testing but
regulations also require testing
during the irrigation season as
well. The DEQ offered the city
a chance to mitigate the fine
with a reforestation project, but
no agreement was reached.
Joseph to consider low-income
housing proposal on Feb. 22
By Steve Tool
Wallowa County Chieftain
Joseph is holding a quasi-ju-
dicial land use planning hearing
at the Joseph Community Cen-
ter 6 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 22. The
meeting pertains to a request
from Keith Wellens and Tyler
Chrisman to change zoning from
Residential 1 to Residential 2 on
tax lot 400, near the intersec-
tion of Daggett Lane and Lake
Street, presumably for the reason
of building low-income housing.
The second request is from
the Wallowa County Health
FOR THE RECORD
Feb. 5
3:40 p.m. – Tillamook County
Sheriff’s Office arrested Jeremiah
Beau Cruse, 35, of Joseph, on a
Wallowa County warrant for pro-
bation violation. Original charge
unlawful use of a weapon.
Feb. 6
5:45 p.m. – Report of a dead
deer blocking the roadway in rural
Lostine.
Care District. The request per-
tains to lot 419, which is a lot
that borders Daggett Lane and
Hwy 82. The health care dis-
trict is planning to build a clinic
on the lot and wishes to change
the location of the parking lot
location from the back of the
building to the front, which
faces the highway.
The proposed ordinance
that regulates the applications
is available to view at Joseph
City Hall, 210 N. Main St. A
staff report will be available for
seven days prior to the hearing
and copies of the proposed ordi-
nance and file info are available
for purchase at city hall.
Statements or evidence con-
cerning the ordinance must be
raised in person or by letter to
the council with ample time for
the council to respond. Fail-
ure to do so negates appeals to
Oregon’s Land Use Board of
Appeals on the issue.
Submit written comments
or testimony at the hearing or
send it to the attention of the
city administrator prior to the
hearing. Call city hall at 541-
432-3832 and cityofjosephore-
gon@gmail.com.
Feb. 7
11:12 a.m. – Pendleton Police
Department arrested Dane Michael
Schell, 27, of Enterprise, for proba-
tion violation. Original charge bur-
glary in the first degree. He was
lodged at Umatilla County Jail.
6:07 p.m. – Jeremy Mitchel
Hankey, 27, of Nampa, Idaho, was
arrested by Washington County
on a Wallowa County detainer
for probation violation. Original
charge DUI.
6:26 p.m. – Harassment com-
plaint in Enterprise.
Feb. 8
8:07 p.m. – Endangering wel-
fare of a child in Enterprise.
Feb. 10
10:43 a.m. – 911 call report-
ing a fire in rural Joseph. Joseph
Fire, Enterprise Fire and ODFW
responded and extinguished the fire.
12:53 p.m. – 911 call report-
ing a grass fire in rural Lostine.
Lostine Fire, Wallowa Fire, Enter-
prise Fire, Joseph Fire and ODFW
extinguished the fire.
Film made by Enterprise students debuts Feb. 22
The Big Read 2018 Schedule of Events
All events are free and open to the public.
Enterprise teacher Lorri
Fischer’s 4th and 5th grade
classes have been filming a
movie with Cameron Scott
of Fishtrap Story Lab. The
movie is based on their read-
ing of “The City of Ember,”
the science-fiction choice for
younger readers provided by
Fishtrap in place of the adult
Thursday, February 22 @ 6:30pm
KICK-OFF Potluck Dinner
Hurricane Creek Grange Hall, Joseph
Thursday, March 1 @ 7pm
What If? Disaster Preparedness: How does setting
contribute to survival?
Wallowa Memorial Hospital, Enterprise
Thursday, March 8 @ 7pm
Comics and Graphic Storytelling with Mike Lawrence
Enterprise High School
Thursday, March 15 @ 7pm
Love, Death, and Dirty Jokes: “Shakespeare and the
Common Man” with Morgan Green
Fishtrap, Enterprise
Thursday, March 22 @ 7pm
Star Trek Voyager “Survival Instinct”
Fishtrap, Enterprise
Saturday, March 24 @ Noon-2pm
FINALE - BBQ/Bonfire/Singalong
Fishtrap, Enterprise
For the full BIG READ
schedule of events visit
FISHTRAP.ORG
Big Read book, “Station
Eleven.”
The script, written by
Fischer, takes the viewer
from the future to the past
and explores the history of the
Wallowa County Courthouse.
The movie will commemo-
rate the 110th birthday of the
courthouse in 2019 and will
be presented at the Big Read
Kick-off event at Hurricane
Creek Grange Feb. 22.
It will also be featured at
the student showcase in April
at Fishtrap. Costumes and
props were coordinated by
Morgan Green as well as vari-
ous students and parents.
WALLOWA COUNTY
Health Line
Keycode Entry
Weight Room • Cardio
Women’s Circuit • Tanning
202 W. Main, Enterprise
541-426-0313
519 W. North Street, Enterprise
541.426.3413
Mon-Thurs 9 to Noon/1-5pm; Fri. 9-1