A16
LOCAL/REGIONAL
Wallowa County Chieftain
Wednesday, February 16, 2022
Joseph disbands ZORT, sets up Planning Commission
Move is to help
with town’s
rapid growth
By BILL BRADSHAW
Wallowa County Chieftain
JOSEPH — The Joseph
City Council agreed to dis-
band its Zoning Ordinance
Task Force and replace
it with an offi cial Plan-
ning Commission during
the council’s meeting Feb.
3, interim city Adminis-
trator Brock Eckstein said
Wednesday, Feb. 9.
“I think it was a really
good step forward,” Eck-
stein said. “Joseph’s seen
so much growth and expan-
sion and this commission
will give good direction to
address their rapid growth.”
But the ordinance to for-
mally create the Planning
Commission had to be put
on hold, as there were a
couple items missing from
the initial draft. In partic-
ular, the council wanted
all members required to be
registered voters in Wal-
lowa County and wanted to
allow property owners who
own land within the city’s
urban growth boundary to
be able to serve whether
or not they live within the
city limits. The UGB is
the area on the outskirts of
town that could likely be
annexed into the city limits.
Eckstein said the fi nal
draft of the ordinance is
expected to be ready for
passage at the council’s
March meeting.
In another matter, Pub-
lic Works Lead Levi Tick-
ner was hired to take the
new position of water and
sewer plant operator on a
full-time basis.
Eckstein said state
guidelines show that the
city needs a 1.15 full-
time equivalent employee
to handle the plants. At
present, the work has
fallen to the entire public
works crew and no single
employee has been devoted
to the task.
“There’s not enough
time in the day to address
all the plants’ needs,” Eck-
stein said. “Right now,
there’s no one dedicated
to the plant operations to
make sure plants are oper-
ating at 100% all the time.”
The council agreed to
seek a replacement for
Tickner as Public Works
lead. Eckstein said that just
as Tickner was entitled to
having the fi rst chance at
the new position, any cur-
rent employee who is qual-
ifi ed and desires the Public
Works lead position has a
similar fi rst chance.
In other business, the
council:
• Approved a three-year
rental agreement for the
Joseph Community Events
Center at $500 a month for
Tenderfoot Christian Fel-
lowship. The church also
agreed to perform 20 hours
a month of volunteer work.
The church has been
meeting there since Decem-
ber, and this month’s
action was to formalize the
agreement.
Eckstein said having the
church use the events cen-
ter has been benefi cial for
the city.
“They have been doing
fantastic things such as
cleaning it, served as DJs
for school events,” he
said. “It’s served the city
of Joseph very well having
that agreement.”
• Renewed a 10-year
franchise agreement with
Rahn’s Sanitation for waste
disposal at residences and
businesses within Joseph.
Under the contract, a fran-
chise fee of 3.5% will pro-
vide $4,500-$5,000 a year
for city coff ers.
• Heard an update from
Eckstein on upcoming
training for the council
members on insurance and
classes with the League of
Oregon Cities.
• Heard a brief update
on ongoing public works
projects from Brad Baird of
Anderson Perry.
• Heard an update and
took public input from
the Oregon Department
of Transportation on this
year’s planned work to
upgrade sidewalks and
ramps to conform with
Americans with Disabili-
ties Act standards.
The next regular coun-
cil meeting will be at
7 p.m. March 3. Eckstein
said Mayor Lisa Collier
will decide about a week
beforehand if an in-per-
son meeting will be held,
depending on the COVID-
19 pandemic. A virtual
meeting via Zoom will be
held in either case.
Search fails to turn up Idaho angler
4. Ash said he and four oth-
ers left the dock at the Visitors
Center around 1 p.m. that day.
BAKER CITY — A steel-
Ash said the searchers
head angler reported seeing spent a few hours searching
what he believed was a body but did not fi nd a body.
in the Snake River below
He said the current in the
Hells Canyon Dam on the area is strong and unpredict-
morning of Feb. 4.
able, and the sheriff ’s offi ce
A team from the
does not have the
Baker County Sher-
ability to put a diver
iff ’s Offi ce Search
in the water at that
and Rescue team
site.
brought a boat to the
Ash said no addi-
site, about one mile
tional searches are
downriver from the
planned unless the
Hells Canyon Visi-
Sheriff ’s
Offi ce
Sillonis
tors Center, hoping to
receives new reports
recover the body of
in the area.
an Idaho fi sherman, Alberto
The
sheriff ’s
offi ce
Sillonis, who went missing in announced last month that
the area on Jan. 17.
it believes Sillonis, 85, of
Searchers did not fi nd the Weiser, drowned after fall-
body, Sheriff Travis Ash said ing from a dock into the river
on Feb. 7.
below the Visitors Center.
The steelhead fi sherman,
Sillonis had left his home
who was fi shing on the Ore- on the morning of Jan. 17 and
gon side of the river, reported planned to return home that
seeing the body in a back evening.
eddy where the water is about
Relatives reported him
10 to 12 feet deep, Ash said.
missing about 6 p.m. that day
The Baker County Dis- when he failed to return.
patch Center received the
Baker County deputies,
report at 9:13 a.m. on Feb. along with deputies from the
By JAYSON JACOBY
Baker City Herald
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Washington County Sheriff ’s
Offi ce in Idaho, began search-
ing the route to Hells Canyon
as well as checking hotels in
nearby towns.
At about 9:07 p.m. on Jan.
17, deputies found Sillonis’
2008 Nissan Frontier pickup
truck in the parking lot at the
Hells Canyon Visitors Center.
Deputies searched the
immediate vicinity and found
two fi shing poles, with the
line from one still in the water,
on the center dock.
On the morning of Jan. 18,
searchers found a felt, short-
brimmed hat on rocks about
60 feet from the dock, which
Sillonis’ family confi rmed
was his.
Idaho Power Company
employees used a remote-op-
erated vehicle with an under-
water camera and sonar to
search the river, but with no
success.
Sillonis is a white man
who stands 5-foot-8 and
weighs about 160 pounds. He
has white hair.
If anyone has information
about Sillonis, they can call
Ash at 541-523-6415.
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