GARDENERS DELIGHT
CHS girls take a shot at
AT PLANT SALE
DOUBLES
Page 7A
Volume 140, Issue 18
www.Polkio.com
Page 10A
75¢
May 6, 2015
Officials still unsure about PERS IN YOUR TOWN
By Jolene Guzman
The Itemizer-Observer
POLK COUNTY — Not many people
were surprised, but certainly disap-
pointed in Thursday’s Oregon Supreme
Court ruling to overturn most of the
Public Employees Retirement System
reforms passed in 2013.
Local officials aren’t certain yet what
the ruling means for their future budg-
ets, but the impact of the ruling likely
won’t be felt until 2017. The decision
overturned lowering cost of living ad-
justments for retirees on benefits
earned before the date the legislation
was enacted, the portion of the PERS
reform packet that accounted for most
of the savings.
Dallas City Manager Ron Foggin said
it’s too soon to know what the real cost
will be for Dallas, but he did say the
ruling itself was no surprise.
“I don’t know that it was shocking,
but it’s certainly of great concern, espe-
cially when it’s hard to balance budg-
ets,” Foggin said.
Monmouth City Manager Scott Mc-
Clure said at this early point in examining
the impact of the judgment, the best com-
parison to what could happen in 2017 is
the increase in PERS rates the city experi-
enced in 2012, about 6 percent. That
change cost the city total of $183,000.
The city of Independence will com-
plete its 2015-16 budget process before
looking at the fallout from the ruling.
“Once I’m done with the (2015-16
budget), we will have to start looking at
that and preparing for that,” said Gloria
Butsch, Independence’s finance direc-
tor, noting she doesn’t believe the cost
to the city will be as much as it will be
for other local governments. “It’s a big
deal. It’s a lot of money, but I don’t
think it will be as bad as other places
will be.”
Those “other places” could be school
districts. The Oregon School Boards As-
sociation estimated the changes cost-
ing up to $358 million in 2017-19,
based on the state Legislative Fiscal Of-
fice’s estimate of the cost if all reforms
were overturned.
Dallas School District used that esti-
mate to calculate a possible “worst case
scenario” increase of $770,000 per year
more, a 5.5 percent increase, starting in
2017.
See PERS, Page 6A
DALLAS NEWS
A new season of Dallas’ Polk County Bounty Mar-
ket will kick off Thursday with all the familiar faces
and few new vendors joining the weekly fun.
Dallas’ market will launch its sixth season on the
lawn near the Academy Building, 182 SW Academy
St., Dallas, and will be open 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Bonnie Dreier said she’s eager to see the market
gang and shoppers reunited for another season.
“I’m mostly excited just to see us continue to
grow, the support we get,” Dreier said. “I’m excited
to see the weekly customers.”
»Page 5A
FALLS CITY NEWS
Falls City’s $1.85 million 2015-16 budget passed
budget committee review and will now move be-
fore the Falls City City Council, likely in June.
The city’s budget committee approved the pro-
posed budget on April 23. The budget includes a
general fund of $538,355, which includes adminis-
tration, parks, fire, cemeteries, planning, municipal
court and some Wagner Community Library costs.
Mayor Terry Ungricht, who is serving temporarily
as city manager, said with the exception of a few
large projects, the proposal is status quo.
»Page 2A
INDEPENDENCE NEWS
Graphic by KATHY HUGGINS/ Itemizer-Observer
Three of the four parcels set for auction on May 20, in addition to the one that was sold, are shown here. The biggest
parcel (not shown) is 52 acres off Southeast Godsey Road. Sealed bids on the properties are due at 5 p.m. on May 20.
Land sale in Dallas
Industrial parcels on Monmouth Cutoff go to auction
By Jolene Guzman
Property
Auction
The Itemizer-Observer
DALLAS — The city of Dal-
las has high hopes for the sale
of about 100 acres of mostly
undeveloped industrial-
zoned property off Mon-
mouth Cutoff and Godsey
Road in Dallas, now owned
by the Praegitzer Trust.
The properties are up for
auction May 20.
Three of the parcels for
sale surround or are near the
Tyco building, the former
printed circuit board plant
that was once a Praegitzer
operation.
The fourth piece — the
largest at 52 acres — is off
Southeast Godsey Road and is
being used to grow grass seed.
John Rosenthal, president
of Realty Marketing North-
west, which is conducting
the sealed bid auction, said
the properties were on the
market for some time with-
out much action.
He said brokers on the
properties, Jeff Miller and
Terri Frohnmayer with First
Commercial Real Estate
Services, approached Realty
THE NEXT
7
DAYS
PLANNING
FOR YOUR
WEEK
JOLENE GUZMAN/Itemizer-Observer
A sign advertising the auction of about 100 acres of in-
dustrial property is posted off Monmouth Cutoff Road.
Marketing Northwest to put
them up for auction.
Rosenthal said the zoning
on the parcel offers plenty of
options for development
and are within an enterprise
zone, which could provide
tax incentives. He added the
sale is getting some atten-
tion.
“We have had close to 10
to 12 prospective buyers
look at it,” he said, noting
that included potential buy-
ers considering purchasing
all the parcels together or in-
dividual pieces.
Dallas City Manager Ron
Foggin said as far as indus-
trial land goes, the proper-
ties are a steal at the mini-
mum bid price. He said that
gives the city reason to be
optimistic for a good out-
come.
“We are hoping that will
be a catalyst for the property
actually being developed,”
he said.
Originally, there were five
parcels slated for the sale.
One of the smaller proper-
wed
thu
fri
Knitters and cro-
cheters gather to
make clothing and
accessories for those
in need each month
on Wednesday.
3-5 p.m. Free.
See what fresh veg-
gies and fruits are
available at the first
Polk County Bounty
Market at the Acad-
emy Building.
10 a.m. -3 p.m. Free.
Today is the first day
of the Master Gar-
deners annual plant
sale. Arrive early for
great deals on hang-
ing baskets.
9 a.m. -4 p.m. Free.
Showers
Hi: 59
Lo: 40
Sunny
Hi: 70
Lo: 42
Sunny
Hi: 75
Lo: 44
What: Four parcels of
industrial land off Mon-
m o u t h C u t o ff a n d
Southeast Godsey Road
in Dallas.
When: Sealed bids
are due by 5 p.m. May
20.
Prices: Minimum bids
for all four parcels
$2,350,000. Individual
parcel sales are available
as well.
For more informa-
tion: www.rmnw-auc-
tions.com/ or call 1-800-
845-3524.
ties, about seven acres neigh-
boring the Tyco building, has
been already been sold.
The remaining properties
in the sale are:
• Parcel A: about 52 acres;
minimum bid, $650,000. The
largest property in the sale,
it has a rail line along the
north side and could be sub-
divided.
See AUCTION, Page 2A
sat
Kids and their par-
ents may learn
about theater im-
prov at Ash Creek
Arts Center family
arts class.
2-4 p.m. Free.
Mostly Sunny
Hi: 75
Lo: 45
Monmouth-Independence Networks (MINET) is
stable, but not growing at a rate that will make it
profitable and able to make its debt payments.
That was the news the MINET board of directors
heard from Chief Financial Officer Mark Thoenes
and General Manager Don Patten at the board’s
Thursday meeting.
“MINET is between 60 and 65 percent of the size
it must be to fund all annual debt service, capital
expense requirements and continue to fully fund
its operating costs,” Patten told the board. “Even if
we penetrated 80 percent of this market, we’re still
going to come up short.”
»Page 3A
MONMOUTH NEWS
Jenni Bowker tried to stay true to herself as she
choreographed, “Where the Wind Goes,” to be per-
formed at Western Oregon University’s Spring
Dance concert.
The annual concert opens Thursday at 7:30 p.m.
and runs through Saturday at Rice Auditorium.
This is Bowker’s second time choreographing a
piece for the show — something most WOU dance
students don’t get a chance to do. Usually, the
show is someone’s senior project, so they graduate
after the show, said Deborah Jones, dance profes-
sor.
»Page 3A
PERRYDALE NEWS
Perrydale Parents Club is inviting everyone to ex-
perience a “Taste of Italy” at its annual dinner and
auction May 16.
The fundraiser will help the organization assist
Perrydale School with “the extras,” which has in-
cluded education assemblies, field trips, outdoor
school, playground equipment, iPads, and a re-
modeled science lab, to name just a few.
“A lot of it is that we try to look at what the holes
are that we can help fill,” said PPC President Helle
Ruddenklau, noting last year’s auction pulled in
about $23,000.
»Page 16A
sun
mon
tue
Happy Mother’s Day
to all of our readers.
We hope you enjoy
your families and
celebrate Mom, the
biggest fan we
know.
On this day in his-
tory, in 1502,
Christopher Colum-
bus began his
fourth and last trip
to the “Indies.”
All are welcome to
St. Phillip Catholic
Church for a free
meal at James2
Community Kitchen
in Dallas.
4:30 p.m. Free.
Showers
Hi: 70
Lo: 45
Showers
Hi: 66
Lo: 41
Cloudy
Hi: 67
Lo: 42