News
Blue Mountain Eagle
Wednesday, October 25, 2017
Cities want financial numbers
on broadband project
By Richard Hanners
Blue Mountain Eagle
Not so fast, two Grant County
mayors are saying about their com-
munity’s role in a proposal for a
government-subsidized fiber optic
network to the area.
Canyon City Mayor Steve
Fisher and Prairie City Mayor Jim
Hamsher told the Eagle that more
information with better financial
figures was needed before their city
councils could approve an agree-
ment to join the project and assume
uncertain financial obligations.
In a Sept. 26 memo to the John
Day City Council, City Manager
Nick Green wrote, “John Day, Can-
yon City and Seneca are prepared
to adopt the Grant County Digi-
tal Network Coalition agreement
and ordinance. We are waiting for
a decision from Prairie City and
from the County Court. Once these
parties have reviewed the draft
agreement, the final agreement and
ordinance for adoption will be sub-
mitted to each governing body for
ratification.”
“That’s not en-
tirely
accurate,”
Fisher told the Ea-
gle.
Fisher said the
Canyon City City
Council first saw
Jim
a copy of the final
Hamsher
agreement on Sept.
19, and it was sent
on to their legal
counsel for review. He said Green
came to their city council meeting
and was asked for more informa-
tion.
“The agreement said Canyon
City’s financial responsibility
would be 9 1/2 percent – but 9 1/2
percent of what?” Fisher asked.
Fisher said Green told the coun-
cil the figures had not been formu-
lated yet. He also said Green had
told him in an email that if Prairie
City opted out of the coalition, then
Prairie City’s share would be divid-
ed among other communities in the
coalition.
Hamsher said Prairie City res-
idents already benefit from an up-
graded internet service provided
by Oregon Telephone Corporation,
and he wasn’t sure if they would
want the city to be on the hook for
another internet provider.
“Prairie City is in pretty good
shape, with underground fiber optic
cable,” he said.
According to the coalition
agreement, Prairie City’s finan-
cial responsibility would be about
11 percent, Hamsher said, but he
wanted to see a good estimate of
the cost to run broadband service
through Prairie City.
Hamsher said the Prairie City
council had approved a survey of
residents to gauge their interest in
the proposed network. Due dili-
gence for an investment of this kind
should include some market analy-
sis, he said.
Grant County Judge Scott My-
ers said he hadn’t seen any solid
figures on costs to the county.
“I won’t bring it to the court until
we have them,” he told the Eagle.
Myers noted that he had no rea-
son to believe the project was not
above board.
The state legislature awarded
the city of John Day $1.82 mil-
lion in funding to run a fiber cable
75 miles from Burns to John Day.
Green has said he wants to see in-
ternet connectivity in the area go
from second worst to second best
in the state.
Green responded to the cities’
comments by noting that partici-
pation in the network coalition is
voluntary.
“Each city and the county court
has the option to connect, but their
participation is not required for the
project to move forward,” he said.
“They need to deliberate and make
the decision that is best for their
community and constituents.”
He also noted that those cities
that are prepared to adopt the agree-
ment will have a seat on the board
of directors and will participate in
determining the network design,
financing strategy and operating
model.
“They will ultimately determine
their respective costs by designing
the network to meet their commu-
nity’s needs and projected reve-
nue,” he said.
A5
OTEC plans
$4 rate increase
Blue Mountain Eagle
Local electricity bills will increase by $4 for
residential customers in November.
At its Sept. 26 meeting, the Oregon Trail Elec-
tric Cooperative Board of Directors approved a
rate increase of 4.62 percent to take effect Nov.
1, according to a company press release. The
increase was approved after reviewing the final
“Cost of Service” report to recover increased dis-
tribution costs and cost increases passed through
OTEC’s wholesale power supplier, the Bonne-
ville Power Administration.
For the nonprofit’s more than 23,000 residen-
tial members, the increase will be $4 per month,
raising the monthly delivery charge from $25.50
to $29.50. The residential energy rate per kilo-
watt hour will remain unchanged.
OTEC General Manager Les Penning said the
increase moves closer to full recovery of the actu-
al cost to provide electrical service to a location.
“The monthly delivery charge is designed to
maintain the electrical infrastructure of the coop-
erative, so service is available when a member
needs it,”he said. “At the same time, the board
felt it was very important to keep the energy
rate as stable as possible to remain competitive
and affordable for the membership. By not in-
creasing the energy charge it ensures that when
members must use more energy to heat or cool
their homes, they pay nothing more for the in-
creased usage per kilowatt hour than they have
in the past.”
C OPS AND C OURTS
Arrests and citations in
the Blue Mountain Eagle are
taken from the logs of law
enforcement agencies. Every
effort is made to report the
court disposition of arrest
cases.
Grant County Sheriff
The Grant County Sheriff’s
Office reported the following
for the week of Oct. 19-25:
• Concealed handgun li-
censes: 8
• Average inmates: 14
• Bookings: 9
• Releases: 8
• Arrests: 1
• Citations: 0
• Fingerprints: 6
• Civil papers: 15
• Warrants processed: 3
• Asst./welfare check: 5
• Search and Rescue: 0
Justice Court
The Grant County Justice
Court reported the following
fines and judgments:
• Exceeding the speed
limit: Jana L. Rhoden, 56,
Prineville, Sept. 25, 81/65
zone, fined $260; Corbin J.
Murphy, 39, Salem, Sept.
25, 74/65 zone, fined $160;
George B. Winegar, 57,
Prairie City, Oct. 9, 73/65
zone, fined $135; Thomas
G. Groesbeck, 60, Spokane,
Washington, Oct. 6, 73/65
zone, fined $160.
• Violation of speed lim-
it: Daniel C. Day, 28, Salem,
Oct. 1, 68/45 zone, fined
$220.
• Violation of basic rule:
Moises Segoviano, 41, Red-
mond, Sept. 25, 71/55 zone,
fined $135; Craig A. Tuss,
64, Roseburg, Oct. 8, 68/55
zone, fined $135.
• No operator’s license:
Moises Segoviano, 41, Red-
mond, Sept. 25, fined $200.
• Following too closely:
Chenise C. Mutchler, 22,
John Day, Sept. 16, fined
$220.
• Hunting from or across
a highway: Derek M. Forbes,
36, Salem, Sept. 23, fined
$110.
Oregon State Police
Oct. 16: Report of a
20-year-old male resident of
John Day attempting to ille-
gally purchase a firearm at a
hardware store in John Day.
Oct. 16: Responded to a
single-vehicle rollover crash
on Highway 26 near Day-
ville where the vehicle end-
ed up in the John Day River.
John Day ambulance, Grant
County Sheriff’s Office and
Dayville fire also responded.
Brian R. Terry, 28, La Pine,
was arrested and charged
with DUII with a 0.15 blood
alcohol content.
Oct. 22: Advised of cattle
on West Highway 26 in John
Day.
Dispatch
John Day dispatch worked
165 calls during the week of
Oct. 16-22. Along with the
various traffic warnings,
trespassing, injured animals,
noise complaints and juve-
nile complaints, these calls
included:
• John Day Police De-
partment
Oct. 16: Responded to
Main Street, John Day, for a
possible suicidal subject.
Oct. 16: Dispatched for a
report of a stolen bicycle at a
fast food restaurant in John
Day.
Oct. 16: Responded with
sheriff’s office for a possible
burglary at a thrift store in
John Day.
Oct. 16: Cited James M.
Smith, 21, La Grande, on
Highway 26 near Indian
Creek Road for speeding.
Oct. 17: A caller in Prai-
rie City reported being ha-
rassed by a neighbor.
Oct. 18: Responded with
sheriff’s office to Blue
Mountain Hospital for a
report of a suicidal person
with a possible bomb. John
Day fire was on standby.
Oct. 19: Advised of a
theft on Main Street in John
Day.
Oct. 19: Responded to a
report of trespassing at a va-
cant house in Prairie City.
• Grant County Sher-
iff’s Office
• Veteran Owned
• Competitive Pricing
• Serving Central & Eastern Oregon
541-620-1405 Burklevi@yahoo.com
Oct. 16: Responded to
a report of a calf on West
Highway 26 in John Day.
The calf was back on the
highway the next day.
Oct. 22: Advised of a
theft in Canyon City.
• John Day ambulance
Oct. 16: Responded to
Dixie Campground for a
28-year-old man.
Oct. 16: Responded to
Monument with Monument
ambulance and Monument
fire for a woman.
Oct. 16: Responded to
Long Creek with Long Creek
ambulance for an elderly
woman with chest pains.
Oct. 17: Responded for a
man with blood pressure is-
sues in John Day.
Oct. 18: Responded to
Prairie City for an elderly
woman.
Oct. 20: Responded for
an elderly woman in John
Day with difficulty breath-
ing.
Oct. 20: Dispatched for
an elderly woman in John
Day who fell.
Oct. 20: Responded for
a woman who fell from six
feet in Mt. Vernon.
Oct. 22: Responded for
an 85-year-old man in John
Day.
Oct. 22: Responded with
Monument ambulance and
Monument fire for a 22-year-
old woman in Monument.
Harvest Festival
SW Brent St. in John Day
Saturday, Oct. 28
Celebrate the arrival of fall with us! The annual Harvest
Festival is a fun-filled end to the Farmer’s Market
season. Produce and pumpkins, crafts and games:
locally produced artisan goods galore.
Bring your apples and containers;
we will have an apple cider press!
541-792-0958
Facebook: John Day Farmer’s Market
Email: johndayfarmersmarket@gmail.com
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