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About The Blue Mountain eagle. (John Day, Or.) 1972-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 27, 2017)
A8 Year in Review Blue Mountain Eagle Wednesday, December 27, 2017 John Day invests in big capital projects City implementing strategy for growth By Richard Hanners Blue Mountain Eagle The city of John Day se- cured more than $2.5 million in grants and other funding in 2017 for important services and infrastruc- ture projects — from emer- gency dispatch and wastewa- ter treatment to improved internet access and prevent- Nick Green ing downtown blight. The city was being both reactive and proactive in ap- proving the projects — with the ultimate goal of improving the economy and the way of life in John Day. 911 dispatch The defeat of a proposed Outside funding according to city estimates. The city lined up $420,000 from the legislature to fund the center for the next two years while it came up with a solution. John Day City Manager Nick Green brought three options to the city council — hand over 911 work to Frontier Dispatch in Con- don, establish a cooperative dispatch center with an ad- jacent county or replace the 1989 intergovernmental dis- patch agreement with a new one that would keep the 911 center operating in Grant County. The city of John Day has been awarded more than $2.6 million in grants in the last year. Project Granting agency Award value New wastewater treatment plant Business Oregon (IFA) $20,000 New wastewater treatment plant Oregon Water Resources Dept. 50,000 Autzen Foundation 12,000 Ford Family Foundation 5,000 John Day Bike Park Oregon Solutions survey Environmental assessment DEQ 10,000 9-1-1 dispatch funding State Legislature 420,000 Broadband funding State Legislature 1.8 million Main Street revitalization Oregon Main Street Program 100,000 U.S. 395 sidewalk extension ODOT Small Cities Allotment 50,000 ODOT/DLCD 200,000 FEMA $2.67 million 142,000 $2.8 million Transportation growth management Subtotal Assistance to firefighters (pending) Total programs Source: City of John Day EO Media Group graphic local option tax to fund 911 dispatch service in Grant County, 1,503 to 1,194, on Nov. 7 left the city of John Day in search of options. The city-managed dispatch center covers the entire county, but the state 911 tax does not cov- er the cost of operation. Over the years, the city gradually assumed dispatch costs for the county and its six small com- munities, creating a $199,194 deficit for the dispatch center in the city’s current budget. A 75 cent excise tax on monthly telephone bills is the only source of funding for the emergency communi- cations center, which needed to double to meet real costs, Innovation Gateway In the past, the city’s goal was to build an industrial park at the airport to attract business, but businesses con- tinued to leave, Green said. An opportunity arose for a different approach with the need to acquire land for a new wastewater treatment plant and the acquisition of the 53- acre Oregon Pine site. Announced as the Inno- vation Gateway project, the goal was for the city to con- struct the initial infrastructure at the former mill site so the private sector could come in and make use of it, Green said. The city lined up a $519,000 loan from the Busi- ness Oregon Infrastructure Finance Authority to buy the site, to be repaid by the city’s sewer fund, and closed with DR Johnson Lumber Com- pany on May 24. A $60,000 Department of Environmen- tal Quality grant was used to conduct required environ- mental assessment work at the brownfield site. The Innovation Gateway project encompasses 83 acres on both sides of the John Day River at the entrance to John Day on Highway 26. Aaron Lieuallen was hired to serve as the senior project manager See CITY, Page A9 Flood threat loomed in Canyon City New businesses, talk of garden MT. VERNON, SENECA AND PRAIRIE CITY HAVE MAJOR PROJECTS LINED UP FOR 2018. By Richard Hanners Blue Mountain Eagle Canyon City’s basic in- frastructure is in pretty good shape, City Recorder Corry Rider told the Eagle. A chip-sealing project is lined up for 2018, but no im- provements are planned for the city’s water system. The city has about 700 people and 300 water and sewer custom- ers. Canyon City is hooked up to the John Day wastewater system. The big event each year is ’62 Days, which is hosted by the Whiskey Gulch Gang to celebrate early gold miners in Canyon City, Rider said. The theme in 2017 was “Miner’s Eclipse,” and Sharon Living- ston was chosen as the grand marshal. The Whiskey Gulch Gang staged a mock hanging as part of the frontier days event. Pre-evacuation notices were issued in March for res- idents along Canyon Creek Read about them in next week’s Eagle Eagle file photo Canyon City Public Works Director Les Percy, Grant County Commissioner Jim Hamsher and Emergency Management Coordinator Ted Williams keep an eye on high water levels at the Inland Bridge in Canyon City in March. between the Nugget Street bridge and the high school as the creek reached 750 cubic feet per second on March 14. Flooding concerns in Can- yon City had escalated after the Canyon Creek Complex fire in 2015 left a large area devoid of vegetation. The following winter saw a high snowpack with little vegeta- tion to hold back spring rain and snow-melt runoff. Grant County Emergency Management Coordinator Ted Williams said the creek could escape its banks if it reached 850 to 900 cubic feet per sec- ond. Some bank erosion was seen around the Inland Street bridge, and Driskill Memorial Chapel reported having 4 to 6 inches of water in the basement. Kim Heathcote opened twin new businesses in Can- yon City in June – Mabel’s Cafe and Eve’s Sweets right next door at the corner of Washington and Park streets. Heathcote’s five employees served up hamburgers, soups and salads, egg rolls, chimi- changas and chicken wraps at Mabel’s and cinnamon rolls, muffins and cookies at Eve’s. Stephen Cross approached the county court in March about setting up a community garden in Canyon City. The court of- fered use of a county-owned lot, but the project is still under discussion, Grant County Judge Scott Myers said. A transformer caught fire Sept. 12 after a truck knocked power lines onto the ground along Highway 395 in Can- yon City near Rebel Hill and Bridge Street. Traffic in the narrow and busy corridor slowed until the Oregon Trail Electric Cooperative could re- pair the damage. Contributed photo Nathaniel, Michael and Mile Ashley of Dayville participate in Dayville’s Easter egg hunt this year. Water line project highlight for Dayville Community hall in need of work By Richard Hanners Blue Mountain Eagle Residents of Dayville saw incremental changes to their public services over the past year and can expect more of the same for the next year. Dayville’s public water system was extended east along Highway 26 to the Bu- reau of Land Management and Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife offices, City Recorder Ruthie Moore said. “The BLM paid for the Monday - Thursday 7am- 6pm Friday 8am - 5pm Mendy Sharpe FNP Apppointments available 32033 CSS would like to congratulate the Grant County winners of the Christmas Dinner Drawing project – engineering, every- thing,” she said. The city government saw some personnel turnover and now have a returning public works director in David Hand, Moore said. The popular city park along the South Fork of the John Day River is in good shape, she noted. “It gets used a lot by tour- ists and locals,” she said. The park is used for the Fourth of July, class reunions, an Easter egg hunt and bunny hop and the Jake Streeter Me- morial Car Show. Lampposts along Main Street are used to exhibit winners of the scare- crow contest in October and decorated juniper trees for the Christmas holiday season, Moore said. Looking forward, locals are investigating fundraising for the city’s community hall. The 5,527-square-foot build- ing was built around 1920 and is used for a variety of community functions — from potlucks to weddings, Moore said. “It’s in dire need of reno- vation,” she said. “The kitch- en is no longer usable.” Moore said many local residents have expressed interest in the project, with grants and volunteer labor rather than loans offering the best solution. W e want to thank everyone who took tags and donated food for the Prairie City Fire Department Christmas Basket Program. A special thank you to the the people behind the scene. Prairie City School Carla Wright Louella Simrell Tonya Wood Chris Camarena Marvin Rynerson Georgia Patterson Lyn McDonald Arlene Lynch Bobbie Brown We appreciate your business & support. Ray Wenger Dave Packard Sr Steve Patterson Huffmans Market & staff Debbie Emmel Marjean Kosher Carol Garrison Tom Gangler Richard Gray KJDY Babette Larson, Broker, GRI Office: 541-987-2363 ddwr@ortelco.net Lori Hickerson, Principal Broker, GRI Office: 541-575-2617 ljh@ortelco.net Sally Knowles, Broker, GRI Office: 541-932-4493 sknowles@ortelco.net www.farmseller.com www.eastoregonrealestate.com www.dukewarnerrealtyofeasternoregon.com MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR Your professional Real Estate choice in Grant County 32034 29542