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News
Blue Mountain Eagle
Wednesday, May 16, 2018
METH
HOUSING
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nerves and respiratory systems are common-
ly seen in drug users,” OHA said.
Meth is considered especially dangerous
because of how quickly it can hook users.
Meth users typically exhibit telltale signs,
including hyperactivity, incessant talking and
wakefulness, according to OHA. Meth produc-
es a false sense of confidence, while users lose
appetite and become irritable or moody.
“Prolonged meth abuse can resemble symp-
toms of schizophrenia characterized by hallu-
cinations, paranoia and repetitive behavior pat-
terns,” OHA said.
An extreme example is the delusion that
insects have gotten under meth users’ skin. Us-
ers will incessantly pick at their skin to remove
these “speed bugs,” which can result in open
lesions.
“As the effects of the drug wear off, us-
ers may experience drug cravings, depressed
moods, lethargy and prolonged periods of sleep
lasting 24 hours or more,” OHA said.
home sold in John Day over
an 18-month period in 2016
and 2017 was $88 per square
foot, but the average price to
build a new home is $155 per
square foot — nearly twice as
much.
The city’s proposed urban
renewal district encompass-
es about 178 acres of land in
John Day, including rights-
of-way, amounting to about
20 percent of the city’s $100
million total assessed value.
Six of the 12-member
John Day Technical Advisory
Committee attended the com-
mittee’s first meeting May 8
to review the proposed pro-
gram.
Health impacts
Meth use is hard on all parts of the body.
The corrosive smoke damages lungs and teeth,
the risk of heart disease increases and users can
die from hyperthermia caused by uncontrolla-
ble spiking body temperatures.
Meth use can cause permanent brain dam-
age, affecting emotion, memory, verbal learn-
ing and motor skills. Babies of meth users may
be born premature with low birth weight and
suffer from withdrawal symptoms. Some die in
stillbirth.
An acutely intoxicated meth user showing
up at the Blue Mountain Hospital’s emergency
room is not unusual, Dr. Raffaella Betza told
the Eagle. Their high blood pressure could lead
to a stroke, and their fast heart beat could im-
pact circulation and lead to seizures.
Meth-related deaths in Oregon have in-
creased from 73 in 2007 to 232 in 2016, accord-
ing to data from the State Medical Examiner.
Often a meth user is brought to the hospi-
tal by law enforcement at night after someone
reported a person acting unsafely, Betza said.
Sometimes they are very agitated and even psy-
chotic and need to be restrained. She noted that
local doctors, paramedics, law enforcement and
911 dispatchers underwent special training last
year on how to handle acutely intoxicated and
agitated patients.
Community impacts
The impacts of meth use are seen in families
and communities. Betza said it’s not uncom-
mon to learn that parents who use meth were
neglectful in feeding, clothing or supervising
their children.
“Meth affects entire communities, not just
users,” OHA said.
Meth use contributes to domestic violence,
child abuse, motor vehicle accidents and the
spread of infectious diseases through shared
needles. There are increased costs for medical
services and emergency room use, and govern-
ments must dedicate additional tax dollars to law
enforcement, prosecution and social services.
Homes used to manufacture meth are often
damaged by fires and explosions and require
expensive decontamination. Meth users often
resort to crime to pay for their habit or living
PALMER
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as required. The laws cited
by Boyd in the complaint ap-
ply only to tort claims, which
The Oregonian lawsuit
seeking public records was
not, Warren claims, and the
complaint does not provide
the required facts for a com-
mon-law claim that a debt
was paid to a third party, that
the county is also liable to
the third party and that the
county ought to pay rather
than Palmer or the sheriff’s
office.
Alternatively,
Warren
argues, if The Oregonian’s
lawsuit was a tort claim,
Boyd failed to provide notice
of his clients’ loss or injury
Contributed photo
A glass pipe and methamphetamine that
was seized by local police.
expenses when they can’t hold down a job.
A 2005 survey by the National Associa-
tion of Counties found that 62 percent of law
enforcement agencies cited higher domestic
violence rates as a result of meth use, and 70
percent of law enforcement agencies cited in-
creased cases of theft because of meth use.
In Oregon, meth possession convictions
increased by 20 percent from 2,550 in 2012
to 3,085 in 2017, according to data from the
Oregon Criminal Justice Commission. The
total number of meth offenses increased from
4,845 in 2014 to 8,150 in 2016, according to
the Oregon National Incident-Based Reporting
System.
“Meth users will often begin to engage in
person and property crimes which quickly es-
calate to serious degrading or criminal conduct,
including burglary, prostitution or sex traffick-
ing to fuel their need,” Carpenter said. “As long
as our state does not correlate meth use and the
rise in person and property crimes, and contin-
ues to minimize the crime seriousness of meth
in general, the local meth epidemic will persist,
and crimes committed in the pursuit of meth
will continue to rise.”
Over half the drivers arrested by OSP troop-
ers in Grant County in 2018 were driving while
under the influence of a drug other than alcohol,
or in combination with alcohol, Hutchison said.
“It’s up to everyone to help stop this epi-
demic,” Hutchison said. “Support your local
law enforcement officers. Notify law enforce-
ment when you believe drug dealers are oper-
ating in your area, and report criminal activity
immediately. We can stop this epidemic, but we
need your help.”
Treatment options
Help for meth users is available through
counseling, medication, family education,
structured lifestyle support and behavioral
therapy. It’s hard to recover from meth use, but
it can be done, Betza said. Treatment can re-
quire both counseling and medical care when
organs have been injured and when medication
is needed to deal with the depression or anxiety
that comes with withdrawal.
Helplines are not for urgent care emergencies.
If a situation is life-threatening, people should call
9-1-1 immediately. For additional information or
advice over the phone, call these numbers:
• Community Counseling Solutions, 541-
575-1466.
• Oregon Crystal Meth Anonymous help-
line, 855-638-4373.
• The Substance Abuse and Mental Health
Services Administration national hotline, 800-
662-4357.
within 180 days as required.
Boyd said in his complaint a
tort claim notice was served
Jan. 19 — 181 days after the
final supplemental judgment
document in The Oregonian
lawsuit was filed July 21,
2017. Warren argues, howev-
er, that Boyd’s clients “knew
they had suffered the ‘harm’
of incurring their own attor-
ney fees” by Dec. 28, 2016,
when the county declined a
request to cover the fees — if
not Nov. 3, 2016, when the
initial judgment was entered
that stated it did “not preclude
Plaintiffs from submitting a
request for attorney fees.”
Finally, Warren argues
the complaint should be dis-
missed because required fol-
low-up mailings regarding
the service of the summons
and complaint were not sent.
Boyd subsequently submitted
an affidavit May 10 stating he
had mailed the documents on
May 4.
Before Warren’s motion to
dismiss was filed, Boyd filed
notice April 24 his clients in-
tended to apply for a default
order because the county
failed to respond within the
required time frame. Boyd
also filed a motion March 27
to disqualify Grant County
Circuit Court Judge William
D. Cramer Jr. from serving
as judge in the proceeding
because his clients “believe
that they cannot have a fair
and impartial trial or hearing”
before Cramer.
A hearing in the case
is scheduled June 1 before
Judge Patricia Sullivan.
Incentive
programs
Two incentive programs
have been proposed to en-
courage improvements to the
city’s housing stock. Under
the New Home Incentive Pro-
gram, the city would rebate 7
percent of the increased as-
sessed value of a property to
the property owner and waive
system development charges
for water and sewer.
There would be no limit on
the number of times a person
could apply for benefits under
the program, Green said. A
contractor could submit mul-
tiple properties or multiple
phases for a single project.
Manufactured homes would
not be eligible, and “tiny
homes” were not considered,
he said.
According to the program’s
draft report, the average as-
sessed value of new homes
in John Day is $208,000, and
the average assessed value of
undeveloped lots is $30,000,
giving an average net increase
of $178,000 for a new home.
With an average rebate of
laterals connecting homes
and businesses along High-
way 395. A fiber cable would
be run to the Fall Mountain
Communications Tower, and
broadband service would be
provided to the Swick Old
Growth Interpretive Site and
the Starr Campground on the
Malheur National Forest.
In addition, broadband ser-
vice would be provided to the
city hall and post office in Sen-
eca. The community will be
undergoing significant water
and sewer infrastructure im-
provements in the next three
years, and fiber-to-home con-
nections could be completed
as part of those projects.
About $1.3 million in state
funding would remain after
Phase 1 and could be used to
leverage additional funding
for Phase 2, in which the fiber
backbone would be run from
Seneca to Burns, Green told
the council. After that, the net-
work could be expanded east,
west and north from John Day
in Phase 3.
Kluser told the Eagle that
Ortelco has sufficient fiber
backbone and employees to
absorb the needs of the 100
new customers expected in the
Phase 1 area. Details on Or-
telco’s role in running fiber to
Ad, Classified & Legal Deadline
Thursday, May 24th by 5 p.m.
Blue Mountain
Closed
May 2
8th
195 N. Canyon Blvd. MyEagleNews.com
John Day 541-575-0710
56877
Looking forward
Under state law, John Day
does not need approval by
the Grant County Court or
other taxing jurisdictions to
implement the urban renew-
al district, but voters could
bring forward an initiative to
change the district.
If the program is unsuc-
cessful in spurring new home
construction, there would be
no loss to the city and no loss
to other taxing jurisdictions,
Green said.
If the program is “wildly
successful,” the city would
need a line of credit to cover
the incentives, but significant
new development would be
good for the economy and the
affected taxing jurisdictions,
Green said.
The John Day housing
program is supported by the
Oregon general fund through
the Department of Land Con-
servation and Development,
which considers the urban re-
newal district a pilot program.
The John Day Urban
Renewal Agency, which is
composed of John Day city
councilors, will oversee the
program. The agency will
hold its first meeting May
22. The John Day Planning
Commission will review the
program May 24. The city
council will hold a public
hearing and vote to adopt
the proposed program on
June 12.
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For May 30th Edition
Grant County’s newspaper since 1868
Tax financing
The city would recoup its
incentive payments by using
tax revenue on the increased
assessed value resulting from
new home construction or
remodeling. The city expects
the incentives for each prop-
erty would be paid back in
seven years.
The city would not pay the
incentives until the increase
in assessed value shows up
on the tax rolls, so there is no
risk to John Day, Green said.
The program’s projected esti-
mate is for three new homes
and three remodels per year
to 2026, at which time those
numbers could increase.
Tax payments from prop-
erty inside the urban renew-
al district to the eight taxing
jurisdictions — including the
county, Grant School District
3, Grant County Education
Service District and Blue
Mountain Hospital — would
be frozen at the level when
the program is initiated. Tax
revenue on the increased as-
sessed value resulting from
the program would not be-
come available to these tax-
ing jurisdictions until the
incentive for each property is
paid back.
“While the other tax dis-
tricts in the city do not receive
immediate tax benefits from
the area, these agencies will
realize an increase in their tax
revenue that would not ex-
ist but for the creation of the
incentive program,” the pro-
gram’s draft plan states.
According to the projected
tax impact in the program’s
draft report, the county could
see a $747,402 increase in tax
revenue at the end of 20 years
if the program is successful.
The school district could see
$974,012, and the hospital
could see $866,671.
BROADBAND
EARLY DEADLINE
EAGLE
$12,460 and system devel-
opment charges of $7,400
per lot, the total incentive for
new homes would average
$19,860.
Under the Existing Home
Remodel Incentive Program,
the city would rebate 15 per-
cent of the increased assessed
value of a property to the
homeowner. The minimum
assessed value increase to be
eligible for the rebate would
be $10,000. The draft pro-
gram report assumes an aver-
age of $30,000 per remodel,
giving an average rebate of
$4,500.
Eagle file photo
Kelvin Taysom, left, temporarily left his engineering
post at Oregon Telephone Corp. Nov. 17 to help field
technician Cory Hayes run fiber cable to the Families
First office on South Canyon Boulevard in John Day.
Ortelco is entering a public-private partnership with
the Grant County Digital Network Coalition to expand
broadband access.
Fall Mountain, Forest Service
campgrounds and homes in
Seneca were not known at this
time, she said. As for Phase
3, Kluser said Ortelco would
continue to look at ways to
expand service to outlying ar-
eas in Grant County, including
Long Creek and Monument.
The company continues to
plan for expanding service in
the John Day area, including
the industrial park area near
the airport and the Edgewood
Drive area east of Canyon
City. Kluser said Ortelco bud-
gets for expansion a little bit
at a time each year as finances
allow.
The partnership
The goal is to have the
Grant County Digital Net-
work Coalition own and op-
erate the fiber backbone and
have Ortelco be the inter-
net provider to the end user,
Green told the council. He
wanted the coalition to be in
the wholesale business, not
the retail market.
Much of the plan rests on
the coalition being awarded
the federal grant. Green not-
ed that the USDA will be im-
pressed that the coalition can
cover the $450,000 match with
about $1.3 million left over
and by the strength of the team
the coalition has put together.
The team already included
Fiber Channels Inc., which
will negotiate with internet
service providers for access to
the fiber backbone at Burns,
and Commstructure Consult-
ing LLC, which will provide
infrastructure design and proj-
ect management.
New to the team are CTC
Technology & Energy, which
has specialized in broad-
band financial analysis and
network strategic planning
since 1983, and the Cohen
Law Group, which specializ-
es in telecommunication and
broadband matters.
According to the city’s
grant application resolution,
Grant County ranked second
highest among Oregon coun-
ties on the Digital Divide In-
dex produced by Roberto Gal-
lard at Purdue University. The
Digital Divide “is the number
one threat to community eco-
nomic development in the 21st
century,” the resolution states.
Difficult terrain and small
remote communities in East-
ern Oregon present financial
hurdles to internet providers.
As a result, major internet
cables are routed along U.S.
highways 97 and 20 and Inter-
state 84 — basically circling
around Grant County, Green
told the city council.
County approval
The Grant County Court
approved a letter in support of
John Day’s Community Con-
nect grant application April
25. The court ratified creation
of the Grant County Digital
Network Coalition through a
second reading May 9 on a 2-1
vote, with Commissioner Jim
Hamsher opposed. A March
28 vote to create the coalition
required a unanimous vote
because it was an emergency
ordinance, but Hamsher had
voted in opposition.
Hamsher also asked to
be appointed to the coalition
board, but Grant County Judge
Scott Myers noted that the
board’s two at-large seats must
be filled by the three current
board members, which repre-
sent John Day, Grant County
and Seneca.
Myers said the plan pre-
sented by Green should put to
rest concerns that the county
was competing with the pri-
vate sector by participating in
the Grant County Digital Net-
work Coalition.