News
Blue Mountain Eagle
Wednesday, July 4, 2018
A5
Clerk’s stipend request turned down by court
By Richard Hanners
Blue Mountain Eagle
It took two votes and
some contentious discussion,
but the Grant County Court
turned down County Clerk
Brenda Percy’s stipend re-
quest for handling county
payroll on June 27.
Commissioner Boyd Brit-
ton, who had announced his
retirement and was attending
his final county court meeting,
cast the only votes favoring
Percy’s request.
Percy was not present in
the room, and Judge Scott
Myers said he anticipated his
decision “will not be popular
in the courthouse.”
He later told the Eagle that
Percy is in her third term as
county clerk and “knew going
in” what her duties and com-
pensation were. The electorate
had expectations of her, and it
was not ethical for her to change
her position, Myers said.
The Eagle/Richard Hanners
From left, Grant County Commissioner Boyd
Britton addresses County Judge Scott Myers and
Commissioner Jim Hamsher at Britton’s last Grant
County Court meeting June 27.
Payroll is not part of a
county clerk’s statutorily de-
fined job description as an
elected official, and Percy had
submitted a new job descrip-
tion for her position to the
Local Government Personnel
Institute for review.
LGPI concluded that the
Grant County clerk position
should be paid Grade 11
scale, whether it included the
payroll duties or not. That
conclusion made a decision
more difficult, Myers told the
court.
Two other elected Grant
County officials receive sti-
pends for additional work.
Assessor David Thunell’s
stipend for tax collection has
been $526 per month, and
Treasurer Julie Ellison’s sti-
pend for handling the coun-
ty budget has been $336 per
month.
In 2015, when the issue
of assigning human resource
duties arose, Myers agreed
that those duties statutorily
fell within his job descrip-
tion. A change was made to
the court’s administrative
assistant position to assist in
handling human resource du-
ties as Laurie Wright filled the
position that year.
But Myers felt county
clerks had handled payroll
in Grant County for decades,
and he saw no need to change
that.
Britton said he had talk-
ed with a bookkeeping firm
about the cost of contracting
out payroll work. Grant Coun-
ty’s payroll was complicated,
with handwritten checks for
95 employees, union issues
and payments to the state’s
Public Employees Retirement
System, he said. Contracting
out payroll work could be
more expensive than paying a
stipend, he said.
It was a fairness issue,
Britton noted. In the past,
monthly payroll was handled
by two people over two days.
Now Percy did it alone. He
recommended paying Percy
the same stipend the treasur-
er receives for handling the
county budget.
Commissioner Jim Ham-
sher said he was concerned
that if payroll duties were not
included in the county clerk’s
job description, even if a sti-
pend was provided, then a
future county clerk might de-
cide not to do the work. If that
happened, the work would
have to be contracted out.
Several residents ad-
dressed the court on the issue.
Jim Sproul said Percy knew
about the clerk’s duties when
she ran for election and should
get paid less if she didn’t han-
dle payroll. Frances Preston
noted that “money is tight”
now, and the job description
and pay should remain the
same.
Britton’s motion to accept
the new job description, with-
out payroll duties, was defeat-
ed 2-1. Hamsher then suggest-
ed keeping the original job
description and paying a sti-
pend equal to the treasurer’s.
Britton thanked Hamsher
and made that motion.
Judy Schuette objected to
the motion from her front row
seat. She wanted to know why
the court would do that, and
how much extra time Percy
spent on handling payroll.
The second motion was
also defeated 2-1, with Ham-
sher voting against his own
suggestion. Myers concluded
the discussion by noting that
the court may want to handle
the matter someday in another
way, but the court would need
more information.
Day, was arrested on a probation
violation. The Grant County
Sheriff’s Office issued a citation
to appear on a Lebanon warrant.
June 29: Following a traffic
stop on Highway 26 near Dog
Creek Road, Keith Eggener, 58,
Eugene, was cited for speeding,
51/35 zone.
June 29: Following a traffic
stop on West Main Street in John
Day, Jim E. Roba, 43, John Day,
was cited for driving with a sus-
pended license and no insurance.
June 30: Responded to a bar
on Main Street in John Day. Hal
S. Gilliam, 51, Prairie City, was
arrested on a probation violation.
June 30: Following a traffic
stop on West Main Street in John
Day, Juliann Evans, 56, John
Day, was cited for not wearing a
seat belt.
July 1: Following a traffic
stop east of John Day, James
Ryan, 58, John Day, was cited for
driving with a suspended license
and no insurance.
July 1: Responded to South-
west Brent Drive in John Day for
a dispute. Stephanie Burrows,
44, John Day, was arrested for
disorderly conduct.
• Grant County Sheriff’s
Office
June 26: Dispatched to
South Humbolt Street in Can-
yon City. Richard E. Bryant,
36, Medford, was arrested on a
Grant County warrant.
June 27: Advised of possible
elder abuse at a senior facility in
Prairie City.
June 28: Responded to East
Main Street in John Day for a re-
port of strange noises.
June 29: Received a report of
dogs killing chickens in Canyon
City.
June 30: Responded to River
Estates Lane in Mt. Vernon for a
report of livestock theft.
July 1: Received a report from
a woman of a bull that didn’t be-
long to her in a corral on School
House Lane in Mt. Vernon.
• John Day ambulance
June 25: Dispatched to North
Johnson Avenue in Prairie City
of a 59-year-old woman with
chest pains.
July 1: Responded with Prai-
rie City ambulance and Grant
County Sheriff’s Office to a
ranch in Prairie City for an unre-
sponsive man.
July 1: Responded with Or-
egon State Police and Grant
County Sheriff’s Office to High-
way 26 near Picture Gorge for a
report of an unconscious driver
and a vehicle blocking the high-
way.
• John Day fire
June 28: Responded with
John Day police to Bumpy Road
in John Day for a report of multi-
ple vehicles and grass on fire.
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
Circuit Court
Probation was revoked for
Michelle L. Mann, 42, Day-
ville, on June 26 for failing to
complete treatment. She was
sentenced to 120 hours in jail.
Mann had pleaded guilty to mis-
demeanor harassment commit-
ted on June 22, 2017.
Ronald Hodge, 77, John
Day, pleaded guilty June 12 to
driving under the influence of
intoxicants on May 4. His sen-
tence was diverted for one year,
and he was required to install an
ignition interlock device on any
vehicle he drives.
Travis A. Palmer, 27, Mt.
Vernon, was found in violation
of his probation by failing to
obey all laws. He was sentenced
to 10 hours additional commu-
nity service and a $25 fee. He
had pleaded guilty to two counts
of misdemeanor harassment
committed on Jan. 1.
Sharon M. Korff, 55, John
Day, was found in violation
of her probation for failing to
complete treatment and paying
financial obligations. She was
sentenced to 20 hours addition-
al community service . She had
pleaded guilty to driving under
the influence of intoxicants
committed on June 26, 2016,
and to driving while her license
was suspended or revoked and
failing to install an ignition in-
terlock device committed on
March 29, 2017.
Ricky B. Gordon, 55, Can-
yon City, pleaded guilty June
21 to driving under the influ-
ence of intoxicants on April 15.
He was sentenced to 21 days in
jail, 24 months probation, 80
hours community service and a
$2,255 fine. His driver’s license
was suspended for three years.
Benjamin L. Keith, 38, Can-
yon City, pleaded guilty June 28
to misdemeanor strangulation
constituting domestic violence
committed between April 1 and
May 1 and felony attempt to
commit second degree assault
constituting domestic violence
committed between Nov. 1 and
Nov. 30, 2017. He was sen-
tenced to 26 months in prison
and three years post-prison su-
pervision. Nine counts includ-
ing kidnapping, assault, menac-
ing, strangulation, harassment
and pointing a firearm at another
person were dismissed. Keith’s
probation for two counts of ha-
rassment committed Feb. 2 also
was revoked.
Probation was revoked for
Samuel V. Galvan, 26, Baker
City, on June 28 for failure to pay
fees and fines, failure to com-
plete community service and
failure to complete treatment.
He was ordered to pay $1,000 at
the hearing and sentenced to 30
days in jail with credit for time
served. He had pleaded guilty
to driving under the influence of
intoxicants committed on April
26, 2013, and failure to appear
committed on May 23, 2013.
Nicole C. Shaffer, 22, Mt.
Vernon, pleaded guilty June
28 to two misdemeanor counts
possession of methamphetamine
committed on Jan. 2 and Jan. 5.
She was sentenced to 20 days
in jail, 36 months probation, 80
hours community service and
$350 in fines and fees. Three
counts of methamphetamine de-
livery and conspiracy to commit
a Class B felony were dismissed.
Kristopher M. Goodwin, 27,
John Day, pleaded guilty June
28 to misdemeanor unlawful
possession of a firearm com-
mitted on March 6. He was sen-
tenced to three days in jail, 18
months of probation and $250 in
fines and fees. A second count of
unlawful possession of a firearm
was dismissed.
Grant County
Sheriff
The Grant County Sheriff’s
Office reported the following for
the week of June 27: concealed
handgun licenses, 4; average in-
mates, 19; bookings, 13; releases,
11; arrests, 3; citations, 2; finger-
prints, 1; civil papers, 10; war-
rants processed, 3; asst./welfare
check, 0; search and rescue, 0.
June 25: Daniel J. Coiner,
37, Heppner, was cited for driv-
ing uninsured, open container
and refusing to take an intoxi-
cants test.
June 25: Jason Anderson, 32,
Corvallis, was cited for violating
the basic rule, 84/55 zone.
Alsop, 36, Prairie City, was ar-
rested and charged with being a
felon in possession of a firearm,
driving with a suspended license
and no insurance and failing to
register the vehicle.
Justice Court
Exceeding speed limit: Jes-
se W. Apple, 40, Beavercreek,
Ohio, June 10, 49/35 zone, fined
$165; Colin D. MacDonald, 28,
Portland, June 9, 40/25 zone,
fined $165.
Violation of basic rule: Don-
ald Myers, 59, Vale, June 11,
74/55 zone, fined $165; Sunnie
J. Moore, 20, John Day, June 1,
76/55 zone, fined $225; Carlotta
K. Davison, 58, Pendleton, May
5, 75/55 zone, fined $165; Jacob
A. Lortie, 27, Stayton, May 2,
85/55 zone, fined $265.
Violation of speed limit: Vir-
ginia Lopez, 37, Hines, May 17,
51/35 zone, fined $165; Shilo
Fretwell, 38, Mt. Vernon, May
31, 30/20 zone, fined $115.
Driving uninsured: Nick
Gibson, 27, Prairie City, Feb.
22, fined $1,000, March 4, fined
$1,000, April 24, fined $300.
Driving while suspended:
Nick Gibson, 27, Prairie City,
Feb. 22, fined $2,000, March
4, fined $2,000, April 24, fined
$500.
Failure to register vehicle:
Nick Gibson, 27, Prairie City,
April 24, fined $150.
Gary W. Lieuallen, 83, Can-
yon City, pleaded guilty June 20
to an amended charge of crimi-
nal mischief. He was fined $440.
Nick Gibson, 27, John Day,
pleaded guilty June 20 to sec-
ond-degree theft. He was sen-
tenced to 30 days in jail with
credit for time served.
Dispatch
John Day dispatch worked
175 calls during the week of June
25-July 1, including:
• John Day Police Depart-
ment
June 26: Dispatched to Front
Street in Prairie City for a driving
complaint. Darrell Preakos, 55,
Lebanon, Maine, was cited for
speed.
June 27: Responded to East
Main Street in John Day. Aaron
Roseberry, 31, John Day, was
arrested on a Grant County war-
rant.
June 28: Following a traffic
stop on Highway 26 near Dog
Creek Road, Kristina Cutter, 42,
Bend, was cited for speeding.
June 28: Following a traffic
stop on South Canyon Boule-
vard, Heather Reilly, 29, John
Day, was cited for driving with a
suspended license.
June 28: Following a traffic
stop on West Main Street in John
Day, John LaFranchise, 52, John
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Oregon State
Police
June 24: Responded to
Highway 395 near Porter Road
following a report of an intoxi-
cated man causing a disturbance
at a store in Kimberly. Daniel J.
Coiner, 37, Heppner, was arrest-
ed and charged with driving un-
der the influence of intoxicants.
June 25: Following a traffic
stop on Highway 26 near Dog
Creek Road, the trooper noticed
the driver was nervous and saw
an empty holster laying on the
passenger’s seat. The driver
allegedly admitted he had hid-
den a .22-caliber pistol under
the seat and was not allowed
to possess firearms. Jeremiah J.
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