A18
NEWS
Blue Mountain Eagle
Bill
Rent
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Sen. Cliff Bentz, R-On-
tario, told the Oregon Cat-
tlemen’s Association at their
Dec. 1 convention in Bend
that the cap-and-trade carbon
bill’s goal is to reduce state
carbon dioxide emissions
from 55 million tons per year
to 10 million over 30 years,
but the savings amount to
only 0.125 percent of global
emissions.
“This will not resolve cli-
mate issues,” he said.
With Democrats holding a
super-majority in the Legis-
lature, Bentz felt sure a cap-
and-trade bill will pass. On
Jan. 25, he told lawmakers
that his party wants to avoid
economic hardships while
addressing the issue of cli-
mate change.
“This bill has enormous
costs caught up in it,” he said.
“The value of this bill is its
ability to convince other peo-
ple to follow Oregon’s lead.
And this means we have to
get it right. It’s not going to
save the world. What saves
the world is other people say-
ing, ‘Hey, Oregon figured out
how to do it.’”
In a floor speech on
March 4, Rep. Lynn Find-
ley, R-Vale, called for a full
exemption for the agricul-
tural sector from HB 2020.
“When our farmers and
ranchers compete within a
market place with produc-
ers who do not have to deal
with carbon taxes, credits or
allowances, Oregon produc-
ers will always lose,” he said.
Findley noted that the
costs of running a farm
have already significantly
increased. Facing thin profit
margins, farmers will not be
able to handle being strapped
with an additional financial
burden, he said.
“We should be looking
for ways to help our farming
and ranching community, not
place them at a disadvantage
within the market place,” he
said. “Farmers and ranchers
in Eastern Oregon are find-
ing it increasingly difficult to
maintain their operations for
future generations.”
In an earlier floor speech,
Findley warned that carbon
costs caused by the cap-and-
trade carbon bill could make
Ash Grove Cement in Baker
County less competitive than
cement plants in China, which
do not operate under the envi-
ronmental, safety, labor, fuel
and raw material regulations
that Ash Grove must follow.
“Unintended
conse-
quences of this policy will be
a net increase in global emis-
sion,” he said, as cement pro-
duced in China will produce
much more carbon dioxide.
If the Ash Grove plant
closes, Baker and Malheur
counties could lose 600 jobs,
Findley said. In another floor
speech, Findley noted that
EP Minerals might move its
plant in Malheur County to
Nevada to avoid carbon caps
and costs, eliminating 123
jobs in one of the state’s most
impoverished counties.
“We must do no harm to
existing business, understand
the economic impacts of this
law, and not destroy the abil-
ity for Oregon businesses
to compete,” he said. “The
social and economic impacts
must be considered along
with appropriate science in
the development of future
carbon policies. Rural econ-
omies are extremely fragile
and any reduction of employ-
ment diversity, such as this, is
very significant.”
increase in a year under the
law would be $107.42 for
that two-bedroom.
Who is exempt?
Two types of landlords
have exemptions in the law.
Landlords who own
rental homes that received
a certificate of occupancy
15 years ago or less are not
restricted by the 7 percent,
plus CPI, cap. They may
raise rents as much as they
want until the certificate
of occupancy exceeds 15
years. They still have to pay
the relocation fee if they
evict a tenant for no fault.
Landlords who own
four or fewer rental units
are not required to pay the
relocation fee equal to one
Wednesday, March 6, 2019
month’s rent when they ask
a tenant to move because
they want to move into the
property, sell the property
or make major upgrades to
the property. These land-
lords are restricted by the
rental increase cap.
How is the law
enforced?
Tenants may sue their
landlord in court if the land-
lord violates the rent cap
or evicts them at no fault
for a reason other than
those allowed under the
law. Landlords may legally
evict a tenant for no fault
if the landlord plans to sell
the property, move into the
property or their family
plans to move into the prop-
erty. Landlords also may
evict a tenant for upgrades
and renovations that can-
not be done while the tenant
occupies the property.
How do landlords
increase their rents to
market rate, if they are
behind?
Landlords have two ways
to increase rents to mar-
ket rate, if they are behind.
One is to gradually increase
rents by the limit each year.
Another is to reset the rent
to market rate when a tenant
moves out.
The Eagle/Richard Hanners
The 1188 Brewing Company will apply for a Main Street Revitalization grant from the state to improve its storefront.
Grants
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Co-owner
Shannon
Adair, also a city coun-
cilor who abstained from
the council decision, said
that in addition to creat-
ing a better looking store-
front, safety issues would
be addressed by installing
new windows.
City Manager Nick
Green said he was told it was
unlikely that a single city
would receive more than
$200,000. Greg Armstrong
said he would scale back the
Len’s Drug project if they
didn’t receive the grant, and
Adair said the 1188 project
would still get done but not
as quickly.
In other city council
news:
• The Oregon Department
of Environmental Qual-
ity has informally approved
the city’s plan for a new
wastewater treatment plant
that will produce reclaimed
water, Green said.
That approval includes
allowing the city to obtain
a permit to discharge
reclaimed water in winter,
when more reclaimed water
is produced than can be put
to use, he said.
The city learned Feb.
28 that it was awarded a
$196,500 federal Commu-
nity Development Block
Grant that will pay for engi-
The Eagle/Richard Hanners
Greg and Marla Armstrong have applied for a Main Street Revitalization grant from the state to improve retail space and
storefront for Len’s Drug.
neering and design for the
new facility. The city issued
a request for bids the same
day.
The
council
also
approved a $15,000 pro-
fessional services agree-
ment with Clean Water Ser-
vices of Hillsboro to assist
with water reuse planning,
specifically for constructed
wetlands and watershed
improvements along the
John Day River.
• Noting four errors,
Guyer & Associates reported
in their audit for fiscal year
2018 that the city was in
substantial compliance with
state regulations.
The firm found over-ex-
penditures of $6,070 in the
Water Fund and $10,259
in the Information Tech-
nology Fund. The city also
failed to keep a written
record related to propos-
als for a police vehicle and
failed to include a website
address in a newspaper legal
advertisement.
• In her update on event
planning, Councilor Adair
advised that March 23 might
be too soon for holding a
street fair. She also noted
that a hot rod club had shown
interest in riding through the
area in June.
Green told the Eagle
that the Oregon Depart-
ment of Transportation had
not approved closing High-
way 26 for the street fair and
instead suggested using a side
street.
• The council agreed to
create a Community Devel-
opment Committee that will
oversee public relations,
community events and mar-
keting and branding.
Oversight of the zoning
and planning commission
would be moved to the new
committee from the admin-
istrative committee. Adair,
Mayor Ron Lundbom and
Councilor Gregg Haberly
agreed to serve on the new
committee.
• Tim Unterwegner was
re-appointed to the zoning
and planning commission.
THE JUNIPER ARTS COUNCIL
IS SEEKING APPLICATIONS FOR THE
JOHN AND LINDA SHELK COMMUNITY GRANTS
The Juniper Arts Council is seeking grant applications
from Grant County organizations for community
projects that benefit Grant County communities. The
JAC has $3,000 to distribute from the Shelk Foundation
for community projects. The maximum grant award is
$1,000. An example of a recent Shelk recipient: Blue
Mountain Community College and Oregon State
University received a grant to purchase welding safety
gear sets to be used for welding classes held at Grant
Union with college credit from BMCC.
Applications are available from Karin Barntish at 131
West Main Street in John Day. Further information is
available from Kris Beal at 541-932-4892.
Applications are due April 5, 2019 by 5 PM.
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