A10
NEWS
Blue Mountain Eagle
Wednesday, May 29, 2019
Pool
Bond
Continued from Page A1
Continued from Page A1
does not have a suffi cient tax
base to build and operate a new
pool, so Green proposed that the
county court establish a county
service district to fund building
and operating a new pool.
The new service district
should not extend countywide
as that would be unfair to distant
communities, Green said. Resi-
dents of the new district would
vote in a bond election to pay
for construction of a new pool,
he said.
Green told the Eagle that a
county service district can be
created by the county court with-
out a popular vote because it
does not create a permanent tax
base. Once the district’s bound-
aries are established, the district
board can refer ballot measures
to its residents for local option
taxes and capital improvement
bonds to build and fi nance oper-
ations of a pool.
16J, director position 4: Mani Martin 68,
write-in 8
• Dayville School District 16J, director
position 5: Gina Fisher 72, write-in 0
• Fox Cemetery District, director
at-large: write-in 6
• Fox Cemetery District, director
at-large: write-in 6
• Grant County Education Service Dis-
trict, director at-large: John R. Stearns
919, write-in 19
• Grant County Education Service Dis-
trict, director zone 1: Megan Brandsma
345, write-in 1
• Grant County Education Service Dis-
trict, director zone 2: Shilo Fretwell 153,
write-in 1
• Grant County Education Service Dis-
trict, director zone 4: Becky Tatum 199,
write-in 3
• Grant County Education Service Dis-
trict, director zone 5: write-in 6
• Grant County Transportation District,
four directors at-large: Ron Smith 824,
Peggy Molnar 866, Blaine Huffman 899,
Deronda Lallatin 773, write-in 30
• John Day-Canyon City Parks and
Recreation District, two directors at-large:
Russ Young 401, Zach Williams 408,
write-in 27
• John Day Rural Fire District, three
directors at-large: Eric W. Julsrud 157, Pat
Holliday 171, write-in 14
• John Day School District 3, director
zone 3: David L. Hall 586, write-in 4
• John Day School District 3, three
directors at-large: write-in 305
• Long Creek Cemetery District, direc-
tor at-large: Dwight Johnson 75, write-in
0
• Long Creek School District 17, direc-
tor position 2: Jasmine Cave 48, write-in
22
• Long Creek School District 17,
director position 4: James Kreamier 69,
write-in 8
• Long Creek School District 17,
director position 5: Michael Gibson 52,
write-in 17
• Mid-County Cemetery District, direc-
tor at-large: Julie Ellison 591, write-in 2
• Monument Cemetery District, two
directors at-large: write-in 32
• Monument School District 8, direc-
tor position 3 at-large: Jacqueline Oakley
Sweek 44, write-in 2
• Monument School District 8, direc-
tor position 4 at-large: Josh Hamilton 56,
write-in 3
• Monument School District 8, direc-
tor position 7 at-large: Carrie Jewell 53,
write-in 3
• Mt. Vernon Rural Fire District, two
directors at-large: Neil Bauer 62, write-in
12
• Prairie Cemetery District, two direc-
tors at-large: Jim Sullens 186, Carla
Wright 216, write-in 2
• Prairie City School District 4, direc-
tor position 1: Christopher Camarena Sr.
181, write-in 13
• Prairie City School District 4, direc-
tor position 4: Douglas W. Emmel, 207,
write-in 6
• Prairie City School District 4, direc-
tor position 5: Margie L. Walton 134,
write-in 60
• Prairie City School District 4, direc-
tor position 6: Jamie K. McKay 183,
write-in 9
• Prairie City School District 4, direc-
tor position 7: Ryan P. Williams 179,
write-in 9
• Prairie Rural Fire District, three
directors at-large: Blaine Huffman 65,
Cole Winegar 60, Margie L. Walton 43,
write-in 4
Eagle photos/Richard Hanners
Grant County Judge Scott Myers listens to debate about a future pool during the court’s May 22 meeting.
Diverse interests
Commissioner Jim Hamsher
noted that the number of reg-
istered voters in John Day and
Canyon City far outnumber vot-
ers in Prairie City and Mt. Ver-
non and could sway votes once
the district is created.
Judge Scott Myers ques-
tioned how diverse the steer-
ing committee is and whether
it only included people in favor
of a new swimming pool. Not-
ing that people in favor of a new
pool are the most vocal, he said
he wanted to see more unbi-
ased and impartial people on the
committee.
Hamsher said he wanted rep-
resentatives on the committee
from other communities, even if
that means increasing the size of
the committee. Green suggested
adding representatives from
Canyon City, Seneca, Prairie
City and Mt. Vernon, but Myers
went further, suggesting Monu-
ment, Long Creek, Dayville and
even Kimberly be represented.
Hamsher said he’s not
opposed to the idea of a new
pool, but he noted that if the
steering committee did not rep-
resent all communities, it will
get voted down.
Myers described his fami-
ly’s ties to the current pool and
said he was confl icted on how to
proceed with a new pool. People
who don’t want a pool shouldn’t
have to pay for it, he said.
Lisa Weigum, who sits on
the steering committee and the
board of the John Day-Canyon
City Parks & Recreation Dis-
trict, which currently operates
Gleason Pool, said the commit-
tee planned to speak to other
communities but hadn’t gotten
that far yet. The idea of estab-
lishing a service district with a
15-mile radius had not yet been
decided, she added.
The steering committee rep-
resents fi ve large taxing juris-
dictions because fi nancing a
new pool could affect their
tax revenue, Green said. They
include Blue Mountain Hospi-
tal District, Grant School Dis-
Grant County Librarian Vicki Bond discusses the future of the
bookmobile during the Grant County Court’s May 22 meeting.
Lisa Weigum, representing the John Day-Canyon City Parks &
Recreation District board, talks about a future pool at the Grant
County Court meeting May 22.
trict 3, the Parks & Rec District,
Grant County and John Day.
The size of the committee
was initially kept small, Green
explained. If it gets too large,
there could be too many voices
and it could be ineffective. Now
that options have been stud-
ied and proposed, the commit-
tee could be enlarged, he said.
Weigum agreed with Green.
Haley Walker, who has been
active in developing options for
a new pool, noted that while the
steering committee represents
large taxing jurisdictions that
could be affected, it was never
A.K. Moss – Award winning poet, Author & speaker
akmossbooks.com • Unspoken trilogy
HEALING
Traumatized Dogs
by Margot Heiniger, MA,
OTR with (Star) Lady
Lovebug
set up just for people who sup-
port a new pool.
County representative
Former Commissioner Rob
Raschio sat on the commit-
tee until this year, when Com-
missioner Sam Palmer took his
place at an April 2 informational
meeting hosted by the John Day
swim team. Hamsher noted that
Raschio was never appointed
by the court to serve in that
capacity.
Myers noted that Raschio is
very committed to seeing a new
pool built and is willing to serve
on the steering committee. He
motioned to appoint Raschio to
the committee with the under-
standing that he remains neutral
and provides information to the
court. If not, the court will pull
him, Myers said.
Palmer agreed, noting that
there will be bias no matter
what. Hamsher also agreed, say-
ing Raschio will be asked to do
no lobbying.
Judy Kerr objected to the
court’s decision, saying Raschio
was a cheerleader and not neu-
tral. Jim Spell commented that
the bottom line is that either the
county court will kill the pool
concept or let the voters decide.
Myers agreed that was it in a
nutshell.
In other county court news:
• The court approved two
requests by Justice of the Peace
Kathy Stinnett. She asked for
approval of a $3,000 audio,
video and recording system for
Justice Court to improve hear-
ing for participants and to allow
inmates to participate without
leaving jail.
Stinnett said she averages
about 10 inmates in court per
month. Some have substance
abuse or mental health issues,
so she has gone to the jail for
hearings.
She noted that Justice Court
is not a court of record, so the
recording equipment would
typically be turned off and not
used unless requested by par-
ties. The legislature may make
justice courts into courts of
record in the future, and if so the
Grant County court would be
prepared.
Stinnett also wanted the state
Department of Justice to handle
collections for back fi nes. This
would satisfy the court’s duties
to enforce the law through “pas-
sive collection,” she said. DOR
would take 10% of the collected
funds.
• The court also approved a
request by the Grant County
Library to sell its bookmo-
bile and use the funds as
needed. Library board mem-
ber Kathy Smith said they
have not heard any concerns
from schools since it stopped
running.
ROSE HOWE
Author of the
“The Redneck English-
woman” series
Captivating tales of
life on an Eastern
Oregon farmstead
triplehhomestead.com
Check out our
steaks for the
BBQ Special Hot
Dogs and more!
Russell’s Custom Meats
235 N. Canyon City Blvd., Canyon City
541-575-0720
Back Country Flying by Doug Ferguson
11:00 AM on Saturday 6/8/19 followed by book
signings. • Flying, in general, and back country
flying in particular, require a high level of maturity
and judgement. • fergusondoug42@gmail.com
Contact
DAVE
DRISCOLL
248-719-2122
driscollfg@gmail.com