BESS I E WETZELL
U OF ORE
NEWSPAPER LIB
EUGENE OR 97403
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Regulations restricting development, final draft of flood plain expected next week
Flood plain management
regulations are expected to go
into effect tomorrow, after
Federal Insurance Admin
istration (FIA) officials pre
sent final flood elevation maps
to Morrow County and City of
Heppner representatives
during a 5:30 p.m. meeting at
the Courthouse today.
The move was announced
last Thursday by Chuck Steele
of the FIA's Seattle office
during a public meeting on the
proposed Willow Creek Dam.
Flood plain management
regulations will require the
Heppner City Planning Com
mission and the Morrow
County Planning Commission
to prohibit any new construct
Hot goods
N
oFthern Morrow County growth
adds to 24 school budget
Growth in northern Morrow
County accounts for nearly
half of a 24.4 per cent increase
in the county school system's
proposed budget for the
coming school year.
Voters will decide whether
to approve the budget at the
polls on April 3.
The 1979-80 school budget
would require $849,776 over
the current rate. Staff, equip
ment, supplies and utilities to
service two new north end
schools account for more than
$360,000 of that amount. The
new schools a junior high at
Irrigon and an elementary
school in Boardman are ex
pected to open midway
through the coming school
year.
"The budget anticipates 100
new students next year," said
Schools Superintendent Matt
Doherty, noting that over
crowding in the county's
booming north end has
prompted school officials to
arrange for temporary class
room space outside existing
school buildings while await
ing completion of the new
schools. In Irrigon, some
classes at the start of the
coming year are expected to
be held in the outdated and
currently vacant Irrigon Ele
mentary building, and in the
A.C. Houghton multipurpose
room. Other classes may have
to be held in a local church.
The two new schools, ap
proved in a bond levy last
year, will put an end to the
immediate overcrowding sit
uation, and should keep the
school system ahead of north
Morrow growth for a number
of years. While the bond levy
funded payment for the build
ing themselves, it did not pay
for the teachers, cooks, cus
todians and administrators to
staff them. Nor did it pay for
ion in floodway designated
areas, and to place a number
of restrictions on new con
struction in flood plain des
ignated areas. Among re
strictions for building in flood
plain areas is the need to
elevate new homes above the
level of the theoretical "100
year" flood.
Since there is no Willow
Creek Dam at this point,
roughly three-fourths of Hep
pner lies in either floodway or
floodplain areas, ranging
from one to six feet below the
level of the 100 year flood. If
the dam is not built, these
flood zone designations will
remain in effect, and to a
large degree, govern the
Morrow County Sheriff's Deputy Jim Macomber sorts through an assortment of items stolen
during a series of Lexington burglaries during the past several weeks. The stolen goods were
recovered earlier this week, and two juvenile boys from Lexington have been picked up for
questioning. Most of the booty shown here was taken from the Cliff Williams home, which was
broken into last week by forcing open a basement door. The goods include an extensive coin
collection, valued at an estimated $700, an air rifle, a camera, and several pocketknives.
school supplies, utility bills
and much of the equipment
the new schools will require.
Thus, the staffing and supplies
for the new schools account
for 10.4 per cent of the 24.4 per
cent increase of the proposed
1979-80 budget.
During the coming year, it
will require more than
$255,117 to staff the new
schools, according to Doherty.
The remaining 14 per cent of
the increase, totaling $488,239,
can generally be written off to
inflation. Utility rates are
expected to increase dramati
cally in the county during the
coming year, and fuel costs
have already begun to soar. A
tentative agreement with
county teachers and a final
pact with the school system's
non-teaching staff calls for a
basic seven per cent wage
hike for the coming year.
No new major building
School District voters
will mark ballot for
board zone changes
In addition to the proposed
1979-80 school year budget,
and the unopposed slate of
school board and advisory
board members, voters on
April 3 will be asked to vote on
a proposed change in school
board zones.
Essentially, the school zone
change would serve to equal
ize representation on the
Morrow County School Board,
by giving each attendance
area Heppner, lone, Irrigon
and Boardman one repre
sentative each. The remaining
direction of future develop
ment in town.
If the dam is built, Hep
pner's floodway area would be
contained to the Willow Creek
Channel through town, until
the channel reaches its con
fluence with Hinton Creek.
The flood plain would be
substantially reduced through
town, with projected flood
depths of no more than two
feet existing along Shobe and
Willow creek flood plains to
the mouth of Hinton Creek.
Along Hinton Creek, flood
plain depths would drop from
six feet to four feet.
Heppner residents will vote
on whether they favor the dam
on March 28. During last
programs or large capital
improvements are included in
the proposed budget. Aside
from the new north end
schools situation, it would be
fairly much a business-as-usual
proposition for the
county school district under
the proposed budget.
State aid for basic school
support, cash carryover from
the previous year, interest
income and funds gained
through the rental of school
owned property and the sale of
outdated district equipment
combined to reduce the prop
osed budget requirement by
more than $1.7 million.
Unfortunately, taxpayers
will not know the precise
dollar and cent value the new
budget would cost them, since
the total cash value for the
county has yet to be com
puted. After consultations with the
two positions would represent
the county on an at-large
basis. The Heppner area
currently has three represent
atives on the panel, making it
the only area in the county
with more than one school
board representative.
If the proposal is approved,
the at-large positions would
become available when school
board terms expire for Dr.
Wallace Wolff and Pauline
Winter, currently represent
ing Heppner.
Thursday's meeting. Mayor
Jerry Sweeney told those
attending the meeting that if
the vote is favorable towards
building the dam, the city
would reaffirm its support for
the project. Should the vote be
unfavorable, "we'll do our
best to keep it out," Sweeney
said.
During Thursday's meeting,
Heppner Planning Commis
sion Chairman Terry Hager,
speaking on behalf of the
Heppner-Morrow County
Chamber of Commerce, out
lined the Chamber's position
"on the real need for the
Willow Creek Dam."
Hager summarized the
Chamber's position, stating
Morrow County Assessor's
office, school district officials
have estimated the 1979-80
total cash value of the county
at $400 million up sharply
from the current $326 million.
Most of the expected increase
would come from improve
ments to the Carty coal -fired
power plant, now nearing
completion near Boardman.
If the $400 million total cash
value holds true, property tax
bills for the school system
Hospital
Briefcases and doubleknit
suits filled the Morrow County
Circuit Courtroom Tuesday
night, as representatives from
five medical consulting firms
made sales pitches for the
management of Pioneer Mem
orial Hospital to the hospital's
board of trustees.
Board members heard a
wide range of proposals from
agents of Health Services
Management, Inc., Medical
Environments, Northwest
Medical Foundation, A.E.
Brim & Associates, and Cen
tral Oregon Hospitals, Inc.
The firms had been asked by
the board during a February
meeting to submit proposed
management or consulting
plans regarding the operation
of the troubled medical facil
ity. The board set next Tuesday,
March 27, as the date for a
meeting to review the propo
sals. The meeting will be held
at 7:30 p.m. in the Columbia
Basin Electric Co-op's board
room.
that Heppner "has three basic
choices: Construct the Willow
Creek Dam and let the town
develop pretty much as it has,
without major restriction by
city, state and federal govern
ment regulations; Secondly.
Heppner can live with the
natural 100 year flood plain, in
which case individuals will be
severely restricted as to
where and how they can build
a home or business ; " or third,
to "withdraw from the flood
insurance program which in
effect, stops any development
within the flood plain."
If the dam is built, the
lowered flood plain that would
result would create "lowered
elevations for new residential
GAZETT
Morrow
VOL. 97, NO. 12 HEPPNER, OREGON THURSDAY, MARCH 22, 1979
Heppner levy vote Mar. 28,
down $12,000 from last
Heppner residents will vote
Wednesday, March 28 on a
$60,656 operating and main
tenance levy in a year where
the city "held the line" and
actually cut over $12,000 from
last year's total budget needs.
The total budget require
ment for 79-80 is $443,258,
including bonded indebted
ness, a decrease of $12,062
jump
would actually drop from the
current rate of $9.59 per $1,000
of property, to $9.46 per $1,000.
Thus, the owner of a $50,000
home would pay $473 for
support of county schools.
Polls for the April 3 election
will be open from 8 a.m. to 8
p.m. at Heppner City Hall, the
Morrow County Schools dist
rict office in Lexington, lone
High School, Riverside High
School and the Morrow County
office building in Irrigon.
board hears five management offers
Representatives of Health
Services Management, Inc. of
Pasco were the first to
address the board, stating that
they felt Pioneer Memorial
did not likely require a total
management package. In
stead, the Health Services
agents proposed a manage
ment consulting arrangement,
in which the firm would spend
about 800 hours per year
working for the hospital at the
rate of $25 per hour plus
traveling expenses.
A separate doctor recruit
ment package was offered for
$2,000, but that would be
included in the $25 per hour
arrangement if the board
accepted the management
consulting proposal.
Next to appear before the
board were representatives Iff
Medical Environments, Inc. of
Burbank, Calif., who proposed
a more encompassing man
agement plan, including re
placing the current admini
strator with one of their own.
Medical Environments per
construction and lowered
floodproofing requirements
for new commercial con
struction," Hager said. "In
addition, it would leave many
areas in town open for
development that would not be
open for development with the
100 year natural floodplain."
To illustrate the difference
between having the dam and
not having it, Hager gave the
example of an individual
seeking to build a new home
on Court Street. "With the
natural 100 year flood plain,
the house would need a
six-foot high foundation. With
the dam in place, the indiv
idual could build a house on a
normal foundation," he said.
The Heppner
County's Award-Winning Weekly Newspaper
from last year's budget. While
the total budget dropped, the
amount to be approved by
voters increased $24,456 due to
a significant drop in resources
available for the 79-80 year.
City Administrator Mar
shall Lovgren explained that
over the past few years the
City of Heppner has used cash
surpluses to reduce the
amount of the levy Heppner
residents have voted on.
"We don't have that extra
cash to reduce the levy
amount this year," said Lov
gren, adding that the City's
cash reserve position was
precariously low in the event
of an emergency expenditure
being needed.
Last year the city had
$114,155 in resources other
than property taxes while this
year only $75,765 in resources
other than property taxes is
available. In the current year
about $71,000 was needed in
property taxes to balance the
budget and for 79-80 about
$95,000 in property tax money
will be needed to balance the
budget. Of that amount,
$60,656 is outside the six per
cent increase in budget needs
allowed by law.
sonnel told the board that their
firm specialized in the man
agement of small rural hospi
tals, most of which have
experienced problems similar
to those in Heppner. Should
the firm receive a contract
from the board, one of Medical
Environments' first steps
would be to "recruit a
physician acceptable to the
hospital board and the medi
cal staff," according to an
agent of the company. "We're
suggesting the board withhold
a portion of our management
fee until the doctor gets here,"
he said. "We have been very
successful in recruiting physi
cians to rural hospitals."
Medical Environments is
proposing a two-year con
tract, with which would in
clude performance commit
ments, and provide for an
annual performance review.
"No way do we intend to take
over the hospital," the Medi
cal Environments agent said.
"The board will continue to set
the procedure and direction."
City Councilman Cliff
Green, formerly a vocal
opponent of the dam, noted
that "we've got to stop the
flood plain somehow. ..Can you
visualize the Post Office on
one hill and the grocery on
another? That's what I visual
ize without the dam to help."
Green said he had been
hopeful that the Eagleton
Amendment to the Flood
Insurance Act would have
provided a loophole through
which the city might have
escaped from its flood plain
woes. "But all that does is
allow you to pull out of the
(flood insurance) program,"
he said, "and you'd still have
restrictions. ..I was handed a
E-TIME
A review of departments
within the city government
shows a drop in the General
Fund of $14,413 for a total of
!70,692 needed for 79-80.
Police and fire budgets
showed increases due to
higher costs in materials and
supplies, personnel and equip-
Voter opinion asked
on Willow Creek Dam
When Heppner voters are handed their operating
and maintenance levy ballots, they will also receive a
ballot asking their preference on construction of the
proposed Willow Creek Dam.
The City of Heppner is faced with adopting a flood
plain management ordinance that would with the
City's natural flood plain severely restrict and
modify development and construction in most areas of
the town.
The Willow Creek Dam if constructed would
alleviate most of the flood plain and allow for
development and construction much as it has been in
the past.
A public meeting was held by the city last
Thursday to explain the flood plain issue to voters prior
to the election. Details of information dispersed at the
public forum is recapitulated in a story at the top of
this page.
The agent suggested that the
firm would pursue grant funds
to set up a mobile clinic with a
physician and nurse practit
ioner to serve North Morrow,
and later expand service to
Wheeler and Gilliam counties.
Cost for the Medical Envi
ronments proposal would be
$6,500 per month for the entire
management package.
Northwest Medical Foun
dation was the next firm to
appear before the board,
seeking a three-year contract
with a five-year option to
assume management of the
hospital.
Northwest sought more dir
ect control of the hospital than
any other firm appearing at
Tuesday's meeting. The firm
would answer only to the
county court, under terms to
be finalized in a formal
contract. The hospital board
would cease to exist as it now
operates, becoming instead a
community advisory panel
with authority only to make
suggestions. Replacing the
football by somebody, but I
found it didn't have any air in
it."
Construction of the dam
could also be a plus for the
city, Green explained, since
the Corps of Engineers has
agreed to replace much of a
leaky, 1930 vintage water pipe,
that would be displaced by the
dam. That section of the city
water line is being blamed for
many of the city's recent
water problems. The Corps
would also replace an older
city water reservoir with a
new one.
If the dam project does not
come through. Green indi-
Cont. on page 3
12 PAGES
20 cents
budget
year
ment reserves. The Police
Department budget went up
about $18,000, due largely to a
$6,250 increase in materials
and services, a $2,500 inrreas?
in salary for the police chief,'
and $1,500 additional needed to
Cont. on page 3
local hospital board would be
the Northwest Medical Foun
dation's governing board, con
sisting of corporate officers,
medical staff and other health
speicalists, who would
hold monthly meetings in
Heppner.
NorthWest was also the only
not-for-profit corporation to
present a proposal to the
hospital board, which would
allow the firm to convert
profits made in the hospital
system into improvements in
the firm's health care pro
gram. NorthWest officials noted
that their firm one of the
largest providers of hospital
management services in the
nation would offer a number
of advantages in terms :
expertise in handling pla -ning,
applying for grants,
designing improvements to
physical plants, and recruit
ing medical staff. The North
West system is also the third
Cont. on page 7
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