Image provided by: Morrow County Museum; Heppner, OR
About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 13, 1993)
County tax levy up 1.8 percent; estimated tax rate 6.38/thousand F r SS M O F 0 ?• »■r j r A 1 E U G £ » ¿ VOL. 112 L I • k NO. 2 - 1 ’* J O 6 Pages Wednesday, January 13, 1993 Morrow County Heppner, Oregon City council, Willow Creek Country Club agree on irrigation system The Heppner City Council and the Willow Creek Country Club board have agreed on terms for irrigation of the Willow Creek Golf Course with effluent from the city’s proposed sewage treat ment facility. The city had been dumping ef fluent in Willow Creek until the Department of Environmental Quality mandated changes during low stream flow in the creek dur ing summer months. The agree ment follows four years of plan ning on behalf of the city, negotiations with various lan downers and problems with the DEQ and engineers. Under the agreement, the city will pay a one-time payment of $30,000 to the country club for use of the grounds for irrigation for 30 years, until Dec. 31, 2023. In addition, the city will pay for installation of automatic irrigation equipment, parts and electrical costs for irrigation. The country club will provide the labor to* maintain the in-ground irrigation system. The city has the option to renew the agreement three times, once every 10 years. The agreement between the city and the club specifies that the perimeter of the grounds, and the area around the clubhouse are ir rigated with fresh water. After ir rigation needs of the country club are met, the reclaimed water will be used to irrigate the Fred and Katherine Hoskins place. It is anticipated that construc tion on the irrigation system will begin in late fall of 1993 and in stallation will take place during off season. The system will be designed with a 500,000 to 750,000 gallon storage tank. The citv estimates that 140,000 to 200.000 gallons of reclaimed will be available for irrigation daily. The city learned that the short fall for funding the project is now around $300,000. City ad ministrator Gary Marks told the council Monday night that an Oregon Economic Development grant may be available to make up $250.000 of the shortfall. DEQ earlier indicated that they might grant the city additional monies to complete the project, but recently reversed that decision. Project cost estimates four years ago when the project began were over $1.5 million with a $932.000 environmental Protec tion Agency grant and a $625,000 sew er bond. Project cost estimates are now over $1.7 million. The shortfall was estimated to be around $240,000 in November. * New city council sworn in The Morrow County tax levy is up $83,704, or 1.8 percent, ac cording to Morrow County Judge Louis Carlson. The projected tax rate for the 1993 year is $6.38 per thousand assessed valuation based on a total county value o f $735.000,000, which officials say is a conservative estimate. If the total county value is upped to $745,000,000 the property tax rate will be around $6.29 per thousand assessed valuation. The 1992 tax rate was $6.21 per thou sand assessed valuation. Based on a tax rate of $6.38 per thousand taxes on a $40,000 home would be $255 up around $7 from $248 at the .621 percent tax rate in 1992. A $400,000 farm would pay $2,552 at a rate of .638 percent com pared to $2,484 at a rate of .621 percent, a change of around $68. The total Morrow County value for 1992 was $725,121,370, around $10 million less than the anticipated value for 1993-94. Carlson said that the levy in- includes the “ Allowable” six percent increase on the tax base. The total county budget is, $15,776,478, up around $1 million over the 1992-93 budget, Carlson said. Carlson said that “ Everybody came in with the exact same levy as last year, except for wages.” The medical fund tax levy is up $19,972 from $506,344 to $526,316, an increase of 3.9 Area students earn scholastic honors Laurel Webber-Gray Heppner High School has recieved notification that HHS senior, Laurel Webber-Gray, is a National Merit semifinalist. Webber-Gray scored an im pressive 1420 points out of a total 1600 on her Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT). Webber-Gray is the daughter of Cherry Webber and Tim Gray, Lexington. Riverside High School students. Marc Evans was a com mended student in the 1993 Na tional Merit Scholarship program and Seth Smythe also qualified as a National Merit semifinalist. People for the Pool to meet People for the pool will meet Tues., Jan 19, at 4:30 p.m. at Kate’s Pizza to discuss current fund raisers. Anyone who cannot attend but is willing to help, please call Theo G reenup 676-9795, Joyce Breeding 676-5305, or Kay Pro ctor. 676-9827. Council members sworn in by city administrator Gary Marks (I). Back l-r: Mayor Bob Jepsen, Chuck Holt, Dave Pranger; front Martha Doherty, Kay Robinson, LoRayne Bowman. Heppner Mayor Bob Jepsen and council members Kay Robin son, LoRayne Bowman, Martha Doherty, Chuck Holt and David Pranger were swom in at the regular city council meeting Monday, Jan. 11. Jepsen will serve a two-year term. Doherty, Robinson and Holt will serve a four-year term. Bowman and Pranger will serve the remaining two years on four- year terms originally held by Rick Curtis and Amie Hedman. who were both elected in 1990 for four year terms. The term for council members Bowman. Pranger and David Allstott will expire Dec. 31, 1994. Commission appointments were also made at the council meeting. The mayor will serve as chair of the personnel committee and as a member of the housing authority board. Holt was assign ed public works commissioner; Bowman, budget commissioner; Pranger, parks and lands com missioner; Allstott police and fire commissioner; Doherty streets and landfill commissioner; and Robinson housing authority commissioner. Jackie Allstott, Larry Mills and Rollie Marshall were named to the budget committee. Camp Fire candy sale begins The annual Camp Fire candy sale will be held from January 15 to Feb. 13,, Sally Olson, Oregon Trail Council regional director, has announced. Olson said, however, that the sale may be ex tended because of bad weather. Camp Fire Girls will sell Brown and Haley mints. Almond Roca and chocolate clusters for $3 a box. Olson said that some of the money from the sale will go toward local Camp Fire groups. Camp Fire Camps and some will help fund babysitting courses. The local group, with Merry Brannon as leader, now has around 32 girls, said Olsen. She added that in addition to acting as leader for girls from kindergarten through high school. Brannon donates a week of her summer to act as a camp counselor. St. Pat meeting There will be a St. Patrick’s Committee meeting Tuesday, January 19. 7 p.m. in the Colum bia Basin Electric Coop board room. The committee is finalizing plans for the weekend celebration to be held March 12. 13 and 14. Anyone interested in helping with the auction, the parade, the pageant, the duck or bed race, or anvthinn else is urged to attend. percent. Carlson said that the hospital is generating more revenue and the accounts receivable have gone down dramatically. The Fair and Rodeo required taxes are down substantially around $12,280 from $31,194 for 1992-93 to $18,914 for ‘93-94. The required road fund taxes are also down, from $1,907,816 for 1992-93 to $1,891,774 for ‘93-94, a decrease of $16,042. The county school fund taxes are down slightly, from $16,847 in ‘92-93 to $16,493 in ‘93-94. a decrease of $354. The “ other road district” (a percentage paid to the municipalities, based on the size of the road levy and the valuation of the municipalities) is down on ly $24 from $82,724 to $82,699. The increase in county taxes re quired comes from the general fund, which shows an increase of $92,434, from $2,060,129 to $2,152,563 in ‘93-94. The total taxes required for the upcoming year are $4,688,758 minus the $784,892 tax base. The total taxes required for 1992-93 were $4,605,054 minus the $740,465 tax base. The tax base for the coming year will have a six percent increase over last year The one year county special levy will rise one percent, up from $3,864,589 to $3,903,866, a change of $39,277. The general operating special levy is up .09 percent, a change of $30,305, up from $3,358,245 to $3,377,550. The county levy and the medical fund levy will go before the voters as separate ballot measures on March 23. Top taxpayers for 1992 were Portland G eneral Electric, $6,122,188, down from $6,801,535 in ‘91; Idaho Power down from $881,561 in ‘91 to $779,074 in ‘92; Pacific Nor thwest Generating down from $844,529 in ‘91 to $761,724 in *92; Lamb Weston, up from $519,665 in ‘91 to $548,533 in ‘92; Pacific Gas Transmission up from $258,189 in ‘91 to $444,621 in ‘92; Boeing Agri- Industrial, down from $457,685 in ‘91 to $285,805 in ‘92; Kin- zua Corporation, down from $470,105 in ‘91 to $222,672 in ‘92; Union Pacific Railroad up slightly from $196,399 in ‘91 to $199,927 in ‘92; Heppner Generating (Kinzua) Co-Gen Plant, down from $178,842 in ‘91 to $159.763 in ‘92; Eastern Oregon Farming, down from $169,842 in ‘91 to $143,044 in ‘92; Taggares Farms, down from $142,806 in ‘91 to $137,251 in ‘92; Finley Buttes Landfill, up from $124,361 in ‘91 to $124,748 in ‘92; Logan Farms down from $120,999 in ‘91 to $115,475 in ‘92; U.S. West, down from $90,616 in ‘91 to $87,073 in ‘92; and Oregon Pototo, down from $94,847 in ‘91 to $82,881 in ‘92. Portland General Electric paid over 40 percent of the total coun ty taxes in 1992. County and communities to split landfill monies Half of the $100 to $150 thou sand generated by fees at the Finley Buttes Landfill will be returned to the communities in Morrow County, according to Morrow County Judge Louis Carlson. Carlson said that the county will ask that each community organize a committee to develop a community plan. Then the county will allocate the monies, probably according to some for mula based on population, he said. Carlson said that the money would do better good if it were returned to the communities for a special project than if it were used to offset taxes, “ The real benefit of the program.” he said, “ is to coax communities to develop their own community development plan. The best use of this money,” he added, “ is for leverage money.” The remaining half of the money will be retained by the county. Carlson said that it could possibly be used for a special pro ject or for regional strategies. Last year the landfill generated around $180 thousand. Carlson said. Hearings set on swimming pool The Swimming Poo! Ex ploratory Comm ission has scheduled three public hearings in south Morrow County concern ing construction of a swimming pool in the area. Hearings have been scheduled in Heppner on Monday, Jan. 25 from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Heppner Elementary School multipurpose room; in Lexington on Tuesday, Jan. 26 from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Morrow County School District board room and in lone on Wednesday. Jan. 27. 7-9 p.m. at the lone school cafeteria. Pat Corcoran, a professional facilitator with the Oregon State University Extension Service, will attend all three meetings. At the meetings the exploratory commission will share their ideas with the public and will take public input. After the meetings, the com mission will develop a plan and will meet with the Willow Creek Park District Board. According to commission member and Hepp ner city administrator Gary Marks, the plan will include the greater south Morrow County area, not just Heppner. The Heppner swimming pool was closed the summer of 1991 because of structural problems and lack of funding for repairs or operation. Attempts were made to form a Heppner district for levy purposes, but formation of a new district was not allowed because a district, the Willow Creek Park District, which encompasses Heppner, lone and Lexington, had already been established. Anticipated costs to build a new pool are in the $1 million range. A fund raising committee People for the Pool, has raised around $4.300 from various projects and is selling inscribed bricks which are to be installed at the pool. PMH auxiliary to raffle weekend Pioneer Memorial Hospital Nursing Home Auxiliary is raf fling off a weekend at Lake Creek Lodge. The lodge is located 15 miles northwest of Sisters with two ski resorts and shopping nearby. The drawing will be held Feb. 17. Proceeds will go toward redecorating the dining room in the nursing home. Tickets are available from Tonia Adams. 676-% 16 or Delia Robinson at the hospital. The auxiliary is planning several fund raisers as well as projects for the nursing home. The next meeting will be Thursday, Feb. 4 at 7 p.m. at Kate’s Pizza. For more informa tion contact Adams or Robinson. Bank of Eastern Oregon Announcing . . ^ ‘ ‘ . HOME LOAN PROGRAM Rates as low as 7.25% QAtÜK O F ■ / m\ * / - j U JZ a s te rn L'rpjjon Arlington • Heppner • lone Ilhlii'rHihni H um Huid Member FD, C
