Image provided by: Morrow County Museum; Heppner, OR
About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (April 14, 1993)
Heppner city manager’s contract sent back to committee HEPPNER imes VOL. 112 NO. 15 6 Pages Wednesday, April 14, 1993 Morrow County Heppner, Oregon The Heppner City Council Monday night decided to send ci ty manager Gary Marks’ contract back to the committee after the council split evenly on acceptance of the contract. Heppner Mayor Bob Jepsen cast a deciding vote in favor of the three-year contract, but coun cil members eventually decided to send the contract back to commit tee fearing approval of an issue so divisive. Conflicts arose over a section of the contract that stipulated that the city guarantee Marks a down payment on a home as an incen tive to stay on as Heppner city manager. Marks said that he would not sign the contract unless the co sign option for a down payment was included. David A llstott, LoRayne Bowman and Kay Robinson favored the down payment guarantee saying that it provided Marks an incentive at no cost to the city. The city has to budget the money, however, but would not have to pay unless Marks defaulted on a loan for a down payment. “ I think we need to keep a super employee and to keep him happy,” said Allstott. Chuck Holt, Martha Doherty and David Pranger were against the down payment guarantee. Holt said that he agrees that Marks is doing a good job, but commented, ‘T v e never seen anybody with so many in ducements to stay on the job.” He added, “ I don’t think that government has any right to co sign for a home loan.” Council members also disagreed on severance pay and a stipulation in the contract that Marks be allowed to set his own hours of work. In other business: -Matt Hays was introduced as the newly-hired wastewater specialist hired by the city; the council held a public hear ing concerning the proposed wastewater treatment funding. The city will have $1,502,180 in resources with expenses estimated at $ 1,802,180, leaving a $300,000 shortfall. The city is preparing a grant application in hopes of receiving a $250,000 grant and a $50,000 loan. If the loan and grant are approved city water users would see a 60 cent increase. If the monies are ap proved at a ratio of Vi loan at Vi grant the increase would be $1.80 per month and if neither is ap proved the increase would be $3.60 per month. -the council directed Gary Marks to draw a resolution which would give city water users 48 hours to repair leaks in their lines before the city turns off their water; -the council rejected both bids for purchase of a new fire truck and directed that other specifica tions be sent into the state fire marshal for review; -the council authorized sale of a 1987 Ford Crown Victoria LTD four-door sedan to Bob Worden. Heppner, for $1,560. The only other bid received was for $1,200 from LeRoy and Catherine Holmes, Heppner; -the council indicated that it will seek an exemption from the public bidding process for repairs for the city hall roof because no one bid on the job; -Gary Marks reviewed the situation with the Department of Enviiunmental Quality concern ing the sewer discharge permit. DEQ requires that the city test water samples once a week rather than once every other week as previously required; -the council discussed coor dinating plans with street replace ment with Columbia Basin Elec tric Co-op. Two dead, four injured in collision c oor(|inating council seeks proposals Impact of crash smashed front end of Donna Terry’s car completely in. Morrow County Sheriff’s department was dispatched to a fatal, two vehicle accident on A pril 11 on highway 74, southeast of Lexington. The head on accident occurred around 9:47 p.m. The driver of one of the vehicles Donna L. Terry, 30. Umatilla, was pronounced dead at the scene and one passenger Stephanie G ollyhorn. 7, U m atilla, died at Pioneer Memorial Hospital. Other passengers Jeremy R. G ollyhorn, 9 and Jacob Gollyhorn. 10, both of Umatilla and Christopher Doolittle, 30, Hermiston, were all transported to Pioneer Memorial Hospital. Janice C. Robison, 30, Hepp ner, driver of the other vehicle was also transported to Pioneer Memorial Hospital. All four peo ple were flown out of Heppner by Air Ambulance to facilities in Portland. Jeremy Gollyhorn was flown to Oregon Health Science Universi ty Hospital, where he was listed in fair condition Monday. Flown to Emanuel Hospital were Jacob Gollyhorn, who was listed in good condition, Doolittle, who was in critical condition with head and facial injuries and Robison who was in serious con dition with a fractured right ankle and a cut left knee. The cause of the accident is still under investigation, according to the Morrow County Sheriff s office. Sheep killed in early morning Elizabeth Davis of Spray, has a special visit with the Easter Bunny Saturday at the Easter egg hunt sponsored by the Hepp ner Elks Club. Two sheep and four lambs were killed by a .22 at the Judy and Ken Wright place at Ruggs in the early morning hours Satur day, April 10. According to Judy Wright, around four other sheep and one other lamb were injured and the Wrights were trying to nurse them back to health. Judy said that the sheep that died were a special breed, Targee/Finn. brought back from Montana in June, that their son Brent, was using for an FFA pro ject. The yearling ewes were pregnant and valued around $ 150 each. Brent was planning to use the proceeds from the sale of the sheep as a college fund, she said. The sheep were killed in the field by the bam and in the cor ral between 3 and 6:30 a.m. In another incident the same day, a calf was shot at the Dwight Bailey ranch on Butter Creek. It is not known if the shootings were related. The incidents are under in vestigation by the Morrow Coun ty Sheriff s office. The Heppner Coordinating Council is seeking proposals for a community-wide economic development project that will benefit the Heppner area. The economic development fund was created when the Mor row County Court voted to disburse monies generated by Finley Buttes Landfill to the Mor row County communities. Finley Buttes Co. pays the county for each ton of landfill deposited at the site. The county court divided 50 percent of the monies equally among the five communities: H eppner, Lexington. lone, Boardman and Irrigon. Another 40 percent will be divided among the communities according to the percentage of registered voters. The remaining 10 percent wil be placed in the county’s discre tionary fund for economic development. Council vice-chairman George Koffler said that the council will accept proposals for capital im provement projects, requests for seed monies and requests for monies for engineering or design costs. Koffler said that the council would look more favorably on projects that would create jobs, provide an overall economic benefit to the community or im prove the livability of the com munity. He said that they would also look more favorably on pro jects that have obtained matching funds. The council will not ap prove requests for operating funds, he said. “ We want to see the money go as far as it can,” he said. “ We want to see as big an impact as possible.” Koffler said that the council ex pects to award between $20 and $25 thousand. The entire amount may go to one project, or may be awarded to several smaller projects. Deadline for submission of proposals is Friday. May 14 at 5 p.m. at Heppner City Hall. Proposals must meet several criteria. They must: be in compliance with the strategic plan (copies may be ob tained at city hall) and must in clude the applicable section of the strategic plan; -be related and benefit the Heppner community not limited Bobby McEwen arrested on charges Robert J. “ Bobby” McEwen, 28, Heppner, was arrested April 6 by officers from the Blue Mountain Enforcement Narcotics team. McEwen was charged with two counts of delivery of a controll ed substance, one count of possession of controlled substance and one count of unlawful possession of a firearm (concealed weapon). The search warrant served on McEwen's residence on River side Street and vehicle resulted in the seizure of a small quantity of marijuana and several weapons, said the Morrow County Sheriff s office. Bail was set at $52,500 and McEwen was lodged at Benton County Jail. He was subsequently released on his own recognizance, however, because of health problems. City hires wastewater specialist Matthew Hays, 23, formerly of Stayton, has been hired as a wastewater specialist by the city of Heppner. Hays, who started his position on March 1, said he will be work ing with the city’s wells and wastewater treatment facility, especially through the sewer system upgrade. Hays has a two-year degree in wastewater treatment from Linn- Benton Community College at Albany and has been employed with the city of Albany as a drink ing water treatment operator. Hays starting salary is $1,479. Matthew Hays to the Heppner city limits; -include the name, address, phone number and contact person for the organization submitting the plan; and -include a description, timeline, budget and amount of money requested for the project. After the proposals have been received, the council will prioritize them and make their recommendation to the Morrow County Coordinating Council who will make their decision by June 30. Members of the Heppner Coor dinating Council, in addition to Koffler are Gary Marks, Hepp ner city administrator, chairman; John Edmundson. secretary; Claudia Hughes, chamber of commerce manager; Stan Hoob- ing. Pat Hyatt. Kent Goodyear, Ann Spicer and Raymond French, county commissioner. The county coordinating coun cil is composed of three county commissioners and a represen tative of each of the five Morrow County communities. Heppner’s representative to the county coun cil is Gary Marks. Officer assaulted in Irrigon incident An off-duty Oregon State Police officer. Gary Workman. McNary. was injured around 2 a.m. Tuesday. April 13. in an in cident outside of Paul’s Inn. Highway 730 in Irrigon. According to Morrow County Sheriffs deputy Terry Harper, Workman stepped outside of the restaurant and lounge to in vestigate what sounded like so meone pounding on top of a car. As he stepped out he was alleged ly hit over the head with a pool cue and punched. Three men, John Albert Fox, 19. Elgin, Willard Russell Horton, Jr., 24, Elgin and William Kirt McClure. 23. Elgin, earlier kicked out of Pauls were arrested in connection with the in cident and charged with Assault II. Fox. Horton and McClure were lodged at Benton County jail. LOW RATES ON AUTO LOANS New I.cans Used Loans O A hjK as Low as 8 % 't :9 O F — ------ D /Z a& fem Oregon % Arlington • Heppner • lone ) ,< w /fri/</*r’rf/rrrr lltH H t J H ii ii i Member F D I C ■ • 'r:-’ . ’» .•'•v.V’s v '.'. . • .. ■;;*>>• -' • • ” , 7:.^ '.1
