Boardman council approves annexation
*
By April Sykes
f
imes
VOL. 114
NO. 29
Morrow County Heppner, Oregon
6 Pages Wednesday, July 5, 1995,
Developer proposes senior apt. complex
Action of the Boardman City
Council at a public hearing
Tuesday, June 27, resulted in
annexation of 360 acres of pro­
perty within the Boardman ur­
ban growth boundary, in­
cluding Port of Morrow proper­
ty. The action more than doubl­
ed the city's assessed valuation,
from $31 million to $66 million
and paved the way for estab­
lishment of an urban renewal
district.
Under an urban renewal dis­
trict, directors would be ap­
pointed, possibly by the Board-
man City Council. Land and
properties included in an urban
renewal district would have
their valuations frozen to all
taxing districts outside the ur­
ban renewal district. The valua­
tions would continue to rise
normally within the urban
renewal district.
Oregon Potato and Lamb
Weston lobbied for the annex­
ation because of the city's ac­
cess to water, which is needed
in their operations. The city
uses only a portion of their
allocated water from the Col­
umbia River. Portland General
Electric also uses water, but the
water does not need to be
treated following use. Oregon
Potato and Lamb Weston re­
quire the use of a water treat­
ment plant for theif operations.
Port officials were concerned
that the port would be left high
and dry if the processing plants
obtained water treatm ent
elsewhere. The port recently
constructed an effluent plant to
deal with industrial wastes and
the city of Boardman proposed,
in an earlier staff report, to in­
clude industrial wastewater
service in their proposal. Port
officials fear that the move
could ultimately leave the port
unable to meet is bonded in­
debted obligations.
Morrow County Counsel Val
Doherty told the council that
the county was not opposed to
annexation, but the county was
opposed to an urban renewal
district. The urban renewal
district, said Doherty, would
have "sole control of millions
of funds without voter ap­
proval, primarily for the benefit
of two existing corporations."
PGE attorneys contended
that several problems exist in
the annexation-they were not
given enough time to study the
matter; because they have an
assessed valuation over a cer­
tain limit, they feel their vote
was required for the annexa­
tion; and thirdly, they will be
greatly impacted by the de­
cision.
Most of the opposing entities
said that they were not against
annexation per se, but wanted
more time to study the issue to
determine the impact of the an­
nexation and establishment of
an urban growth district.
Tim Sercombe, lawyer for the
Port of Morrow, asked for a
two month postponement of a
decision on annexation so that
the port could determine the
financial consequences and the
affect of the annexation on pro­
vision of services. Boardman
Mayor Bill Brown, however
refused to let Sercombe testify
on the financial impact of the
action on the city of Boardman,
the port and the county, saying
that such testimony was not
permitted within the confines
of the subject of the hearing.
Brown also said repeatedly that
establishment of an urban
renewal agency was a separate
issue and not under considera­
tion at the hearing.
Diana Walkup, Lamb Weston
corporate tax manager, pre­
sented charts detailing the
financial impact of annexation
on entities involved. According
to Walkup, Boardman residents
would pay fewer taxes with an­
nexation, even if the urban
renewal district is established.
Proponents living in the an­
nexed area say that they will
have access to a sewer system,
fire and police protection, street
improvement and other city
services. Annexation into the
tne
city will increase the city's road
fund, but will not decrease
other cities' road funds.
Several of those whose pro­
perty is included in the annex­
ation said that they do not wish
to have the Morrow County
Unified Recreation District
(MCURD) excluded from the
district, as was initially propos­
ed. MCURD would provide
funding for school sports and
other extra-curricular activities
cut from the school district
budget.
John Prag, rural Boardman
resident and chairman of the
school budget committee, said
he spoke for the school district
and superintendent Chuck
Starr when he said that annex­
ation would have no negative
impact on the district. Bank of
Eastern Oregon President and
CEO George Koffler, Heppner,
countered, saying that he also
spoke to Starr, who felt an ur­
ban renewal district would
have a "tremendous affect" on
school district taxing.
Legal and other issues con­
cerning the annexation and
proposed urban renewal dis­
trict are still under considera­
tion. Rochelle Lessner, PGE at­
torney, said at the hearing that
Ed Glenn, chief petitioner for
the annexation, told the coun­
cil "not to fear litigation, as if
it were a game of chicken."
Lessner, however, told Glenn,
"T h is is not a game of
chicken."
Morrow County Judge Louis
Carlson later told the Gazette,
"If this goes to court, everyone
would be a tremendous loser.
There are enough things we
can agree on. It's a tremendous
advantage to everyone to work
this out."
The involved entities will
continue negotiations over the
details of the proposed annex­
ation and urban renewal
district in a meeting at Lamb
Weston Thursday.
Bank of EO to expand hours New manag
at Les Schwab
STATISTICS:
UNITS
2 BEDROOM A
1 BEDROOM A
1 BEDROOM B
TOTAL UNITS:
By April Sykes
The Heppner City Planning
Commission, at a hearing Mon­
day night, July 3, approved a
request for a conditional use
permit to allow a multi-family
.dwelling in a general residen­
tial zone. They also approved
a request for a variance from
parking and signage require­
ments for the multi-family
dwelling.
Richland architect James R.
Dillman requested the permit
and variance in connection
with proposed construction of
a nine-unit senior apartment
complex.
The complex would be
located on Cowins Street,
down from the Willow Creek
Dam and Hope Lutheran
Church and near Willow
Creek.
Dillman said that he hopes to
break ground in August, but
adds that construction and size
of the project depend on ob­
taining financing. If he is
unable to fund the entire pro­
ject, Dillman said he may fund
a portion of it. If funding for the
entire project becomes avail­
able, Dillman would construct
nine one and two bedroom
apartments.
The apartm ents, all on
ground level with their own en­
tries and patio areas, would
surround a parking area and
would have an additional
grassy area with trees and a
gazebo. The two-bedroom and
larger one-bedroom apartments
would have their own stacked
washer and drier and the
smaller one-bedroom apart­
ments would not. A separate
laundry facility would also be
available. The apartments
would have heat pumps with
heating and cooling and water
and sewer would probably be
provided. The apartments
2 EACH
2 EACH
5 EACH
9 EACH
would be equipped with
showers rather than bathtubs.
Because of space limitations
Dillman requested that he be
allowed to provide one and half
parking places for each apart­
ment instead of the required
two per apartment.
Dillman estimates that the
apartments would rent for $400
to $600 month.
Proposed contractor is Dave
Knerr of Knerr Construction,
Inc., of Hermiston.
Dillman has been practicing
since 1965 and became a licens­
ed architect in 1969. He mov­
ed to the Tri-Cities in 1973.
Charity McElligott named 1A
volleyball coach of the year
By April Sykes
Charity McElligott, 33, lone
High School volleyball coach,
was named 1A high school
volleyball coach of the year at
the state banquet, held May 27
at the University of Oregon.
M cElligott, who played
volleyball in high school and in­
tramurals in college, took the
lone team to state and won the
state championship in her first
year of coaching at IHS.
McElligott and her husband,
Paul, lived in lone when they
were first married. Then then
moved to Paisley and then to
Monument, where they stayed
for four years. They and their
children, Jeremiah, 12, Salli, 11,
and Diana, 10, have lived in
lone for the past four years.
McElligott was also nomin­
ated for the Oregon coach of
the year. "It was just nice to be
nominated," she said.
City swears in new policeman
Mike Sweek was sworn in as
a member of- the Heppner
Police Dept, by Mayor Bob
Jepsen. The ceremony was held
Friday, June 30 at Heppner ci­
ty hall.
Sweek's salary was funded
through a special grant to the
city.
L-R: Richard Wood, Anita Orem, Mardene Patton, Gayle Eynetich
The lone Branch of the Bank
of Eastern Oregon will expand
its hours beginning Monday,
July 10, announced bank presi­
dent George Koffler. The new
hours will be from 9 a.m. to 4
p.m., with no mid-day closure.
The bank's management and
board of directors decided to in­
crease the branch hours due to
an increase in patronage and
profitability at that branch.
The lone branch is operated
by Mardean Patton, operations
supervisor, Richard Wood,
loan officer, and Anita Orem
and Gayle Eynetich, tellers.
Lundquist reviews session
"W e balanced the budget
without new taxes," Oregon
State Congressman Lynn Lun­
dquist told the chamber of com­
merce last week in assessing
the just completed legislative
session.
"W e didn't go as far as Mor­
row County wanted on equity
funding (for education) but we
also didn't go into the educa­
tion budget and reduce it at the
end of the session either," Lun-
quist said.
Lundquist said he was not
only pleased with the fiscal
responsibility of the Republican
-controlled houses of state
government, but also with the
speed and productivity of the
session.
He pointed to the $60 million
SAIF debt that was paid off,
welfare reform, tort reform and
legislative review of govern­
ment agencies as the significant
accomplishments of the Repub­
lican legislature.
"My biggest disappointment
was we didn't do more in the
area of land use reform," Lun­
dquist said. He said the
legislature did not change the
laws on secondary lands. "W e
really didn't do anything of
significance in this area," he
said.
This was Lundquist's first
term in the state legislature,
although he did spend time in
Salem in the past as a lobbyist
for the Oregon Cattlemen's
Association.
Randy Anderson
Randy Anderson, 41, of the
Olympia, Washington, area,
has been named the new
manager at the Heppner Les
Schwab store. He replaces Jon
DeBo, who was transferred to
Silverton. Anderson has work­
ed for Les Schwab the last 12
years.
Anderson has lived in a small
town outside Tumwater, WA,
for the last seven years with his
wife, Joani, and their nine year-
old daughter, Chelsea.
Anderson says that the fami­
ly prefers small town life. " I
like a small tow n," he said.
"This is a nice place to raise a
family. So far the people have
been really friendly." He add­
ed that he enjoys the outdoors
and likes to hunt and fish.
Randy has already moved to
Heppner and the family is in
the process of finding a home.
Protect Your Stored Grain
RELDAN 4 E
RELDAN 3% DUST
TEMPO
Mike Sweek
Morrow County Grain Growers
Lexington 989-8221
1-800-452-7396