B3 9 j I o Wetz e l i
U o f 0 N a tfa p a p s - L i b r a r y
Eum ene I
VOL.120
N O .50
lO P age s
UR
97403
Wednesday, December 12,2001
School board OKs HES plan,
superintendent severance package
The Heppner-Lexington
Advisory Committee brought out
the big guns Monday night at the
Morrow County School Board
meeting and convinced the board
to go along with their
recommendations
for the
proposed bond construction at
Heppner Elementary School.
The committee, headed
by Chairman Mark Rietmann,
Heppner. appeared en masse and
were vocal in support of their
recommendation against closing
Stansbury Street, which runs in
front of the elementary school,
against the recommendation of
the school district's management
team and several members of the
audience.
The management team,
which
is
comprised
of
admimstrators-Superintenden t
Bruce Anderson and school
principals-maintained
that
rerouting the street would be
safer for students and would
unite the elementary school
campus.
The advisory committee
countered that rerouting the
street would only move the
student safety issue to an area
which would not be overseen by
staff and would cost considerably
more than the $125.000 budgeted
for the street. They also voiced
concern about the safety of an
eight- percent grade which would
most likely be required in order
to intersect the new street with
Morrow County, Heppner, Oregon
Court Street/Highway 74 if the
street were rerouted between the
current junior high and gym
buildings.
The board expressed
the community would circulate
concern
about student safety and
through and benefit the entire
the
district's
liability in the event
area.
"We need to keep
of
an
accident
in front of the
businesses on main street and
school, but agreed to go along
kids in the schools." he said.
County Judge Terry Tallman with the advisory committee’s
after they
said he thought the project would recommendation
learned
that
the
committee
be good economically for south
mechanical
county. "This is a good viable recommended
opportunity to the people of barriers for street closure during
Morrow County." he said. "This the school day and other safety
is a chance for people to come improvements.
and spend money. A chance for
The plan is dependent upon
some brand new money in approval by the Heppner City
Morrow County."
Planning Commission and the
About 90 people attended the Heppner City Council.
public meeting Thursday, and
MCSD Board Chair Julie
when an impromptu vote was Weikel, Boardman. said that if
taken the majority of those Heppner City officials do not
present raised their hands in approve closing the street by
opposition to the project.
mechanical means during school
Tuesday O'Brien, who has been hours, the issue will end up back
spearheading the project, gave a in the board members' laps. In
presentation to the Heppner that
event,
the
board's
Chamber of Commerce and said recommendation would most
that despite the show of likely be to choose the alternative
opposition he felt that the project
plan, which would involve
was not dead. "We have not
closing Stansbury Street and
given up on it," he said. He did
relocating the street between the
say he was rethinking the entire
project to address some of the old junior high building and the
concerns of the land owners. old gym. This plan would also
"We're not abandoning it," he require approval by the city
said. "We are rethinking our planning commission and the
city council and ultimately
options. We are going to make approval from the Oregon
adjustments. We are going to Department of Transportation.
work at this hard, and we are
The board approved a
going to make this thing work." plan for the new lone Elementary
he said.
School, but deferred a decision
"We saw the meeting as about remodeling the lone High
positive," said Tallman. "We are School until specifics about room
going to ask landowners what it configuration can be agreed
will take to get people on board. upon. Anderson told the board
We are talking to people."
that because of flood plain
"We will have a scenario after issues, the new school must be
the first of the year." said O’Brien. built over five feet off the
We are going to make something
ground.
happen collectively. The biggest
The board also approved
piece of the puzzle is putting
plans for the new elementary
something together that everyone
schools at Irrigon and Boardman.
can live with," he said.
Anderson told the board that the
Irrigon Irrigation district owned
a piece of property adjacent to
Columbia Middle School which
the board hopes to acquire for
construction. He said that access
to the Irrigon construction site
will be via Division Street, rather
than First Street, which will
eliminate the need for the district
to pay for expensive road
improvements.
The board approved the
Boardman plan with
the
recommendation
that
the
Boardman day care/Head Start
building be moved. The Head
ATV plans meet with opposition
A proposed ATV (all terrain
• vehicle) trail system to be built on
county roads in the Anson Wright
Park area, met
with loud
opposition at a public hearing last
Thursday night in Heppner.
A group of land owners in the
vicinity of the project said they
don't want the county to develop
trails for use by the public, saying
it would bring increased trouble
on their property.
The trails, which would be on
county owned roads, would bring
people, which would bring in
problems, they said.
The
landowners cited
increased
liability, increased chance of fire,
and more trespassing as some of
the problems the project would
generate.
County officials said the
problems could be managed, and
that the trail project would bring
much needed economic benefit to
south Morrow County.
The trail system would cost
$1.2 million to construct and the
money would come from a state
grant. The money has already
been approved, and would
include improvements to Anson
Wright Park, trail developments
(including new cattle guards),
signs and road improvements as
well as money for weed control
and added law enforcement.
Landowners, however, were
not convinced, citing possible
lawsuits from ATV riders getting
off the county owned trails onto
private land
and
hurting
themselves, and the possibility of
moie fires being started and
increased trespassing from riders
who strayed from the designated
trails. The discussion of these
issues at times became heated.
"I'm not sure this is what I
need," said landowner Bob
Mahoney of HM Ranch. "How is
this going to help my ranch. I'm
not convinced we need this right
now."
Rancher Ned Clark who also
has property' in the area said he
was worried about lawsuits from
riders, and cited a recent case
where ATV riders injured
themselves on private property
and won a judgment against the
landowner's insurance company.
"These are county public
roads and if ATVs want to travel
these roads land owners can't say
no," said Dean Wright. "But I'm
concerned about trespassing, fire
liability and weed control."
Concerns were also raised about
the county's ability to pay for
upkeep of the system in the
future, pven though there is a
grant to built the system would
the county be "stuck" paying
expenses such as increase law
enforcement in the years to come.
County Public Works Director
Burke O'Brien said there would
be on going money available from
the state to pay for upkeep and
operating expenses.
Terry Eccles of the Oregon
State Parks was also on hand, and
said funds to construct and
maintain the trail system would
come from gas taxes and ATV
license fees.
"If we develop a facility we
maintain it." he said. "We do law
enforcement and medical help.
We do education."
On the question of public abuse
of the trails and private lands,
O'Brien said there would be more
control over the ATV riders after
the project than there is now, and
that a better group of people
could be attracted. "We expect
families and people who care
about the trails would come into
the area," he said.
Several land owners thought
any ATV trails should be on
public lands. "We need to try and
get them to public lands, "said
Joel Peterson. Brian Thompson
agreed. Jerry McElligott said the
county should go even further and
close the roads in the area. "I
prefer they close the roads. There
is no reason for people to be in
there except for private property
access. There is just no reason
for people to be in there."
On the economic impact of
increased ATV riders coming into
the south county area, Heppner
City
Administrator
Jerry
Breazeale testified that the town
needs some help. "South Morrow
County is in severe economic
distress," he said. "The hospital
needs help, stores need shoppers.
I hope you would consider the
economic impact this would have
This could be positive for the
community," he said.
It was estimated that about 70
to 75 riders would use the trails
on weekends, and 20 on week
days.
Commissioner Dan Brosan also
pointed out the economic benefit,
saying that any dollars spent in
Snow day!
News Deadline
5p.m. Monday
Start building is located between
Sam Boardman Elementary and
the proposed elementary building
in the middle of the proposed
construction site. Anderson said
that the district owns some
property
which
the
day
care/Head Start board may be
willing to trade.
In other business, the
board.
going against the
sentiment of a very vocal
Heppner-Lexington audience,
agreed to pay Anderson a
severance package upon his
retirement June 30.
Board member John
Renfro, Lexington, said that he
had been kept in the dark about
the package until the last board
meeting when the subject was on
the agenda. "This is the first I've
seen of it," said Renfro, who was
the sole board member in
opposition of the severance
package. He said, however, that
he understood if the board had
earlier made an commitment to
the package.
Board member John
Rietmann said that the issue had
not been discussed publicly
because it was in the negotiation
process. Rietmann and Weikel
were the two board members of
the negotiating team; the district
was also represented by its
attorney John Witty and
Anderson was represented by his
attorney.
Weikel said that when
Anderson offered to retire if he
was allowed to become eligible
for PERS benefits during an
executive session held last
summer, the board believed it
provided a way out. She said it
seemed to be the best solution to
a difficult situation because
A nderson's
stint
as
superintendent
had
been
surrounded by controversy and
contention.
Members of the audience
and former board member
Barney Lindsay, who was
removed
from the board
immediately prior to the board's
executive session concerning
Anderson's retirement, accused
the board of acting on the
retirement package in executive
session. By law, all decisions by
public boards must be made in
open session. Lindsay also said
that Anderson had told him he
did not want him at that
particular executive session.
Other members of the board told
the Gazette-Times, however, that
Lindsay
was
invited
to
participate in that executive
session, despite h'S removal from
the board, but left the meeting on
his own accord. Renfro, who had
not yet taken office as a board
member was not permitted into
the executive session. Former
board member Keith Lewis,
whose position was also vacated
by the board because of a
residency issue, also did not
attend that executive session
because of health issues. Lindsay
and Lewis had earlier accused
the board of holding illegal
meetings.
In approving Anderson's
severance package, the board
agreed to the following:
"1. Mr. Anderson will
retire and cease employment
with the district as of June 30,
2002 .
"2. The Board will pay
Mr. Anderson an amount equal to
five weeks of salary.
"3. The Board will pay
Mr. Anderson for accrued but
unused vacation as of June 30,
2002, and will pay health
insurance package premiums for
coverage through September
2002 .
"4. The Board will pay
PERS
(public
employee
retirement) contributions on the
amounts in #2 and #3 above.”
Anderson
told
the
Gazette that the severance
package amounts to around
$8.500 in salary for a total of
$11.000 to $12,000 with
additional benefits such as
insurance and PERS
Rhonda Lorenz, deputy
clerk for the district, told the
board that this district is required
to pay insurance for a month
beyond employment. She told
the Gazette later that the
employer, in this case the district,
must pay 12.73 percent of the
PERS contribution and, in the
case of MCSD administrators,
the district also pays an
additional six percent to PERS.
Lorenz
said
that
MCSD
administrators opted to have the
district pay the six percent to
PERS, while the teachers chose
to pay the six percent
contribution to PERS themselves,
opting instead for a pay raise.
Lorenz said that Anderson's
salary was $88,397.
Members of the audience
disagreed with the board's
position, saying that there was no
reason
to
pay
Anderson
additional monies because his
contract expired on June 30
anyway and added that teachers
do not get a severance package
when they resign or retire. They
also voiced concern that the
amount of the severance
agreement, which was not
specified by the board at the
meeting, w'ould take monies
away
from teachers
and
programs, especially at a time
when state funding cuts are
looming before an already "bare
bones" budget.
Dwayne
Carroll,
a
former board member present at
time of the executive session in
question, said that Anderson’s
retirement should have been
discussed in January of last year
and implied that the severance
agreement may be a less costly
option.
The board also heard an
objection
from
Heppner-
Lexington Advisory Committee
member Marcia Kemp and
Renfro concerning representation
of the Lexington community on
the superintendent screening
committee. They stated that they
felt the Lexington community
should have representation on the
committee. The board said that
the Lexington community is
represented by the Heppner-
Lexington Advisory Committee
and the Ione-Lexington Advisory
Committee. Kemp had submitted
her name to the board for
selection to the screening
committee.
Kemp and others also
took exception to the district
office highlighting names of
people recommended by area
chambers of commerce for
selection to the screening
committee. The list of submitted
names was included in the
board's meeting packet. All
highlighted recommendations
were accepted by the board.
George Koffler was selected
from the Heppner community.
Loyal Bums from the lone
community, Barbara Huwe from
the Irrigon community and Mike
Dipo from the Boardman
community.
Other
screening
committee members include:
classified
personnel-Martha
Munkers, Lexington, and Sharon
Samples; licensed personnel-
Micki
Fabian
and
Dean
Robinson,
both
lone;
administrators-Phyllis Danielson.
Heppner, HES principal, and
John Sebastian. Irrigon, A.C.
Houghton Elementary principal;
confidential
employee-Kevin
Mossman, Boardman; Heppner-
Lexington Advisory Committee-
Mike
Armato.
Heppner;
Boardman-Irrigon
Advisory
Committee-Debi Straton; Ione-
Lexington Advisory Committee-
Ralph Morter. lone; board of
directors-Julie Weikel, Gary
Fredenckson. Pat McNamee.
John Rietmann and John Renfro.
Kemp. Lexington, and
continued page 2
y an A re Invited Ta Our Open U}aii&e
Triday, December 14tfi
Came jo in ha fa r caakieA, coffee and cider!
S
Micha. two, enjoys the first real snowfall of the season Monday at the
home of Doug and Georgia Rathbun of Heppner.
H O L ID A Y CwlFT K A LE STILT. G O IN G O N !
j M orrow C o u n ty G rain G row ers
5
Lexington 989-8221
•
1-800-452-7396
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