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About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 28, 2004)
Health district explores tax levy Be3 3ie .'.'ctsall U of 0 Newspaper Library tu bane, OR 9 /4 0 3 VOL.123 N 0 .4 12Pages Wednesday, January 28,2004 Morrow County, Heppner, Oregon The Morrow County Health D istrict Board is exploring placing a tax levy before the voters either in May or November. A measure in the May election would require a double m ajority to pass, however, if the district chooses to wait until November, the financially strapped district would not get the money until the follow ing year. Board Chair Larry Mills, Heppner, and board member Linda LaRue, lone, said that they supported the move, while board member Ed Glenn, Boardman, said that he didn't think the measure would pass. Board member Ken Matlack, lrrigon, also expressed doubts about its success. “My view is that it’s a cal 1 for the voters,’' said M i 1 Is. Glenn said that the district should be making cuts instead of trying to float a levy. “What we ought to be doing is figuring how we can live within our means," said Glenn. “1 don't find anyone in Boardman who would support it," he added. But later he said, “It’s a major decision. Before we start cutting and slashing sen ices, we’ve got to ask the voters how they feel... as soon as possible.” If the financials don't improve and a levy fails, the board discussed options such as closing the lrrigon Clinic and terminating payments of around S140,000 annually to Dr. Robert Boss of Boardman to subsidize his priv ate clinic. Cutting emergency services in the communities of Boardman, lrrigon, Heppner and lone w as not considered an option. However, the board decided to research the subject further before deciding w hat direction to take. The district recently closed Pioneer Memorial Nursing Home as a means to pare the district’s budget, as government reimbursements were not keeping up w ith the real costs of operating the nursing home. The district has also made stalling cuts. In addition to cutting stafl'directly inv olved in providing nursing home care, the district cut one full time position in the business office/medical records, which leaves two full-tim e employees, one employee at 90 percent and two half-time employees. In administration, two full-time employees have been reduced to 70 percent and the CEO, chief financial officer and personnel director have each taken a five percent reduction in pay since this past summer and staff at Pioneer Memorial Clinic have also taken a five-percent cut. Dr. Sam D atta, a physician employed with the district at PMC and Pioneer Memorial Hospital, recently volunteered to also take a five- percent cut in his salary w hen he learned that his staff had taken a cut. “We really feel fortunate to have him,” said LaRue, and the remainder of the board concurred. CFO N icole Mahoney said that employees whose time is reduced also take a proportionate cut in benefits, i.e., half-time workers receive half benefits. Despite the nursing home closure and additional cuts, the district’s bottom line was still over $45,000 in the red for December. However, figures for that month might have been fairly healthy if the district had not endured an unusually large (over $42,000) write-off for bad debts. The district’s loss for the year to date is $288,638. CEO Victor Vander Does reported that the district should hear about its application for the "sw ing bed" program within one or two weeks. MCHD has asked that all 25 beds be classified sw ing beds, but anticipate that few er beds w ill be granted. If the application is successful, the district may be allowed to provide long-term care once again. However, this program would allow the district to receive greater reimbursements than it was able to receive when it continued page 3 lrrigon High School could open this fall Chamber of Commerce elects 2004 officers » The Morrow County School District may open the new lrrigon High School this fall, as per recommendations from principals Dirk Dirksen of Riverside High School in Boardman and Ron Anthony of Columbia Middle School. Dirksen and Anthony told the school board at a rescheduled regular meeting Wednesday night that previous staffing concerns have been resolved with a “minimum" of staff transfers, which paves the way for a fall 2004 opening. Anthony said that only three staff members would have to change schools. The board tabled a decision on the issue until further study. With the opening of the new school either in the fall of 2004 or 2005, students living in lrrigon who are now attending Riverside High School in Boardman will begin attending school at the new lrrigon High School. The Columbia Middle School site will then become a seven-12 school, housing both junior high and high school students. The facility will be called lrrigon Junior/Senior High School. Some projects still remain at Columbia Middle School to retrofit the school to accommodate high school requirements, such as installing football field lighting, installing bleachers, remodeling for a shop, enlarging the library, remodeling the office and installation o f security cameras. Riverside High School will also become a seven-12 facility when the lrrigon High School opens and will be called Riverside Junior/Senior High School. If the lrrigon High School opens this fall, students living in lrrigon who will be juniors and seniors will be given the option of attending Riverside High School or the new lrrigon High School. In that case, only lrrigon seniors may opt to attend Riverside in 2005-06. A nthony and Dirksen told the board that when students from the two schools are combined for athletic contests, during the 2004-05 year, they would remain at the 3 A league level. However, separately, the schools will fall in the 2A category, which means that they will eventually compete against Heppner and other schools in that league. Dirksen and Anthony said that varsity sports will not be an option at lrrigon High School until the fall of 2005, however a JV athletic program will be offered at lrrigon for 2004-05. They said that lrrigon students younger than juniors or seniors must petition the board to play at a varsity level. In the event of a 2004 opening. Riverside High School will continue to have both varsity and JV sports and beginning 2005, lrrigon High School will have a varsity sports program. MCSD was criticized by several Boardman and lrrigon residents who said that the board failed to live up to the criteria it established before it would allow the establishment of a high school in lrrigon. Concerns were raised at the Wednesday night m eeting about loss o f curriculum and members of the audience pointed out that the board earlier said it would not split the school if curriculum were lost. Dirksen said that “everything will be offered," but added that the number of classes would be reduced. Board member John Renfro explained to a concerned parent after the meeting that while scheduling may become more difficult for students because of a reduced number of offerings, requirements would still be satisfied, much as they are at Heppner High School. Additional concerns were raised about seventh graders attending school with high schoolers. The establishment of an additional high school in Morrow County has not only created potential funding issues for the district, but a possibility of impacting the M orrow C ounty Unified Recreation District’s budget, resulting in a perceived disparity in funding between MCSD and the lone School District and perhaps among schools w ithin MCSD. (MCURD is the entity that funds athletic programs and other extracurricular activities for all schools in Morrow County.) Renfro commented during the meeting about a breakdown in communication betw een the district and MCURD. Renfro said that MCURD funded athletics for students attending lone Schools, which recently broke from Morrow County School District, at a higher rate per student than students attending Morrow County schools. Renfro said that ISD received $94,000, which amounts to $640 per student w hile M CSD received only $318,000, which amounts to $ 140 per student. Renfro said that the MCURD Board also wanted to dictate what sports the schools offer. Renfro said that if the revenues and expenses are the same next year, MCSD will be short approximately $40,000. He also said that if it were up to him, he would turn the whole athletic program over to MCURD, which would then not just provide funding, but supervise the entire program. In that event, athletics would no longer be offered through the schools, but rather privately, much like the European system. “I think we have hit just a snag,” said Kuhn. “I believe harmony will prevail.” He suggested that the district meet with MCURD concerning the issue. MCURD Chair Cydc Estes told the Gazette-Times last week that MCURD wants to have a harm onious relationship with MCSD. She said that MCURD did not want to micromanage the continued page three ALL NEWS AND ADVERTISEMENT DEADLINE: MONDAYS AT 5:00 P.M. The Heppner Chamber of Commerce recently installed new hoard members and officers for the year 2004. Left to right: Bert Houweling, Larry Lutcher, John Murray, Brenda Sherrell (vice president), Nancy Gochnauer (2nd vice president), Victor Vander Does (president), Nancy Snider, Barbara Hayes (treasurer), and David Sykes. Also honored at the annual Chamber luncheon January 13 was Bonnie Wenberg, owner of Artisan Milage. Wenberg was honored for her efforts to better her Heppner business, both locally and on the Internet. Measure 30 . fire . . u-* u Hardman Structure hits ballots due Feb. 3 There was a fire in said Heppner Fire Chief Rusty a Ballots for Measure 30 are due in by Tuesday, Feb. 3 at 8 p.m. The vote on Measure 30 will determine whether a tax increase will go into effect. B allots may be mailed, but must be to the Morrow County Courthouse by 8 p.m. Tuesday, or can be hand delivered at several locations in Morrow County. All locations except lone Bank of Eastern Oregon are open until 8 p.m. on Election Day. Locations include: Morrow C ounty C ourthouse-11 eppner; Bank of Eastern ()regon- lone Branch, open until 4 p.m.; Lexington Public Works; lrrigon Justice Court Lobby; and the Boardman Behavioral Health Building. Hardman, Saturday, Jan. 24 that totally destroyed extra living quarters and a pump house on Lauren A llen’s property. The fire was thought to be started by a w ood stove, Estes. The living quarters were used to house family of the Allen’s. ITie main house on the property, however, was not damaged. Fair Board announces 2004 theme The Fair Board has The winner is Jack picked a theme for the 2004 Yocom of Heppner. Yocom Fair. The theme is “Come will receive a $25 gift Experience the History of the certificate for his w inning entry. Morrow County Fair." Additional flu vaccines available at Heppner Clinic The Morrow County available in the Heppner H ealth D epartm ent has Clinic, Thursday, from 8:30 received an additional supply a.m.-12p.m.and l-4:30p.m. of flu vaccines, fhe vaccine is ALL PAINT AND PAINTING SUPPLIES 50% OFF Morrow County Grain Growers Lexington 989-8221 • 1-800-452-7396 For farm equipment. vuit our web »ite at www mcgg.net
