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About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 14, 2007)
‘Communities’ and county talk tippage money By Dave Sykes The Morrow County Court and representatives of the five county com m uni ties sat down Friday to talk about the re-distribution of nearly $1 million in tippage fee income generated at the Finley Buttes landfill near Boardman. R e p r e s e n ta ti v e s o f the cities o f Heppner, lone, Lexington, Irrigon and Boardman joined together in January to demand that the county turn over the major- lliliiliiillliillliiinlliliiill Bessie W et/ell Newspaper Library University o f Oregon Eugene, OR 97403 VOL. 126 NO. 46 8 Pages Wednesday, November 14, 2007 Morrow County, Heppner, Oregon Hughes successful in spike elk hunt ni, ns pm ■ ■ 4 w . ~ m jd Jessica Hughes shows off her first spike elk that she got on the opening day of spike season on the family ranch in IJkiah. County Clerk’s Office releases un official results for special election Precinct 1 Boardman 2 Irrigon 3 Lexington t fteppner/Hard- man Total Precinct 1 Boardman 2 Irrigon 3 Lexington Î fteppner/Hard- man Total Measure 49 Yes 278 432 82 110 Measure 49 No 290 346 129 174 367 414 1269 1353 Measure 50 Yes 132 173 37 61 Measure ; No 438 612 173 223 173 613 576 2059 Measure 49 modifies Measure 37; clarifies the right to build homes; limits large developments; protects farms, forests, groundwater. Measure 50 amends the constitution: dedicates funds to provide health care for children, fund tobacco prevention, through increased tobacco tax. G-T closed for the holidays The Heppner Gazette-Times will be closed on Thursday, November 22, and Friday, November 23, for the Thanksgiving holiday. All deadlines will remain the same. ity o f the funds which come from fees levied on each ton o f garbage dumped at the landfill. The fees average around $80,000 per month, or ju st under $1 m illion per year, and currently go d irectly into the county general fund. The c itie s have threatened to take the issue to the voters if the county did not turn over more of the funds, and in August they filed a ballot measure with the county clerk that would force redistribution o f the money. If approved by vot ers beginning in fiscal year 2 0 0 8 -2 0 0 9 , th e c o u n ty would give up 25 percent o f the tippage fees to cities. In 2009-2010 that would ju m p to 50 p ercen t and 2010-2011 it would top out at 75 percent. The ordinance stipu lates that the cities’ portion will be divided in half, with one half the funds divided equally among the cities, and the other half divided according to population. The m easu re has been filed, but according to the clerk's office, the nec essary 187 signatures have not been turned in for the measure to be on the ballot in May. B oardm an M ayor Ed Glenn, who represented the cities group, said Friday if a redistribution agreement were not reached the group would begin gathering the signatures after the first o f the year. Glenn told the coun ty court his group would represent the “communities” o f M orrow C ounty. “ We want a second chance to make a first impression,” he said. In response to criticism that rural county residents not living in the cities would be unrepresented under a redistribution plan, Glenn said his group would better represent the ““communities” o f the county than either the county court or the needs and issues committee. Currently the needs and issues committee meets once per year to award a certain amount o f tippage money to various groups and entities throughout the county. The county court, which decides how much tippage money needs and issues gets each year upped the amount to $235,000 in 2007. Glenn said the city governments are closer to the needs o f the communi ties than the county, or the needs and issues committee, and would be better at giv ing out the money. “People outside cit ies are co n cern ed ,” said Commissioner Gary Grieb. Grieb said the ordinance (what could be voted on) does not address communi ties. Sr. Center gets $1 million plus help package m ■ i The Heppner Sr. center has been aw arded a package o f loans and grants o f over $1 m illion that will help keep it going for “the next 20 to 30 years”, the city council was told Monday night. The City, which oversees operation of the center, was told the package in clu d ed $861,509 in grants and $290,000 in low interest loans that will help make the financially struggling facil ity v iable for the foreseeable future. The money does come with some rules that may change the rents for some residents, however. Darlee Rex of Rex Devel opment of Pendleton applied for the grants for the city and said by phone conference with the council Monday that the government money is designated for lower in com e type housing, and residents whose income ex ceeds a certain level will be required to pay one third of their income for rent if they wish to live at the center. She said according to the grant rules four o f the 19 units could be rented to over income indiv iduals and still qualify. “Over time this is going to keep this place going for the next 20 to 30 years,” said council member George Koffler. “ I think we are go ing to have to take the good with the bad.” “ When you take govern ment money you have to take their rules,” said Rex. “ It is a hard pill to swallow but I don't know any other way to fund this and make affordable housing available to seniors,” Rex added. The city has struggled in the past to make basic up keep and repairs costs on the facilities and still keep rents reasonable. The funding will allow the center to upgrade the ALL NEWS AND ADVERTISEMENT DEADLINE: MONDAYS AT 5:00 P.M. « ed $18,000 in tippage mon ey from the needs and issues committee this year to be living quarters with weath- used for the repairs. The mayor swore in eriz atio n , new cabinets, Keith Lew is of 440 Terrace appliances, windows and Dr. to the council to replace other improvements. The refinancing will reduce the Glenn Baker who recently city’s debt interest on loans resigned. Lewis has a history on the St. Center to about o f public serv ice including 2 percent for 20 years, Rex continued page 3 had told the Gazette-Times earlier. Martha Andrew s of An drews Architects of Portland will be handling the project and was at the m eeting Monday. “ We need to be High winds swept aware o f a population (at through the area on Monday, the Center) that is special, and we will do our best not November 12. The follow to upset them,” she said of ing damage reports were made: the remodeling project. -The Farm Builder’s Andrews said tenants w ould be m oved around roof in Heppner w as getting ready to fly offbecause o f all during the remodeling. H eppner resident Ed o f the w ind. -The complete roof Struthers asked the coun o f a bam was lifted off the cil to make efforts to have the roof fixed. He said his structure and was blocking mother lives at the center Highway 74. The Oregon and was displaced when the Department o f Transporta roof leaked. The architect tion responded to remove said she would need more the debris. -Strong winds info rm atio n on the ro o f to address whether or not caused dirt to blow across money would be spent on Highway 207 making it hard to see. repairing it. -The Morrow Coun Koffler also asked An drews if local contractors ty Sheriff’s Office was un were going to be given a able to locate a downed tree shot a doing work on the Sr. in the area o f the Heppner Center. “Can we give prefer Day Care. -A Fir tree fell and ence to local contractors?” Koffler asked. “ We have to hit some lines as it came bid it out, but we don't have down on SE Court Street in to take the lowest bid," Rex Heppner. -A tree blocked most said. She said there would have to be justification for o f the road on County Road not taken the lowest bid, 678. -There was no vis however. ibility near the Wagon Trail In other business the council approved bids to fix Farms area o f Lexington. -Large amounts the city hall roof, $18,750, o f tum blew eeds partially and the fire hall roof for blocked Willow Creek Road $7,560. The city was award- near the reservoir. Wind damage reported Ed («Irmi Terry Tallmann Glenn said the cities would take care o f entire communities and would use a type of grant application to give out the funds. “The principal goal is to have reli able sums o f money they can plan on from year to year, as well as coming up w ith their ow n plan on for allocation of funds,” Glenn said. County Judge Terry Tallmann asked if tippage funds were redistributed to cities, would they continue to fund current organiza tions and entities such as Extension, Soil and Water, Water Master and Neighbor hood C enter? Glenn said that this was the respon sibility o f the county. The county currently puts about $670,000 tippage fees into the general fund with about $185,000 going straight to various organizations and entities. “The purpose of the tippage fees should not be to backfill the county or city budgets,” said Glenn. He said if the cities receive more money a committee o f people both inside and outside the city limits should be used to determine use o f that money. “None o f us want this to go to vote,” Heppner Mayor Les Paustian said. “We want compromise, but we (the cities) need the help. We are in a bind (financial ly) and I think a compromise can be made,” he added. “ We are not out to threaten the county,” said Heppner City Manger David DeM ayo said. “ We want give and take.” ““I am more inter ested in the process,” said County Commissioner John Wenholtz. “ I am not ready to make a decision today. We are having a good discus sion and making progress,” he said. A compromise worked up by several com munity members was dis cussed by the two groups. The c o m p ro m ise woul d have given m ore m oney (35%) to the cities next year, but less in future years. No action was taken. “The ball is in the county court's hands,” said Gl enn at the end o f the meeting. “ We need to think about this,” responded Tail- man. The m eetin g was not contentious with both groups agreeing to meet again Dec. 4 at 9a.m. At t h e MCGG GREEN FEED STORE in H e p p n e r : Stock Tank De-Icers Heated Buckets and Pet Bowls 10% OFF New holiday scent candles from Montana Silver in stock now! Wt will I* CLOSED Thunday. II m through Sunday. Il/B for ihunhigiYing M orrow C ounty Grain G rowers Green F eed & S eed 242 W. Linden Way, Heppner • 676-9422 • 989-8221 (MCGG main office)
