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About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (April 9, 2008)
County Commissioner candidates visit economic development group Bessie Wetzell Newspaper Library University o f Oregon ' Eugene, OR 97403 VOL. 127 NO. 15 12 Pages Wednesday, April 9, 2008 By David Sykes The Willow Creek Valley Economic Develop m ent G roup (W CV ED G ) invited the two candidates for Morrow County Com m issioner, John W enholz and Leann Rea, to attend their monthly meeting April 2 for discussion about the candidates’ thoughts on eco nomic development in South Morrow County. Morrow County, Heppner, Oregon Heppner Sewer Treatment Plant project completed By Autumn Morgan “ T h e p r o je c t is complete,” stated Heppner M ayor Les Faustian. The Heppner Sewer Treatment Plant project, which came to an official end on Mon day, April 7, has been in the works since October 2007. The old p ro p a n e backup power generator was replaced with a new diesel generator. The new g en erator will allow the sewer treatment plant to operator for a lengthy period o f time Pictured L-R are members of the Heppner Public Works crew: if the power is out. Brian Harmon, Chad Doherty, Randy Sample, Dan Doyle, and -Continued on page Six Robert Whalen. -Photo by Autumn Morgan Health district to put levy before voters in November; awards low bid for long-term care remodel at hospital By April Sykes The Morrow County Health D istrict Board, at th e ir regular m eeting in H eppner M onday night, voted to send a bond issue to the voters this November. Board members agreed that the bond was necessary to keep the district viable and to continue to provide up-to- date medical care for district patrons. “ We need the levy to maintain services,” said board C hair Larry M ills. District CEO Victor Vander Does added that he was concerned that the district would have to look at pos sibly reducing staffing if the bond does not pass. The board approved a 39 cent per thousand bond proposal over five years, which would cost a home Cast members vote to give donations to hospital program Sheridan Tarnasky, member of the cast of "From Cenacle to Calvary;” written by Father ( Jerry Condon, presented a check for $1,005.25 to Victor Vander Does, CEO of Pioneer Memorial Hospital, for the long term swing bed program. The money came from freewill donations collected during the performances of the play. Community cast members voted to donate the money to the swing bed program. -Photo by Autumn Morgan owner w ith a $ 100,000 home $39 per year, for example. The district has for mulated a wish list o f items to be funded by the pro posed levy in fiscal years 2010-2014, but Vander Does and C hief Financial Officer Nicole Mahoney stress that not everything on the list will be able to be funded, even if the levy passes. Possible items to be funded over the length o f the levy include: a $350,000 subsidy for the Boardman c lin ic , C o lu m b ia R iv er C o m m u n ity H ealth S er vices, which a federally sub sidized clinic not affiliated with MCHD; a one-and-a- half time paramedic and a full-time EMT with salary and benefits for Boardman, estim ated at $761,966; a half-tim e param edic and full-time EMT with salary and benefits for Irrigon at $416,192; a building expan sion and a digital x-ray for the Irrigon Clinic, which is operated by the district, for $272,500; electronic medi cal records softw are and hardw are for the d istrict for $50,000; a CT scanner replacement for $100,000 for a used machine; and the -Continued on page Six ALL NEWS AND ADVERTISEMENT DEADLINE: MONDAYS AT 5:00 P.M. Following are ques jobs to other businesses that and to back fill the budget. 1 tions asked by WCVEDG need higher skill sets. 1 have am sure there are some other and the responses from the been working on van pool Departments that received two candidates. ing and car pooling plans to these funds, but I can't recall WCVEDG Please help workers get from the them at this time. I think that t e l l us y o u r South end o f all funds that thoughts/ position the county to are not needed on economic de the jobs in the to backfill the velopment efforts North end. b u d g e t, and in Morrow Co. Do W C - assure a rea you differentiate VEDG: What sonable end Community Devel role should the ing fund bal opment from Eco County Com ance should be nom ic D evelop missioners play made available ment i.e. commu in economic de for worthw hile nity infrastructure Leann Rea velopment and/ John Wenholz projects coun and services from or community ty wide. 1 think job creation? development efforts? that within the next two or REA : The Port o f REA: I believe the three years there should be Morrow is and has taken the C o u n ty C o m m issio n e rs enough of the larger projects lead on Economic Develop should alw ays be on the that are currently in the En ment. Particularly in North lookout for new businesses terprise Zones going on to Morrow Co., but that is not that are interested in coming the tax roll that the County to say they have ignored to our communities. That will not require any o f these South Morrow County. Ex w ould include w hile a t funds to assure an ending amples o f their efforts are tending meetings w ith other fund balance. At that time, 1) The installation o f the Counties, they talk up the 1 feel the bulk of the money water system for the Emert assets of our communities. from tippage fees should be Addition in lone. 2) The in 1 further believe that the going to the communities. stallation o f a large amount County should be willing 1 further feel we need to o f the water system upgrade to step forward and offer tweak the way the funds are in Lexington. 3) The transfer funding (loans or grants) to divided and allocated. o f ow nership and ground allow leverage for obtaining As to the Equity Fund, to preparation for the Assisted grants for companies that the best o f my know ledge, Living Facility in Heppner. are interested in coming into to date none o f these funds 4) The attempt to restart the our area. have been spent on any proj Co-Generation Plant at the W E N H O L Z : We ect. As a Budget Committee old Kinzua Mill Site, as well need to find a little money Member, I can state that we as the numerous attempts to to su p p o rt an econom ic (the citizen m em bers) o f site other businesses at the development person. There the budget committee have site. Currently, the site is be are four people in this room strongly urged the County ing used by OSU Extension, that our on the budget com Court to get some o f this OSP and DMV as well as at mittee so we should be able money out to prospective least four other entities. businesses. While I do not to accomplish that. Having said that, 1 could and W C V E D G : There believe fly by night projects would support an individual are a number o f county should be funded, 1 do be that was partly funded by the revenue sources that are lieve that financially sound County and partly funded identified for economic de projects should be able to by the Willow Creek Valley velopment purposes, at least access these funds without com m unities, to work for one (Video Lottery) that begging. the economic development is restricted fo r economic W EN H O LZ: I be o f Heppner, lone, and Lex development exclusively. lieve the video lottery (the ington. I believe that if such O ther dedicated county county receives money from a person were to be hired, revenue sources are more the state from video lottery) they would need to answer broadly interpreted to be needs to go to an economic directly to the Chair/Presi- used for "community bene development person. 1 have dent o f the Willow Creek fit", (Tippagefees). There is been helping w ith a van Valley Economic Develop also a fund that is used as a pooling program . Gas is ment Group and not to the revolving loan fund (Equity expensive and people would County Court. Fund). Are you aware how be able to get to jobs in the Part 2) Yes, 1 differentiate those dollars are currently north. We are not going to Community Development being spent? What portion use county funds to keep it from Economic D evelop o f the revenue do you feel going, but only seed money ment. Although, 1 believe should be expended each to get it underway. As far as E conom ic D ev elo p m en t year? For what types o f the equity fund $ 150,000 has can not occur it adequate projects or activities: been used from the fund. It infrastructure is not in place. REA: While I haven't re is not a grant program. Mor During the time, 1 worked viewed the budget decisions row Development needed in Irrigon the city was un since last April, when we $50,000 to leverage one half der a restraint from further last met, I believe some of million dollars. We loaned construction until the new the Lottery Money is used to them that a no interest to get sewer system was in place finance the County Fair, and those funds. The Tippage fee and fully functional. During some goes to the Planning had a $1 million carryover that time I had numerous Office and if 1 remember this year, but next year you individuals come into the correctly, som e o f those will not see that. There could office seeking to subdivide funds went to OSU experi be a short term increase their property, only to learn ment station for crop science in the amount o f garbage that no additional homes research. All o f these funds coming into Finley Buttes could be sited until the in should be expended each Landfill. It will not double, frastructure was in place. So year. but there could be a lot more while I see the difference, Tippage fees w ere used coming in. I feel they also go hand in for the (needs and issues) WCV EDG: Should hand. program, OSU Extension, the County Commission be W ENHOLZ: With the Neighborhood Center in more or less pro-active in out development our com Heppner, the Irrigon Board- local development activi m unities cannot survive. man Emergency Center, the ties? For example helping We need family wage jobs. Wildlife control unit, the lone. Lexington, and Hep The Port o f Morrow is the Soil and Conservation De pner capitalize on the wind econom ic en g in e in the partment. the Watermaster. farm construction projects county and they are moving the fund that the C ount\ or the potential internet -Continued on page Six away from agriculture type retains for special requests. AT THE GREEN FEED & SEED IN HEPPNER: Super Sandals & Muck Clods Clearance Sale! Buy one pair, get second pair 1 /2 Price Buy two pairs, set third pair free! M orrow County Grain G rowers Green F eed & S eed ’ 242 W. Linden Way, Heppner • 676-9422 • 989-8221 (MCGG main office)
