Image provided by: Morrow County Museum; Heppner, OR
About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 13, 2010)
TEN - Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, January 13, 2010 CITY COUNCIL -Continued from Page ONE and extrem ely reliable. and with a popula tion increase o f about .5 percent predicted the study will address how the system will take care of them, both through improvements and expansion. In response to De- M ayo’s concerns Baird wrote “Your (Demayo’s) comments about the study being biased for an unfavor able outcome are very trou bling to me. Anderson Perry & Associates, Inc., does not have a biased approach to the services we provide and ethically we cannot be biased. Please let me know what you have heard from me in this process that makes you thing we are bi ased in our approach. 1 need to understand why you feel this way,” he said. DeMayo told the city council Monday night that he was being stem in his correspondence with Anderson Perry to protect the city’s interests. "I didn’t want him to come in here and we roll out the red car pet and open the city purse strings,” DeMayo said. “If he wants our money he is going to have to fight for it.” DeM ayo is con cerned an “unfavorable o u tco m e” to the study would be more work and city expense done on the waste water system than was actually needed. “I find it interesting that the type of technology used in our plant was developed in the 1950’s and probably ear lier. It is relatively simple G enerally speaking, the greater the complexity of a system the more vulnerable it becomes to mechanical breakdown, and our plant has functioned well overall for the past 15-20 years,” DeMayo said in a further email to Anderson Perry . “ S eco n d ly , you cannot deny that you have a vested interest in the study outcomes. The spin-offs, such as rate studies etc. could prove lucrative for your company. The tempta tion is too great unless some means is used to prevent this from occurring. O f course, you will argue, that this is simply good busi ness. Is it? This practice will inevitable lead to the suspicion, whether justified, or not, that needs can be ar tificially created. Thus truth is sacrificed on the altar of profit (good old fashioned manna),” DeMayo wrote in his email. Baird also asked: “I would also submit that if you feel that an Update showing you need to com plete significant improve ments (to Heppner’s waste water treatment system) is an unfavorable ‘expensive’ outcome, then why is the City proceeding with the Update at all?” DeM ayo eventu ally comprised and said “I am willing to meet half way. Which is to say that if Anderson Perry does the study, after consulting w ith the city as to our concerns; in return if additional work/ MORROW COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT study is needed, that is the City’s decision. If the City chooses not to ask Anderson Perry to do the additional work, that is the City’s option. It stops there. There will be no high pres sure salesmanship. If there is, the contract will cease,” DeMayo wrote. A fter some d is cussion Monday night the council voted unanimously to authorize DeMayo to sign the contract with Anderson Perry for the waste water treatment system study. The council is to meet with the engineering firm Jan. 19 to begin the process. In other business at the meeting the council vot ed to purchase two pieces of equipment. The city will purchase an ATV mower attachment from Heppner resident John Murray for $1,300, and a scissor lift from RSC for $3,300. The city crew will use the lift to put up flower baskets and change city street light bulbs. The crew currently uses a ladder and Public Works Director Brian Har mon said the lift will be a safer way to do these jobs. The council also agreed to pay Allstott Con struction $2,400 to repair damage done to the city shop building. In other action the council voted to appoint Sam Hornbeck to the city parks and recreation, and heard that the F arm er’s Market went well last sum mer and organizers are wanting to do it again. Heppner Elks Most Valuable Students place in district contest The E lks M ost Valuable Student district contest was recently held with winners from 10 local lodges com peting. Em- ily Thompson placed third for the girl’s division and was awarded $1,200. Eric Jepsen placed fourth for the boy’s division. T he 10 lo d g e s competing in the district included: Baker, Condon, Enterprise, Heppner (lone), Hermiston, Hood River, LaGrande, M ilton-Free- water, Pendleton, and The Dalles. -Continuedfrom Page ONE student instruction days. -received the fol lowing attendance report: A.C. Houghton Elemen tary, Irrigon-262; Heppner Elementary S chool-196; H eppner High School- 226; Irrigon Elementary School-203; Irrigon High School-328; Riverside High School, Boardm an-401 Sam Boardman Elemen tary School-305: Windy River Elementary School, Boardman-215; Morrow Education Center (M or row County School Dis trict students)-51; Morrow Education Center (Umatilla School District students)- 22; total 2209. Burrows said enrollment figures were down, but added that those figures were traditionally low er in January because of extended family vacations following the holidays. -recognized School Board Recognition Month as declared by Governor Ted Kulongoski, presenting the board members with gifts, praising them for their volunteer service and serv ing cake. -h eard a rep o rt from Burrows on State Ballot M easures 66 and 67. He ¿“aid that contrary to local opinion, current statewide polls indicate that Oregon voters will pass the measures with 53 percent agreeing with passage of the measures and 40 per cent against passage. He said that if the measures do not pass. Morrow County School District “has the potential” lose around $1.5 million in funding, which most likely will result in the loss of 20 teachers or 18 The board earlier split on support of the mea sures which were enacted by the state legislature in July and will come before the voters on the January 26 election. Ballots have already been m ailed to voters. A “yes” vote on Ballot Measure 66 would raise taxes on incom es above $250,000 for house holds and $125,000 for individuals. This measure also elim inates income taxes on the first $2,400 of unemployment benefits received in 2009. This mea sure, if approved, would raise approximately $472 million currently budgeted for education, health care, public safety and other services. A “ n o ” vote on Ballot Measure 66 would not increase taxes. It would not include a tax exemption for the first $2,400 of unem ployment benefits received in 2009 and would leave education, health care, pub lic safety and other services under-funded by approxi mately $472 million. A “yes” vote on Measure 67 would raise the corporate minimum tax from $10 to $150 for most businesses and would increase taxes for corpora tions with over $500,000 in Oregon revenues. It would also increase the tax rate som e corporations pay on profits; and increase some business filing fees, ft would increase filing fees by $50 for Oregon business and $225 for out of state businesses. The measure would raise $255 million to fund current budgets for education, health care, public safety and other services. A “no vote on Mea sure 67 would retain a $10 corporate minimum income tax rather than raise it to $150 and would not raise corporate profits taxes. It would leave current edu cation, health care, public safety and other services budgets under-funded by around $255 million. -learned from Bur rows that the district will set up Twitter and facebook accounts to facilitate com munication throughout the district. Burrows said that electronic communication such as Twitter and face- book may prove helpful in the event of school closures, for example. “We’re being dragged into the 21st Cen tury,” laughed Burrows. -approved the fol lowing extra duty contracts: Rick Gerard, Irrigon Ju- nior/Senior High School head baseball coach; Matt Weseman, Riverside Junior High School head wrestling coach. -approved unpaid leave for Mary Koertje, Windy River Elementary School ed assistant. -heard the follow ing announcements: Janu ary 14, end of the semester; January 18, Martin Luther King, Jr., Day holiday; Feb ruary 8, next board meeting, Riverside High School. -held an executive session to discuss legal is sues and negotiations. CHAMBER OF COMMERCE -Continuedfrom Page ONE the past. I look forward to to have a great team to work with and it didn’t take me very long to figure out who would fit that bill,” she said before honoring B abette Wall, Joanne Burleson and Doris Brosnan. To W all, B ates said, “Babette - you amaze me every time you put your ‘decorations’ hat on. You are one talented lady and I am so thankful to have you as part of the community volunteers who do so much. I can always count on you to come through (of course it takes a storage shed or two to hold all of your decora tions). Thank you for being such a strong proponent of the events and activities that the Chamber has hosted in many years of having you as part of my team.” About Burleson, Bates said, Joanne - I hon estly d on’t know when you have time to sleep. You have so much energy and commitment to being involved in com m unity events. I can always count on you to carry through with whatever it is that we are planning ... and you have been a life saver when it comes to being a very involved ‘volunteer’ and I just wanted to say thank you for all you do to help the events and you are always a welcome team member to any event planning.” And to Brosnan she said, “Doris - you have supported me in so many different capacities, and although you are taking a ‘little’ heat for being gone during this year’s St. Pat rick’s event, I have found that I can always count on you to be a great team player, one that steps up and gets things done. You are committed as a great volunteer and step up and take the lead and do it well. You always have the energy and are willing to adjust your schedule to accom modate whatever is needed. We will miss you during St. Patrick’s.” The chamber elect ed H eppner M ayor Les Paustian as vice president and Dean Antonucci as sec ond vice president. Lisanne Currin will continue to be treasurer. BOARDMAN GRANTS EXTENSION -Continuedfrom Page ONE o f Boardman. He added G r o w in g healthy families to g e th e r . Connect with WIC. Investing in O regon’s future with nutrition education and healthy foods. Learn more about how the Oregon WIC Program helps families: www.wic.oregon.gov 1-800-SAFENET (1-800-723-3628) WIC is an equal opportunity provider and employer. Oregon >‘( dhs wic Oregon Department of Human Services program I Some Boardman business owners in the audi ence asked the council not to extend the agreement, fearing the businesses lo cated w ithin the city would be hurt. Jack Triperinas, new owner of the C & D Drive In, told the council he may not have purchased the C & D if he had known of the city’s agreement to sell the land to Love’s. Jim Magoteaux of MJ’s Motel said Love's would advertise their business in both direc tions along the interstate and customers would by pass Boardman altogether. Rich Devin of Devin Oil is concerned about the city businesses being able to compete with Love’s. He said the city could also see a loss in lodging tax revenues should Love’s draw hotel developers to their Travel Stop. Mr. file assured the Council Love’s would be a good neighbor to the City they wish the businesses of Boardman well and be lieves their project would actually increase business for all. He said Love’s par ticipates with local Cham bers o f Commerce, they donate to local athletics and charities, and to local high schools. He said the Travel Stop project would bring 50 new jobs to the area, and bring in contractors for six to seven months during the construction phase. After a lengthy ex ecutive session, council ors voted 6-0 in favor of extending the agreement to sell the land to Love's. Mayor Phillips explained it was a not an easy decision and the council took all considerations into account before deciding in favor of extending the agreement. Love’s is headquar tered in Oklahoma City, OK, and has been in business since 1964. If the project proceeds as planned, this would be Love’s third such project in Oregon, adding to the over 200 nationwide they currently own. In other city news, councilors set the date for their Strategic Plan Work shop for Saturday, January 9, at 7 a.m. at City Hall. The council also passed a budget resolution for a $7,000 grant from Morrow County Needs & Issues. The city was awarded the grant for new lights at the city’s basketball court and soccer field, as well as for new picnic tables. The city manger and mayor were appointed to serve as the city's representative on the Columbia River Enterprise Zone and councilors ap pointed Mr. Cullen Martin to the City’s Planning Com mission. The next regularly scheduled meeting of the Boardman City Council is Tuesday, January 19, at 7 p.m. at Boardman City Hall. PGE Employee Giving Campaign to make donation to United Way of Umatilla & Morrow Counties The United Way of Umatilla & Morrow Coun ties w ill received more than $13,900 in donations from Portland General Electric’s Employee Giving Cam f paign. The donation amount includes PGE’s 50% com pany match. U n ite d Way o f Umatilla & Morrow Coun ties is a featured agency of the campaign and received approximately 30 pledges from employees and retirees during the campaign and has received approximately $101,200 since 2003. I
